Counted Faithful
Book of 1 Timothy
1:1-20
Paul, the ambassador
for Jesus Christ our King, is writing to his dear son in the
"Gospel", Timothy.
The most important
job of the Church is to make disciples just as Paul has made a
disciple of Timothy and then went further in his teaching when God
called Timothy to be a Pastor.
Anything else is
secondary to this function.
1) The disciple must
first believe the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
2) The disciple must
rest on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
3) The disciple must
be absorbed with the Holy Spirit.
4) The disciple must
imitate the example of Jesus Christ so close, that he resembles Him.
(This is what Christ-Like means, a Christian)
Timothy became such
a disciple and then he was called of God to become a Pastor.
*****1Ti 1:1 Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and
Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
The authority to
call anyone into the service of God must come from God Himself! We
cannot call ourselves to be a Pastor!
We can rest assured
that Paul was truly an apostle specifically called by the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Also notice that
Paul knew that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is God and Savior, one
person of the Holy Trinity!
Paul also new that
all our hope lies in the truth of the "Gospel" and in all
the Word of God!
So, we must clearly
understand that Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation!
Jesus Christ is the
love of God shown to us in His Son!
Joh 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus Christ is the
author of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the
object of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the
foundation of our hope!
God has provided the
only means of salvation to every person since the resurrection of His
Dear Son.
If God had not loved
us and have a plan of salvation from the beginning, then no one could
be saved!
Paul spoke with such
authority because these epistles to Timothy and Titus will be
considered the Pastoral Epistles and this is a specific calling of
God.
Paul expected young
Timothy to share these epistles with all the church.
All the epistles of
Paul were passed from church to church!
The question comes
up many times by those who are full of pride, why should the church
make disciples?
The answer lies in
the truth that all the world is enslaved by sin!
These people are
gripped by spiritual death and are too blind to see it.
These people are
doomed to face the judgment of God and they need someone to tell them
the truth!
1Ti 2:3 For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.
Timothy needed to
hear these things from Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, who was also
the same messenger of God who had led him to the Lord.
*****1Ti 1:2 Unto
Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God
our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Why is it so
important that our children be taught the Word of God? Because on
occasion you get a Timothy!
His mother Eunice
and his grandmother Lois had prepared this young man in the Old
Testament Word of God at a very young age as it was written in the
laws of Moses. They had also been converted on Paul's first trip to
Lystra.
2Ti 1:5 When I call
to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first
in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded
that in thee also.
Timothy was just a
child when Paul had first come to Lystra. He was probably no mare
that 10 to 12 years old when Paul led him to the Lord. He was no more
than 18 when Paul returned on his second missionary trip and had
grown so much in the Scriptures that Paul took Timothy with him and
treated him as his son.
1Co 4:17 For this
cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and
faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways
which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
Timothy became so
likeminded in the Scriptures as Paul, that Paul said his mind was at
one with Timothy.
Php 2:19 But I
trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I
also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
Php 2:20 For I have
no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
From this point on,
Timothy would travel with Paul or would be sent by Paul to other
locations.
Timothy may not have
reached the age 30 years old, when Paul left him at Ephesus to
correct the errors in doctrine that had made their way into this
church.
The problems in
Ephesus was not only from the Judaisers but many of the Greeks tried
to bring parts of their pagan worship into the Church
**Timothy had been
saved by the "Grace" of God just like every Christian is
saved.
The "Grace"
of God is revealed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died,
to redeem us from all our sin.
Jesus Christ died,
to raise up a peculiar people a people set apart for His use.
Jesus Christ died,
to stir us into good works like the works that He did.
All these came
because of the '"Mercy" of God.
The "mercy"
of God came to us because of His compassion for us, His love for us,
and His pity for us!
God has mercy for us
because He truly cares about all His creation, especially we of human
race..
God sees our needs
and provide our needs and the greatest need we had, was to be in
harmony with our God!
Because of God's
"mercy" He has withheld His judgement of us, even though we
deserve His wrath.
All those who do not
know the mercy of God do not know God at all!
The peace of God
means, we are bound together with the Lord Jesus Christ and secure in
the love of God!
If we know the peace
of God, we can then be at peace with God!
Timothy knew all
these things and was a willing young Pastor to serve God, wherever he
was sent!
*****1Ti 1:3 As I
besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia,
that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4 Neither
give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister
questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
What was Timothy's
job at Ephesus? Timothy was charged to defend the truth of the
"Gospel" of Jesus Christ.
This must be the
charge of every Pastor, Missionary, and Evangelist!
This must be the
same charge to every "Born Again" child of God!
