1 John 3:4 (WEB)

Passage

Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

1 John 3:3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

1 John 3:5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:6 Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Everyone who has this hope set on..." into verse 5's "You know that he was revealed to...", so "everyone" and "sins" 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 "everyone" and "sins" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.