Mercy
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them 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 you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”
Today’s Text: 1 John 5:13-21 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
In a strange kind of way, verses 16-17 have always encouraged me. To be honest, I’m not completely sure what John means by "a sin that leads to death.” Perhaps John is referring to the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-29).
Even then, it is not super clear what blaspheming against the Holy Spirit means, either. In the context of Mark 3, cross-referenced with the letter of 1 John, it probably means denying that Jesus is the Son of God, and denying the work that He has done for the salvation of the world.
Whatever it may mean, though, I am confident that I do not commit sin that leads to death. And so pray for me, as I also pray for you. May God forgive all your sins. Because for those of us who believe in Jesus, none of our sins lead to death, and our prayers for one another will lead to abundant life!
But that does not excuse or condone sinful behavior, either. Because “anyone born of God does not continue to sin.” And so as encouraging as verses 16-17 are, verse 18 is so incredibly challenging, too.
Theologically, what verse 18 is telling us is that those who have faith in Christ will not continually sin. And that is true. In the end, when we see Jesus face to face, we will no longer sin—once and for all, and that by our free-will choice! But even in this life, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, so that we might repent and seek forgiveness. And throughout this life, before Jesus returns, He protects us so that the devil cannot condemn us for our sins (Romans 8:1-2).
Again, however, that does not excuse or condone our sinful behavior. Rather, it gives us the assurance of our salvation because of God’s mercy.
And so, if Christ is protecting every believer from the devil, because of faith, we ought not to condemn one another for the sins we commit, either. Instead, we should pray that God would extend mercy to our brothers and sisters. We should pray that the Holy Spirit would lead our brothers and sisters to repentance. We should pray for our own souls, as well. We should pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to grow a spirit of grace and mercy in our Canvas family, beginning with ourselves.
Father, Your mercy is beyond understanding from a human standpoint. Your mercy has no limit for those who are in Christ. But You know my sin, and it is ever before me. Thank You for Your unlimited mercy upon me, because I cling to Jesus with everything I got. But teach us to have the same mercy toward one another, so that we might intercede for one another, knowing that You will most definitely answer those prayers for mercy. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
