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What does Apostle John mean or refers to when he says, "All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which does not lead to death"?
If sin is wrongdoing, and its wages are death. How comes there's a sin that doesn't lead to death? Sorry that I'm being ignorant, but I just want to learn and grasp in this truth, thanks!
1 John 5:17
ESV - 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
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Asked July 16 2021
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Parly Rayden
Supporter
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James Kraft
Supporter
There are sins that lead to death. Not loss of salvation, but physical death First Corinthians 5:5 Turn such a one over to Satan to kill the flesh, so that his Spirit, Ephesians 4:30, may be saved in the day of the Lord. This born again believer was sleeping with his fathers wife. A believer can lose their life, and their rewards in heaven, but not eternal life, or that would make God a liar. John 6:47. First Corinthians 3:15 If a believers works are all burned up, they are still saved so as by fire. The GIFT of God is eternal life by a one time faith alone in Jesus alone plus nothing. Our sin debt is paid in full, past, present, and future sins. Romans 4:7-8.And since eternal life is a free gift from God by faith alone, Romans 3:26-28. We can only lose rewards in heaven. None of us has anything to boast in because salvation is free to all who believe on His name. First John 5:13. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, and we all sin, and we all die, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have nothing to boast in because we did nothing but believe God for the free gift of eternal life. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent me, that all that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Gods word, and He can not lie. John 6:47.Gods word, and HE can not lie. Jesus tasted death for every man women and child in the world. First John 2:2 And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only be gotten Son, Jesus, that WHOSOEVER, believeth in Him, should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. John 3:18 Believers are no longer condemned, but unbelievers are condemned already because they have not believed on the name of the Son of God. Not because they are not believing it now, but because they never did believe it. Second Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, He abideth faithful, He can not deny Himself. Ephesians 1:13. The seal of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life. Ephesians 1:13-14 Romans 8:9 Without the Spirit of God there is no salvation. With the Spirit we have eternal life. We get the seal of the Holy Spirit the second we accept His free gift of eternal life. Acts 16:31.
Ann Gehin
Supporter
John IS saying that all wrongdoing is sin. However, not all sin permanently leads to "death" because we can either repent of it, and/or others can pray to intercede for us to be saved while we are still in sin. Therefore, just because as believers or non-believers, we sin, we are not sentenced to death because we can still avail ourselves of Jesus' saving grace. However, there is one wrong doing that is the wages of death, and that is rejecting our Lord Jesus.
Aurel Gheorghe
Supporter
My understanding is that when John is saying “sin that leads to death” he is talking about the sin against the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5 John is addressing the believers' need to love and obey God’s commandments, and to overcome the world (1 John 5:3-5). In 1 John 5:13-16, he is urging the brethren to pray to God according to His will and for the brother caught up in sin. Our attitude should be one of love and support: "you should pray to God, who will give him life" (1 John 5:16). God is loving and patient, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Sin, regardless if it’s considered a big sin or a small one (James 2:10, 11) all leads to death (Rom 6:23; James 1:15, 16). Paul, writing to the believers, makes it clear that no unrighteous person will enter God’s kingdom (1 Cor 6:9, 10; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5; 1 Tim 1:9). The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin for which forgiveness is not being asked. And blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be forgiven (Mark 3:29) because it is the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin (John 16:8-11) and to resist the Holy Spirit’s conviction is to reject God who cannot force Himself on anyone who rejects Him. "And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:3-6).
Shirley H
Supporter
I think there may be 2 sins not deserving of death. True ignorance of Jesus, and unintentional sin. Ignorance, meaning you have never, ever heard. Unintentional because, it was in total confusion, spur of the moment, or state of total emotional stress. Psalm 22:6, "A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand." Numbers 22:29, laws concerning unintentional sin. Romans 10:3 "For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, are seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God." Hebrews 9:7, once a year the priest would offer sacrifice for people who committed sins in ignorance. Ignorance means that they honestly, truly did not know it was wrong! (Think Saul of Tarsus) Unintentional meaning, done before even considered, accidental (perhaps killing a child who dashed in front of your car), a reaction from fear, or distress... I think of Peter... Luke 25:57. Peter denied Christ 3times! We know the Lord understood and forgave him! Saul, Paul - Acts 9:5 "Who are you Lord? I am Jesus whom you persecuting!" Saul, certainly had known of Jesus. But, he didn't Know Jesus. Romans 10:17,18 - "So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!" Paul then heard. 1Timothy 1:13, "I was formally a blasphemer, a persecutor and an insolent man. But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Thank God for Paul becoming the Apostle to the Gentiles! Philippians 3:9, Paul revealed that righteousness of the law is useless if I have not found Faith in Christ! Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation." Titus 2:11, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." I think of Peter! On the contrary, there is Judas. Peter loved Jesus. Judas did not. He was all about Judas. But in spite of himself, God used him mightily! Hebrews 5:2 - He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray. Hebrews 5:5 - Jesus is the High Priest forever! He is the Only Begotten Son. He is full of Love, Grace, Truth, Compassion... Psalm 2:7, "I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me - You are My Son!" Oh, one more thing. God has provided the Way. When we know, hear, we must choose. But if in ignorance of truly mistaken actions, I feel that we may still hope, and pray...
Parly Rayden
Supporter
A friend shared me this answer, so I'll put it here as it is, thanks WHAT IS THE SIN UNTO DEATH? First John 5:16 is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament to interpret. “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.” Of all the interpretations out there, none seem to answer all the questions concerning this verse. The best interpretation may be found by comparing this verse to what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–10 (see also 1 Corinthians 11:30). The “sin unto death” is willful, continuous, unrepentant sin. God has called His children to holiness (1 Peter 1:16), and God corrects them when they sin. We are not “punished” for our sin in the sense of losing salvation or being eternally separated from God, yet we are disciplined. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:6). First John 5:16 says there comes a point when God can no longer allow a believer to continue in unrepentant sin. When that point is reached, God may decide to take the life of the stubbornly sinful believer. The “death” is physical death. God at times purifies His church by removing those who deliberately disobey Him. The apostle John makes a distinction between the “sin that leads to death” and the “sin that does not lead to death.” Not all sin in the church is dealt with the same way because not all sin rises to the level of the “sin that leads to death.” In Acts 5:1–10 and 1 Corinthians 11:28–32, God dealt with intentional, calculated sin in the church by taking the physical life of the sinner. This is perhaps also what Paul meant by “the destruction of the flesh” in 1 Corinthians 5:5. John says that we should pray for Christians who are sinning, and that God will hear our prayers. However, there may come a time when God decides to cut short a believer’s life due to unrepentant sin. Prayers for such an unheeding person will not be effective. God is good and just, and He will eventually make us “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). To further that end, God chastens His children. May the Lord preserve us from the hard-heartedness that would cause us to commit the “sin unto death.”
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