A Sin Unto Death
Notes
Transcript
Intro; A few weeks ago we finished up our study on “Becoming A Contagious Christian” by Pastor Tommy Higle in his Journey Series in 1 John. Our last study was about having Confidence in God concerning our prayers and our prayer life.
We came across 2 scriptures that I said we would come back to because I wanted to spend a little time there so we could talk about them in context to not get a wrong understanding about them.
Text; 1 John 5:16-17
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
In verses [14-15] we see the prayers of petition from a believer to God for themselves.
In verse [16-17] we see the prayer of intercession from a believer for another believer.
What is a sin leading to death and why are we not to pray about it?
1. What Is Sin; 17a
1. What Is Sin; 17a
Sin is unrighteousness! Rebellion against God!
All SIN leads to both physical and spiritual death, or separation from a righteous God
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
God gave Adam [sinless at the time] the directive of responsibility and relationship concerning life and death. Up until the time of the fall, Adam and Eve [offspring] would have lived eternally in fellowship with God in the garden. At the moment of rebellion/sin, death/separation from God both physically/spiritually entered into their lives.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
2. Pray for a Brother; 16a-b
2. Pray for a Brother; 16a-b
John tells believers that if we see a brother sinning, we need to pray and intercede for them!
Sinning- [hamar-tano]; to miss the mark, wander from from a path
Sin- [pon-eria] natural depravity; acting according to ones evil nature
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We all miss the mark of God’s glory because of our natural depravity, our sin nature [pon-eria]. But when one comes to faith in Christ that nature is changed, put to death. But we still are susceptible to wander from the path of righteousness [hamar-tano], if we do not guard our hearts and minds from the temptations of the world!
When we reach out in love to a brother or sister who is being defeated by temptation/sin, God can allow that believer to piggyback on our faith to receive deliverance. That’s what the family of God is about.
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Since we do not know what specific sin leads to death and ones that don’t, we need to pray for our brethren until he comes to repentance or dies!
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
We are to bring everything to the Lord in prayer and pray without ceasing!
3. Sin leading to Death; 17c
3. Sin leading to Death; 17c
All sin leads to both spiritual and physical death unless repented of and put under the blood of Jesus Christ.
“Sin leading to death”- “sin punished by physical death”
God is the One who decides what sin leads to physical death and for what reason. We don’t have the ability or authority to make that determination. Only God does!
So what and who is John specifically talking about here?
Two groups of people; False teachers and Christians
False Teachers; John’s entire letter is a warning to believers who were being threatened by worldliness and the lure of false teachers and he wanted them to stand firm in their faith.
Now John is not saying not to pray for false teachers, but that they may already be beyond God’s grace because they have denied Christ.
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Refusing Christ leads to physical and spiritual death!
Christian/Believer- the scriptures reveal in both the Old and New Testaments that people of faith can have their life cut short by a physical death due to sin. But God is the one who makes that determination.
1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.
2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.
5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
It is possible for God to shorten the “physical” life of a Christian for sin committed. I believe Paul gives us a reason why.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Close;
We should be concerned enough to pray for all people who are sinning, whether saved or lost. Pray for the sinning people you know as though their lives depended on it, because it does!
