Please explain the sins that do and don’t lead to death in 1 John 5:16?
The apostle John wrote this important passage about sin:
“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.” 1 John 5:16
In this text, John differentiates between sins that are confessed, and sin that are not confessed. In other words, he is contrasting between sins that are forgiven based on the humility of the person who repents and confesses, and the unforgivable sin, which is blasphemy of the Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32).
In all the Bible, the sin that absolutely leads to death is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. (Please see our question and answer about “What is Blasphemy?”) We also know that all sins can and will lead to death if we do not repent and confess them (Romans 6:23; 1 John 1:9). But here John is encouraging us to pray for those who may be struggling with yielding to sin.
James addresses it this way:
“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19–20
Just because our brothers and sisters are struggling doesn’t necessarily mean they are doomed. The fact that they are struggling is a sign of life and hope!
Jude weighs in on this same issue, admonishing us to labor for the salvation of others:
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” Jude 21–23
Intercessory prayer is powerful and can make a huge difference in someone’s life. We should always seek to pray for our brothers and sisters in need. However, the sin that leads to death is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If someone has turned their back on God and is not yielding to the Holy Spirit’s guidance then there is nothing that can be done in these extreme cases—and John says we should not pray for them. Not because God does not want to save them, but because they have hardened their heart so much that the love of God cannot penetrate their seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:1–2).
But here is the good news—since only God can read the heart, only He knows who has committed the sin that leads to death. So we can keep praying for our fellow humans all the way to the end.
You may ask, why then does the Bible verse tell us not to pray for this sin? It is there to remind us of the devil and his angels who have committed this sin. We are not to pray for them, or ever think of stepping into communion with them. In simple summary, pray for all people that they will repent and be forgiven; but don’t pray for the devil and his angels, for they have committed the unpardonable sin.