He Should Pray

​He Should Pray  
 
1 John 5:16-17 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.
 
THIS is a much debated passage. On the surface it seems opposed to the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. Does not Jesus’ blood redeem all who repent? What is sin that does not lead to death, and what is sin that leads to death? Why should we pray for one and not the other?
   Sin that does not lead to death is any act of the will against God’s law. These are the common transgressions mankind commits. We know the confession of our sins and confession of Jesus as Lord will redeem us from all sin. John confirms this in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. We should pray for ourselves and each other to be free of sin and to be forgiven of sin.
   If confession purifies us from all unrighteousness, how can there be a sin that leads to death? When John says, “I am not saying that he should pray about that.” he seems to be focusing on praying for people in the church. Many think John referred to a specific sin against the church. There are times in the Bible when God quickly judged people who endangered the community. One example is in Acts 5 when the Lord judged Ananias and Sapphira to their deaths for lying about their contributions to the church. There was no prayer for such deceit. Another view of such a sin is regarding the false teachers. John may have referred to those teachings as sin that leads to death. 
   In his gospel, John records Jesus teaching about a sin that leads to death: John 8:23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins.” God will not forgive those who deny Jesus is the Son of God. This is the opposite of Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. There is only life in Christ with the confession of Jesus’ deity and with faith in his resurrection.
   Should we pray for those who do not believe? We certainly want to pray for unbelieving loved ones and friends to confess Christ. Many testimonies tell of dark hearts transformed to the light. 2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.
           The lesson here is pray for one another in your church. Protect them from evil that has no regard for God. Such people’s sins will lead to their eternal death. Pray for the unbelieving to enter into life.