The original post is here
My response:
I have a different take on 1 John. My understanding is that John is trying to clear up falsehoods that have sprung up concerning the gospel ("the word of life") by relating the message that he and the others who knew Jesus personally ("who touched him" etc) had received from him.
1 John 1:
5 ¶ This then is the message which we [the ones who know him personally] have heard of him [Jesus], and declare unto you [who did not know him personally], that [BEGIN MESSAGE] God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.[END MESSAGE]
This, John says is his summary of the message of Jesus concerning the "word of life":
1 John 1:
1 ¶ That [message] which was from the beginning [of the gospel], which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life [the gospel];
2 (For the [message of everlasting] life was manifested [plainly], and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was [clearly] manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us [might have this in common with us]: and truly our fellowship [our commonality] is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your [our?] joy may be full [its integrity might be restored].
So to make this gospel message of salvation *from* sin to be a description of the life of God's holy ones is to contradict the original message, which says that God is faithful and justified to forgive *and to cleanse one from all unrighteousness*. It is this cleansed life that is the subject of the part in question, about whether or not the believer sins.
To make this clear, he refers to the "seed" within the believer:
1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Note that if the argument is softened as suggested, the argument *makes no sense*! In other words, is it any less absurd from John's point of view to say that whoever is born of God "only sins once in a while" than it is to say that one who is born of God "sins all of the time?" If the new birth creates the abiding home of the word of God then sin is NEVER compatible, not just some of the time!
Consider how absurd the notion of commonality with the light it is "if you only walk in darkness some of the time!"
So my view is that John taught that holiness was not a come and go thing, and nor was sin. You were either a saint (ex-sinner) or a sinner, never an occasional dipper. If you claim to know God, **in whom there is no darkness at ALL**, and yet continue to walk in [deeds of] darkness you are a liar. This seems to be his point rather than "continuously sins."
I would further point to words like "faithful" and "adulterous." Is someone faithful or adulterous if they are faithful three days per week? These words only have meaning when used to refer to consistent behavior.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Lu 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
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