It is a fact, that
all false teachers teach a false doctrine because, they cannot know
God. Only those filled with the Holy Spirit who will only come by
acknowledging the truth of Jesus Christ that can have such knowledge
Paul had gotten the
Macedonian call at this time and the Holy Spirit was at work in Paul,
yet he felt Ephesus could not be abandoned at this time, so it was
Timothy who had to stay there to lead this church back to the truth.
Paul had warned this
church that false teachers would come, and it is also a fact that we
need to understand, false teachers will make an attempt to cause
problems in every church!
We simply must guard
against all those who attempt to corrupt the Word of God!
We must demand that
our teachers and preachers teach the truth of the Word of God and the
"Gospel" of Jesus Christ!
We can see that
Timothy even at this young age, was strong enough in the Word of God,
that Paul trusted him to work that truth into this church.
There is also no one
on the face of this earth who has the authority to change the Word of
God!
In the day of
Timothy there were many of the Jewish faith who made attempts to stop
Christianity.
There were also many
from the pagan Greeks who wanted to incorporate Christianity intro
their own beliefs.
Some say this was
the beginning of the Catholic church.
Tit 1:10 For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision:
There were many who
taught fables rather than the truth of God.
Tit 1:14 Not giving
heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the
truth.
There were those
that wanted the Christians to abide by the Laws of Moses.
Tit 3:9 But avoid
foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings
about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
The true Word of
God, does not contain fables as some say! Fables are any fictional
teaching of the Scriptures.
The Lord Jesus
taught using with parables, but He never taught using fables and
neither should any man of God!
There is nothing
contained in the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures that suggest the use of
fables!
2Pe 1:16 For we
have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he
received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a
voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.
That word
"genealogies" is the teaching of those who take comfort in
their godly heritage.
As Christians we can
look back to the faith of Abraham because the Scriptures point us to
him.
The truth is, we
cannot be saved just because Abraham had such a great faith.
We cannot be saved
just because we have godly parents or godly grandparents.
We must accept the
Lord Jesus Christ ourselves in a faith such as Abraham had in
trusting God, as our personal Savior and there is no other means of
salvation period! *****End of discussion!
What did Jesus say?
Luk 3:8 Bring forth
therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That
God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
It is only because
of the love of God, that we get this opportunity to be saved!
*****1Ti 1:5 Now
the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a
good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which
some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
Those false teachers
had put empty discussions of the Law ahead of the "Love of God"!
The church is to
teach love for one another, just as God loves each of us!
What had Jesus said?
Mat 22:37 Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is
the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
When there is no
love in a church, then there can be no church!
It is also a
terrible sin to compromise the Word of God, just to get more members
or to keep the ones you already have!
*****1Ti 1:7
Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they
say, nor whereof they affirm.
The teacher or
preacher must not allow ambition to cloud their understanding of the
truth!
To make disciples as
preachers and teachers, the church must focus on learning as well as
teaching!
When those who do
not know the Lord ask why we love the Scriptures, we should just say,
"because we have a personal relationship with the Author".
Tit 1:10 For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision:
Tit 1:11 Whose
mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Jas 1:26 If any man
among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Jas 1:27 Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.
We must also
understand that the Laws of Moses had their purpose in the day of
Paul, just as they do today!
Those laws point out
that we are all sinners who cannot measure up to our Savior!
*****1Ti 1:8 But we
know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing
this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy
and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for
manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For
whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any
other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11 According
to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my
trust.
The Scriptures were
not written for those who already think they know it all. Nobody can
teach these people!
The Scriptures were
not written for those who want to do it their own way. That what
Elvis said and the theme of humanism!
The Scriptures were
not written for those so full of pride, who think they are much
better than all others. Pride was the downfall of Lucifer (Satan).
The Scriptures were
written for those who know they are sinners in need of a Savior!
False teachers will
always put pride and self-righteousness above the Word of God!
False teachers would
say, to be saved required you to give yourselves to Christ, but also
you needed to add to this the obedience of Judaism to be truly saved!
False teachers will
always reject that salvation can come only by the free gift of the
"Grace" of God alone!
False teachers will
confuse everyone on the gifts of God!
The law is good if
it is used properly! The law teaches us what God considers to be sin.
There are 613 Jewish laws and not just those 10 commandments.
Those laws can only
teach us how far short we come when compared to the goodness of God
which was in the Lord Jesus Christ!
False teachers will
also teach that God had a set of scales to weigh our goodness against
the things we do that are bad and whichever one came out on top would
determine if you went to Heaven or to Hell.
But God says we have
no goodness, "which is righteousness" to put on our good
side.
Isa_64:6 But we are
all as an unclean thing, and "all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags"; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away.
There is nothing
wrong with being good, but no amount of goodness will get you saved!
