“LOVE AND INTERCESSION”

16 “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.”

1 John 5:16

What do you do when you see a fellow believer participate in an ungodly activity?

In our previous blog, we learned that a growing faith helps us recognize God’s heart and purposes.

The next passage shows John shifting to a different focus. He is now discussing the ministry of prayer. He says that Christians can have confidence in prayer, specifically, when they are praying for a sinning believer.

Maybe you’re wondering, why bother praying for such a person? Shouldn’t we just mind our own business and pray for ourselves? Does our intercession cause God to change His mind and forgive an erring brother?

Scripture does encourage us to pray for one another because we are accountable to one another (James 5:26). Through our intercession, God promises forgiveness, which is referred to here as “God will give him life.”

However, this only applies to sins that “do not lead to death.” What is this, then? Is it an ongoing sin? And what is the sin that does lead to death? Is it an unconfessed sin? Possibly, since the Bible talks about some people dying because they partook of the Lord’s Supper without evaluating themselves. Is it blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Or is it the sin of apostasy?

The problem is, that John does not identify what sin this is. Maybe the closest option is the last one, which best suits the context. Some have heard the Gospel, and made a profession of faith, but were never truly saved. These people also began listening to Gnostic teachings and eventually turned their backs on Jesus. The Bible presents apostasy as a serious offense against God. Hebrews 6 names it as a sin that leads to death. But since John does not say, it would be best to not speculate.

Perhaps the main point is that we should care about fellow believers enough that when we see them participate in some sinful activity, we intercede for them. Perhaps God might show them mercy and grant them repentance.

Can you think of someone you should be praying for?

Pursue the Savior today!