Does 1 John 5:18 mean the born-again do not sin, or do not continue in sin?
Robert Sungenis answers that the present-tense Greek verb means the born-again do not continue in sin, not that they never sin, which balances with the confession of sin in 1 John 1:8-9. He draws on Paul's point that the law condemns even one sin without mercy, so no one should want to be judged by the law rather than by the One who forgives the repentant.
A viewer asks whether 1 John 5:18 means those who are born again will not sin or will not continue committing mortal sin.
Answer
It balances with verses like 1 John 1:8-9, where we confess we are sinners. The way to read it from the Greek is that the present-tense verb means "he does not continue to sin," not "he does not sin at all." This is Paul's whole point that all men are under sin: no matter how good a man is, he cannot say he has never sinned, and for even one sin the law condemns him with no mercy, because there is no grace in the law. So if you insist on being judged by the law, it will sniff out your one sin and condemn you. The lesson is that you do not want to be judged by the law; you want to be judged by One who has mercy, who knows you are a sinner, and who forgives you when you repent.