|
Sermons from 1 John |
PRAYING FOR A BROTHER IN SIN |
|
We all know of someone who has gotten out of Church, away from the Lord, and is once again living in sin. It may be a family member or a friend. It may be someone that you remember that you used to be faithful to Church, involved, and was a blessing to many. But, now they are away from the Lord and out of Church. How are we to respond to such a person? John tells us that we are to pray for them.
This is text in which there are a diversity and variety of opinions. In my opinion, the real meaning of the text is often missed. The focus is most often on what John calls the “sin unto death.” Whenever I have heard the text preached, the emphasis has been primarily on this "sin unto death." However, in my opinion, the primary focus and emphasis of the text is praying for backslidden Christians who are living in sin.
In our pervious study we looked at verses 14-15 and the great lessons John gives us concerning prayer. In verse 16 we see the words “he shall ask.” These words speak of prayer. John is still talking about prayer, and in particular, for whom we should pray and how we should pray. The "sin unto death" John describes, is not the primary focus of the text, but gives us, as we shall see, a purpose in praying for those who are away from God.
Let’s look at the these two verses and seek to gain insight in how God wants us to pray for those in sin and why. First, think with me of:
1. THE INTERCESSION THAT IS COMMANDED
In verse 16 we find a “brother” living in “sin.” The word "brother" means, "from the same womb." When we speak of our brother or sister, we are saying that we have the same mother. As spiritual brothers and sisters, we share a spiritual birth. We have been born of God and have experienced the same spiritual birth. In the case of our spiritual birth, we have the same Father.
In the case before us, we see a brother that is living in sin. John uses two words to describe this brother's sin. He describes our seeing a brother "sin a sin." The first word that he uses is the word that means "to miss the mark, to wander from the right path, to do wrong.” The idea is of coming short of what God requires and expects. Here is a brother that is living contrary to God's will and way for his life. Instead of walking the path God expects, he has wandered from that path. Instead of meeting the expectations God has for his life, he is failing to meet those expectations.
The second word that he uses is always used in a moral sense. This would identify his sin as a moral failure. It would indicate that this brother is living an immoral life or lifestyle. The tense of the first word implies a habitual state of sinning. This is more than a one time failure or sin. This is a continual practice of sin. The believer being described is living in sin.
John describes the actions and reaction of Christians that are living for God. When we see those who are away from God and living in sin, we are to pray for them. Understanding this, let me point out:
A) The Response That Is Seen In Prayer
Please note that John is not describing a rumor about a believer living in sin. It is a case of seeing a brother living in sin. The word "see" means more than one just happening to see a brother doing something wrong. The word has the idea of having actual knowledge that they are living in sin. This is more than a rumor that one has heard. It is more than someone telling another about a brother. This is a case where there is actual knowledge that a brother is away from God and living in sin.
John's words to pray for them reminds us that our response is not one of gossip. I have met some people that if they found out something on someone, before the sun went down, half the county would know about. They would burn the phone lines up getting the word out about so and so. I think of the old Hee Haw Show and scene where a couple of ladies were usually hanging their clothes out on a clothesline. They would sing the little ditty:
Of course, we have learned how to make our gossip sound so caring. We say, "I want to pray about something. I just learned..." That really sounds spiritual doesn't it. Yet, nine out of ten times, we are not seeking to get someone to pray for another. We just wanted an opportunity to talk and tell someone else what was happening. We may excuse it in many ways, but the simple truth is, it is nothing more than gossip. If we want to talk to someone about another person, it should only be the Lord!
Furthermore, we see that the response is not one of ridicule or judgment. How easy it is for us to condemn others for their failures. It could just as easily be one of us that is away from God and out in sin. The proper response to a sinning brother is prayer! Again, the only One we should talk to about another is God!
When we pray for a sinning brother there is:
B) The Return That Is Sought In Prayer
John tells us that if we will ask, God "shall give him life." In other words, God will hear and answer our prayer and bring the wandering one back. In the giving of life we have the idea of restoration, The person is brought back to God. That is purpose of praying for a sinning brother. We want to see him or her back in fellowship with God.
This gives us both a purpose and petition in prayer. Do you know of someone that is away from God and living in sin? Are you praying for them? Have you prayed for them? John is encouraging us to pray for those away from God. In fact, we are being commanded to pray for those away from God. This is the intercession that we see commanded.
Secondly, we see:
2. THE INTENSITY THAT IS CONVEYED
The kind of praying that John describes is that of intensity and urgency. The praying he describes is more than a bed-time prayer. He is describing the believer engaging in, as James describes, “fervent” prayer (Cp. James 5:16). Let me explain. First, in the prayer John describes we see:
A) A Sincere Offering Of Prayer
There are several works for prayer in the Bible. Here the word "ask" is used. This particular word means, "to beg, crave." This is the kind of praying where there is a deep and burning desire in the heart of one to see the sinning brother brought back to God. They come to God in fervent prayer, begging God to bring them back.
