¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God^[a] will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

¹⁸ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of Godprotects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

¹⁹ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (1 John 5:16-19 ESV)

What is the sin that leads to death? A quick answer would be, “committing any of the Old Testament sins which carried the death penalty.” These would include committing adultery, homosexual acts, sex with animals, murder, and working on the Sabbath. Certainly these are all very serious sins (even though so few even understand what the Sabbath is these days). But, consider David, whom God attests was “a man after His own heart.” David committed adultery and murder, even premeditated murder of one of his best friends. Yet, the Bible record accounts David an overcomer, not a reprobate given over to death. This makes me think that “the sin that leads to death” must be something other than one of these very serious sins, a sin even greater. What could it be?

David knew that he sinned against God when he fornicated with another man’s wife and then murdered her husband when she was found pregnant with David’s seed. Yet, he formulated his murderous plan, conspired with others loyal to him, and sent Uriah to his death. And afterwards he did not repent, that is, not until Nathan the prophet confronted him with his sin.

And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had very many flocks and herds, ³ but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms,^[a] and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴ Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” ⁵ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, ⁶ and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

⁷ Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. ⁸ And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. ⁹ Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ ¹¹ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ¹² For you did it secretly,but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” ¹³ David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord,^[b] the child who is born to you shall die.” ¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his house. (2 Samuel 12:1-15)

This passage from 2 Samuel reveals the mystery of 1 John and also Jesus’ saying concerning the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. The sin that leads to death, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, is the sin of rebellion to the truth. (Remember, John also says, “the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:6)). The sin that leads to death is the most serious of all sins. It is the inability to repent of sin because one has so twisted his mind that he now calls good evil and evil good. For that person sin no longer exists. Unfortunately, a vast segment of today’s Christians have now entered into this insanity, this schizophrenia, which grips the world in its death throttle. John says, “do not pray for them,” because for them it is too late. They have embraced the sin that leads to death and they have now been given over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh.

The reason that it is too late for these people is that they cannot repent of sin because they do not believe sin exists, at least not as God defines sin. They may have their own list of sins, but their list does not comport with God’s revealed Law. This is why Christ’s apostles all taught that we must “obey” the Gospel of Christ. If we find ourselves failing to obey his revealed word, then we must repent and God graciously forgives us our sins. Remember his words,

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and^[c] forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:45-48)

If you do not see these things, then pray that God will open your mind to understand the Scriptures. Pray for ears to hear his Word and eyes to see his Truth.