Augustine of Hippo, on 1John 3:9

“Whosoever is born of God, committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him, and he can not sin, because he is born of God.”

“If our circumstances are such that we make some progress in this life by the grace of the Savior, when lust declines and love increases, it is in the next life that we reach perfection, when lust is finally extinguished and love is made perfect. That saying, that whoever is born of God does not sin, is undoubtedly meant to apply to that pure love which alone does not sin. The love in us which is increasing and being perfected also belongs to the new birth from God, but as long as lust continues to exist in us it fights against the law of our mind. As a result, the one who is born of God and who does not obey his own lusts can say that it is no longer he who sins but the sin which dwells in him.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.