God is a perfect God
and we cannot come face to face with God until we are also perfect!
God gave all those
laws to show all of us, that we had a great need of a Savior!
The Law was given to
all those who are lawless and disobedient.
The law was given to
the ungodly and sinners.
The law was given to
those who are unholy and profane.
The law was given to
those murderers who are so low that they would kill their own
families.
The law was given to
all those who commit fornication, and adultery, and homosexuals and
all immoral people.
The law was given to
all those who trade in slavery, and kidnappers.
The law was given to
all liars and those who commit perjury.
The law was given to
anything else that goes against the truth of the Word of God.
There is no one left
out of this list because we are all sinners!
Rom 3:23 For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
False teachers just
do not understand the truth of God or they will reject the truth of
God!
God has made a way
for every human being upon this earth to join Him in Heaven and that
way is by the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We must never be
deceived. It is the truth of the "Gospel" that is the only
way to become perfect enough to join God in Heaven!
1Co 15:1 Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:
The Gospel is
described as "glorious".
The Gospel is
described as "everlasting".
The "gospel"
is the unchanging, perfect, Word of God!
All those who come
to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship, will tell
you how great it is to know the truth of Jehovah, the saving God!
*****1Ti 1:12 And I
thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted
me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was
before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained
mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
There are no true
ministers of the "Gospel" unless they are called by Christ
Himself!
There are no true
ministers unless they came by "faith", trusting the Lord!
It was Jesus Christ
who enabled Paul to teach the truth of the "Gospel".
Enabled means to
strengthen and give power to.
The power of Paul's
ministry came from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The power of every
minister of the "Gospel" comes by the Lord Jesus Christ!
The power to
continue in the ministry of the "Gospel" comes by the Holy
Spirit who is the only path to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Joh 15:15
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what
his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16 Ye have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it
you.
There can be no
self-made ministers of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!
Those that call
themselves, can only serve to a humanistic false religion who will
lead people into a false sense of security!
It is Jesus Christ
who found Paul to be trustworthy, to teach the wonderful Word of God.
It is Jesus Christ
who finds any of us to be trustworthy, to teach the truth of the Word
of God!
If you preach or
teach the truth of the Word of God, God knows those who are faithful
to Him!
*****1Ti 1:14 And
the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love
which is in Christ Jesus.
Paul had spent some
time trying to destroy the Church but by the "Grace", he
had been forgiven.
Paul had committed
blasphemy, hating even the name of Jesus Christ.
Paul was the
persecutor who first set out to wipe the name of Jesus off the face
of this earth.
Paul was injurious
to destroy the rights of others who sought the Lord Jesus to be
saved.
By God's "Grace",
Paul was forgiven of all these things but all these things continue
by others of the world today and yes, they can also be forgiven.
Paul thought he knew
God and that Judaism was the true path to glorify God, but he had
been wrong.
Judaism is not the
way.
Islam is not the
way.
Jehovah's Witness is
not the way.
Mormanism is not the
way.
Religion means
death.
Christianity is life
and leads to eternal life because Jesus Christ is the God of the
Bible and has all the authority of God because He is God!
The Lord Jesus
poured out His "Grace" onto the Apostle Paul and Paul was
gloriously forgiven of all his sin!
None of us are
worthy of the "Grace" of God and we can thank God for
giving us the Apostle Paul who remained faithful all his days.
God's "Grace"
is sufficient to cover any sin but one and that is the sin of not
believeing that The Lord Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible!
We must remain
faithful to the Gospel all our days to be of any use to Him!
In fact, when we
remain faithful to the Lord, this is when He will pour out blessing
after blessing to us all our days!
*****1Ti 1:15 This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit
for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might
shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should
hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Why did the Lord
Jesus come to this world? Jesus Christ left Heaven to come to this
world to save sinners!
**The Apostle Paul
is the greatest of examples of just how far God will go to save a
worthless sinner!
It is an
indisputable fact, that even the worst of sinners can be saved!
Jesus Christ would
save the entire human race if they would only believe that His able
to do it!
It is still "faith",
not just any faith, but "faith" in the "Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ"!
Luk 19:10 For the
Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
**The Apostle Paul
is also the greatest example of God's "mercy"!
Paul was also chosen
to be the pattern of mercy to all those in sin!
It was not easy in
that day to bring the "Gospel" to the gentile nations.
The truth of Paul
was that if God could save Paul, then God could save anyone!
Joh 3:15 That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
**The Apostle Paul
is our greatest proof of God's "mercy"!
*****1Ti 1:17 Now
unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be
honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
When we know of the
glorious salvation that Jesus Christ has given us, we to should break
forth into praise!
**Our Savior is the
unchanging King of all the ages.
