A Sin By Any Other Name

 

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know  that you have eternal life.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of him.  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.  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."  I John 5:13-17

 

Sin.  What an ugly word!  What a taboo thing to say this day and age!  At this point, nothing is sin, it is just all deciding what is right for you.  At least that is the message from the world.  But, the message of the Bible never changed.  Things are either right, or they are sin.  Shades of grey simply do not exist in the Word of God.  And therefore, should not exist in our lives either.

 

Sin leads to death.  There is no way around it.  Righteous living (subsequent to receiving Christ's offer of salvation), leads to life.  We have to personally have a good grasp on what is truth and what is a lie.  Our opinion is not the plumb line of how we make decisions. The truth inherent in God's word has to be the measuring rod.  It is the only thing that does not move and does not change.  My opinion on issues can vacillate, depending on my experiences, the experiences of those I care about or from "enlightening" articles that I read.  But God's Word stands the test of time in all age groups, all socioeconomic levels, all ethnic groups and both sexes.  It is the timeless classic. 

 

Once we have an understanding of the Bible on any given social issue, it is our duty to uphold truth even when it is unpopular.  But truth must always be presented with respect toward the sinner.  God loves all men.  All are made in his image and for his glory.  Attacking others is not Jesus' way.  If any truth we present is not motivated by love and a desire to see the other person saved, we are not led by God.

 

It is not always conducive to confront people about their sin.  We must be led by the Spirit to know when to speak, and when to keep quiet.  But one thing we can do, is live a life before them, that points them to Jesus.  And we can pray for them.  According to one of today's verses, our prayer could lead to life for them.  We can pray for them to experience conviction for their sin.  We can pray for God to plant people in their life that will be a positive influence on them.  We can pray for the Lord to soften their heart, and cause them to hear or see truth.

 

But what if they have committed "the sin that leads to death"?  Personally, when I do not know the condition of their heart, I choose to pray for them and let the Lord decide how he deals with them.  If I pray out of concern for someone, what harm is  done?  But if I do not pray for them, what horrible fate can come?

 

There have been times I have felt the burden to pray for people lift.  That is when praying for them is not accompanied by grace, but rather, feels like a chore.  In that case, we can turn them over to God knowing he is just and righteous and knows what they need.
 

Dear Lord, please keep me from sin.  Help me to walk in agreement with your Word.  Show me those that you would have me to intercede for and help me to be motivated by love toward all men.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri