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What
Is the Unforgivable Sin?
How
to Know if You've Really Committed It
by
Pastor John Hamel
JHM
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Live Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: There Is a Sin Unto Eternal Death
The Experiences Necessary to Qualify for Committing the Unforgivable Sin
First: The Individual Must Come under Conviction for Sin
Second: The Individual Must Be Born Again
Third: The Individual Must Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Fourth: The Individual Must Have a Strong Knowledge of God's Word
Fifth: The Individual Must Have Spiritual Gifts in Operation
Chapter
2: So, Exactly What Is the Unforgivable Sin?
Introduction
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it
shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come." (Matthew 12:31-32)
Have
you ever wondered if you have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the unforgivable sin?
Do you
know someone who wonders if they have done so?
Over the years I have
spoken with a few people who believe they may have committed the
unforgivable sin.
Some Christian people have gone through a divorce
and they wonder if possibly they have committed the unforgivable sin. Divorce cannot possibly be the unforgivable sin.
If it is, God Himself has
committed it because He divorced Israel. (Jeremiah 3:8)
Others have
aborted babies and think they have committed the unforgivable sin.
Some Christians are convinced that adultery is the only sin that God will
not forgive.
Others
think remarriage after a divorce is the unforgivable sin.
I
know of a woman who told a lie soon after she was Born Again. She
spent a number of years believing that she had committed the unforgivable
sin.
However,
according to the Bible none of these sins are unforgivable.
"If
we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Possibly the one I have heard the most is that
suicide is
the one sin that is absolutely unforgivable. I have actually heard Preachers
proclaim that people who commit suicide go directly to Hell.
But this is not true.
People
who take their lives normally do so in such an agonizing mental state that
they do not fully realize what they are doing. Oftentimes they are obsessed
or oppressed by evil spirits. Jesus Himself
addressed suicide as an evil spirit.
The
Apostle Paul referred to our Father God as "the Father of mercies and
the God of all comfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3)
The
God of Mercy and Comfort understands human
agony and suffering and He does not punish His creation when they do things
not understanding what they do.
One
of the last things Jesus prayed while He was on the Cross is as
follows.
"Then
said Jesus, Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do."
(Luke 23:34)
When
a Born Again human being commits suicide due to
desperate, demonic measures beyond their control, not fully understanding
what they are doing, God does not refuse to have compassion or to forgive
them.
Suicide
is definitely not the unforgivable sin.
The
Apostle Paul makes it clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, or the
unforgivable sin, occurs when a Born Again, Spirit-filled, mature Christian trods the Blood of Jesus underfoot
and walks away from Him with no intention of ever returning.
However,
if you have walked away from Jesus at some point in your Christian life, please do not
believe you have automatically committed the unforgivable sin until you have finished
reading this enlightening Bible lesson.
There
are a few things you absolutely must understand.
Top
Chapter
1: There
Is a Sin Unto Eternal Death
"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." (1 John 5:16)
If
you were to read the entire fifth chapter of First John, you would discover
the subject of that entire chapter is spiritual life and spiritual
death.
Spiritual
life, or Eternal Life, is granted to every human being who accepts Christ as
their Lord and Savior.
Spiritual
death, or eternal damnation, is granted to all who deliberately reject
Christ as their Lord and Savior.
In
this particular case the Apostle John is referring to a mature Born Again believer
who turns and rejects Christ after having been saved and grown in knowledge
of His Word.
However, a
mature Born
Again believer changing their mind about Christ and rejecting Him is not as
easy to do as it may initially seem.
For
a Born Again believer to reject Christ unto eternal damnation is not an easy
task to accomplish - not by a long shot.
We
will see from God's Word why this is so.
Top
The
Experiences Necessary to Qualify for Committing the Unforgivable Sin
"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."
(Hebrews 6:4-6)
Here
the Apostle Paul clearly lays out the experiences that must be had by a
mature believer
in Jesus Christ in order to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, or the
unforgivable sin.
Let's
look at these verses, clause by clause, in order to clearly see the exact
criteria that must be fulfilled in order for one to commit the unforgivable sin.
Top
First:
The Individual Must Come under Conviction for Sin
"For
it is impossible for those who were once enlightened ... " (vs 4)
"Once
enlightened" is a reference to an unsaved person who comes under
conviction of sin and realizes their need to be saved by the Person of Jesus
Christ. This is a reference to a person who is suddenly enlightened to
their lost condition, they see their need for Christ but they have not yet
accepted Him as their Savior.
This
is a reference to a person who is enlightened to the truth of the Word of
God which reveals that Christ-rejecters will pay an eternal
price.
