Unforgiveable Sin

Unlikly the unforgivable sin is based on Blasphamy against the Holy Spirit and was more the time when they were saying jesus was using the power of satan to cast out demons basically saying that the work of the holy spirit was evil

Most christains at some point will slide away from the church and question thier faith but thats why we have it.

Cheriton said:

Unlikly the unforgivable sin is based on Blasphamy against the Holy Spirit and was more the time when they were saying jesus was using the power of satan to cast out demons basically saying that the work of the holy spirit was evil

Most christains at some point will slide away from the church and question thier faith but thats why we have it.

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When I was an atheist (and I was a nasty one at that), I liked the quote that went something like "If the Bible were inspired, I'd think it was inspired by a demon decieving people from the true god" I think this was a deist quote, don't remember by who. Now, The Bible is inspired by The Holy Spirit, did I blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

This has been bothering me. I am completely repentant of this.

moving to general theology.

Dayton bud... if you're worried that you've committed the unpardonable sin... you probably haven't lol Why would the Holy Spirit convict you of it if He wasn't there any more?

I did some research on the subject last night. I have come to the following conclusion: I will sort of "illustrate" it, because it helps me understand it better.

If you blaspheme the Holy Ghost => Then in the context of Matthew 12 and Mark 3, you are denying the power and purpose of Christ => no savior => No forgiveness.

If you do not blaspheme the Holy Ghost (again, in the context of these passages, denying Christ) => Then you are not denying Christ => All your other sins can be forgiven because you have a savior => forgiveness.

It was confusing at first, but after a little research, it makes sense now. It is just one of those things that is worded a bit tricky.

Now, though, I am troubled by Hebrews 6: 4-6. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

This is confusing, because what about Peter, and what about the Prodigal son? They came again to repantance. Could this be a hypothetical situation, really meaning "Once you are truly saved, you cannot lose salvation if you backslide, because if you did, then that would make a mockery of Christ's complete, everlasting attonement. To think such a thing would be like saying we should crucify him again over and over for each sin, which is not neccessary, and puts the power of his forgiveness at the cross to shame." Just a thought, because when I read all the passages about salvation, if taking this at face value, it seems to contradict other passages about the completeness of Christ's saving power.

Here's a link that should help people with this:

http://www.carm.org/questions/blasphemy.htm

". Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unforgivable? How should this blasphemy be understood? Saint Thomas Aquinas replies that it is a question of a sin that is 'unforgivable by its very nature, insofar as it excludes the elements through which the forgiveness of sin takes place' (ST 2b:14:3). According to such an exegesis, 'blasphemy' does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross. If man rejects the 'convincing concerning sin' which comes from the Holy Spirit and which has the power to save, he also rejects the 'coming' of the Counsellor . . . If Jesus says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven either in this life or in the next, it is because this 'non-forgiveness' is linked, as to its cause, to 'non-repentance', in other words to the radical refusal to be converted. . . . Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then, is the sin committed by the person who claims to have a 'right' to persist in evil--in any sin at all . . . "

-this is my personal favorite arguement.

The Church teaches that the Unforgivable Sin is a refusal of the Holy Spirit unto death. It cannot be forgiven because it refuses the Holy Spirit through which sin is forgiven.


http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/unforgiv.htm

Dayton said:

Hi,

I am not really new Christian, but I am just starting to get serious about God. I think I may have commited the unforgivable sin. I was saved before, but then I renounced my Christianity and became an atheist. I denied God. I have repented of that. Am I going to hell?

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A new Christian cannot commit this sin... you have to willingly and knowingly do it.

Hi,

I am not really new Christian, but I am just starting to get serious about God. I think I may have commited the unforgivable sin. I was saved before, but then I renounced my Christianity and became an atheist. I denied God. I have repented of that. Am I going to hell?


