Let us now look in more detail at each of these three main items, beginning with the matter of convicting the world concerning sin.
The source of sin is the devil. We see this in 8:44 where the Lord says to the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks out of his own self; for he is a liar and the father of it.” Since the devil is the father of liars, he is the source of sin. The evil element of the devil, working as sin through death and darkness within man, enslaves man to sin. His nature is a lie and brings in death and darkness.
We all were born of the devil, the old serpent (8:44; Rev. 12:9). The devil is the father of sinners. Because the devil is the father of sinners, sinners are “the children of the devil” (1 John 3:10). The devil is the old serpent (Rev. 12:9; 20:2), and sinners also are serpents, the generation of vipers (Matt. 23:33; 3:7).
All sinners were born as children of the devil with the poison of the serpent (3:14). The devil is the serpent with the serpentine poison. All sinners were born of the devil with his poison. In our fallen nature there is the poison of the old serpent, the devil.
All sinners were born in sin in Adam (9:34). Today people usually say that they were born in a certain country, but they must also realize that they were born in sin. Since we were born in sin, we were born sinners. It is unnecessary for us to commit sin to be a sinner, because we were born sinners already. In fact, we have been sinners for six thousand years. Although as a man you might be only twenty-two years of age, as a sinner you are six thousand years old. We all are very old because we were born sinners in Adam. There are no young sinners. Every sinner is very old, as old as Adam.
Because we all were born in sin in Adam, we all were born condemned (3:18). Before we were born, we were condemned in Adam. When Adam was condemned six thousand years ago, we were condemned in him. Since we were condemned before we were born, we were born in condemnation.
We all were born to die in sin (8:21). Human beings were not born to live; they were born to die. The longer a man lives, the nearer he comes to dying.
In 8:34 we see that we all are under the slavery of sin. This is not the result of our choice; it is a result of Adam’s fall. Adam’s fall has brought us under the slavery of sin. Since we all were born of Adam, we all are under the slavery of sin.
Since we are under the slavery of sin, what shall we do? Outside of Christ there is no way of escape. Christ is our way, our only escape. The unique way to be freed from sin is to believe in the Son (8:24, 36; 3:15-17). This believing brings about a translation from Adam into Christ. This is wonderful. Within half a second, a sinner can be completely translated out of the sinful condition in Adam into Christ.
In verse 9 the Lord said that the Spirit would convict the world concerning sin “because they do not believe in Me.” Here we see that the unique sin for perishing is not to believe in the Son (3:16). The sin here is the unwillingness to be translated from Adam into Christ. If people wish to remain in Adam, it means that they want to remain in the old realm and not move into the new realm, which is Christ. There is no need for you to commit sin in order to perish. If you simply do not believe in the Lord Jesus, you are already qualified for perishing. You do not need to rob a bank, deceive your husband, or lie to your parents. You may be a gentleman, but as long as you do not believe in the Lord Jesus, you are destined to perish. The unique way to escape from your sinful situation is to believe in the Lord, and the unique sin that qualifies you for perishing is not to believe in Him. Therefore, the key today is whether we believe or not. If we believe, we shall be translated out of Adam into Christ. But if we do not believe, we shall perish.