Sin Leading To Death

1 John 5:16

16 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. 

Heb 6:1-6

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, [fsince they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

Heb 10:26-29

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 2How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Heb 12:16-17

16 that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

There are many explanation of this verse 1 John 5:16 regarding the sin leading to death.  Some interpreted that it is referring to specific sin that causes physical death such as death of some after partaking of the Lord’s supper without judging themselves or the death of Ananias and Sapphira in lying to the Holy Spirit. Or the unpardonable sin of attributing the works of the Holy Spirit as the works of the devil mentioned by our Lord. Others believed it is referring to sin of murder and we should not feel the necessity of praying that he or she should escape the physical death penalty.

Looking at the whole counsel of 1 John which was addressing the gnostics, John could be referring to the sin of apostasy.  The apostate had professed faith and even tasted the good things of the faith and yet could sin wilfully, or repudiate our Lord by denying His deity, incarnation and the sufficiency of His atonement.  Heb 6:1-8; Heb 10:26-29; and Heb 12:16-17 tells us that for such a person, there is no more place for repentance.  It is not a momentary weakness leading to sin but a continual hardening of heart in sinning. So there is a difference in the degree of sin.  The example given of Esau in Heb 12:16-17 describes him as a godless and immoral person. Esau could exchange his birth-right for a meal which clearly revealed his apostate state of belittling and trampling hard on God’s promises and blessings. That was not a momentary weakness. That was complete hardness. For though Esau wanted the blessings back with tears, he was rejected for he found no place for repentance.

In the present woke society in the western capitalism states, many so-called believers are sinning wilfully and may harden their hearts to a point of no return. In the coming persecution, these believers may willingly renounce Christ in order to escape reproach, suffering or martyrdom. There may be remorse but they cannot be renewed to repentance.