¹⁶If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

When someone sins, our love for that person should reflect God’s love for all sinners. We should never wish God’s eternal judgment on anyone, lest we undermine our own confidence that God loves us despite our sin. But John’s call to pray is not universal in scope; he simply desires that we should pray for people whose sin is not spiritually terminal.

The big question staring us in the face is how we might distinguish which sins are spiritually life-threatening and which are not. Biblical examples abound where God makes a definitive, irrevocable judgment on individuals for death-inducing sins. Prior to the OT law, God established that murder was to incur capital punishment (Gen. 9:5). Moses taught that a person committing intentional and knowing sin was to be put to death, with no sacrifice available to them (Num. 15:30–31). Jesus taught that God will not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). The apostle Paul wrote that partaking of communion unworthily could lead to death (1 Cor. 11:30). Various suggestions of other sins have been made, such as suicide, rebellion against authority, or even acts of stupidity that cause people to die prematurely.

In the context of his letter, John railed against false teachers who deny the full humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. His teachings serve as a warning to the pseudo-believers so that they might come to true faith. To definitively turn away would lead to permanent separation from God; that would be spiritual death.

However, we must not forget the positive application of prayer. If we observe a person (so-called “brother”) whose actions show him not to be a true believer, we should pray for him to gain the true eternal life about which John has been writing. Of course, all sin is proof of unrighteousness and makes a person worthy of God’s eternal judgment. But not all sin brings God’s judgment definitively. In other words, there is still hope for unbelievers, so long as they repent before their sin leads to permanent judgment and condemnation. The terminus ad quem (the definitive ending point) for repentance is the moment a person dies; after that comes the judgment (Heb. 9:27). Before then, like with the thief on the cross, God’s grace is still available.

Since we can never be sure when someone has sinned “leading to death,” we should err on the side of God’s grace and mercy, and pray for them, for life.

Lord, thank You that Your mercy has extended to even me!