What Shall I Do To Be Saved?

By Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil

Question 80. Comment on, 'Whoever has been born of God does not sin for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God.' (1 John 3:9). By believing and through baptism we become the sons of God. So how can we commit a sin? Can a son of God sin?

Let us look at St. John's verse once again. "We know that whoever is born of God doesn't sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself; and the wicked ones doesn't touch him." (1 John 5:18) i.e. If one doesn't keep himself, one will sin. "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which doesn't lead to death, he should pray to God, and He will give him life (1 John 5:16). If any one is so progressive as not to remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God; who ever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son (2 John 9). From this you can see that a person who believes and is baptized, can commit sins!

There are so many examples in the Bible which shows people who believed and were baptized committing sins. (They did not keep themselves). A few of them are:

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter is worse for them than the beginning." (2 Pet 2:20). So one who accepted Jesus Christ can fall into sins, if they don't keep themselves!

Phygelus, Hermogenes and people of Asia turned away from the church. (2 Tim 1:15)

Philetus and Hymenaeus were people who erred in truth , left the church. (2 Tim 2:17)

People referred to in 2 Tim 3:1-9;

Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, doesn't acknowledge us but prates us with malicious words (3 John 9-10). He was not only a believer and one that was baptized, but also a church leader...and he committed sins!

People discussed in 1 Tim 6:3-5.

Paul told Corinthians (after they believed and were baptized) that some of them were immoral. (1 Cori. 5:1-2)

St. Paul asks Galatians "how can you turn back again to weak and destitute powers? after knowing God" (Gala 4:9-10)

If any man sees his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask and he shall give him life for them? (1 John 5:16)

In short, even the sons of God can fall into sin. Be not like "a proud Pharisee who prays, be like a tax collector, who repented." If so, one has a better chance for salvation.

Because of sins:

One will become like Adam. (Gen. 5:3; 1 Cori 15:48)
He who sinned is of the devil (1 John 3:9), and will have bodily death (Gen. 3:19), will loose the right for eternal life through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:18, 21, 6:23),
Our Lord will not hear his prayers (Psalms 66:18) and he will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gala 5:19-21; Eph 5:5; Rev 21:27).

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