1 John 3:9 (GNV)

Passage

Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seede remaineth in him, neither can hee sinne, because he is borne of God.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:7 Litle children, let no man deceiue you: he that doeth righteousnes, is righteous, as hee is righteous.

1 John 3:8 He that comitteth sinne, is of the deuil: for the deuill sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose was made manifest that Sonne of God, that he might loose the workes of the deuil.

1 John 3:9 Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seede remaineth in him, neither can hee sinne, because he is borne of God.

1 John 3:10 In this are the children of God knowen, and the children of the deuil: whosoeuer doeth not righteousnesse, is not of God, neither he that loueth not his brother.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message, that ye heard from the beginning, that we should loue one another,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whosoeuer", "borne", "sinneth", "seede", "remaineth", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whosoeuer" and "borne", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "He that comitteth sinne is of the..." into verse 10's "In this are the children of God...", so "whosoeuer" and "borne" 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 "whosoeuer" and "borne" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.