Marsha's Musings: Pray for Others. (1 John 5:16-17 KJV)

                                

  

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. (1 John 5:16-17 KJV)

I went to the Geneva Study Bible for some insight on these verses.  Here's what it says:

We have to make prayers not only for ourselves, but also for our brothers who sin, that their sins be not to death: and yet he excepts that sin which is never forgiven, or the sin against the Holy Spirit, that is to say, a universal and wilful falling away from the known truth of the gospel. 

This is as if he said, let him ask the Lord to forgive him, and he will forgive him being so asked.

The taking away of an objection: indeed all iniquity is comprehended under the name of sin: but yet we must not despair therefore, because every sin is not deadly, and without hope of remedy.

Many worry about committing the unforgivable sin. I think it is safe to say that if you are worried about committing it that you have not done it. Instead of worrying about the unforgivable sin, we should be thanking God that He has forgiven us of all the multitude of other sins.  Our glass is not empty, it is running over with God's forgiveness!

This brooding over the possibility of committing the unforgivable sin is Satan's way of causing doubt, depression and self absorption.  But these verses talk about praying for others not turning inward. The best antedote to depression is praying for others and getting outside of ourselves.