One text of Scripture used by propagators of the doctrine, “We can never fall from grace,” is found in 1 John 3:9, and reads thus: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him: and he can not sin, because he is born of God.” We believe it is safe to always give the Scriptures the plainest, simplest meaning when it does not conflict with the Word of God elsewhere. We should never mystify a text, but accept it as it reads. In 1 John 2:1, the author of this epistle says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Certainly every reader understands John to here teach that it is possible for man to sin, or in other words, no man in this life passes beyond the possibilities of sin. Now to understand him to say in the ninth verse of the third chapter that when we are once born of God we can not possibly sin, makes him to teach contradictory doctrines. Such we know he does not do, and since 1 John 2:1 is too plain to be misunderstood, we must look about to harmonize with it, in the most simple way, 1 John 3:9. We will quote Rotherham on this text: “No one that hath been begotten of God doeth sin, because his seed in him abideth, and he can not be sinning, because of God has he been begotten.” To be begotten of God is to be pardoned or saved from sin. The seed (the Christ-life) abides in the soul in the regenerated state. The seeds of life are supplanted by the seeds of death when we commit sin. No one is born of God when spiritual life has been destroyed by sin. No man can be “sinning” and be a child of God. One who has been saved may be overcome and commit sin, but when he does so he is not God’s child. This text does not teach the impossibility of committing sin after we are born of God, but only the impossibility of committing sin and being a Christian. Chapter XII. The Course Of The World.