1 John 5:18 18We know that everyone who has been born from God does not sin, but the one born from God keeps him and the evil one cannot harm him.
John begins to close out his letter with three clear declarations of we know. These are things that we can be certain about because of God’s promises found in Jesus Christ. By making these verbs plural, John includes the readers and provides them the assurance of victory. Similar assertions can be found in 3:2, 14, and John 21:24. The following points were likely at the core of John’s preaching, and so he is reminding the readers of points he already taught them and they had already embraced.
The first declaration restates the outcome of new birth. The verb tenses used in this verse are noteworthy. The participle who has been born (gegennēmenos; 3:9; 5:1, 4) is perfect, representing the decision of faith that occurred at one time and the continuing growth of the born-again person. The tense for sin (hamartanei) is present, implying the continuous struggle in sin. The new life of faith should be free from sin’s influence and control. The reason for this is that the believer now walks in the light of righteousness, having been cleansed from sin and having a new, clean heart. The tense of the second participle, born (gennētheis), shifts to aorist, adding emphasis to the fact of having been born again through a decision of faith. We can build our lives on our decision to believe in Jesus. Baptism often represents for people this point in spiritual development. Two other present, continuous tense verbs keeps and harm emphasize this promised victory that we can live in because of Jesus.
God’s presence in our lives should make a difference in how we live. God’s love gives us a new perspective on the people around us. We no longer want to live for ourselves in ways that please ourselves and satisfy fleshly desires. God’s love begins to change our motives. We reject the darkness around us and desire to walk in the light of Christ. Sin becomes distasteful and unfulfilling. If we are open and obedient, the Holy Spirit will change our worldview, motives, and purpose from pleasing self to pleasing God.
The one born from God here refers to the Son, Jesus. As Jesus said in John 15, if we remain in him, he will remain in us. If we stay connected with Jesus, he can provide the power to overcome temptation and avoid sin. When we abide in him, the evil one cannot harm those who are in Christ. The devil can tempt us, but we have the victory because “greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We are safe when we are connected to Christ.