Do all sins result in God taking a believer's physical life?
No. Scripture distinguishes sins that do not cause God to take a believer out of physical life from a sin unto death. Only a persistent, unrepented sinful lifestyle can reach the point where God takes a believer's life to prevent continued reproach to His name.
Les explains that John delineates some sins that would not cause God to take them out of their physical life, but some He will. Les has seen it: a believer who refuses to come away from his sinful lifestyle, after being dealt with, suddenly dies—a heart attack or car accident. God takes them home lest they keep bringing reproach to His name. This is the sin unto death; a believer can come to the place where God will take his life. Yet no believer or church body has the right to pray for the death of an erring believer—that is in God's hands.
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.
More Questions
Do believers who commit the sin unto death lose their salvation?
Believers who commit the kind of deep, open sin that God removes from physical existence by death do not lose their salvation—Scripture says God takes them out of their physical existence, but they are still saved.
What can happen to a believer who refuses to turn away from a sinful lifestyle?
A believer who refuses to come away from a sinful lifestyle can be dealt with repeatedly and then suddenly die by a heart attack or car accident.