1 John 3:9

Whosoever. Again the apostle uses this comprehensive term (cf. on John 3:16; 1 John 3:4, 6). What he says applies to all who are “born of God.”

Born of God. See on ch. 2:29. But here, unlike ch. 2:29, there is no doubt that the writer is speaking of being born of the Father. John is the only NT author to speak of our being “begotten,” or “born of God” (John 1:13; 1 John 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). The form of the Greek verb shows that he is referring to those who have been born of God and continue to be His children. He thus includes every Christian who has not returned to the world and thus denied the Lord who redeemed him.

Doth not commit sin. That is, he does not continue to sin, or he does not habitually sin (see on v. 6; the form of the Greek verb here is the same as it is there). The apostle thus characterizes those who have been born of God. They have experienced the new birth, their natures and changed, and they resemble their heavenly Father (see on John 3:3-5; 1 John 3:1). They hate the sin they used to love, and love the virtue they used to despise (see on Rom. 6:2, 6; 7:14, 15). Such people do not continue slaves to their old sins, they do not habitually commit their old mistakes. Divine power has given them the victory over those weaknesses, and is ready to aid them in overcoming other faults of which they may not previously have been aware.

His seed. That is, God’s seed, “the divine principle of life” (Vincent), which, implanted in a sinner, brings the new man to birth and produces the Christian. This divine “seed” abides in the truly converted man, ensures him spiritual energy, and enables him successfully to resist sin. John thus gives God the credit for the Christian’s sinlessness. Because the divine power operates in his soul, the Christian does not continue to sin.

Cannot sin. Or, “is not able to go on sinning,” or “is not able to go on habitually sinning.” This does not mean that the Christian is incapable of committing a wrong act. If he were unable to sin, there would be no virtue in his being without sin, and there would be no true development of character. John has already implied that he will make occasional mistakes (see on ch. 2:1). The passage means that, having been born of God, and having God’s life-giving power dwelling in him, he cannot continue his old pattern of habitual sin. He now follows the sinless ideals that have been implanted in his soul by the new birth.