1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not to death.
πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁμαρτία ἐστίν, καὶ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία οὐ πρὸς θάνατον.
This verse adds potential clarity to the previous verse. The question remains, what is “death” here? Is it physical or spiritual? I lean more towards this being a reference to physical death since some sins do not directly affect us physically. The more important issue is the word “unrighteousness.” John began his letter in 1:9 telling his readers that God can cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He wrote in 3:4 that sin is lawlessness. Righteousness results from obedience to God’s commands. Unrighteousness is the result of disobedience. Unrighteousness is the result of sin. God has provided a remedy for this problem in Jesus Christ.
We should not use this verse as an excuse for sin, thinking that some sins are ok because they do not lead to death. Any sin is a problem and will result in unrighteousness. God has better things planned for us than to be trapped in sin and the alienation that comes from it.
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