What is the sin unto death and the sin not unto death?

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The sin that leads to death is the sin of rejecting Christ as Savior...

You must be reading a different BIble than me.

God's Word says,

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24).
"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17).
"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1:16).
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, "
(1 Timothy 6:3-4).
"...God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:6).
"And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Hebrews 5:9).
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).
"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." (1 Corinthians 16:22).
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15).
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21).
"But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God." (Romans 2:8-11).
"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:20).
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2).
"...but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17).

And there are of course many more verses like these, as well.


Verses on the Error of Christians saying they cannot walk uprightly:

Jesus says,

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Jesus also says,

"You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples." (John 15:8 GW).

And Peter says,

"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." (1 Peter 2:12 NLT).

Paul says,

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Philippians 2:15).


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The sin that leads to death is the sin of rejecting Christ as Savior...

Also, John says,

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:15).

This is a sin unto death. For if a believer hates their brother then no eternal life abides in them according to John. This is the context of John's epistle.

For he that does not righteousness (or does not love his brother) is not of God (See 1 John 3:10).
For he that says he knows Him (God) and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in them. Revelation 21:8 says all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire.

So no. It is so much more than just having a mere belief on Jesus.
For even the demons believe and tremble.


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While in Roman Catholic teaching certain sins are designated as venial or mortal; the Lutheran position is that the difference between "venial sin" and "mortal sin" isn't the sin itself; instead all sin is mortal sin (sin that leads to death) when it is left unaddressed. All sin is destructive, all sin can lead us to the shipwrecking of our faith; for without the grace and mercy of God there is no salvation, no life, and no forgiveness; which is why we are called to confess our sins, it is why repentance should be understood as not something we do here or there, but rather repentance is the spiritual life itself--to die daily, to crucify the old man, to drown daily in repentance through confession, humility, and cleaving to the only true and certain word of the Gospel: Jesus Christ and what He has done by His death and resurrection.

What, therefore, is mortal sin? It is that sin which we cleave to and thereby deny, reject, and abandon the cross of Christ and toward our own selves; where there is no repentance, and all rejection of repentance and forgiveness. To turn away from Christ, to say we shall go our own way and dwell among the pigs in the pig pen eating slop rather than dwelling in the house of God at His table. In this, however, let it not be viewed as hopeless for we must always remember the story of the Prodigal, what did the father do? He ran out to meet his son "who was dead but is alive again". And what of the story of the Good Shepherd? The good shepherd abandons himself to search high and low for the one lost little lamb. We have a good and gracious loving God who tirelessly and restlessly seeks us out. For He is very stubborn to save us.

-CryptoLutheran

But what about hidden or secret faults? (Psalms 19:12).

For example: You may go over the speed limit a little all your life and do not think it is all that big of a deal. God wants us to obey the higher authorites if such laws do not conflict with His good ways within His Word (Romans 13). There may be other things like this. Many things we are not aware of. Surely these are sins not unto death, as well. Minor transgressions or faults. Jesus says there is a greater sin. There are sins that are forgivable and sins that are not forgiveable. Jesus said to the Pharisees that they ignored the weightier matters of the Law. This means that there are degrees of sin. This means that there are commands that God wants us to focus on more than others by their importance. I am not saying we should neglect any command, but God is concerned with us doing certain commands as taking a higher priority (Like loving God and loving others, and preaching the gospel, feeding the sheep, etc. vs. say partaking of the Lord's supper, or praying continually).


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DarthNeo

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Also, John says,

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:15).

This is a sin unto death. For if a believer hates their brother then no eternal life abides in them according to John. This is the context of John's epistle.

For he that does not righteousness (or does not love his brother) is not of God (See 1 John 3:10).
For he that says he knows Him (God) and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in them. Revelation 21:8 says all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire.

So no. It is so much more than just having a mere belief on Jesus.
For even the demons believe and tremble.


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Well, if you are saved, you will not hate your brother or murder him, so...
 
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Well, if you are saved, you will not hate your brother or murder him, so...

So you are of the belief that believers are mindless puppets of God and they have no choice but to do His good works and will? Sorry, I just do not see that in the church today. Most justify sin with the thinking they are saved today. Are you walking uprightely in the Lord? The fact that believers can faulter shows that we have free will and that we are not mindless puppets to God's will.

In fact, it would not make any sense for the Bible to tell us believers to not hate our brothers and to warn us in not hating them otherwise no eternal life abides in us if it was something that we would not just automatically do. It is in God's Word as an instruction for us to choose to either follow or not follow.

Also, please address the verses I brought up if you are truly confident in your position.

