The Sin unto Death and the Unpardonable Sin
Bob Yandian
Today I will teach out of one of my newest books, the "Epistles of John Commentary". I know it's going to be a great blessing to you. Let’s talk about what the Bible has to say about the sin unto death. This has become a major problem because most Christians don't understand it. I’ll explain to you the difference between the unpardonable sin, and the sin unto death.
The Unpardonable Sin
People often ask, and you may be thinking now, "What is the unpardonable sin?" The unpardonable sin is committed by an unbeliever. There is only one unpardonable sin. There's the one sin that God will not forgive and cannot forgive. And that is rejection of Jesus Christ. That is the unpardonable sin. That sin will never be removed unless you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The thing about the unpardonable sin is you can say no to Jesus today, but the next day, next year, years down the road, as the thief on the cross just before he breathes his last breath can say, "Remember me when you come into paradise (Luke 23:42-43 )." So that was his confession of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "Today you'll be with me in paradise." Even on a deathbed, you can accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and suddenly that unpardonable sin becomes pardoned because you allowed God to pardon it.
The Sin unto Death
So, the unpardonable sin is committed by an unbeliever. But the sin unto death is committed by a believer. The sin unto death is committed by those who are born again, but they get caught up in sin knowing they are in sin. They try hiding their sin and disobedience. It is then compounded one on top of another until the influence on others demands the death of the unrepentant, habitual, carnal believer.
The person still goes on to heaven at death and when they go there the Lord will handle the issue of the penalty that they had with the sin unto death. There are a few examples in the Bible where people committed sin so badly and did not repent. They were taken out of this earth, turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
But it's done by a divine power, by God's power. Or even Christians found in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, can be allowed to turn a believer over to the work of Satan to kill their person in the flesh, but their spirit will still be saved in the day of the Lord.
Old vs New Testament Believers
Now, when I talk about a Christian, that's terminology for New Testament. As far as believing in the Lord and receiving salvation, that's Old and New Testament. The method has never changed. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shall be saved (Acts 16:31).” They called him Jehovah; we call him Jesus Christ. “Abraham believed in the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).” This is the method of salvation in the Old Testament and New. So, in the Old Testament, the sin unto death was there and that was for believers as well as the New Testament.
Moses
Let's take some examples from the word of God. Moses was a murderer, a fugitive from justice. Yes, God spared him and allowed him to lead Israel to go out of Egypt and to go into Canaan. His final public act of disobedience though led him to death, and he did not take Israel into Canaan. Joshua took the people over. Moses chewed out the people when God didn't say to chew out the people. And God demanded his life for that because he was a public example.
It seems like in the word of God, whenever a believer is in more and more position of leadership and their acts affect so many people, the demand becomes quicker, and the demand becomes greater for the sin unto death.
Abraham
Abraham tried to give his wife away twice just to save himself, yet God forgave him. He became the father of our faith and the father of the Jewish nation, that's the people that came from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by physical birth.
David
David committed adultery and murder in the midst of many other sins, yet he repented just in time and was forgiven. He went on to be the best king that Israel ever had, even called a man after God's own heart. God told David when he repented, your sins are forgiven, you will not die. Notice this, he was about to die, he was close to death. This is all recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 12. When he did repent, he was allowed to live longer. He did, had children after that including Solomon, and went on to live a long life on this earth and died at a very old age.
Peter
Peter denied the Lord Jesus, repented, and became a great apostle preaching the first sermon to the Jews at Pentecost. He also preached to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. He wrote two great books and helped to raise up New Testament churches.
Hezekiah
King Hezekiah was under the sin unto death. His sin was going to Egypt for help. He did it without thinking about it. I mean he just decided, I'm going to Egypt for help. When God had told him never go to Egypt for help, he did, and his life was demanded of him. He was about to die. He turned his back to the wall and repented in front of God. And then God added 15 years to his life.
