December 6 Petition Mission

“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” (1 Jn 5:16-17, KJV).

This is considered a problem text by commentators. In such cases, after asking the Lord for help, we should move from the clear to the obscure. The previous two verses tell us that praying in the will of God guarantees receiving our petitions. But, says John, be careful not to assume that it is always God’s will to graciously overrule the principle that sin brings death. He didn’t in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, for example. No doubt, he says, doing wrong is always sin, but not all sin will result in the death that is deserved. Sometimes a person is squandering the life and blessings God has given them, so He decides, still in grace, to take them Home early (see 1 Cor 11:30). Solemn thought! Lord, preserve us!