“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17).

Not only is there sin which does not lead to death, but we are not to pray about sin which leads to death. Both facts are related to the just nature of God.

The wages of all sin is death (cf. Romans 6:23). However, we understand that those who obey God will evade such death – God is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). The sin of those who do not have faith in Jesus leads to death, for God cannot justify him.

Additionally, it is wrong for us to pray God’s forgiveness regarding sin leading to death. This is sin from which there is no repentance. By praying for God to forgive an unrepentant sinner, we are asking Him to defy His very nature!

If we wish for our sin to be that which does not lead to death, we must repent and ask forgiveness (cf. 1 John 1:8-10).