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What is the sin that will never be forgiven?
Posted by Lev/Christopher on December 24, 2009 at 12:44pm in Theology
What is the unpardonable sin?
Quick-read this article:
Jesus is quoted in the Bible — in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, and Luke 12:10 — as saying that all manner of sin and blasphemy can be forgiven except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What is this unforgivable sin, commonly called the unpardonable sin? Who is guilty of it? Answer: The primary meaning applies only to those who said Christ's miracles were the work of the Devil, but the same destiny of eternal damnation applies to all who reject Christ today.
Christians sometimes get worried when reading the Bible that they might have committed what is commonly called the “unpardonable sin”, or the “unforgivable sin”.
The Bible quotes Jesus Christ (in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, and Luke 12:10) as saying that this sin, which Jesus calls the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, will not be forgiven either “in this world” or “the world to come”.
This has to be the ultimate sin — a sin so bad that God won't forgive it, thereby sealing the perpetrator's fate and hurling whoever commits it into eternal damnation in Hell.
Above: Painting of Satan Before the Lord by 18th-century Italian artist Corrado Giaquinto
Good news for Christians
However, there is good news for Christians: You cannot commit this unforgivable sin. There is also good news for non-Christians: You can avoid the punishment that applies to this sin if you take the right action to head it off. Here is what the unpardonable sin is all about.
The Bible actually tells us what this sin is. In Matthew chapter 12, we read that Jesus cast out demons from a man who was unable to see and speak. The eyewitnesses were amazed, and began to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
The Pharisees of course had seen Jesus work numerous miracles and do wonderful deeds without seeking anything in return. If anyone should have recognized the work of God in this it should have been them. But the Pharisees were so full of hate and were so anti-Christ that they totally misrepresented Him as being the instrument of God's miracles. Even worse, they accused Him of being an agent of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
And then came Jesus' powerful and insightful statement — that every kingdom that is divided against itself comes to ruin. He said that if Satan were casting out Satan, he would be destroying himself, which makes no sense.
This left the obvious, and correct, conclusion that Jesus was casting out demons by the Spirit of God, and “the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28). Yet the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of having an evil spirit in Him.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
It is clear from the passages in Matthew 12, Mark 3, and Luke 11-12 that Christ's reference to the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost was swift condemnation of the unbelieving Pharisees. They had attributed to Satan what was in fact a wonderful miracle of the Holy Spirit.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit — the unpardonable sin — was the Pharisees' unforgivable allegation that Jesus was doing the work of Satan and not of God.
Christians who worry whether they have committed the unpardonable sin certainly haven't. Their concern over doing spiritual wrong stands in sharp contrast to that of the Pharisees, who despite the strongest evidence rejected the true source of the miracles and even lied to try to turn others against Christ as well.
God will forgive murder, adultery, theft, and any other sin we confess and turn from. So we can be sure that if we are truly repentant God will forgive us.
Can anyone commit the unpardonable sin today?
Many Bible commentators have pointed out that the incident involving the blind and dumb man was the only one in the Bible in which any of the Bible writers mention the unpardonable sin.
They point out that none of the Bible writers mentions this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit anywhere else. Therefore, they reason, it seems to apply only to those who were involved in accusing Jesus of doing Satan's work when He cast out the demons and healed the man who was blind and dumb.
This incident then, seems at least to be the primary meaning of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is the sin that will not be forgiven. It is not possible to be part of that group of denying Pharisees today, so we cannot commit that unpardonable sin today.
Consequences are still there
However, we should be aware that the punishment awaiting those who committed the unpardonable sin — eternity in Hell — will also be the fate of many others alive today.
We may not blaspheme the Holy Spirit like the Pharisees did, but the same punishment awaits those who reject the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent in conviction and conversion, and you cannot be born again without the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Romans 8:11). There can be no pardon for those who totally reject him and die in their unbelief.
Eternal punishment will not be the fate of anyone who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but it will be the fate of those who are hardened and unrepentant of their sins, who are not born again. (“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.)
We each have the choice of being either hardened or pardoned.
http://www.creationtips.com/unpardonable_sin.html
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What do you think?
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Reply by Rodney D Ready on December 25, 2009 at 8:42am
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Reply by Rodney D Ready on December 25, 2009 at 8:53am
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Reply by Christian on March 7, 2010 at 3:11pm
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on March 8, 2010 at 2:34am
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