Unforgivable Sin...

[MariaRegina]

"He who sees Me sees the Father."

There have been Christians who were afraid to die as martyrs in a moment of weakness. They denied Christ so that they could live. Then they did repent and accepted martyrdom. So denying Christ is not always the sin against the Holy Spirit.

However, Christ talks about lukewarmness. "I wish that you were hot or cold, but since you are neither hot nor cold, I vomit you out of my mouth." (I'm saying this from memory, so correct me if I am wrong.) These are strong words of Christ.

If someone doesn't care about Christ and doesn't care about salvation, could this be impenitence? Could this be the sin against the Holy Spirit which can lead to condemnation? Sadly, a lot of youth fall into this scene.

However, as long as we have breath, God is giving us a second chance.

The following is a true story that happened a few years ago on Good Friday. The parish president of a local church was joking about Christ's body not being found. The Christians around him told him to repent for his blasphemy. He refused and suddenly dropped dead of a massive coronary. He was young and only in his thirties. The paramedics said that they had never seen anything like this. This young man had just had a physical and was given a clean bill of health by his physician. Furthermore, there was no history of any heart problems in his family.

 

[Bob Moore]

"He who sees Me sees the Father."

There have been Christians who were afraid to die as martyrs in a moment of weakness. They denied Christ so that they could live. Then they did repent and accepted martyrdom. So denying Christ is not always the sin against the Holy Spirit.

That is not the sort of denial we are dealing with. As long as we are in the body we suffer from the frailties of the flesh. God gives different levels of faith to different people. Some, like the martyers past and present, have an unassailable faith, even to death. Others, while they have truly surrendered to God, have a weaker faith. In the scenario you mention the key is repentance. Yes, they denied the Lord who bought them just as Peter did. But they recognized their error and repented of it (just as Peter did). It would be another thing entirely to deny Him to save one's skin without it resulting in repentance. I don't know if a genuine Christian could do such a thing, but I have no doubt that one who has the Name but not the reality could.

However, Christ talks about lukewarmness. "I wish that you were hot or cold, but since you are neither hot nor cold, I vomit you out of my mouth." (I'm saying this from memory, so correct me if I am wrong.) These are strong words of Christ.

A person who is lukewarm is one who tries to serve both God and the things of the world. This kind of person has a form of religion, but is not aquainted with the power of it. Neither does he have any real interest in the glory of God. His loyalties are divided, and the Lord finds that loathsome to the point that He will utterly cast him off.

If someone doesn't care about Christ and doesn't care about salvation, could this be impenitence?

Yes, by definition.

Could this be the sin against the Holy Spirit which can lead to condemnation? Sadly, a lot of youth fall into this scene.

Not necessairily. Only God knows times and seasons. Consequently He may not plan to call such a person for many years. I have found that often those called later in life have a greater appreciation of what Jesus has done for them because they have a lifetime of experience in sin.

However, as long as we have breath, God is giving us a second chance.

As the Word says, "the rain falls on the just and on the unjust". I don't think there is a 'second chance' involved. Those who live a hundred years and die without Christ have their years to condemn them because they have had more than sufficient time to see God in the things that have been made. God selected His own before the foundation of the world. But even we are not getting a second chance. No matter if we were given a thousand chances we would always fall short of the glory of God. The work is entirely Christ's, and only because of it are we acceptable to the Father.

The following is a true story that happened a few years ago on Good Friday. The parish president of a local church was joking about Christ's body not being found. The Christians around him told him to repent for his blasphemy. He refused and suddenly dropped dead of a massive coronary. He was young and only in his thirties. The paramedics said that they had never seen anything like this. This young man had just had a physical and was given a clean bill of health by his physician. Furthermore, there was no history of any heart problems in his family.

I have heard something similar. It may be true. God is serious about the misuse of His name. "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Exodus 20:7. There are all sorts of ways to use His Name vainly besides outright cursing.

 

[MariaRegina]

Lukewarm - a state of being neither zealous for God nor totally depraved.

Wake-up call?

How many of us who call ourselves Christians really pray devoutly every day? Are we really attentive when reading the Sacred Scriptures? Are we really charitable when we post? Or do we try to put down the previous poster?

I think we all fall short, we all are sinners. We all tend to be lukewarm and trust that we can get to heaven without even trying to be good. That somehow God will grant us mercy even if we do nothing. Isn't this presumption on our parts? Isn't lukewarmness saying "I've been saved, now I can sin and still be saved, because God will forgive me." Isn't this taking God's mercy for granted? Isn't this why He said that He wishes that we were on fire with love for Him or in the devil's camp? Hot or cold. For Him or Against Him. But not a mugwump - not a person who sits on the fence with his mug on on side and his wump on the other.