Readers
Question / Comment - Can a Christian
commit a sin that leads to death?
Hello
I have a question regarding 1 John 5:16. What sin could a brother
(Christian) commit that we should not pray for, a sin that leads to
death. You could maybe build a case for not praying for a non
christian who has taken a strong stand against Christ, but a brother,
born again person, how can he sin and not be forgiven. That
contradicts 1 John 3:9. Passages like that cause me to wonder whether
I might have committed such an unpardonable sin and consequently tend
to rob me of my joy in the Lord.
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JPN Reply:
Hey,
Now let us come to the moot question, what is this sin unto death? There
are three major explanations that exist of this passage and
particularly of this phrase, "the sin unto death." The first view
regards it as some specific sin which is so terrible as to be
unforgivable, as suicide, murder, idolatry, even adultery. This view
(which has been held by many through the Christian centuries) early
gave rise to the Catholic distinctions between mortal and venial sins.
This is, perhaps, why the RSV translates this "sin which is mortal"
and "sin which is not mortal." There is absolutely no question but
what that translation is wrong. It should never be translated "mortal
sin" for it has nothing to do with the question of salvation. There is
no warrant in Scripture whatsoever for distinguishing between mortal
and venial sins; i.e., sins which can be forgiven (venial), and those
sins which can never be forgiven (mortal). Scripture makes no such
distinctions. As a matter of fact, this sin is not any one specific
sin. The Greek makes very clear here that this is simply sin in
general. It is not a sin which is unto death; it is simply sin which
is unto death. Any specific sin can become sin unto death. Therefore,
it is not a specific kind of sin that is in view and that
interpretation simply cannot stand.
There is a second view which links this with the words of Jesus
concerning the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Remember that on one
occasion he warned that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can
never be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. The death
which is mentioned in this passage in First John is taken to mean
spiritual death and is then associated with the blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit. This is, of course, a description of what we generally
call apostasy; i.e., an apostate is someone who has made a profession
of faith in Christ but begins to drift away and ultimately comes to
the place where he actually blasphemes the name of the Lord Jesus and
the things of Christian faith, denying them and turning his back upon
them to go into a completely apostate state. Hebrews 6 and Hebrews10
and other passages make clear that such an apostate is in a terrible
situation. He has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the
flagrant rejection of the testimony of the Holy Spirit to Jesus
Christ, and that is unpardonable.
But it is equally clear that kind of sin can never be committed by a
genuine born-again Christian. It is only committed by those who have
made a profession of faith but have never entered into new birth in
Jesus Christ. But the word here is "if any one sees his brother
committing what is not a sin unto death," and the word, brother, is
reserved for other Christians. It is so defined in Chapter 5, Verse 1,
of this very letter. John says that "every one who believes that Jesus
is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the Father
loves the child." That is, such a one is my brother; he, like me, is a
member of the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore,
it seems likely that the sin unto death mentioned here is limited to
Christians, and cannot refer to apostates.
That brings us to the third view, which I believe is the correct one,
which views death here as physical death: "If any one sees his brother
committing what is not a sin unto [physical] death, he will ask, and
God will give him life for those whose sin is not unto [physical]
death. There is sin which is unto [physical] death." There is sin
which a Christian can commit which will result in God taking him home
in physical death. John goes on to say, "I do not say that one is to
pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not
unto [physical] death."
Now there are certain examples of this "sin unto death" given in
Scripture which, if one studies them through carefully, will reveal
the element that turns ordinary sin into sin which is unto death. "All
wrongdoing is sin," says John. All unrighteousness is sin, let us not
misunderstand that, but there is sin which has a certain element about
it, a certain characteristic which will result in physical death,
physical judgment. Let us look at some of the instances of this in
Scripture.
Moses, for instance, committed a sin unto death when he was commanded of
God to speak to the rock in the wilderness and water would come forth
to meet the needs of the children of Israel ( Numbers 20:8).
Previously he had been commanded to strike a rock and the water would
come out, and when he did the water did come out. But on a second
occasion he was told to speak to the rock. This change was important
because the rock was a type of Christ and to strike it was a picture
of the judgment of the cross. Now the cross is the way by which the
refreshing water of grace first comes into our life as Christians, but
after we have become Christians we are not to strike the rock (crucify
Christ again) but to speak to it. We are to simply ask of him and out
of the Rock will come flowing the rivers of living water we need. But
Moses broke the significance of that type when in his anger, he struck
the rock twice. Though God, in grace, allowed the water to come
flowing out, he said to him, "Because you have disobeyed me and not
sanctified me in the eyes of the people, you will not be allowed to
lead these people into the land of promise," Numbers 20:12). Later on,
when they came to the borders of the land, Moses said to God in
effect, "Lord, allow me to go on in. Forgive this, and let me go on
in" Deuteronomy 3:24-25), and the Lord said to him, "Speak no more to
me about this matter" Deuteronomy 3:26), i.e., do not pray about this
(just as John said, "I do not say you should pray about that"), "but
get up to the mountain and I will let you see the land, but that is as
far as you can go," Deuteronomy 3:27). Moses had committed a sin unto
death. In his case it did not occur right away, but it occurred
prematurely and before his work was really completed.
