Ponderize – 1 John 3:9 – Born of God = Received the holy Spirit of promise

1 John 3:9 – Born of God = Received the holy Spirit of promise

Let’s start by comparing 1 John 3:9 with the Joseph Smith Translation.

KJV version:
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.

Joseph Smith Translation version:
Whosoever is born of God doth not continue in sin; for the Spirit of God remaineth in him; and he cannot continue in sin, because he is born of God, having received that holy Spirit of promise.

I find it simply amazing how much of the doctrine of Christ was removed from the Bible over time. How grateful I am that the Lord saw fit in His wisdom to inspire Joseph Smith to translate the Bible and restore many of these great truths. This verse is a prime example of this restoration process in action. There were three major differences that add so much depth and grandeur to this verse.

KJV – JST

1. not commit sin – not continue in sin
2. for his seed remaineth in him – for the Spirit of God remaineth in him
3. because he is born of God – JST added “having received that holy Spirit of promise”

Let’s work backwards. We are told that the Holy Spirit of promise is having ones calling and election made sure and it is also referred to as the more sure word of prophecy or second Comforter.

President Marion G. Romney in his talk titled “The Light of Christ” he said this:
“There are three phases of the light of Christ that I want to mention.
The first one is the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world;
The second phase is the gift of the Holy Ghost;
And the third is the more sure word of prophecy.”

I should think that all faithful Latter-day Saints “would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God.” (History of the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints, 5:388.)

And then he closes his talk with these words: “That the Lord will bless all of us… that we will so understand these great truths, that in the end we shall, by making our calling and election sure, enjoy the full light of Christ, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.” http://scottwoodward.org/Talks/html/Romney,%20Marion%20G/RomneyMG_TheLightOfChrist.html

From this we understand that “by making our calling and election sure, [we] enjoy the full light of Christ” which is literally Christ in us or remains with us, which is where the second point is understood. Doctrine and Covenants 88 shows this concept of Christ in us or His light/Spirit remaining with us.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:3-5
3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son

And now let’s look at the testimony of John.

John 14:16-20
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

This brings us to the first point, “cannot continue in sin.” The wording is crucial. It doesn’t say, not continue “to” sin, but rather it says, not continue “in” sin. If someone doesn’t continue in something, they must have moved into something else or some other path.

This is such an interesting thought. When someone has the Spirit of God that remains in them, they cannot continue in sin or rather they move into or onto another path. When we have learned to hear and obey the Spirit of Christ in our lives to the extent that we have become pure and receive “that holy Spirit of promise,” then Christ is in us and in this glorious state this individual moves into or onto another path, even the path of becoming like Christ. Think of it, if we had the Spirit of Christ in us continually, what level of service could we perform, what amount of growth we could achieve.

The last concept I want to point out and that fills me with great joy and desire, is that if someone has the ability to continue in sin, but chooses not to continue in sin, indicates that this was not achieved in heaven but rather here in mortality. Let us work toward our making our calling and elections sure, and having the Spirit of God remain with us continually, and move onto and into a more glorious path of becoming like Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Craig