NOTES for Jo1 5:18

John testifies that not every sin is a sin leading to death. One could object to him that any sin carries deadly poison in itself, but there is no contradiction here: the apostle does not deny this; he speaks of the degree of poisoning. A brother who sins should not be condemned, but prayed for in his fall and grieved over. But if everyone born of God does not sin, then it follows that if I cannot help sinning, I cannot be counted among those born of Him. But then what relation do these words have to us, the many constantly stumbling sinners? These words give us hope that if we continue to follow Christ, He will free us from all sinful inclinations and dependencies.