Lord's Day: June 28, 2026 Preacher: Carlos Montijo Series: First John Topic: Sin Scripture: 1 John 5:11–17; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 5:9; Galatians 6:1; Proverbs 27:17; 1 John 2:19–20; Psalm 97:10; 1 John 2:9, 11; 3:15–17; Romans 6:23; James 2:10

16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. 1 John 5:16–17

• Challenging, difficult verses to translate and to interpret
• Any translation requires interpretation
• Who is “the brother” sinning not unto death? Who do the pronouns refer to? What is the sin unto death and not unto death? What kind of death and life? Whio should we pray for and not pray for?

I. Many have misunderstood and misused this text to develop false doctrines and conclusions.

• Mortal and venial sin
• Intercessory prayer
• "Prayer is not to be made for the dead, nor for those who are known to have sinned the sin leading to death” (1689 Baptist Confession, cf. Westminster Confession of Faith).
• Galatians 6:1

II. Who do the pronouns refer to?

• Every interpretation has difficulties.

III. Four major views of the passage

Join us on Sundays for worship at 10:00am:

• ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church
  4712 Montana Ave
  El Paso, Texas 79903

Contact us at:

• web: ThornCrownCovenant.Church
  call/text: (915) 843-8088
  email: ThornCrownCovenantBChurch@gmail.com

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com

Lord's Day: July 5, 2026 Preacher: Carlos Montijo Series: First John Topic: Sin Scripture: 1 John 5:16–19; Psalm 97:10; Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 11:30; 1 John 5:20; 3:14; 2:19–20; Hebrews 6:4–8; 1 John 5:10–12; Galatians 1:6–9; 5:12

Gordon Clark: "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he will give him life, to those who sin not unto death. There is sin to death. I do not say that he should ask concerning it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death." 1 John 5:16–17

• The two best interpretations

I. (3) Believers can both sin unto death and not unto death.

• God may discipline the believer sinning unto death with physical death, or the sin itself may lead to physical death.
• Objections

II. (4) A believer commits sin not unto eternal death, and an unbeliever commits sin unto eternal death.

• How do you judge apostasy?
• Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.”
• Objections
• Interpretive key: already, not yet
• 1689 Baptist Confession, Chapter 18: The Assurance of Grace and Salvation

Join us on Sundays for worship at 10:00am:

• ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church
  4712 Montana Ave
  El Paso, Texas 79903

Contact us at:

• web: ThornCrownCovenant.Church
  call/text: (915) 843-8088
  email: ThornCrownCovenantBChurch@gmail.com

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com

Lord's Day: July 12, 2026 Preacher: Carlos Montijo Series: First John Topic: Sin Scripture: 1 John 5:16–19; 1 Timothy 1:12–14; Galatians 1:6–9; 1 John 3:4–10; Psalm 97:10; 1 John 5:1, 11; 3:9; Revelation 3:3; John 17:2; 1 John 1:8–10; 2:1–2; Psalm 130:3; 121:7–8

17All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death. 18We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him. 1 John 5:17–18 (NET)

• Challenging passage

I. The apostle continues to deal with generalities, categoricals

• Law or Gospel?
• Continued emphasis on knowledge and sin

II. Making sense of the difficulties

• Original language, textual variants
• πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος, “everyone fathered [born] by God”

III. Interpretive Challenge: Do saints still sin?

• Believers sin differently
• Thesis 1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said, Repent [Poenitentiam agite], willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance
• 1689 Baptist Confession 15.4: "Repentance is to continue through the whole course of our lives because of our 'body of death' and its activities. So it is everyone's duty to repent of particular known sins with particular care."

Join us on Sundays for worship at 10:00am:

• ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church
  4712 Montana Ave
  El Paso, Texas 79903

Contact us at:

• web: ThornCrownCovenant.Church
  call/text: (915) 843-8088
  email: ThornCrownCovenantBChurch@gmail.com

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com