Depends what you mean by "continues to sin"
1 John 3:6–9
"No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."
Syntactical Points:
Present Active Indicative Verbs:
The key phrases
"keeps on sinning" (Greek: ἁμαρτάνειν in v.6 and ποιεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν in v.8)
are in the present active tense, indicating ongoing, habitual action. John is not describing isolated acts of sin but a continuous lifestyle.
Negation with οὐδεὶς (No one):
The construction "No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning" (Greek: πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ μένων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει) is categorical.
It declares that persistent sin is incompatible with abiding in Christ. The use of μένω ("abide") ties this to an ongoing relationship with Christ, which will manifest in righteous behavior.
Causal Clauses:
In v.9, the phrase "because God’s seed abides in him" (ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει) provides the reason a believer "cannot keep on sinning" (οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν). The syntax shows a direct causal relationship between being born of God
and rejecting habitual sin.
2. Galatians 5:19–21
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Syntactical Points:
Present Participles:
The Greek verb translated as "do" (πράσσοντες)
is a present active participle, indicating ongoing, habitual behavior.
Paul is not addressing occasional lapses but a pattern of life characterized by these actions.
Future Indicative with οὐ:
The phrase "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Greek: βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν)
is a strong negation.
The future indicative κληρονομήσουσιν confirms the certainty of exclusion from God's kingdom for those persisting in such sins.
3. Hebrews 10:26–27
"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries."
Syntactical Points:
Present Active Participle:
The phrase "go on sinning deliberately" (ἑκουσίως ἁμαρτανόντων) again employs the present active participle, emphasizing continued, willful sin. The adverb ἑκουσίως (deliberately) highlights the intentional and persistent nature of this sin.
Negative Consequence with Conditional Clause:
The condition introduced by εἰ (if) ties the deliberate sin to the consequence of judgment. The phrase "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (οὐκέτι περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπολείπεται θυσία) indicates that willful sin places the individual outside the benefits of Christ's sacrifice, signaling a state incompatible with salvation.
4. Romans 6:1–2
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"
Syntactical Points:
Future Subjunctive Construction:
The rhetorical question "Are we to continue in sin?" (Greek: ἐπιμένωμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ) uses the subjunctive mood to address the hypothetical idea of ongoing sin. Paul's emphatic response, μὴ γένοιτο ("By no means!"), shows the impossibility of a Christian continuing in habitual sin.
Rhetorical Question with Personal Identity:
"How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (οἵτινες ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ) ties the believer's identity in Christ (dead to sin) to a lifestyle incompatible with sin. The syntax emphasizes that living in sin contradicts the believer’s new nature.
Summary:
Syntactically, the New Testament consistently uses present active verbs, participles, and causal constructions to demonstrate that willful, habitual sin is incompatible with being a true Christian. A lifestyle of sin contradicts the believer’s identity as someone regenerated, sanctified, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Serious verses in Scripture
@NotTheRock.
My sincere apologies for derailing the thread.
@Rita
J.