The Corinthian Church
The man committing incest is one of the major ones of the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 he was committing the sin of incest with his stepmother. I mean, it said it was just an atrocious sin that should never even have to be brought up in the church. Yet it was, he was expelled from the church, turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5). Notice this, he was still born again. He did not lose his salvation. What he was about to lose was his physical life, but he repented in time. In 2 Corinthians, Paul said to let him back into the church, he had truly repented. God had lifted the sentence of death on him, and he was allowed to come back into the church. That passage is found in 2 Corinthians 2:5-10.
Repentance
I think it's interesting too in that story that the people were very quick to turn him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, but when he repented, they were not so quick to want him back into the church. God forgives, that's good news for us. God forgives a whole lot faster than people do.
When we look at those who were struck dead, turned over to Satan as believers for the destruction of the flesh, they may have committed sins as vicious and terrible, but they did not repent.
Influence
It seems like the higher level of influence you have; the more demanding God gets for you to walk in holiness before him and especially in front of people.
In other words, your works do count here in life. You say, "What do you mean by our works? I thought we weren't saved by works." You're not saved by works in front of God, but you are saved by works in front of people. This is all brought out later on in the New Testament in the books of James. James brings out the importance of walking in front of people and showing them by your lifestyle that you truly are born again.
Other scriptures dealing with the sin unto death are found in 1 John 5:16-17. (Make sure to get a copy of my “Epistles of John Commentary”)
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
And 1 Corinthians 11:30.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many [are dead] sleep.
Live by the Word
When a person is out under the sin unto death, they can still repent, and they can come back to the Lord and length can be added to their life. God desires us to live long in the earth, but he also tells us there are things we can do to extend our life. There are things we can also do to cut our life short on this earth. To extend life; just live for God, live by his word.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.
God is simply saying, when you make that decision in your soul, you're going to follow after God. You're going to take the scriptures and live by them. Let them become the standard for your Christian life. This is where you become a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. “If you continue in my word then are you my disciples, indeed, you'll know the truth and the truth will make you free (John 8:31).”
Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira were in leadership in the church. Barnabas had sold a piece of property to give the money to the church in Jerusalem to help with the financial needs of the people (Acts 5). Barnabas told the truth; he sold a piece of property and gave all the money to the church.
Ananias and Sapphira saw how popular it made Barnabas and they were craving popularity. Although they were known as leadership in the church, they wanted a pat on the back like Barnabas received in front of the people. So, Ananias and Sapphira thought it'd be good to do the same thing, to receive the same adoration. They also owned a piece of property, they sold it, but they kept back part of the money.
Now keeping back part of the money was not a sin, but lying about it was what the sin was. If you sell something, God never asked you every time to give all your money. It says give a portion to seven and also to eight, give a portion to God (Ecclesiastes 11:2). He asked for the tithe, he asked for the offering, but you are to keep some for your own personal life.
Ananias and Sapphira kept back part of the money, but they didn't tell the people or the church leaders. Peter knew it by the Holy Spirit. Both claimed they had given all the money to the Lord and the people of the church. Peter exposed their sin in front of the people at two different times.
Ananias came in, then three hours later, Sapphira came in. So, Peter exposed their sin in front of all the people and told them in front of the people that they had lied not to men, but they had lied to God. Ananias fell dead and three hours later his wife came into the church, told the same story, and she died too in front of everybody. Their bodies were buried, but were they in heaven? Yes, but they were in heaven with a loss of rewards. Oh, we'll see them in heaven. They'll probably tell us the other side of the story about what happened.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
We need to understand that we still serve a God that's filled with compassion and grace. That's why he takes us to heaven even if we committed the sin here that we're talking about. We will be held accountable at the judgment seat of Christ for our sins which are wood, hay, and stubble. They will be burnt up. But our obedience and good works that end up before God is gold, silver, and precious stones. He will reward us for that.
I want as much gold, silver, and precious stones as possible, don't you? I want to do things right as far as God is concerned, and that's where even a cup of cold water in his name will receive a prophet's reward, a righteous reward when we get to heaven. God wants us rewarded when we get there, and He has some great things waiting for us when we do get there!
