Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

² Of this one only sin then He would have the world to be convinced, that they believe not on Him; to wit, because by believing on Him all sins are loosed, He would have this one imputed by which the rest are bound. And because by believing they are born of God, and become children of God; “For,” says he, “to them gave He power to become the sons of God, to them that believe in Him.” Whoso then believes in the Son of God, in so far as he adheres to Him, and becomes himself also by adoption a son and heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, in so far he sins not.

Whence John says, “Whosoever is born of God sins not.” And therefore the sin of which the world is convinced is this, that they believe not on Him. This is the sin of which He also says, “If I had not come, they had not had sin.” For what! Had they not innumerable other sins? But by His coming this one sin was added to them that believed not, by which the rest should be retained. Whereas in them that believe, because this one was wanting, it was brought to pass that all should be remitted to them that believe.

Nor is it with any other view that the Apostle Paul says, All have sinned, and have need of the glory of God; that “whosoever believes in Him, should not be confounded;” as the Psalm also says “Come to Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be confounded.” Whoso then glories in himself shall be confounded; for he shall not be found without sins. Accordingly he only shall not be confounded who glories in the Lord. “For all have sinned, and have need of the glory of God.”

And so when he was speaking of the infidelity of the Jews, he did not say, “For if some of them have sinned, shall their sin make the faith of God of none effect?” For how should he say, “If some of them have sinned;” when he said himself, “For all have sinned”? But he said, “If some of them believed not, shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?” That he might point out more expressly this sin, by which alone the door is closed against the rest that they by the grace of God should not be remitted. Of which one sin by the coming of the Holy Ghost, that is by the gift of His grace, which is granted to the faithful, the world is convinced, in the Lord's words, “Of sin, because they believed not on Me.”