More thoughts on sin in believers

I was looking through Wesley's sermons the other day, and came across this:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” ([I John 3:] Verse 9.) But some men will say, “True: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin habitually.” Habitually! Whence is that? I read it not. It is not written in the Book. God plainly saith, “He doth not commit sin;” and thou addest, habitually! Who art thou that mendest the oracles of God? — that “addest to the words of this book?” Beware, I beseech thee, lest God “add to thee all the plagues that are written therein! “especially when the comment thou addest is such as quite swallows up the text: So that by this μεθοδεια πλανης, this artful method of deceiving, the precious promise is utterly lost; by this κυβεια ανθρωπων, this tricking and shuffling of men, the word of God is made of none effect. O beware, thou that thus takest from the words of this book, that, taking away the whole meaning and spirit from them, leavest only what may indeed be termed a dead letter, lest God take away thy part out of the book of life! —Sermon 18, The Marks of the New Birth

<idle musing>
I couldn't put it better myself. If, as Christians, we are still under the power of sin, what is the difference between an unbeliever and a believer? Are we to understand that God, who hates sin, simply overlooks it in believers? In the immortal words of Paul: μὴ γένοιτο! May it never be! Either it is a real transformation, or Christianity should be placed in the dung heap of history.
</idle musing>