Oh, and I believe JESUS is the source of our eternal life.
Abiding in Jesus means one will bring forth fruit or good works in their life.
But that does not mean a person does not have free will to continue to abide in Christ.
God does not force Himself and His salvation upon people.
We have to CHOOSE this day (ever day) in whom we will serve.


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Open Heart

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I would say maggots and bad air quality in the home is a very big deal to God if it was your choice to allow that to happen. It is a lack of love for oneself and others. God says that he that hates his brother has no eternal life abiding in them. While skipping the dishes for a day is not a sin unto death exactly, it can most certainly be a sin unto death if they are never done in the home as a way of habit (Where things then turn into a health hazard).
OMGosh. I can't believe you. Me personally? I can't stand dishes in the sink. But it is not a health hazard to have three day old dishes in the sink. When you are ready to wash, you simply use real hot water and a lot of soap. It's not a problem. Your attitude is Phariseeical. I once had the same attitude, and the Lord convicted me, and I repented.

There is a limit to messiness. If there is so much chaos that a child cannot find clean clothes or fresh food to eat, that crosses the line. But plenty of people have "organized messes" where they have piles of stuff out, but they know which pile everything is in. They take their time throwing away their paper cups and stuff, but it does get done. Just not as often. Their piles of papers look atrocious -- but only because they aren't neatly stacked.

And again, these kind of traits come hand in hand with other traits that are wonderful -- openness to possibilities, a greater flexibility (gee I need that), creativity, an ability to have spontaneous fun (great for the kids!), etc. Lacking these is a "practical vice" as much as untidiness.

I'm an organizer and my daughter is not. When she was young, it was a battle ground, because her room was such a big sty that you couldn't walk through it, and she would hide meals under her bed and it would get maggots. When I wouldn't let her come out of her room until it was clean, she would stuff everything under the bed and into the closet. This was the sort of stuff that crossed the line. She needed to moderate herself.

But now that we are both adults, not only have I "lightened up," but she has learned to be a little more organized. We are still far, far apart, but we have come to appreciate each other. My daughter is an artist and a musician, and I love the stuff she does -- and she would not be that way if she was a compulsive neat nut like me. She scientifically explores the world, always asking questions and seeing the possibilities, the search never really over. (Whereas I'm more inclined to classify things and reach decisions.) She comes as a package deal -- I can't have her open-ended exploring brain and her oboe compositions without her lack of organizational skills. She's a beautiful person just the way she is --warts and all.

It takes all kinds to make the world go around.
 
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Open Heart

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What, therefore, is mortal sin? It is that sin which we cleave to and thereby deny, reject, and abandon the cross of Christ and toward our own selves; where there is no repentance, and all rejection of repentance and forgiveness.
Interesting. Thank you for sharing this Lutheran POV.
 
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OMGosh. I can't believe you. Me personally? I can't stand dishes in the sink. But it is not a health hazard to have three day old dishes in the sink. When you are ready to wash, you simply use real hot water and a lot of soap. It's not a problem. Your attitude is Phariseeical. I once had the same attitude, and the Lord convicted me, and I repented.

There is a limit to messiness. If there is so much chaos that a child cannot find clean clothes or fresh food to eat, that crosses the line. But plenty of people have "organized messes" where they have piles of stuff out, but they know which pile everything is in. They take their time throwing away their paper cups and stuff, but it does get done. Just not as often. Their piles of papers look atrocious -- but only because they aren't neatly stacked.

And again, these kind of traits come hand in hand with other traits that are wonderful -- openness to possibilities, a greater flexibility (gee I need that), creativity, an ability to have spontaneous fun (great for the kids!), etc. Lacking these is a "practical vice" as much as untidiness.

I'm an organizer and my daughter is not. When she was young, it was a battle ground, because her room was such a big sty that you couldn't walk through it, and she would hide meals under her bed and it would get maggots. When I wouldn't let her come out of her room until it was clean, she would stuff everything under the bed and into the closet. This was the sort of stuff that crossed the line. She needed to moderate herself.

But now that we are both adults, not only have I "lightened up," but she has learned to be a little more organized. We are still far, far apart, but we have come to appreciate each other. My daughter is an artist and a musician, and I love the stuff she does -- and she would not be that way if she was a compulsive neat nut like me. She scientifically explores the world, always asking questions and seeing the possibilities, the search never really over. (Whereas I'm more inclined to classify things and reach decisions.) She comes as a package deal -- I can't have her open-ended exploring brain and her oboe compositions without her lack of organizational skills. She's a beautiful person just the way she is --warts and all.

