When we CAN'T be in a "PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP" with JESUS

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. I John 3:4-6 NASB

We can't be in a "personal relationship" with Jesus WHILE WE ARE SINNING!

This should be obvious.

Why?

Look at the verses above.

Those who practice sin or lawlessness practice that which is the opposite of Jesus' purpose and personality, as opposite and non coexistent as light and darkness.  Light and darkness can't be in the same place at the same time, because one, darkness, is actually THE ABSENCE of the other, light.  Darkness is when light IS NOT THERE.

GOD IS LIGHT.  SINLESS.
IN GOD THERE IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL.  NO SIN.
SIN AND SINLESSNESS CANNOT COEXIST AS LIGHT AND DARKNESS CANNOT COEXIST.

Again, this should be obvious.

No one who ABIDES in Him sins.

The "Him" in the verse is Christ.
To abide means to be intimately attached, intimate connection, intimate relation.

A "personal relationship" implies intimacy.

Think of someone who is your intimate friend, or someone you would WANT to be your intimate friend.

Now think of someone you wouldn't DARE be intimate with.

Notice the two persons are in opposition.

The one who is intimate with you knows you, and thus knows what you love and what repulses you.  He would ONLY do what you love, and NEVER purposely do what repulses you.

But the one with whom you wouldn't dare be intimate devalues what you value most, and loves what you most hate.  She refuses to listen to you when you feel most loved when you are listened to.  She enjoys irritating people while you enjoy showing kindness as often as you can.

So, we could put the verse this way,

"No one  who is BEING intimate with Jesus does what He hates.  No one who does what He hates has been focusing on Him or experiencing Him WHILE THEY DO WHAT HE HATES!"

Some of us complicate verses like this by introducing issues of salvation, "sinless perfection," or "habitual sin," when it is far simpler than all of this.  Is it really just all about us?  Is the only focus whether WE go to heaven, whether WE can live without sin, whether WE can sin occasionally or habitually?

Can I commit adultery and experience marital intimacy AT THE SAME TIME AND IN THE SAME PLACE?  Let's make it worse.  Let's say the adultery is with my wife's enemy!  Can I do this OCCASIONALLY, and expect to STAY MARRIED?

You tell me.
Can we experience AT THE SAME TIME both intimacy and enmity?