The sin unto death is mentioned in 1 John 5:16,17 and is commonly defined by the heretical grace changers of our day (eternal security teachers) as occurring when God physically kills a Christian because of his continuous unrepentant sin and then takes him home into his holy presence! Sometimes they cite Ananias and Sapphira as examples for the sin unto death. It doesn’t seem to matter which eternal security teacher is giving his faulty interpretation of the sin unto death, it will always be a license for immorality.
Their Sin Unto Death Mocks God
It also unwittingly attempts to mock God (Gal. 6:7,8). [See S. Michael Houdmann teaching on this.] Unlike at some other times, depending on their audience, the same once saved always saved teachers will contradict their own doctrine and say such an unrepentant professing Christian was never really saved. Remember that the next time the grace changers throw out that phrase to you.
1 John 5:16,17 Proves All Sin Is Not The Same
It is also startling how the same false teachers can say all sin is the same, but can’t notice that 1 John 5:16,17 says there is sin unto death and sin which doesn’t lead to death:
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16,17)
Eternal security proponents are spiritually blinded to the fact that the Bible teaches there are different degrees of sin. It doesn’t fit their false version of grace. Again, all sin is not the same, according to 1 John 5:16,17 and other verses. All sins don’t all have the same negative impact in your spirit. Some are greater than others (John 19:11)! For example, sexual immorality is often found in various listings which state such people will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9,10; Eph. 5:5-7; Rev. 21:8; etc.). In contrast, you will never find in any Scripture where those who worry, are unthankful or not completely humble or gentle will be thrown into the lake of fire.
The Sin Unto Death = Spiritual Death
With all of that in mind, we can now better understand what the real sin unto death is. The sin unto death is committed when a Christian experiences spiritual death. Other sins which a Christian commits won’t lead to [spiritual] death and he therefore will not die spiritually because of them. NOTE: Sadly, the eternal security teachers also deny a righteous man will die spiritually if he turns to evil, even though it is found all through the Bible (Ezek. 33:18; Rom. 8:13; etc.). Don’t be deceived by the common, but spiritually poisonous definition attached to the sin unto death by false teachers.
[The most powerful and complete book ever written refuting eternal security is, The Believer’s Conditional Security. You can order your copy of this 801 page softback or hardback at Evangelical Books and receive FREE related materials with it.]