John implies that this is the kind of praying that gets and answer. Someone has written:
The only suggestion I would have to those words is that the deepest need of men is more than just "more prayer." It is the need of more intense and fervent prayer. It is the kind of praying we see in Hannah. The Bible says, (1 Samuel 1:10), “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore" (1 Samuel 1:10). She was not bitter with God or others, but possesses a heart that groaned with the desire to get a son from the Lord. She wept bitter tears as she begged God for a son.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” It is a sincere offering of prayer that gets and answer from God.
One of the most used English evangelists in the 1840’s was James Caughey. He is the man who led William Booth to the Lord. In one of his letters he wrote in response to someone asking the secret of his success, he wrote: “The power of the Holy Ghost accompanying hard, patient, steady, constant labor with many tears, and much crying to God in private have produced the results which seem so mysterious to you. Knee work! Knee work! This is the secret.”
When a brother is out in sin, the call is for knee work! Intense, fervent prayer!
Why such sincere praying? Secondly, we see:
B) A Serious Objective In Prayer
I now draw your attention to the phrase is often given the most attention in these verses, "there is a sin unto death." What is this sin unto death? Some have said that it indicates that some sins are worst than others. John refutes this argument when he states in verse 17a, "All unrighteousness is sin." Please note the word "all." All sin is plain old sin in the eyes of God. He does not classify sin into not too bad, more bad, and really bad. All unrighteousness is sin.
Others suggest that John is speaking of the unpardonable sin. Without going into a lengthy explanation, let me just say the a Christian cannot commit the unpardonable sin. In this case, we are talking about a brother, therefore, we know that John is not speaking of the unpardonable sin.
In my opinion, I think John is simply describing physical death. John has already described how a believer is to confess their sin, so they can be cleansed of sin. But what happens when a believer will not confess and turn from their sin? The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter twelve that God will chasten them. He will give them a good old spiritual spanking. This the the thought in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 where we read, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” We are to deal with our sin. If not, God will deal with our sin.
If the chastening of the Lord will not break the will of the sinning believer and turn them, God may even take the step of removing them from this world. Again, 1 Corinthians chapter eleven gives us such an example. We read in verse 30, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Many were suffering physically because of their sin and some were even dead. I once heard a preacher say, “If you live for God down here, He will take you to heaven and crown you. If you will not live for God, He will crown you down here and then take you to heaven.” That's a homespun way of saying it, but you get the point.
You find many examples in the Bible of someone who died as result of their sin. There was Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron, who died because they deliberately disobeyed God. As well, there is Korah and his clan that opposed God and died. Achan was stoned to death because he disobeyed the orders God gave through Joshua. Uzzah touched the ark and died. Ananias and Sapphira lied and died. As we have seen, there were the believers at Corinth.
In my opinion, this is what John meant when he spoke of "sin unto death." I would point out that the sin unto death is not one specific sin. Rather is a kind of sin. Jerry Vines translates the words, “There is a sin leading to or leaning toward, moving in the direction of, death.” This is not a specific act, but a condition, an attitude or spirit, a case of living and staying in sin. It is a case of a brother refusing to turn back to God.
When John speaks of a "sin not unto death" in verse 17, he is describing one who turns back to God. All sin is serious in God’s eyes, but if a believer will return to God, He will forgive and restore a repentant believer.
Understanding the danger of rebellious and backslidden believer faces, John encourages us to pray fervently for their restoration. The possibility of God’s judgment gives us a serious objective in prayer! Do you know of someone that is away from God and living in sin? The thought that God may have to take very serious steps in dealing with their sin, drives us to pray for their restoration.
Lastly, we see:
3. THE INTERROGATION THAT IS CONDEMNED
Notice the statement in verse 16, "There is a sin unto death, I do not say that he shall pray for it." John is not suggesting that we should pray or not pray for the physical death of a brother. I think that the word he used for prayer is very enlightening. As we have seen, the word "ask" speaks of one praying fervently. The word "pray" that he uses in verse 16 means "to interrogate."
John has described what our response should be when a believer is living in sin. Now, he describes what our response should be if a believer commits a sin unto death. If this would be the case, it is not for our interrogation or judgment. I think of the words of J. Dwight Pentecost, “We do not inquire about such matters, even if the individual dies. That is a matter between God and that individual.”
What does this say to us? First, we see:
A) A Conclusion We Should Not Make
If someone dies who has lived in sin, we should not come to the conclusion that they committed the sin unto death. We should automatically make that assumption.
Why? Because there is:
B) A Claim We Cannot Make
We are not God! We can’t really say if a person committed a sin unto death or not. Only God knows the answer. We can’t help but wonder? I have seen those who got away from God and through tragic events died out of fellowship with God. I could not but help and wonder if they did not commit a sin unto death. Yet, I can't with assurance make that claim, because I really don't know. Again, I am not God.
What we may not know is not as important as what we do know … WE ARE TO PRAY FOR A BROTHER IN SIN! |