I John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
Here we have a perfect example of why CONTEXT is vital to our understanding the Word of God; for, we are plainly told that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8); but, on the other hand, we are told that “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” (I John 3:6) and “whosoever is born of God sinneth not”. The CONTEXT here is that “whosoever is born of God” cannot possibly commit the “sin unto death” (I John 5:16) which is “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 12:30-31). It is true that we can commit a “sin not unto death” (I John 1:17), for which may suffer until we die a natural death, as was the case with king David (II Samuel 12:10). But, those who are “born of God” cannot truly ever commit the heinous “sin unto death”, which is “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost”; for, as Paul clearly tells us, “the Spirit of God dwell in you” and “Christ be in you” and “the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you” (Romans 8:9-11); and, our Lord, Who dwelleth in us, “cannot deny himself” (II Timothy 2:13). Thus, “he that is begotten of God keepeth himself” from the “sin unto death”; for, “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). Because, when “the Spirit of God” dwells “in” the “born again” Children of God, He becomes the principal, vital, integral, and inseparable part of them. Thus, to commit such a sin would mean that the “Holy Ghost” could “blaspheme” against Himself, which is not possible. However, we still have a carnal mind that can and does commit “sin not unto death” (I John 1:17), but the “born again” Children of God are kept from committing the true “sin unto death” by the “Holy Ghost” that indwells them. Furthermore, while the Children of God are chastened, in this present life, for their “unrighteousness” which “is sin”, for “there is a sin not unto death” (I John 5:17); in an Eternal Sense, our most gracious and merciful Lord “redeemed” His Children from the eternal penalty of their sin; for, “now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26), and we “know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (I John 3:5). Thus, just as Isaiah prophesied, He has taken “away our sins” and made us “white as snow … as wool” (Isaiah 1:18) before God the Father. This is why our Lord so wonderfully declared, “that of all which he [God the Father] hath given me [before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)] I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)! Therefore, knowing this to be so, let us join our Brethren of old who followed the Lord and “cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9).