Short Answer
The “sin that leads to death” most likely refers to a hardened, final rejection of Christ—often described as apostasy. While believers should pray for those who struggle with sin, this passage points to a category of people who knowingly reject the truth and oppose it.
The Overview
1 John 5:16 is one of the more difficult passages in Scripture because it refers to two types of sin—one that does not lead to death and one that does. The first category clearly refers to ordinary sin in a believer’s life. When someone stumbles or falls into sin, they should be prayed for, restored, and encouraged. This aligns with the broader teaching of the Bible about forgiveness and restoration.
The second category, however, points to something more serious. It likely refers to apostasy—a deliberate and informed rejection of Christ after fully understanding the truth. This is not a moment of weakness or doubt, but a hardened, decisive turning away from the faith. Scripture describes such individuals as having once been part of the community but later rejecting it completely.
This distinction helps explain why the response is different. For those struggling with sin, believers are called to intercede and seek their restoration. But for those who have become entrenched in opposition to the truth—false teachers or those actively rejecting Christ—the focus shifts. The priority becomes protecting the church and standing firm in truth rather than attempting to restore someone who has fully turned away.
Ultimately, this passage highlights the seriousness of rejecting Christ. It also reminds believers to discern between weakness and rebellion. While grace is extended to those who fall, there is a warning about the danger of knowingly and persistently rejecting the truth.
Key Takeaways
- Two Categories of Sin
One leads to restoration; the other reflects final rejection. - Pray for Struggling Believers
Ordinary sin calls for intercession and restoration. - Apostasy Is a Serious Warning
It involves knowingly rejecting Christ. - Protect the Church
False teachers and hardened opponents must be addressed carefully. - Discernment Is Essential
Not all sin is the same—context matters.
Read Full Raw Transcript
[00:00:00 – 00:01:03] What do you think about some people who’ve had near-death experiences? I wrote about this in a book I wrote for Harvest House called 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife. And I I dealt with it having studied these uh books and u testimonies and people giving their stories and churches about their near-death experiences. And um on the whole, I would say this that it seems like most of these, and much like I said with the last caller, you’ll know them by the fruits. Most of the theological fruit
[00:00:31 – 00:01:30] that comes from people on the teaching circuit uh or writing circuit when they write these books on their near-death experiences uh leads to bad theology. And the only near-death experience we have in scripture, so to speak, is Paul there in 2 Corinthians 12. And he talks about having being been taken up into the third heaven. But God didn’t allow him to say anything about it. He didn’t write a bestselling book about it. And the point is whatever is going on in the other world, even in Jesus’s parable
[00:01:01 – 00:01:58] about someone who’s gone to the other world and wants to go back or send someone back, the answer is always no. It’s appointed a man wants to die. And therefore, I think there’s a lot of hallucinog hallucinogenic effects of being near back. But I’m really concerned when I read about some of these books, and I may even footnote some of this in my uh book on the topic. I well it’s all about heaven, hell, and the afterlife. But as I researched this um some of the books themselves have
[00:01:29 – 00:02:26] been recounted because people have admitted we just wrote this stuff. Not all of it was true. We took a kernel of truth and built something that would would sell. And that’s horrific when people are lying in these contexts. Uh and not that all of them are. I think some people legitimate legitimately believe I died on the operating table or I died in that car accident and I went toward the light and I had a conversation and then I went back. But we don’t usually see pe people coming out of that uh having biblical things to
[00:01:57 – 00:02:45] say. They often have unbiblical things to say. And I judge that uh kind of experience by the fruit of it. If your fruit is telling everybody, for instance, a lot of these near-death experience testimonies are everything’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about death. It’s all good. You walk toward the light. I felt good. I felt fine. And it’s not a call to repentance and faith, right? It’s all about it’s all going to be okay. Don’t fear death. Well, the non-Christians should fear death. So,
[00:02:22 – 00:03:07] anybody who’s telling people not to fear death, right, you better be focused on the gospel because that’s the only hope I have. So, Gina, that that’s my concern. I could talk more about it. There have been other books that have been written critiquing a lot of the near-death experiences, and maybe I footnote that in my book. I’d have to look it up. But if you want to read a little bit about death, the concept of death, and why the near-death experiences don’t always um impress me,
[00:02:44 – 00:03:14] and they they make me uh some of them rightfully very skeptical of even the veracity of what they’re saying. But uh also the fruit of it I can easily judge by God’s word that what they’re saying is not true.