Hi Dayton,

This is my story as well. It's been a struggle and I admit that I still have to skip over some of the verses that seem to suggest salvation can be lost forever; i.e. Hebrews 6:4-6.
Hang in there; think of the prodigal son, and Peter who denied Jesus three times; also the history of the Jewish people--they were constantly straying from God BUT God was constantly calling them back. You have repented, God forgives you.

A new Christian cannot commit this sin... you have to willingly and knowingly do it.

I wasn't a new Christian when I willingly denied God and walked away; it doesn't sound like Dayton was either. So are we both consigned to hell?

Go back and read post #9. It explains very well why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable.

Matthew 12
30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (NIV)

"speaks against the Son of Man." What you say about Christ can be forgiven if you repent. The reason you cannot be forgiven for a sin against the Holy Spirit is because in doing so you deny that you need to repent. The Holy Spirit convicts you that you have sinned. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a denial of his conviction. Denial that you sinned. Refusing to repent means the sin is still with you, and none who carry sin can enter heaven. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is only blasphemy if you continue to deny the Spirit. That's what makes it blasphemy. Denial unto death. As for a person backsliding and renouncing Christ, that would mean the person was never truly saved. Usually in the coming back to God the person becomes truly saved. It takes that experience away from God to show a person how real God is.

Dayton and Silent Water, the short answer is, as other posters have assured you- NO. You are not guilty of the eternal sin.

We need to look at the context in which Christ spoke those words. Bear in mind what authority Christ spoke with, (even if in some cases it took a few hundred years for the Church Fathers to work out the meaning and implications of some his words); that any honest could not have failed to have been impressed by his integrity, his selfless love and goodness and his supernatural power. Those religious/political leaders resisted Truth itself(himself) with fathomless malice (even accusing Truth of being possessed by the father of lies), *for no better reason than that they feared for their own worldy status in their society. As Christ said, elsewhere, it was their father who was the Devil, the fatehr of lies.*

Incidentally, militant usually atheism-agnosticism often signifies, the loss of something you know in your heart to have been very precious, and your bitterness, until you get it back.

We also need to bear in mind how palpably wicked and worldy his opponents were - not least because all their transparently self-serving villainy was perpetrated in the name of God. Oh, yes, many were punctilious in keeping to the letter of many laws of their own devising, but in fact Christ *always* taught us that there is only *one virtue*:Love. And that all the other qualities we designate as virtues are all particular facets, kind of filtered expressions of this same one virtue. It is the fulness of the law; upon it hang all the Law and the Prophets. It is always kind, patient, etc.

Also, remember, Christ told us he came to save the world, not to condemn it. We have to be contemptuous of God's grace, no matter how hard He tries to save us, chiefly through being implacably stony-hearted towards others - particularly, the underprivileged (at least in worldly terms), bearing in mind at all times that God made the good things of this world for the benefit of all of his children. The fact that the endemically more spiritual, poor folk do not need anything like the degree of affluence that seems to drive the rich on ever and ever more remorselessly, every born Christian is under the most binding obligation to alter the political and economic structures which have been murdering the poor in our own countries and all over the world for all too long.

If that means collaborating with many, at best disoriented liberals, who condone and even promote abortion and sexual perversions of all kinds, directly, (the conservatives do so indirectly, almost certainly with massive investments in the inappropriate content industry from top to bottom), so be it - until the most basic Christian priority is respected - the right to life, food and shelter of even the poorest folk. Actually, particularly the poorest. We in the West spend more than enough on pet food to feed the thrird world. It's not rocket science that Christ should be incandescent to see people, families, having to sleeping in the streets and subways.

Also, one of the titles of the Devil is "the Accuser".
Don't be surprised if you feel occasional feelings of guilt and self-reproach. If his nibs thinks you're vulnerable in that department he'll try to work on it. Just take it with a pinch of salt. God will reassure you of his love.

Every best wish, one and all.
Paul

Living a life of love in the Christian sense, does not necessarily mean that time spent picking up a scrap of paper and putting it in the waste-paper basket is time lost from loving God. Far from it.

