1 John Chapter 5 Pt. 4 First John Teaches Us About Prayer and The Sin Unto Death.

A note about the archives containing all lessons I have posted on this blog. 

The index for all lessons posted from 2019 through 2021, were posted on September 7, 2022.

The index for all lessons posted in 2022, was posted January 24, 2023.

Each index lists the lesson titles and the dates each one was posted, so that you can study subjects that we have written about.

A note about Thanksgiving. I posted a series of lessons on the topic of thanksgiving from a Biblical perspective in November, 2022.

In November, 2021, I posted a series of lessons about the Pilgrims and Puritans, and Thanksgiving's origins in America.

Please use these for devotional material in your homes and with your families, neighbors and friends. 

Praying for ALL believers to live for God's glory.

1 John 5:16-17  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. 17)  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 

The idea John wants us to grasp is that we must pray for others as well as for ourselves. 

We pray for our brethren that they may be enlightened, converted to Christ and saved. 

We pray for our brethren and their walk with the Lord, that they may be sincere, that their sins may be pardoned, and that they may be delivered from evils that surround us all. 

All sin carries a death penalty.   

The wages of sin is death, and cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them, (See Romans 6:23; Galatians 3:10). 

We do have some examples of sins that by God's holy standard, are sins unto death. 

Ananias and Sapphira died because they were greedy. 

Act 5:1-11  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2)  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 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? 4)  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5)  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6)  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7)  And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8)  And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9)  Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 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. 11)  And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 

An example of this would be the deceitful sin of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). This couple sold a parcel of land and seemed to follow the pattern of other Christians, who sold things and gave all the money to the apostles, to meet needs of others.

However, they conspired to keep back some of the money for themselves. This is an example of a sin unto death. In keeping back some of the money, and claiming that they brought all the money from the proceeds of the sale, they lied. 

Notice Peter's words to the husband, Ananias. "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Thus, he forfeited his life. 

Three hours later, his wife Sapphira came in, and when Peter questioned her, she repeated the same lie as her husband did. Peter rebuked her for her sin, saying "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" Sapphira forfeited her life too. 

Achan took forbidden things and died for covetousness. 

Joshua 7:19-26  And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20)  And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21)  When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22)  So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23)  And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24)  And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 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. 26)  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. 

This is an Old Testament example of a sin unto death. When Israel conquered Jericho, Jehovah gave explicit instructions that they were not to take any spoils from Jericho.

A man named Achan coveted some Babylonian clothing, silver and some gold. He took it even though God said not to. He hid them under his tent. This caused the Hebrews to lose a battle at Ai.

Joshua was filled by the Spirit of God and Achan was brought before him for judgment. Joshua rebuked Achan saying "And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day."

Thus, Achan forfeited his life for disobeying the specific command of God. 

Simon the sorcerer tried to purchase the gift of the Holy Ghost with money (Acts 8:9-25).

Herod failed to give God the glory and died.

Acts 12:21-23  And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22)  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23)  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 

Wicked king Herod blasphemed God when giving a speech and was swiftly struck down and died (See Acts 12:20-25). 

God gave some sinners over to a reprobate mind. 

Romans 1:26-32  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27)  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28)  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29)  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31)  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32)  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

There are workers of iniquity that God gave up so that they could live in wretched depravity. Their specific sin was hating God, and refused to retain knowledge of god in their minds.

Therefore, they condemned themselves to living a life marked by depravity. Ultimately, they knew their sins were worthy of death. 

Because of idolatry, God gave them up to their own hearts lusts. 

Psalm 81:10-12  I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11)  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12) So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. 

When Israel constantly rebelled and practiced idolatry, it reached a point where Jehovah gave them up to walk in their own wicked ways. 

We cannot identify a specific sin unto death. The sin unto death appears to be linked to the intensity of rebellion against God and a stubborn refusal to submit to God's authority. 

1 John 5:18-21  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19) And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20) And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 

John concludes this epistles by recalling the privileges that God gives to each believer in Christ. We are secured against sin, against the fulness of its dominion over us. 

"Whosoever is born of God sinneth not."  This is spoken of mature Christians. They are cleansed from all unrighteousness, consequently from all sin, See 1 John 1:7-9).

"Keepeth himself" is the idea of keeping ourselves in the love of God (See Jude 1:21) We are built up and established in our faith in Christ.  We are praying according to the will of God and praying with the Holy Spirit's mighty help.  Jesus Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. 

The Christian rest secure in knowing that we are of God, we are in Christ and the indwelling Spirit of God bears witness to these truths. 

We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God, has come in the flesh, and made his soul an offering for our  sins. He has opened our minds that we might behold the One, True Living God who created all things.  

We abide in Christ the True vine, by faith. Jesus gives us light, life, love, and fruitfulness from our Father. And all of our understanding is through this revelation of Jesus, that we know the ever blessed and glorious  Godhead.

May the truths communicated to us by John's first letter to the churches bless and edify us, as it strengthens our faith.

Bob