It takes all kinds to make the world go around.

Again, I was not asking for your life story. I said I was not trying to make it personal.
Also, it is not "pharisee like" to leave one's house so messy that the air quality in one's home is filled with mold; Neither is it "pharisee like" to have maggots and bugs fester in one's own home. That is what I was talking about. If a person takes their messiness too far (like certain people do today), then it is an endangerment to themselves and to the ones they claim to love (i.e. their family). I am not saying that one is condemned if they occasionally leave a mess. It is the total lack of care by a person that is the problem if they completely let things go that can be harmful to themselves and others. That is what I was getting at.

Also, again, please understand me here, I am attacking the sin in general here and not your life.
It is your idea on the thinking of a particular sin that I am attacking; I am not attacking your personal life. Again, I am not attacking your personal life. It is the belief I am attacking.

Anyways, if you do not see it as wrong to have maggots in a home and other insects as a result of spoiled food on dishes then go right ahead and believe that such a thing is not a serious sin. Yes, you clean. That's great. But to say that others can let themselves go to a point of harming themselves and others is not right. It shows a lack of love for themselves and others.

Side Note:

Obviously, I am not talking about a husband who yells at his wife to fix the towls or anything. Again, it comes down to love. The two greatest commandments.


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Open Heart

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It is your idea on the thinking of a particular sin that I am attacking; I am not attacking your personal life. Again, I am not attacking your personal life. It is the belief I am attacking.
Clearly you are not reading my posts, or you would know that I do not have a problem with neatness. I'm simply arguing that a moderate amount of constant messiness is not a sin.
 
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Clearly you are not reading my posts, or you would know that I do not have a problem with neatness. I'm simply arguing that a moderate amount of constant messiness is not a sin.

If it is not a health hazard then we are in agreement that it is a sin not unto death. It is a minor transgression or fault.


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Open Heart

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If it is not a health hazard then we are in agreement that it is a sin not unto death. It is a minor transgression or fault.


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Forget sin unto death. I'm saying it's not even a sin NOT unto death.
 
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unto is an archaic term that has two entirely different meanings

are you sure you have the right one ?

You read your Bible in English and not another language.

But the English word "unto" is actually translated from the Greek word "πρός" within the KJV.

Genesis Chapter 1 (KJV)

Definition:

A preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to;

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Definition of "unto":
  1. to.
  2. — used as a function word to indicate reference or concern. For example: "They became a world unto themselves." — Anne T. Fleming
The Bible says,

"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 John 5:16).​

We see elswhere in Scripture the words "sin unto death" being contrasted with "obedience unto righteousness."

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16).​

"Obedience unto righteousness" is talking about the following...

"Later" (Future Event):

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13).​

And "Now":

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16).​

In other words, it's both now and later. We obey (walk) and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh now and we will be in the New Earth wherein dwells righteousness (i.e. righteous or good ways) later in the future.

Serious sin (like murder, hate, adultery, theft, unforgiveness, idolatry, etc.) is spiritual death now with spiritual death in the future later. For the believing widows (mentioned in 1 Timothy 5) who lived in pleasure were spiritually dead while their bodies were physically alive.

Now:

"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth" (1 Timothy 5:6).​

In the future, we see the result of certain sins committed by people here will result in the Second Death (i.e. the sin unto death).

Later (Future):

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8).​

It's pretty simple and clear.

The "sin unto death" is a sin that results in spiritual death now and later.
It's what we see the Scriptures plainly say.

In fact, when Adam ate of the wrong tree he died spiritually that very moment he disobeyed God. Yet, the devil lied to Eve and told her she would not die.

I would be very careful today to spread a lie that the devil used from the very beginning.


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In other words, the "sin unto death" is "spiritual death" both now and later.

Kind of like candy that creates decay upon your teeth both now and later (if one does not brush).

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Keath

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Clearly you are not reading my posts, or you would know that I do not have a problem with neatness. I'm simply arguing that a moderate amount of constant messiness is not a sin.
Yeah, or then God is a first class sinner, cause this world is a real mess ;)
Honestly a lot of this other talk about taking 1 John 5 and turning it into a master theology seems a little crazy, beyond what is written, and doesn't really hit on the struggles of the average Christian or non-believer. Yes, sin is damaging in our development in our relationship with the Lord; but yes, Christ will not deny His unfaithful ones, He can't not deny himself. The Pharisee's focused on sin avoidance as the priority; Jesus focused on relationship development as the priority; it is a world of difference, and so who cares about the dishes if I am focused on loving God and people; it will sort itself out by the Spirit and so yes more than likely the dishes will get done.
 
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