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.
Questions and Answers
59-1223 §93
Now, we will turn over here at this other verse. "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, does not commit sin, for..." Now, what is sin? Who said that, somebody? Unbelief. That's what the Bible said. There's only one sin, and that's unbelief. That's right. "He that believeth not is condemned already," see. So one sin... Now, if you say, "Well now, wait a minute. I believe that they might have got the Holy Ghost like that in them days, but I don't believe it's so." "But, brother, the Bible said, 'The promise i...
Be not afraid
63-0607 §41
You know, sin is unbelief. You know ... did you know lying is not sin? Committing adultery, that's not sin. Drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes, cursing, using the Lord's name, that's not sin. That's the attributes of unbelief. You do that because you're not a believer. There's only one... I said that one night in a Methodist church. And an old sister standing there, you know, with her collar up high, she said "Rev. Branham, pray tell me, what is sin?" I said, "Unbelief." That's right. You do that because you're a...
Sirs, we would see Jesus
57-0104 §24
Now, what is sin? Now, sin is not smoking, drinking, committing adultery, cursing, and so forth. That isn't sin. Committing adultery isn't sin. Smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey isn't sin; that's the attributes of unbelief. Unbelief is sin. Saint John 3 said, "He that believeth not is condemned already." There's only two roads. One of them is unbelief and the other one is faith. Jesus said, "He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me has everlasting life." Not "this, that, this or that," but h...
We would see Jesus
60-0708 §33
...e will move right on again. Let's stay under the fire, worship under the fire, worship in the power of the Spirit, believing God's Word, laying aside every weight and every sin that doth so easily beset us. And what is sin? Unbelief. "He that believeth not is condemned already." There's just two sins, two things in the world: one is faith, and the other one is unbelief. Committing adultery, smoking, drinking, that's not sin. That's the attributes of sin. You do that because you're not a believer. A believer doesn't...
Law
55-0115 §28
Notice. Now, "He that sins willfully..." Now, sin is bottled to this. There's two elements: one of them is faith, the other one is unbelief. And unbelief is sin. That's the only sin there is, is unbelief. Think of it. Unbelief. Jesus said in Saint John 3, He said: "He that believeth not is condemned already," see. You don't have a chance. Now, there's no halfway Christians. You're either a believer or not a believer. Now, that's belief. What is belief? What is faith? "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the...