The Sin Unto Death

APRIL 20, 2022 STUDY NOTES 1 JOHN 5:16-17 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES THE SIN UNTO DEATH INTRODUCTION Theologians agree that this is one of the most difficult passages to interpret in the NT Regardless of the view you accept there will still be unanswered questions I am not going to share the different views of this passage of scripture, there are several I am going to present the view that I agree with, it is the discipline of God upon unconfessed sin Which can be the premature physical death of a Christian who continues to live in unconfessed sin Sin in the life of anyone one is of a destructive nature, especially sin in the life of a Christian Yes, Christians can and do sin, 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Prayer is powerful, especially when a faithful Christian prays for another Christian, Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (“Much” can be accomplished through God’s people praying) Physical sickness in the life of a Christian is not always because of unconfessed sin, but it can be Physical illness and physical death can be a divine discipline for the unconfessed sins of a Christian Regardless, we must continually confess the sins that we commit, Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. “The Lord shall raise him up” is the restoration of physical life, deliverance from physical death Which James also states as, “shall save a soul from death,” Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. The “death” does not refer to spiritual death, it is the present deliverance from physical death Premature physical death can be God’s judgment upon a Christian who refuses to repent of a known sin 1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. Verse 16 is an illustration of what was identified in the previous verses as answered prayer, 1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. The example that John presents in verse 16 is of extreme importance to the church of today The day in which we see many churchgoers living an ungodly daily lifestyle, an unworthy testimony Going to church on Sunday and leaving church without a conviction of the sins committed in their life There is a need in churches today for intercessory prayer, praying for Christians who are living in sin “See his brother” refers to a brother “in the Lord,” a child of God’s family, a member of the true church Some interpret “brother” as a “neighbor” and some say it refers to a “professed believer” Meaning that it refers to one who claims to be saved but is really lost Scripture does not identify a brotherhood of the lost The one who is praying is a Christian and the one he is praying for is a Christian So, the one who has sinned is a believer, he is a Christian, he is not one who is spiritually dead John speaks of a “brother” as one who has passed from death unto life, 1Jn 3:14 We know that Page 1 of 5 we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. The “brother” who is being prayed for is a Christian who has sinned “Sin a sin” does not refer to a single act of sin but living in a state of unconfessed sin Living a daily life in a sinful way and not repenting of their sins Christians can identify sin in the life of others because we understand the truth of sin Christians know what sin is, we all have the experience of sin in our own life Continuing in certain sins long enough can bring about a premature physical death John first-of all speaks of sin “which is not unto death,” prayer is important in this case John refers to sin “not unto death” three times in this passage, twice in verse 16 and once in verse 17 A “sin unto death” is mentioned only once and is found in verse 16 Since it is a “brother” who is sinning, death cannot refer to “spiritual death” Before John began to speak of this death, he assured the Christian of an eternal life, 1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. A Christian cannot and will not experience the “second death,” eternal separation from God Therefore, “sin not unto death” and the “sin unto death” must refer to physical death But what is John telling us? All sin ultimately leads to death, Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned We will all die physically because of sin, Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Physical death will eventually come to all believers, but the Christian will never experience eternal death John speaks of a premature physical death because of a Christian continuing to live in sin But don’t miss the emphasis of what John is saying to us, he is making a strong point for prayer Christians are to pray for Christians who are living in sin, how often is it done today? The emphasis is praying for a brother whose sin does not lead unto death Listen to what John tells us to do, “if any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death” He shall ask, the one who is to ask is the one who sees the brother sin, the first thing to do is “Pray” Christians are to pray for Christians who are living in sin They must be prayed for and not forsaken and not condemned by the church Too often the first thing that people do is criticize and gossip when someone is identified in sin John said pray, prayer comes from a loving spirit and gossip comes from a critical spirit Before you do anything else you should pray, use the tongue for praying and not for criticism According to our prayer requests Christians are concerned about the physical health of other Christians We must also be concerned about the spiritual health of another Christian, they need our prayers If God calls upon us to do more than pray, it will be prayer that prepares us for what God wants us to do Praying for a Christian who is living in a known sin may lead us to talk to that Christian, Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. One important part of our spiritual preparation is prayer, first for self and then others What is the meaning of “and he shall give him life” Remember that comparisons within scripture must correspond with one another Here the death is physical, and the life must correspond, “life” refers to physical life Avoiding sin and living for God can add years to one’s physical life, Pro 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. An excessive sinful life can shorten the physical life, sin has an expensive price Keeping the commandments of God is a keeper of life, Pro 19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. Prophecy related to the sin unto death as revealed by John Page 2 of 5 Careless and sinful living will lead to a premature physical death by the hand of God John explains who will gain life, for them that sin not unto