Off the Path

Off the Path

1 John 5: ¹⁶ If you see a believer commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray to God, who will give that person life. This applies to those whose sins do not lead to death. But there is sin which leads to death, and I do not say that you should pray to God about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which does not lead to death.

 

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“Stay on the path” were the words of wisdom given to us from the forest ranger. It was easy at first, but there was a point where the path was not as obvious. We took a wrong turn and noticed the trees were getting thicker. We kept going and could see light. It was a small cliff that had a fall into a river.

 

• Veering off the path was scary and I tried to use my instincts to get to safety.
• The direction I was going could have led to death.
• Every step I went in the wrong direction caused me to get closer and closer to danger.

 

John attempted to address one time sin versus a lifestyle of sin. He states “All wrongdoing is sin” to make sure that people were not trying to categorize types of sin to justify his or her actions. He attempted to get people off the path of a sinful lifestyle that could lead people away from GOD, especially if the relationship with HIM was not true in the first place.

 

My Observations:

• JESUS died for all my sins, past, present and future.
• Sin is very offensive to GOD and I should not take it lightly.
• There is a way of thinking that is dangerous to my wellbeing that believes I can sin all I want and be forgiven, which will lead to my destruction.

 

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” is a scary quote to me. I mean, when the crowd says it’s right and my desires say it’s right, is everything I do or say right? No! There are some sinful desires, ways and words that are accepted by the world but are offensive to GOD. BUT HE always has a better way.

 

HE wants people to pray for each other, asking HIM to guide one another back to the path of life. HE knows we may innocently go down the wrong path by mistake. The problem comes when I stay on that path because I like it or my heart is too hard to turn back. I am glad GOD listens to prayers from others who may see my sin and want the best for me.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer recommend going to GOD versus confronting people?
• Have you ever accidentally done or said something wrong?
• If your heart has not been firmly planted in belief in JESUS, will you consider the path you are on may lead to death, so you can be placed back on GOD’s path of life today?