Saturday 24 January 2026
If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one. (v. 16)
Background
The idea that some sins are ‘mortal’ or ‘deadly’ and some are not finds its roots in scripture, and especially in this passage from 1 John. For centuries, the (Catholic) Church attempted to define what these ‘mortal sins’ might be. In fact, the Catholic Church still distinguishes between ‘mortal’ and the less serious ‘venial’ sins. The ‘seven deadly sins’ were argued over for many years, but Pope Gregory put out an ‘official list’ in the 6th century, which was then elaborated on by later Christian writers.
When considering the whole of the first letter of John, and its focus on love, it is possible to argue that ‘mortal sin’ is to refuse to love God and your neighbour. Rather than complicating things with the creation of seven deadly sins, this understanding of mortal sin makes sense, as it is about rejection of God, and God’s spirit of love and reconciliation.
If we act in ways which are hateful and unforgiving, we (as Jesus made clear – see Matthew 6:15) will be beyond God’s forgiveness. It's a very stark reminder to us that God’s call on us as Christians is not easy. Only love and forgiveness heal the world and relationships, between ourselves and others, and between us and God.
The part I find especially interesting in the passage for today is the line where the writer urges us to pray for other siblings in Christ, if they have sinned. (v. 16) If we pray, says the author, God will forgive them and give them life.
We are not only called to pray for our own reconciliation with God, but also for that of others. This seems like a heavy burden, but it is actually liberating and empowering. Where we feel we cannot make a difference to a situation which we believe is counter to God’s will, we can pray for the person or people involved. Instead of judging them (and we know what Jesus thinks about us judging others, with our very limited understanding), we can simply pray and be sure that our prayers for them will be heard, especially if they seek God and seek love (which may well be the same thing – see 1 John 4:8). Surely this something to celebrate and practise during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity!
To Ponder:
- Do you find the idea of ‘seven deadly sins’ helpful? If not, why not?
- How can you pray for other Christians you know this week?
Prayer
God of love, hear us when we pray for ourselves and others. We know you are a God whose nature is ‘always to have mercy’ and so we trust in your overflowing love and compassion as we bring before you those we love, those we struggle with, and those who have strayed far from you. We name them now in our hearts… Amen.
Bible notes author: Ruth Wilde
Ruth Wilde is a lay pastor at Emmanuel URC/Methodist church in Redditch, Worcestershire. She works in that role four days a week and spends one day a week as Tutor for the Inclusion of Disabled People and Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Luther King Theological College. She was previously National Coordinator of the charity Inclusive Church, for which she edited the book How to Build the Church of the Future (SCM Press).