Transcript

Podcast Introduction

This is Epistles Sunday 1 John 4-5. I’m calling today’s episode “The Prayer We Should Not Pray.”  

Comments on 1 John 5

As in chapters 1-3, there are many great truths taught in today’s chapters. But chapter five, verses 16-18 need a closer look, I think.

Let me read it to you again. “If you see another believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, you should pray that God would give that person life. This is true for those who commit sins that don’t lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I’m not telling you to pray about that. 17 Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, yet there are sins that don’t lead to death.

18 We know that those who have been born from God don’t go on sinning. Rather, the Son of God protects them, and the evil one can’t harm them.”

So what is this sin that leads to death, and the sin that does not lead to death?

I read several commentaries, and as is often the case with these difficult passages, there is some disagreement among scholars. But let me give you my understanding of the passage in a somewhat simplified way. Which works since I’m a simple guy.

To give these verses context, in this passage John is talking about prayer. He’s talking about how God hears the prayers of the believer, and how, if we ask according to His will, He will grant our prayers.

But, then John includes this statement that I just read.

So my understanding of what John was saying is this. If we see a Christian brother or sister sinning, we should pray for them, that God would forgive them. A person who is living for Christ, who loves the Lord, will sometimes sin. We all do. But since we *do* love God, the blood of Jesus covers that sin. And the Holy Spirit *will* speak to our heart and we *will* confess that sin to God and ask forgiveness. This is a sin that does not lead to death, because as we read in the last episode, God is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess.

However, a person who rejects God, who has no relationship with Jesus, is already condemned to death. His sin is a sin unto death already. John is, in this passage, telling us that we should not pray that God would forgive them, because for God to do so would be asking Him to circumvent His justice. Scripture says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Believers are covered by that blood, but those who reject Christ are not, so they cannot be forgiven, and we should not ask God to do so.

We can, however pray that they would soften their hearts and come into relationship with God through Jesus so that *all* of their sins will be forgiven.

Does that make sense?

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 4-5 GWT

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Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00
I’m a simple guy.

Steve Webb 0:09
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible. How are you today? Podcasting since 2004? I’m your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year than today’s epistle Sunday. So we’ll read first John four and five, I’m calling today’s episode, the prayer we should not pray. You know, I’m thinking that since this is Sunday, you’d probably have some time to write an email to me. Yeah, you know, the email I asked you to send me about what you think I should do. As far as podcasting is concerned, once this season is over, you haven’t done it yet. Now’s a good time to do it. And I think I’ve got the email problem fixed. So go ahead and just send your email to Steve and Lifespring media.com. Put the next step in the subject line. I really do need to hear from you. I’m not kidding, I really need to hear from you. Today’s Show Notes Pages at Lifespring media.com/s 12, e 340. And let’s get started.

Steve Webb 1:08
First, John, chapter four. Dear friends, don’t believe all people who say that they have the spirit. Instead, test them, see whether the spirit they have is from God, because there are many false prophets in the world. This is how you can recognize God’s Spirit. Every person who declares that Jesus Christ has come as a human has the spirit that is from God. But every person who doesn’t declare that Jesus Christ has come as a human has a spirit that isn’t from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that you’ve heard is coming. That spirit is already in the world. Do your children you belong to God. So you have won the victory over these people, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. These people belong to the world. That’s why they speak the thoughts of the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, the person who knows God listens to us. Whoever doesn’t belong to God doesn’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the spirit of truth from the spirit of lies. Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. God has shown us His love by sending His only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is love. Not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the payment for our sins. Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other God lives in us and his love is perfected in us. We know that we live in him and he lives in us because he has given us His Spirit. We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent His Son as the savior of the world. God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God’s love live in God and God lives in them. God’s love is reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the Day of Judgment. While we are in this world, we’re exactly like him with regard to love. No fear exists, where his love is rather perfect love gets rid of fear because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn’t have perfect love. We love because God loved us first. Whoever says I love God, but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers whom they’ve seen, can’t love God whom they have not seen. Christ has given us this commandment. The person who loves God must also love other believers.

Steve Webb 3:56
First John chapter five. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born from God. Everyone who loves the Father also loves His children. We know that we love God’s children when we love God by obeying His commandments. To love God means that we obey His commandments. obeying His commandments is a difficult because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world. Who wins the victory over the world? Isn’t it the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This son of God is Jesus Christ, who came by water in blood. He didn’t come with water only, but with water and with blood. The Spirit is the one who verifies this, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses the spirit, the water and the blood. These three witnesses agree. We accept human testimony. God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony that he has given about his son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them. Those who don’t believe God have made God a liar. They haven’t believed the testimony that God has given about his son. This is the testimony. God has given us eternal life. And this life is found in his son. The person who has the Son has this life. The person who doesn’t have the Son of God doesn’t have this life. I’ve written this to those who believe in the Son of God, so that they will know that they have eternal life, we are confident that God listens to us. If we ask for anything that has his approval, we know that he listens to our requests. So we know that we already have what we asked him for. If you see another believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, you should pray that God would give that person life. This is true for those who commit sins that don’t lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I’m not telling you to pray about that every kind of wrongdoing is sin. Yet there are sins that don’t lead to death. We know that those who have been born from God, don’t go on sinning, rather, the Son of God protects them, and the evil one can’t harm them. We know that we are from God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God, we are in the one who is real, His Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life. Dear children, guard yourselves from false gods.