A little further on in the book of Joshua you find that Achan commits a
sin unto death. As the children of Israel crossed the Jordan and
surrounded Jericho they were told that when the city became theirs
they were not to touch anything in it, they were not to take any of
the possessions of the inhabitants of the city, or to covet anything,
for it was all cursed of God. But when the walls came tumbling down
and they came into the city, one man among them, Achan, saw a
beautiful garment and a wedge of gold, and he coveted these and buried
them in the dirt beneath his tent. For this judgment came upon Israel.
In their next battle they met with utter and complete defeat.
Searching out the camp, in obedience to the Word of God, Joshua found
that it was Achan who did this. He was brought out with his whole
family, and by command of God they were put to death. That was a sin
unto death.
In the New Testament, in the fifth chapter of Acts, Ananias and his wife,
Sapphira, pretended to a devotion that they did not really possess,
and wanting a reputation in the eyes of other Christians, they lied
about the money they received for certain land. As a result, they were
immediately put to death by God when their lie became evident. They
were taken out, one by one, and buried. They, too, had committed a sin
unto death.
Also remember what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians about their
conduct, saying, "Some of you are drunken, some are selfish, pushing
your way in and eating before others, showing no concern for others,
and above all not discerning the meaning of this table, not discerning
the Lord's body. For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you,
and many sleep" ( 1 Corinthians 11:28-30), i.e., have died. Now what
does this mean? It meant that certain ones had committed sin which was
unto death.
But note that in all these examples it was not the same sin, by any
means. It was simply sin which results in the judgment of physical
death. What then, is the element that turns ordinary sin into this
kind of sin? I think if you look at these examples together you will
see what it is. It is the element of wanton, presumptuous action in
the face of clear knowledge that it is wrong. It is willfulness, a
willful presumption to pursue something when you know God has said it
is wrong. This is sin unto death, and the result is physical judgment.
Now it does not always come suddenly. It did with Ananias and Sapphira,
it did with Achan, but it did not with Moses, and it did not with the
Corinthians. With them it came in stages: first it was weakness, then
sickliness, and finally death. Perhaps much of the physical weakness
that is apparent among Christians today may arise from this very
cause. Not all physical weakness comes from this, not all premature
deaths arise from this, but some very likely do. It is persistence in
a determined course of action when you know that God has said it is
wrong, that creates sin unto death.
Now let us look again at what John has said. "If any one sees his brother
committing sin which is not unto death," i.e., sin which arises
largely out of ignorance, sin where someone is simply doing something
which they may have a vague idea is wrong, but they have no
understanding of the implications of it, no awareness of how bad it
is. This is the kind of sin we older people often see manifest among
the younger. Young Christians often stumble into things they are not
aware of, they do not understand what they are getting into, they do
not realize the danger. Then, if you see your brother committing that
kind of a sin, ask of God, and God will give life for those whose sin
is not unto death. God will withhold the judgment of physical weakness
and grant opportunity for the renewal of life.
You can see that in the Old Testament in the case of King Hezekiah.
Remember that in a very unwise moment he allowed the King of Babylon
to send visitors into his palace to investigate all that was going on,
and to see the riches of the palace. The prophet Isaiah warned
Hezekiah that these men only wanted to see how much money he had and
whether it was worth sending an army to take it or not. He said, "You
have sold yourself into the hands of the Babylonians." As a result of
that, King Hezekiah received a sentence of death from God. God told
him to prepare himself, to get everything ready because he was going
to die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed, beseeching
the Lord. As a result of that prayer of confession and repentance, God
stopped the prophet Isaiah as he was going out the door, having
delivered the sentence of death and said, "Go back to the King. I have
granted him fifteen more years of life," Isaiah 38:5). As a sign that
it would happen, the sun dial in the garden went backward ten degrees.
That is an example of God granting life for those who do not commit a
sin which is unto death. Repentance reverses the judgment. Those who
willfully determine to go on in a way that is wrong commit sin which
is unto death, and when they do God says do not pray for that.
Paul, writing to Titus, says something very similar. In the closing part
of that little letter he says, "As for a man who is factious, after
admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him,
knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is
self-condemned," (Titus 3:10-11 RSV). Here is a brother determined to
go on his way. Therefore, there is no need to pray for him. There is
nothing you can do but let God's judgment wake him up. Perhaps God in
grace will deal patiently with him, give him a time of sickness or
weakness, and that will bring him to his senses. But if not, God will
take him home.
Dr. H. A. Ironside used to illustrate this as follows: Sometimes you see
children playing outside, and when quarreling breaks out the mother
says, "If you don't behave yourself, you will have to come in the
house." Her child says, "Don't worry, mother, I'll be good." But a
little while later quarreling breaks out again, and the mother comes
out and says, "Now that's enough. You've got to come in. I can't trust
you outside anymore." The child begs his mother to let him stay out
some more. "Oh, mother, I'll be good. I promise I will." But she says,
"No, I gave you a chance. Now come on inside. I can't trust you out
there any more."
That is what God sometimes says to us. Do we realize, Christian friends,
that God's whole reputation is at stake in our behavior? Everything we
do and say is reflecting the character and the being of God to the
world around. No wonder he watches us so assiduously. No wonder he
judges us so precipitously at times. If there be a willful
determination to disgrace him in the eyes of others, as Moses did, God
will say, "All right, that's enough. I can't trust you out there
anymore. Come on home." And home we go.
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