Psa 145:13 Thy
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth
throughout all generations.
**Our Savior is
Immortal, which means He is incorruptible, He cannot age, He cannot
deteriorate, He cannot decay within His being. He absolutely cannot
die! He is immortal!
Mat 25:34 Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world:
**Our Savior is
invisible! He cannot be seen by people with physical eyes in this
physical dimension!
He came, He took all
our sin to the lower part of the earth, and He ascended back to His
throne!
Joh 1:18 No man
hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
**Our Savior is the
only wise God. "Yes Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible"
the stumbling block of this world!
Jud 1:25 To the
only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen.
Eph 3:20 Now unto
him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen.
**Our Savior is the
only living and true God who can interact with this world!
1Pe 2:9 But ye are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in
time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had
not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Timothy probably had
not reached the age of 30 at this time and he needed to be encouraged
to become the pastor at Ephesus.
*****1Ti 1:18 This
charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies
which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good
warfare;
1Ti 1:19 Holding
faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning
faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is
Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they
may learn not to blaspheme.
Each and every
believer is called to be in the army of God, but the calling of the
Pastor is to do more!
Many a believer fail
to realize, that as Christians we are in a great battle, in fact a
war and our job is to fight a good fight.
Paul would have had
Timothy to be like himself while he was also like Jesus.
2Ti 2:2 And the
things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Timothy was sure he
was called of God into the ministry and it was now time for him to
begin his ministry.
Every Pastor must be
called of God. To be a Pastor is not just another profession as many
see it today. It is never another place just to make a living.
Just like every new
Pastor, Timothy would find himself right in the middle of spiritual
warfare. He had witnessed these many times already, but the Apostle
Paul and other Elders had taken charge, but now he would be on his
own but not forsaken by the Lord.
The truth is when a
person is called into the ministry by the Holy Spirit, he or she must
not reject the call. They must jump right into the battle and fight a
good warfare.
To reject the call
of God is to live in misery!
Sometimes we must be
stirred up to get into the battle and Paul was doing this to Timothy
here in this passage.
Each ministry is a
sacred trust, a sacred commitment to the Lord!
The war we fight, is
for the minds and the souls of the lost, some even being of our own
family. We must jump right into this conflict if we are called of
God.
The Pastor, the
highest calling, is God's instrument to not only be a fisherman of
men but, also God's instrument to teach and make other disciples.
Each Pastor must be
faithful to fight a good warfare!
The greatest weapon
of defense is the shield of "faith".
Good conscience is
that conviction that our course of conduct is right, and it is
accompanied by an obligation to the truth of God.
Conscience is our
sense of right and wrong!
Conscience does not
come by training, because each of us are born with a sense of right
and wrong.
Rom 2:14 For when
the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things
contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto
themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew
the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also
bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else
excusing one another;)
Though conscience
does not come by training or education, it must still be developed
and matured!
A good and healthy
conscience comes by living a godly and righteous life before our
Savior!
It is Holy Ghost
conviction, that works with our conscience for us to discern right
and wrong!
It is that same
conscience, under conviction of the Holy Spirit, that convicts us of
sin.
Rom 9:1 I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in
the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2 That I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
The word conscience
is used 31 times in the New Testament.
There is the good
conscience.
There is the
conscience void of offense.
There is the weak
conscience.
There is the pure
conscience.
There is the seared
conscience of which we see more of today.
There is the defiled
conscience which has been around since the sin of Adam.
There is the evil
conscience.
And the most
frightening thing we can do with our conscience, is to put it away.
If we put away our
conscience concerning our faith, we will be shipwrecked.
Shipwrecked means
our faith is destroyed!
Hymenaeus put away
his conscience by denying the true doctrine of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
Alexander the
coppersmith also rejected the truth of God.
Paul delivered them
to Satan which means:
1) They were
excommunicated from the Church and left out in the world with the
hope that they would come to the truth of the "Gospel" of
the Lord Jesus Christ. (We never read where they made a change)
2) The were given
back to the world, which is under the power of Satan.
The church would
then pray that some circumstance would happen to them out in the
world that they might repent and return to the church and accept the
truth of the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The truth is, it is
impossible to commit sin and escape the chastisement of the Lord!
The Lord says we
will reap what we sow!
There remains also
the Spiritual power that inflicts punishment for sin.
Even modern medicine
agrees that misbehavior causes physical, emotional and mental
punishment.
And we must always
remember that church discipline is put in place, in order that those
who receive the discipline may return to Jesus Christ for
forgiveness.
1Jn 5:16 If any man
see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and
he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a
sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jn 5:17 All
unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
The Lord always
knows what is best for His Church!
Amen
