1 John 3:4 (DBY)

Passage

Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3:3 And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as *he* is pure.

1 John 3:4 Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

1 John 3:5 And ye know that *he* has been manifested that he might take away our sins; and in him sin is not.

1 John 3:6 Whoever abides in him, does not sin: whoever sins, has not seen him or known him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "practises" and "lawlessness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "practises" and "lawlessness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And every one that has this hope..." into verse 5's "And ye know that he has been...", so "practises" and "lawlessness" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "practises" and "lawlessness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.