CBN.com - Some people
believe that God cannot forgive them. They think that they have committed the
"Unpardonable Sin." It is fairly common to be assailed by the thought that the
unpardonable sin has somehow been committed. Such great men in the past as Martin
Luther (who began the Reformation) and John Bunyan (who wrote the Christian Classic,
Pilgrim's Progress) were obsessed with this thought. They came out of their
depressions through learning about the great promises of God and accepting these
promises by faith.
What Scripture Says
"But when the Pharisees heard
this, they said, 'It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons'...And so I tell
you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men...Anyone who speaks a word against
the Son of Man will be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come..."
(Matthew 12:24, 31, 32).
"What about the one whom the Father set apart as His
very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because
I said, 'I am God's Son?' Do not believe Me unless I do what my Father does. But
if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you
may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father..." (John
10:36-38).
Understanding the Unpardonable Sin
The very first occasion
of human beings 'sinning against God' is recorded in Genesis 3:1-7. In this passage
of Scripture, Satan enters the presence of Adam and Eve and challenges our first
parents to disobey the Word of God. In essence, God commanded Adam (and Eve) to
abstain from eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which was located
in the midst of the Garden of Eden. Both Adam and Eve were given access to every
other tree in the Garden with only this one Tree being prohibited to them.
The
Devil (called the Serpent in Genesis 3:1) causes the Fall of Mankind to occur
when both Adam and Eve are convinced that the truth of God's Word is nothing but
a lie and can be disobeyed. By rejecting the truth of God's Word, and accepting
in it's place, the lie of the Devil, Adam and Eve sin against God. This is the
fundamental concern surrounding the issue of the "Unpardonable Sin." The rejection
of God's truth and accepting in it's place the lie of the Devil is a sin.
When
Adam and Eve 'sinned' against God, He purposed to send His Son who would communicate
the forgiveness of the Father and the plan of salvation which comes through faith
in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the disobedience of Adam and Eve,
which resulted through disbelief in the Word of the Father, was remedied in the
gift of Jesus Christ (also called the Word of God) who must be believed upon for
salvation to occur. But, just as our first parents disbelieved the Word of God
in creation, many disbelieved the Word of God for Salvation as He dwelt amongst
people during His earthly pilgrimage. This was prophesied to occur. Through the
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God made a way for sinful humanity
to be saved from death.
Upon the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, He sent the
Holy Spirit to earth to convict people of their sins and the need for God's Salvation.
The Holy Spirit does not speak about Himself, but testifies about Jesus as the
Savior of Humanity (John 14:25, 15:26 and 16:13). In the same manner, Jesus spoke
about the Father (John 5:19-20, 14:31). This "witness" of the Spirit to the Son,
and the Son to the Father is extended to all humanity through the Holy Spirit.
Just as the Father was disbelieved in Eden, so Jesus was disbelieved in Israel.
Today, the Holy Spirit is in the world convicting people about God's truth and
there are many who have disbelieved the Spirit's testimony. In so doing, they
discount the truth of God and equate it with a lie, thereby associating the power
of the Holy Spirit with the power of Satan, the Father of lies (John 8:44). Once
a person has rejected the truth of the Holy Spirit (who speaks of Jesus Christ
and the plan of Salvation), there is no other way that person can be saved. The
rejection of God's truth is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and cannot be forgiven
in this world or in the world to come. It is impossible for a person to be saved
who has rejected the truth of God as presented by the Holy Spirit.
Conversely,
a person who has believed that Jesus is the Savior has not and can not blaspheme
the Holy Spirit, because that person has accepted the testimony of the Holy Spirit
as truth. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that all who disbelieve the testimony
of the Holy Spirit have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's testimony is
not accepted as the truth of God, and Christ Jesus is rejected as a consequence.
The conscious rejection of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ as the Savior of
humanity is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
As You Pray
If you
are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have received the testimony of the Holy
Spirit as truth and you have not committed the unpardonable sin. If you have not
asked the Lord Jesus Christ to become your Lord and Savior, now is the time to
do so. Simply pray while believing;
Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Savior of humanity. I believe that He died in my place and that
He was physically raised from death that I might have eternal life. I now ask
You to forgive me of my sins and to come and live in my heart. I thank You for
the truth of Jesus Christ and the great gift of eternal life which comes through
believing in His Name. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, please
send us an e-mail to let us know. Or you can call
The 700
Club Prayer Counseling Center at (800) 759-0700.
We would love to talk with you and send you some literature
to help you begin your walk with the Lord.
How
you can know you are forgiven:
The Bible, God's Word says: You were saved
by faith in God, who treats us much better that we deserve. This is God's gift
to you, and you have done nothing on your own (Ephesians 2:8).
For those who
put their faith in Jesus: He gave them the right to be the children of God...
God Himself was the one who made them His children (John 1:12-13).
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