1 John 5:16-17 (ESV): “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”



CONTEXT

John is wrapping up his letter, with some final instructions. However, these two verses are somewhat an enigma for many Christians, as they are not fully explained.



PRAY FOR BROTHERS SISTERS WHO ARE SINNING

Verse 16 is about praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ when they sin. However, too often, when we read this passage, most people immediately begin to focus on the “Sin that leads to death”, totally missing what John is trying to tell us.



Praying for one another and helping keep each other accountable is an essential part of being a Christian. When we see our fellow Christian sin, we don’t run to a Pastor or leader and tell them so they can deal with it, we don’t call up our friends so that they can pray (that is gossip). Nor do we immediately condemn them. Rather, John tells us to pray, and “God will give them life”, which possibly means restoration.



Paul tells us in Gal 6:1: ”Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”



As the Body of Christ, we must hold up one another in prayer. We also need to be a part of the restoration process, not the demolition crew. We all know the Church is full of broken people. But Scripture gives us full permission to, whenever possible, to intervene in the lives of others within the Church wo are going astray, especially through prayer, but also words and deeds.



Confrontation is difficult for many, especially if it seems like we are “judging” other Christians. However, we do need to understand that we have an obligation to our sinning brother. While Scripture has a lot to say about this subject, it is rarely taught, and even less obeyed. Passages such as Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5:1-13. But the church and we as individuals are given clear guidelines of how to deal with sin in the Church.



THE SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH

Christians have struggled over the meaning of this verse, but I think it is best to interpret Scripture by Scripture. In Matt 12:31-32, Jesus tells us: “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” Mark 3:29 goes on to explain what the Pharisees were doing for Jesus to say this: “for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”



It is clear from this passage, that the unforgivable sin, is to attribute the works of Jesus to be of Satan, rather than the Holy Spirit. Years ago, a wise Christian leader gave some advice. He told me, that if one was worried that they might have committed the unforgivable, that was a clear sign that I had not. Those that commit such a sin are totally opposed to Jesus, his ministry, his work on the cross, and His relationship to the Father and the Holy Spirit. They would not care.



ALL WRONGDOING IS SIN

The word for wrongdoing is (adikia from a = not + dikê = right). It is the direct opposite to the righteousness. The word sin is (hamartia) which literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow. Sin is missing God’s mark for righteousness. This takes us back to 1 John 1:9, where John gives us a solution for handling our sin. – "If we confess our sins (harmartia), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."



APPLICATION

I often worry that today’s church has become so numb to sin, that it is overlooked and ignored. Sure. we rail against the “big” sins, such as adultery, abortion, homosexuality, but we seem to ignore others, such as gossip, obesity, quarreling, slander, greed, etc. I am not talking about the world, but those in the church, and profess to be believers.

God does call us to be our brother’s keeper. However, let us start with ourselves first. Find a few close brothers to help keep you accountable. Give them permission to check up on your, confront you as needed if they see you stumbling. In the same way, you need to be humble enough to repent if you are confronted.

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