The Narrow Path Ministries

In 1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. "

My dad believes in once a man is saved he is always saved no matter what. He says this passsage, says that God does not see the sins of a saved prerson. I have listened to Steves tapes, but before he goes into explaining this verse, he goes off on talking about another subject and didn't explain this verse in the verse by verse teaching. I am of the opinion that you must keep up your faith to be saved, despite the life you live, but my dad says that once you call on the Lord to save you, you are always saved no matter what, despite the way you live life or your non repentence of sins. Can anyone give me some help here on, "once saved always saved?"

Hi Maz,

You could also try listening to Steve's tape from the TNP series "Content of the Gospel":
here is the link bcs I wanted the practice :)
Eternal Security

Mazx67,

I don't want to encourage conflict between you and your father, but I am not sure how he is applying this verse to the point he is making. I can think of other verses that seem to teach eternal security, but I don't see it here. I believe that this verse is saying that a truly regenerated person is not able to live in sin (This doesn't mean such a person never commits any sins, but it means that the new heart is opposed to sinning, and will not allow its possessor to live comfortably in sin without conviction). It doesn't say anything about God not seeing sins that actually are committed.

Perhaps what your father is actually seeing in this verse is an affirmation that true conversion would prevent anyone from going back into a life of sin. I could see someone deriving this meaning from it, though I think it would be reading more into it than it actually intends to teach. After all, the Bible speaks of people who have actually been saved and have turned from the holy commandment and departed from the living God through an evil heart of unbelief (e.g., Heb.6:4-6; 3:12; 10:28-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22; cf., Luke 8:13; John 15:6; Rom.11:22; 1 Cor.9:27; Gal.5:4; Col.1:21-23; 1 Tim.4:1; 2 Tim.2:12; Rev.3:5)