Much of the time the Holy Spirit works in us on the level of common sense, so, mindful that among many other duties assigned to us God expects us to bring order out of chaos, if the Holy Spirit tells you to put that scrap of paper in the wpb at a point in time, it is better to do God's will in the matter than something more charismatic you might want to do to impress Him. Of course, the virtue lies in doing his Will, but nevertheless, we need to be wary of making natural virtues in our own mind into supernatural virtues - a very strong propensity in mankind.

Tidiness, in itself, is no closer to godliness than cleanliness. It belongs to the order of natural virtues. Good in themselves up to a point, in some cases, essential for the Christian, but in no way comparable with the supernatural virtues.

There are a number of passages in the Gospels where it is clear that Christ was particularly aware of this propensity we have hallowing the natural virtues and very fearful of it, since they are usually geared to the furtherance of, at best, a besetting desire to please Man rather than God, and at worst, directly at worldly ambition. It's not great either for men to wear their heart on their sleeve, if it can be avoided, when you get old and doddery like me, you can lapse into that sort of nonsense now and again.

Practiacal reply:

To be sure we have all sinned against the Spirit yet He continually forgives us. It would make then sense that the only unforgiveable sin that coincides with all of scripture when someone never repents and recieves salvation.

Spell check Cubbs

Dayton and Silent Water,
I accepted Christ probably about 8 years ago, but then I fell away from the church. I fell away in a big way: I became a Pagan and a Witch. I certainly spoke ill of Christ during those days (to put it mildly).
I have returned to Christ and am convicted and embarassed by what I had done. I returned to Christ on my knees and begged forgiveness.
If there is no forgiveness for me, there would be no reason for me to even read teh Bible anymore or pray.
I am no theologian, but I believe that I am forgiven and need now remain steadfast until the end.

Yep, I can go along with that, Cubbs. Someone went into it interesting detail earlier.

sbbqb7n16 said:

Dayton bud... if you're worried that you've committed the unpardonable sin... you probably haven't lol Why would the Holy Spirit convict you of it if He wasn't there any more?

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I think sbbqb7n16 hits the nail on the head right here. If you had truly commited the unpardonable sin, you would not have reached the point where you are now. God would have ceased to convict you, and let's face it, without conviction, none of us would have become Christians.
Satan would certainly like to use this thought to throw guilt and doubt into your life. I know that when I first became a Christian, that he would make me feel guilty about things in the past or things that had no bearing on my salvation, until often I was in a depressed state, thinking, I'm not good enough to do this. Well guess what? I'm not good enough, but God is, so it doesn't matter. Sorry for rambling, but I've been there, done that, so I know how it feels.

I have to agree with "PUDMUDDLE"! If today and now you believe that God sent Jesus in the form of man and is the son of God to give us the message of eternal life , the way, and that all Jesus says is the truth and he is the ONLY WAY. Then naturally you are gong to have a concience for denying the truth in the past? If you did not have a concience then you would not be a child of God? We have free will and this is all about submitting ourselves to God and getting ourselves(old natures) out of the way. Sometimes it takes alot of backsliding and feeling emptiness for some of us to draw closer to God. Confusion and guilt and condemnation is of the enemy? Jesus brings us new life ? Not eternal condemnation. When you hear yourself condeming yourself you need to rebuke these thought. Devil is always upset when he has lost a sole!!????Praise God. You belong to the Lord.! Jesus came for the backsliders, the sinners, those in the worse spiritual state to have life. Not to live in eternal condemnation. He came for you?
Keep yourself filled with the word. Peter and Galations, Ephesians and and Corinthians deal alot with the state of man. Our spirits, As we fill our spirits with the word then the old natural man deminishes.
eliseb
We are FREE in Christ not in bondage, guilt , judgment, depression, doubt and walking on a fine line.He came to free our soles. If you love the lord for his gift of Salvation and you have accepted it, then don't worrry? You need to claim this in Jesus name and forgive yourslef as well.