PRAYERS
THAT HEAL
1 John 5:16-17 NLT
[16] If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death,
you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that
leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.
[17] All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.
We should never be afraid that we have committed a sin that “leads to
death” if we are faithfully following Jesus. If we are in this life, we
will always be vulnerable to the desires of our fleshly nature. John has
already assured us that our Advocate, Jesus, represents us to the Father. His
blood avails for the forgiveness of all our sin, past, present, and future.
1 John 2:1-2 NLT
[1] “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the
Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. [2] He himself is
the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of
all the world.”
As children in God’s family, we have a duty towards a genuine brother or sister
in the Lord who falls into sin.
Just as Paul urged Galatians believers to restore a fallen believer,
Galatians 6:1 NLT
[1]”Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some
sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the
right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”
So John also urges us to pray for those who have stumbled on the way.
John urges us to pray for them since prayer addresses the issue from God’s
side. Our prayers are often God’s way of dealing with sin from within. The Holy
Spirit awakens the conscience and understanding of the sinner that has affected
themselves and others, breaking fellowship with the Father and with whoever has
been offended.
John assures his readers that God will answer such prayers and restore life to
the offender.
However, in the context of this letter, John has made a case against those who
deliberately choose to walk away from the fellowship of believers. In doing so,
they are working at pulling others down with them by deception, twisting the
truth out of shape by their teaching.
John 2:19 NLT
[19] “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with
us; otherwise, they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that
they did not belong with us.”
Not only have they left the church, but they have also tried to take others
with them.
John 2:26 NLT
[26]”I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead
you astray.”
There is an ongoing battle between light and darkness. Our enemy has human
allies who help him to deceive vulnerable believers who are not anchored in the
truth.
John gives us three ways by which we can test our standing in God. We know God
when we believe that Jesus came in the flesh and that He is the Son of God. We
love God if we obey His commandments, and if we love His children.
Deceivers claim to know God, but they fail the test in these three areas. They
are liars and foreigners to the truth.
“Don’t waste your time praying for them. They are liars, and no liar has a
place in God’s family.”
The sin that leads to death is obstinate and deliberate refusal to believe and
obey the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is always merciful, but He
cannot show mercy to an unrepentant sinner. Therefore, until they repent,
prayer will not avail for them.
Tag Archives: you should pray
SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH
SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them 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 you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who is bon of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them (1 John 5: 16-18).
John seems to be speaking in riddles here. What is the sin that leads to death?
First of all, we know that all sin leads to death. “The soul that sins shall die,” said Ezekiel (Ez 18:20). Sin brings death. Adam and Eve died to God when they sinned in the Garden of Eden.
Through Christ, however, God has forgiven all sin and he forgives the sin of those who repent and turn to Him. How, then can there be a sin that leads to death?
Jesus spoke of two sins that God cannot forgive, and for a very good reason. The first is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. If we deny the work of the Holy Spirit, there is no one who will apply the work of Jesus to our hearts.
Jesus had just driven a demon out of a man when the Pharisees accused Him of driving out devils in the power of the devil.
All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ (Matt. 12: 23-24).
Jesus responded by reminding them that a divided kingdom would not last. The Pharisees were uttering dangerous words. They accused Jesus of casting out demons in the power of the devil. Jesus, however, knew that He had been anointed by the Spirit of God to release captives from Satan’s power.
If it by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matt. 12: 28).
Then He spoke these sobering words to His accusers:
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgive, either in this age or in the age to come (Matt. 12: 31-32).
The second sin which God cannot forgive is the sin of unforgiveness. Peter asked Jesus a question:
Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? (Matt: 18: 21).
Peter thought he was being big-hearted by being willing to forgive his brother seven times for the same sin. Seven is the number of completion – the number of God. Peter believed that seven times was enough to please God.
Jesus responded to Peter’s question with a story about a king who called his servants to account for the debt they owed him. One servant owed him an unpayable amount. The king was about to sell him, his family and all his possessions to pay the debt when the servant pleaded for mercy. The king has compassion on him, cancelled the debt and released him.
The same man found a fellow-servant who owed him a small amount of money. Instead of treating him with same compassion as he had received, he grabbed the man by the throat and demanded immediate payment. No amount of pleading would soften his heart. He had his fellow-servant thrown in prison until he could pay.
The other servants reported him to the king who recalled him, reinstated the debt, and handed him over to the jailors to be tormented until he repaid the full amount. Jesus concluded His story with these words:
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from you heart (Matt. 18: 35).
The issue is not how many times must I forgive but why I should forgive. The unforgiving servant did not appreciate the measure of the king’s mercy towards him. God has forgiven us so much that any debt that our fellow man owes us is minuscule compared with the debt we owed God.
Jesus said that these two sins are unforgiveable. Therefore, it is useless to pray for anyone who has committed either of these two sins because God will not forgive them, even if we pray for them.
Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.