Can a True Believer Commit Serious Sin?
1) Direct answer
Yes—in the sense that a true believer, still in this flesh, can fall into a serious wrong. No—in the sense that he cannot continue in it, excuse it, or be at peace with it. The life of God in him will drive him to repentance and restoration.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin… and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9; 5:18). That speaks of a nature that will not practice or live in sin.
- Yet it also says, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). So a believer may stumble, but he is not left there.
- David fell grievously, but cried out and was restored (Psalm 51). Peter denied the Lord, wept bitterly, and was restored (Luke 22:61-62; John 21).
- “Sin… because they believe not on Me” (John 16:9). Sin at its root is unbelief. The born-again heart believes the Word and cannot settle in unbelief.
- “Shall we continue in sin? God forbid… Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:1,14).
- A real son is chastened when he errs (Hebrews 12:6-8). God corrects His own.
- If we confess, He forgives and cleanses (1 John 1:9). The Spirit seals unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
3) Simple clarifying logic
Now notice, the new birth activates God’s seed in the soul. That inner life says Amen to every Word and cannot deny it. The outer man may stumble, but the inside man cannot live in rebellion. A sheep may fall in mud, but it will not wallow there; it cries to be washed. If a person can live in willful, ongoing sin without conviction or chastening, the Scripture says that is not sonship (Hebrews 12:8). But if he is God’s, conviction strikes, godly sorrow works repentance, and he is restored to walk in the light.
4) Reinforcing statement
So a true believer may fall, even seriously, but he will not remain in sin. The seed of God in him breaks the dominion of sin, brings confession, correction, and a clean walk with God.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Why?
61-0128 §41
But what did he do? When that blood cell was broke, the spirit that was in that blood cell, which was the life, it could not come back to the believer, the worshipper. Why? Because it was the life of an animal. So the life of an animal would not coincide with the life of a human. So therefore, if he'd committed adultery, he went out with the same desire he had when he come in. If he went out and stole, he went out with the same desire, because... He had only his conscience that he had done what was right, but the s...
Three kinds of believers
63-1124E §93
...y these things, and know that perhaps, tens of thousands of people will hear this over the tape as they go out across the country and around the world. But dear Lord, it is true; it's so true. I pray, Lord, first clean my heart. Oh, Lord, test me; try me. Just look down upon me, Lord. I'm weak; I'm tired; I'm wore out. My throat is husky; my lips are parched like. And my body is wearing down, I'm getting old. And it won't be too many more times, Lord, maybe too many more turns of the sun till I'll be going. Well no...
Three kinds of believers
63-1124E §58
...id, "I don't care, Mr. Branham, how many people you could produce that you said was healed, I wouldn't believe it." I said, "Certainly not; you can't believe it. You're a unbeliever; it wasn't for you. It's only for the believers." You've got to believe it, see. And they do not believe it. So when you see a person in that ... Well did Paul speak of (the prophets), saying that they'd be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having forms of godliness, but denying the power there ... the powe...
The unpardonable sin
54-1024 §47
...it. They ain't going to believe you. And you don't believe it yourself, and the public don't believe it, so you're just making yourself miserable. Why don't you come with a true heart, and say, "God, I confess my wrongs, and I believe on Jesus Christ with all my heart. Now, God, give me the Holy Ghost." He will do it. That's right. He will do it. Then, the fruit of that, because you believe...!
Position of a believer in Christ
55-0227A §54
Do you get it? Christ dying with the sinner, the sinner once coming, to look at the cell of the dead Lamb, then the Holy Spirit that was in the cell of the Lamb returns back upon the believer as the Holy Ghost, bearing record through our sanctified faith in Christ. God has perfected forever. Amen. It's not by one handshake. It's not by one emotion. It's not by one time speaking with tongues, or ten times, or billion times. It's not by casting out evil spirits. It's not by preaching of the Gospel, but by the one Sac...