“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” 1 John 5.16-17
This verse is confusing. From one online commentary: “The ‘sin unto death’ is often interpreted as a deliberate, persistent rejection of Christ and His salvation, leading to spiritual death. It’s not about a specific act, but a hardened state of unbelief.”
This suggests that all sin is sin, but only the persistent, unrepentant actions of a person result in death. A Christian who repents of their sin is where many of us naturally live. Living in sin is neither good nor God’s ideal for us; rather, He desires for us to be set apart from sin, seeking holiness and purity. Yet the truth is we are sinners who need a Savior—past, present, and future.
I recall repenting of sin to godly brothers while in college. I repented, wept because of my sin, and turned away from it. But sometime later, I struggled with the same sin. After committing that sin, I returned to the Lord, repented, and found myself forgiven and whole once again.
Ideally, we would not live in this cycle, but even Paul said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Could that verse read, “For all are sinning, will sin, and have fallen short”? Perhaps that makes more sense. As Paul discusses in Romans 7, we aren’t excusing sin but acknowledging the reality that humans do, in fact, sin. Even after repentance, we are not perfect. Repenting doesn’t make us perfect; it makes us forgiven. It restores us to a right relationship with God until we once again return as broken and needy people.
John’s words encourage us to pray for any brother or sister who commits a sin, even a mortal one, and when we pray for them, God will give them life. God will help us restore others to Him through prayer.
Are you repenting? Are you depending on Christ? Are you praying for those who are struggling? Are you seeking Christ above all things? Turn back to the Lord. Pray for one another. Ask Christ to reign in you so that one day you may inherit the crown of everlasting life.
“O Lord God, you are good. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for allowing me to walk in newness of life. I praise you Lord and glorify your name. Come Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen