Overcoming Death 733
commandment of the Lord with regard to eating and drinking; in so
doing he committed his mortal sin (1 Kings 13.21-22). In the New
Testament we learn how Ananias and Sapphira were punished with
death because they committed what for them was their mortal sin,
because they attempted to lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping back part
of the proceeds from their land (Acts 5). The man in Corinth who
lived with his father’s wife was guilty too of this kind of sin, forcing
the Apostle Paul to pronounce judgment by telling those at Corinth
“to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh” (1 Cor.
5.5). Not a few of the brethren in Corinth died because they were
guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11.27,30).
They had committed the sin unto death.
To overcome mortality we must persistently overcome sin, for the
former results from the latter. If we wish to live till our days are
accomplished or till the Lord returns, we should be careful not to sin.
Negligence in this has driven many to the grave prematurely. The
mortal sin is not any particular terrifying transgression, because it is
nowhere fixed or specified. Such a sin as fornication, of which the
Corinthians were guilty, may be counted as mortal; but so too may
rash words such as Moses uttered become a sin unto death (for note
how the Scriptures characterized Moses: “now the man Moses was
very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth”
Num. 12.3; therefore no sin could be overlooked in this man’s life).
Now is the day of grace. God is full of grace. So let our hearts be
comforted. Do not allow Satan to accuse you, hinting that you have
committed the mortal sin and hence must die. Although the Bible
does not encourage us to pray for others who have sinned this mortal
sin, God will forgive us if we judge ourselves and genuinely repent.
The man in 2 Corinthians 2.6-7 is believed by many to be that very
one who had lived with his father’s wife. In 1 Corinthians 11.30-32
we also are reminded that even though we may have committed the
sin unto death, we can nevertheless escape death if we judge
ourselves truly. Therefore never permit any sin to reign in your body