DEVOTION
THE 1ST LETTER OF JOHN
COMMITTING SIN
1 John 5:16-17
16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death,
he should pray and God will give him 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 he
should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does
not lead to death.
NIV
This seems to refer back to what John said about anyone who is born of
God does not keep sinning. However, this sin that leads to death is far different
than keeping from sinning. First, we have to come to terms with the sin that
does not lead to death, which is every other kind of sin than the one sin that
leads to death. The fact is we cannot ever be completely free of all sin, for
if that where the case, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, all the Apostles,
including Paul would have confessed or affirmed their achievement of
perfection. They were considered righteous, just as we are because we
believe God and have accepted his grace. It is not our desire, nor the desire of our brother to habitually, willfully commit sin. It is the
one who is in league with the evil one, or willfully or by default, who is the
habitual sinner, lost, and by their character of wickedness, has condemned selves
to death, for their ways are the sin that leads to death. We, however, have not
that character of willful and habitual sin. Our desire is to walk in the path
of God, the path of righteousness because we are in Christ and he is our
righteousness. It is because we have decided to follow Jesus and we walk this
path of God, we do not desire to give way to the path of wickedness. So then because
we are not perfect and we know that our brothers are not either, and we all
fail from time to time and yield to some degree to some temptation, we should always
be in prayer for each other. Our prayers should not be with any condemnation,
or judgment as who of us can cast the first stone. However, should a brother, a
child of God, a Christian make the choice to leave the path of God and give
totally into the influence of the evil one, leaving his faith, for total
self-reliance, self-gratification, self-absorption and denounces God, and
Jesus, then he has left life for death. Some would say that this person never
was a believer in the first place, for no true believer would ever make that
choice, to return to the old self from which they came. Yet, John says there is
a sin which leads to death and it is possible that a brother could commit such
a sin and if that brother makes that leap from the path of God, to the path of
wickedness, then he is beyond our prayers. However, for us who are on the path
of God and fall at times to temptation, we should pray for each other, that we
will be strengthened and forgiven of our sin, fully covered by the grace of
God. True, all sin, anything we do that is sin and is wrongdoing, and any
wrongdoing is sin. So we make every effect, however puny it is in our own
strength, to keep from sinning. Therefore we must not rely on self, but on the
power of the Spirit, and the grace of God, for the forgiveness of our and our brother’s
sin, so we pray in accordance with how we were taught to pray. Our Father, who
are in heaven, hallow be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as
we forgive those who sin against us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil, for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, amen.
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