An Unclear Passage

Scripture – 1 John 5:16-17: ¹⁶If 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. ¹⁷All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) I’m not sure what this means. I guess I’ll have to check some commentaries and see what others think. The only sin I can imagine that “leads to death” is rejecting Christ altogether and giving His place to someone or something else. On the other hand, sin “that does not lead to death” seems to refer to things I do that separate me from God – that move me out of His will. These are sins that have been covered by Christ’s cross and His grace. They’ll disrupt life here, but they won’t keep me out of heaven.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I’ll do some research on this passage and seek clarification on the references to the different kind of sin.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, even though I don’t quite understand this passage, I do trust your grace. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for saving me from death. Help me keep my eyes on you this day. And remind me not to get too concerned over something I don’t understand.