death. For certain, sin that does not lead to a premature death is sin that is confessed Christians who pray for and talk to a Christian in sin must encourage confession of sin A Christian in sin needs to be reminded that God still loves them And that God will still use them in His service, God still has days of life for them They need to know that the Church loves them, cares for them, is praying for them and ready to help them There should also be a ministry of teaching all truths found within the Bible concerning sin John makes a strong point, something that is rarely taught today, “there is a sin unto death” There are some states that have a death penalty for the conviction of certain crimes God has a death penalty for a Christian who will not confess sin but continues to live in a known sin That death penalty is not the loss of eternal life, it is the loss of a continued earthly life The sentence of death that comes from God is a premature physical death A premature physical death results in falling short of God’s purpose for that life Moses and Aaron fell short of the Promised Land, Num 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. They were not allowed to fulfill the work that God had given them to do There are other O. T. examples, such as Nadab and Abihu, Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. The two sons of Aaron the priest died because they deliberately disobeyed God They were guilty of offering profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai Fire came down from the Lord and devoured them, Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. (A premature physical death, the sin unto death) Korah led a revolt against the leadership of Moses and Aaron The ground opened-up and swallowed Korah and a rebellious people who opposed God, Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. Achan disobeyed Joshua’s orders from God at Jericho and was put to death, Jos 7:25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. Uzzah touched the Ark of The Covenant and was struck dead 2Sa 6:7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. These O. T. references do not present the thought of spiritual death or the loss of salvation They refer to premature physical deaths as a-result of sin, there are also N.T. examples Ananias and Sapphira lied to God, Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Ananias was struck dead, Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. His wife Sapphira was also struck dead, Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. Unconfessed sin brought judgment upon those who came to the Lord’s Table, 1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (“Sleep” refers to physical death) The judgment for some was a premature physical death The discipline of death was pronounced upon a Corinthian Christian involved in a sex sin, 1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Page 3 of 5 Our thoughts are not to be centered upon the question of, “Which sin leads to death?” What sin is it that God punishes with a premature physical death? No one specific sin is identified as the sin unto death Therefore, probably any one sin that you continue to be involved in could be a sin unto death Again, the thought is that all prayer should be submitted according to the “Will of God” I do not say that he shall pray for it. John is not absolutely forbidding prayer for one whose sin will lead to a premature death It is not that John forbids our prayer but there may not be the assurance of an answered prayer One reason is that we do not know who that one may be that faces the sin unto death And we have no right to question God’s decision concerning such a person The time will come when you may not have a burden on your heart for a sinful Christian There can come a time when intercession for a person’s sin can cease, Jer 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Jer 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. Jer 14:11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. There comes the time when the only thing that unconfessed sin can look for is chastisement, Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. The only thing left for the Christian who refuses to repent of sin is a present judgment from God Fire in scripture is not limited to Hell Fire, fire is also a symbol of God’s presence and power 1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. “Unrighteousness” refers to all that is wrong in the sight of God All that is out of harmony with God, all sin is contrary to what is right according to God All sin is the transgression of God’s Law, 1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. But not all sin within the life of a believer will be judged with a premature physical death John is reminding us of the most important truth of this passage More important than the understanding of the “sin unto death” is understanding prayer John wants us to learn the importance of praying for one another According to what John has said, more-often than not, it is important to pray Especially praying for those that we know are living in sin, the wrong act of others should lead us to pray CONCLUSION Christians must immediately confess their sins and they will be cleansed, 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christians who refuse to repent of their sins and confess their sins will be chastised, Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Christians are chastised because they are a child of God, Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Refusing to obey God after His chastisement has come upon us is a refusal of life, Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? God gave us a “New Life” in Christ in order to “live” Living within our Heavenly Father’s will is real life, true life, abundant life, and a fulfilled life Refusing to repent and confess sin after the chastisement of God may result in the “Sin Unto Death” God will not allow a disobedient Christian who continues to live in their sin lead others astray Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and not to be a disgrace to Christ Page 4 of 5 God has called all Christians to a life of holiness, 1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. God will not allow Christians to continue to live a sinful life, God will disciple and chastise His children The sin unto death is a premature physical death, the removal of an ungodly testimony before others We can better understand the sin unto death when we understand God’s goal for the church, Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. If that is not our testimony, there could be a funeral service in-the near future Page 5 of 5