Steve Webb 6:36
Again, just like chapters one through three, there are so many great things that I could talk about in these last two chapters of first, John, but let’s take a look at chapter five, verses six through 18. I think that we need to take a closer look at that. Let me read it to you again. If you see another believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, you should pray that God would give that person life. This is true for those who commit sins that don’t lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I’m not telling you to pray about that every kind of wrongdoing is sin, yet there are sins that don’t lead to death. We know that those who have been born from God, don’t go on sinning. Rather, the Son of God protects them in the Evil One can’t harm them. So the question is, what is this sin that leads to death and the sin that does not lead to death? Well, I’ll tell you, I read several commentaries. And as is often the case with these difficult passages, there is some disagreement among scholars. But let me give you my understanding of the passage in a somewhat simplified way, which works since I’m a simple guy, to give these verses context, which is always important when we’re studying the Bible. In this passage, John is talking about prayer. He’s talking about how God hears the prayers of the believer, and how if we ask according to his will, he will grant our prayers. But then John includes this statement that I just read. So my understanding of what John was saying is this. If we see a Christian Brothers Sisters sitting, we should pray for them, that God would forgive them. A person who’s living for Christ who loves the Lord will sometimes sin, we all do, right. But since we do love God, the blood of Jesus covers that sin, and the Holy Spirit will speak to our heart. And we will confess that sin to God and ask for forgiveness. This is a sin that does not lead to death, because as we read in the last episode, God is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess, however, a person who rejects God who has no relationship with Jesus is already condemned to death. His sin is a sin unto death already, in my opinion, John is in this passage telling us that we should not pray that God would forgive them, because for God to do so would be asking him to circumvent His justice. Scripture says that, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin, believers are covered by that blood. But those who reject Christ are not so they can’t be forgiven. And we should not ask God to do so. We can, however, pray that they would soften their hearts and come into a relationship with God through Jesus so that all of their sins will be forgiven. Does that make sense? Tell me what you think. Go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 340. Leave your comment at the bottom of that page. Tomorrow is Monday. So we’ll read from the law, Deuteronomy 23 through 25. Huge boost

Steve Webb 9:47
Thanks to Matt Bogart, who sent in a $50 donation today via Zell that’s been a Lifespring family member for a very long time. Thank you, Matt. And God bless you.

Steve Webb 10:09
On this date in church history, August 7 1560, the Scots confession was ratified by the Scottish Parliament and it marked the triumph of the Reformation in Scotland under the leadership of John Knox. And on this date in church history, August 7 1894, James strong died he was the American Methodist biblical scholar and editor. His chief contribution to scholarship was as editor of the 12 volume Cyclopedia of biblical theological and ecclesiastical literature. That was the work that went on from 1867 to 1887, a 20 year job. He is also remembered as the compiler of Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Pretty much every Bible student has a copy of Strong’s Concordance. Mine is on the shelf just about three feet from me right now. I’ve had it since the mid 80s.

Steve Webb 11:09
Prayer requests. As I record this on Saturday morning, right now, I’m looking up at the clock, and it’s 10 minutes to 11. I just got word a little bit ago that my brother in law, Steve O’Brien is in the ER with chest pains. I guess he was there overnight, and they’ve run several tests on him and he might be transferred to the hospital where I had three stents put into my heart a few years ago, because they’re thinking that he might have a blockage or blood clot. Steve is the pastor of the church that I was at for over 20 years, and is the husband of Leanne’s older sister Laurie, and I love him like a brother. He’s even been on the Lifespring podcast a time or two. So we need to pray for Steve. And just an update on Kathy, she had a good night and so far is only experiencing a few aches and pains like a cold or the flu. And Dell wanted me to pass along that they very much appreciate your continued prayers. Let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the forgiveness that we have through Jesus and we ask that you give us opportunities to share the good news with people you bring into our path. Give us the boldness to speak Lord and a heart of love as we share. I pray now for Steve O’Brien be with him in the ER and guide the doctors to find the problem with his heart and whatever else might be a problem. I pray God that you bring healing in Jesus name. And we continue to pray for Kathy and thank you for the mild side effects that she’s having. Again, we asked you to heal her and for the grace to accept your will. Father, I ask that you bless the Lifespring family today. I thank you for each one listening right now. Walk with him today, Lord in May they feel your presence with them wherever they are. I pray this in Jesus name, amen. If you’ve got a prayer request or a praise, you know what to do, go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com And tell me all about it right there. I’ll pray for you and my private prayer time, and we’ll pray together on the show.

Steve Webb 13:07
Comment on the show and Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 340. Thanks to Matt Bogart for helping to support the show today. Thanks to the team Kirsty shot of San Pedro and Denise, thank you for inviting me into your life today. And I’ll see you here tomorrow. May God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye

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