The book of First John

A Verse by Verse Study
Text 1st John 5:14 - 17

A. Introduction   

     1. We will see major points in this short passage.

          a. When we pray God hears us and answers our prayers.

          b. We will see a “sin not unto death,” V. 16

          c. We will see “There is a sin unto death” V16

          d. These two phrases have caused much controversy.

     2. In order to gain a true study a couple of things must be remembered.

         a. The entire scripture must be studied in unison. 

         b. There are no contradictions in the scriptures.

         c. not everything in the scriptures are exactly as they are seen with the naked eye and requires much study time. A great example is John 3:16 left alone it would appear that God loves everyone in the world, however a study of Psalms 5:5 “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” And Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Clears that up, leaving us with the understanding the word world is the different Nations of the world, example not Jews only but also Gentiles. Also Psm 5:5 does God hate “all” workers of iniquity? John 15:19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

     3. We cannot just read the bible and have a complete understanding of it, it requires studying. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word study means to labor or to endeavor which means to try hard at something that is to make a serious and sincere effort to achieve something. We are to make a serious and sincere effort to “rightly dividing the word of truth.” Dividing means to get it correct.

 

B. V. 14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

     1. Confidence means boldness or freedom to speak to Christ. We as believers can be assured that if we ask He will hear.

     2. So many today focus on that anything we ask He will do as though He is forced too. Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

     3. While the Lord will not do everything that we ask nor will He move at our command, we do have the boldness to know that He will hear our prayer.

     4. “if we ask any thing according to his will” Because His will is always done. Ephesians 1:11a “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

     5. Prayer is not our demands of God but rather shows our dependence on Him. He is a good Father and hears our cries.

     6. V. 15 “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him”.

          a. Proverbs 15:29 “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”

          b. Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (13.) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

 

C. V. 16. “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.”

     1. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death,” The word death here does not have to mean spiritual death it could mean physical death. I believe this is what John is speaking about.

          a. We must understand a saved person can not ever, see death spiritually. This is why it must be referring to physical death.

     2. “he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.” This is asking on their behalf, praying for God to correct such a person and asking God not to take his life but to preserve it. 1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

     3. “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”  There is absolutely to much made about this verse and Matthew 12:31 “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.” That is the sin of unbelief it cannot be anything else because anything else would contradict God’s word. The sin unto death is unbelief and the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is rejection of the gospel.

     4. “I do not say that he shall pray for it.” Do not ever pray for a sinner not to come to Christ. We ought always pray for the sinners to be saved. 

 

D. V. 17 “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”

     1. Here is the key “All unrighteousness is sin:” one sin, just one will send you to hell for eternity.

     2. “and there is a sin not unto death” here is another key. If there is some secret sin that will send one to hell saved or not and no one really knows what it is, then what is the sin that will not send us to hell?

     3. The sin that is unpardonable is unbelief and the sin that is not unto death is a forgiven sin. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

     4. Pray not for a sinners death but rather for a sinners salvation.