Must I Keep Myself?

When you read a verse like this, what comes to your mind?

‘…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…’ (1John 5:18)

This verse practically says if you are begotten of God, you must KEEP YOURSELF in a sinless lifestyle else the wicked one will have access to you! This understanding at one glance crumbles the truth of the eternal salvation of believers as it demands the believer to KEEP HIMSELF so as to be ‘safe’ from the devil’s reach! Anybody who fights the gospel of Grace will ‘run’ to this convincing verse to buttress his points!

Now listen carefully: this verse is one of the most solid verses that clearly explains that a believer can NEVER lose his salvation!

‘…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…’ (1John 5:18)

The password to this scripture lies in the phrase: ‘…he that is begotten of God KEEPETH HIMSELF…’

Question: who was John referring to as ‘…He that is begotten of God…’? The believer?NO!Jesus!John was saying: He that is begotten of God…that is JESUS…keepeth HIMSELF! It was another way of telling us that every believer is IN CHRIST…and we are ONE BODY with Christ and Christ keeps you in HIMSELF!

I know some people reading this now will say: ‘This is twisting! all in the name of defending eternal salvation’!… ok…the verse above was quoted from the King James Version.Let me clear your doubts by quoting other versions and carefully see how they translated this verse:

AMPLIFIED VERSION ‘…We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God CAREFULLY watches over and protects him [CHRIST’s DIVINE PRESENCE within him PRESERVES HIM AGAINST THE EVIL], and the wicked one DOES NOT LAY HOLD (get a grip) on him or touch [him].’

GOODNEWS BIBLE ‘…We know that no children of God keep on sinning, FOR THE SON OF GOD KEEPS THEM SAFE, and the Evil One cannot harm them…’

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD VERSION ‘…We know that the person who has been born from God does not go on sinning. Rather, THE SON OF GOD PROTECTS THEM, and the evil one cannot harm them…’

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION ‘…We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, FOR GOD’s SON HOLDS THEM SECURELY, and the evil one cannot touch them…’

Hope you now believe I did not twist any verse? If you are born of God, you are perfectly SECURED in the Son and no devil dares lay a hand on you! Hallelujah!

Please take this final version and rest in what Christ did for you…

MESSAGE BIBLE ‘…We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin–fatal sin. The GOD-BEGOTTEN are also the GOD-PROTECTED. The Evil One CAN’T LAY A HAND on them…’

With these few points of mine, I hope I have been able to convince you and not to confuse you that your salvation in Christ is one with an ETERNAL SECURITY!

Amen.