We are all sinners and have the opportunity to experience the grace of God through the salvation He provides for us. I am forever grateful for that grace which generates my saving faith I am able to demonstrate to those around me.
“16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God 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.” – 1 John 5:16 (ESV)
So, what are sins that do not lead to death and those that do. Those that do not lead to death, as noted in the commentary found in my NIV bible for verse 16, are those where “(1) forgiveness is sought and (2) God is willing to grant it”. Those that lead to death are “(1) unrepented of and (2) of the kind or nature that john has warned about throughout the letter: resolute rejection of the true doctrine about Christ, chronic disobedience to God’s commandments, persistent lack of love for fellow believers—all indicators of a lack of saving faith”.
And there it is, the last part of that last sentence in the previous paragraph. It is about having the saving faith and working within that construct that leads to life with Christ. I have to remember the grace that God provided for me through salvation. And when I do, I will be more likely to live according to that grace and with the desire to obey and do the will of God in my life. When I am living according to the saving grace and thereby repenting of my sins, those that I commit knowingly (although minimal if living the life Christ has for me) as well as unknowingly, I will be given the gift of eternal life with Him. With my repentance, God will be willing to grant me forgiveness and thereby my eternal life with Him will be maintained.
I have to remember that my repentance must be real and not just lip service to be heard by those around me. My actions must be seen as a part of my repentance and not just said to “make me look good”. It is the sincerity that God is looking to in my repentance, and that is where His willingness to forgive is rooted. My salvation is based on my heart and not that of my head and words. God sees my heart and knows my true self. When I root my everything in His grace and have a saving faith, I will be led to life.
When you are out there, what sins are you committing, those that lead to death or not? Are you coming to God in full repentance of your sins? What if we relied on the grace of God through our saving faith to lead us to life?
Trevor's Thoughts 