WHAT ABOUT SIN? - 6

SIN UNTO DEATH AND SIN NOT UNTO DEATH

Since there is a controversy on whether a believer can still be damned when they sin or not, we shall now endeavor to attend to this strictly by the eternal word of God.

But before we do that, let us note these two very important things:

i.                     That a believer is dead to sin. A believer knows no sin. Their nature is a sinless nature.   

ii.                   That a believer is not totally freed from committing sin. They still have weakness and imperfections due to their unsaved soul and body.

It is in this light, that we shall now proceed to address the issue on sin as regards the believer, especially on the fact that a believer cannot lose their salvation because of sin.

Now, Apostle John in his first epistle made many statements about sin, some of them look contradictory, but if you have the knowledge of these two statements we have just highlighted above, you will surely be able to rightly divide the word of the Apostle on sin. This is because in some cases, he was referring to the justification, the blessedness and the powerless grip of sin on the believer while in the other cases he was referring to the imperfections of the believer.

So what then are we saying? Since a believer will still go on to sin, despite the fact that they do not have the nature in them anymore, will they still be penalized for these sins?

You should also bear in mind certain things, in other to answer these questions correctly…

i.                     That there is no amount of sin that can send a believer to hell. Jesus paid it all and has been made our substitute. Jesus will then present every believer as holy, righteous, blameless and without fault on the last day. This is what the bible teaches and we have a view of it in the epistle to the Colossians 1:21-23

ii.                   That any sin committed by a believer will bring only physically, biological or emotional consequences to them. It has nothing to do with God or with his salvation. As far as God is concerned, a believer has been justified freely by Grace.

Now, let us consider what Apostle John said in 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. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death”

Now carefully consider the words used here…”any man see his brother’…definitely this is referring to believers.

Now, the brother is said to sin a sin “which is not unto death”… let me explain this in simple words - this means the believer will commit a sin, and that sin he or she commits, will never lead to death.

What does this mean? Remember that Paul said the wages of sin is death, and James also said when sin has finally conceived, it brings forth death. Now, if the sin according to the passage in 1st John is not unto death, then it means it is not even a sin at all, or that it is a sin without power. Because every sin results into death, and this one does not. I have heard many unskillful teachers say that the death here is a physical death; well I guess they did not look carefully at the words used in the next phrase…

It went on to say, “he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death…”

If it is a physical death, then there is a contradiction, because no man can give a physical life. This then mean that the other believer should administer life (spiritual upliftment or revival) to the depressed believer who sinned. This is just why we war against sin consciousness. This is exactly what James meant by saying that “he which convert the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death”, so “saving from death” is the same as “giving life” to the believer who committed sin.

And finally the verse in the book of 1 John went to say that “there is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it”….

Now, the sin unto death here is the sin committed by Adam and everyone who has not received eternal life of God in their spirit. Although their sin has been paid for, they are yet to receive this forgiveness and are yet to receive the life of God. So John said, they should not pray for it. There is no amount of prayer that can erase that sin, only faith in Christ Jesus.

Then the last line and verse 17 says “all unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death”

Ignore the “a”, it should read as THERE IS SIN NOT UNTO DEATH. There is no definite article “a” in the Greek language. So it is not referring to a particular sin, it s a general statement.

The implication of this truth is the blessedness of a believer. That he has been saved and sealed eternally in his or her born again spirit forever. That’s why John said he that is born of God does not sin. There is no sin that can contaminate the spirit of the believer. So any weakness or struggle against imperfections in the body is a battle already won. It is just a matter of time.

The Holy Spirit in the believer will work out this blessedness from the spirit to the body. And on that day, when the immortal body shall swallow the mortal body, the salvation of man will be complete and all of the traces of the sin of Adam on earth will be gone TOTALLY AND FOREVER!

Amen.

Philip Oklu