"For
the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus
Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
To
be enlightened means to be convicted, by this verse of Scripture or any
other verse of Scripture that convicts one of their need for salvation in
Jesus Christ.
Top
Second:
The Individual Must Be Born Again
"...
and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift ..." (vs 4)
The
Apostle Paul makes it clear that the second criteria towards committing the
unforgivable sin is the person who comes under conviction, realizing they
need to be saved, must actually accept Christ as their personal
Savior.
When
Paul made reference to one having "tasted of the Heavenly Gift"
after having been convicted for sin, he was referring to accepting Jesus as
their Savior.
In
the Bible, Jesus is called "God's Unspeakable Gift."
"Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable Gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)
The
greatest Gift God has ever given to the world is His Son, Jesus
Christ.
"For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth on Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (John
3:16)
When
one receives the Gift of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they receive
Eternal Life.
Top
Third:
The Individual Must Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit
"...
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost ..." (vs 4)
As
we saw, the greatest Gift God has ever given to the world is His Son, Jesus
Christ.
However,
the greatest Gift God has ever given to His Born Again children is the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the speaking with other
Tongues.
"But
ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."
(Acts 1:8)
"And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4)
The
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a completely unique and separate experience
from being Born Again.
Although when one is Born Again they do receive a
measure of the Holy Spirit, they do not receive the infilling of the Holy
Spirit. This subsequent infilling experience can only happen after the New
Birth.
Every
time someone in the New Testament received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit,
they spoke with other Tongues. (Acts
2:1-4; 8:14-18; 10:44-48; 19:1-7)
So,
let's review what we have seen it takes to commit the unforgivable sin.
First, the individual must come under conviction of
their need for a Savior.
Second, the individual must act upon that
conviction and accept Christ as their Savior.
Third, the individual must be
baptized with the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the speaking with other
Tongues.
Top
Fourth:
The Individual Must Have a Strong Knowledge of God's Word
"...
and have tasted the good Word of God ..." (vs 5)
The
Phillips translation of this clause in verse five reads, "who have
known the wholesome nourishment of the Word of God."
In
other words, the individual must have partaken of what Paul calls the strong
meat of God's Word. The individual must be skillful in both knowledge and
handling of the Word of God.
"For
when the time ye ought to be Teachers, ye have need that one teach you again
which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as
have need of milk, and not of strong meat. But everyone that useth milk is
unskillful in the Word of Righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat
belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews
5:12-14)
These
verses make it perfectly clear that it is impossible for a baby Christian
who is not skilled in the strong meat of God's Word to commit the
unforgivable sin - they simply cannot do it.
The
Apostle Paul said one must "have tasted the good Word of God"
meaning they must be skillful in, or posses, a strong knowledge of the Word
of God.
It
is grievous some of the things that baby Christians say and do as a result
of lack of knowledge of God's Word. But even still, in the same way
that we do not hold things little children do against them in the natural
because they do not know any better, God does not hold things against baby
Christians who are ignorant of His Word and do not know any better.
Sometimes
baby Christians do know better but no one has ever taught them their authority over sin
and its temptations, so they simply do not know what to do but yield to sin.
When that occurs God forgives them, when they ask, and He does not hold it against them for
they are babes.
The
Bible actually refers to baby Christians as "babes."
"As
sincere babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow
thereby." (1 Peter 2:2)
So
we see from the Bible that babes in Christ who are unskillful in both
knowledge and the handling of God's Word cannot possibly commit the
unforgivable sin. This is because they have not truly tasted the good Word of God in
its fullness and strength.
However,
when one grows beyond the babyhood stages of Christianity and beyond the
sincere milk of God's Word, having partaken of the solid meat of God's Word,
one is indeed responsible now for what they both know and do.
At this
point the mature believer in Christ is indeed potentially capable of committing the unforgivable sin.
Top
Fifth:
The Individual Must Have Spiritual Gifts in Operation
"...
and the powers of the world to come ..." (vs 5)
"The
powers of the world to come" is a reference to the Gifts
of the Holy Spirit. Many of them will continue to operate in Heaven
throughout all of Eternity.
These
are the same stupendous, miraculous Gifts in which Jesus operated as
confirmation of the Gospel He came to preach, even as the Prophets said He
would. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 35:5-6)
These
are the same nine Gifts of the Spirit which operated in the Early Church,
particularly throughout the Book of Acts.
These
supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit are all still in operation today and
one must have operated in at least one or more of them, producing signs,
wonders and miracles, to potentially qualify for committing the unforgivable
sin.
These
supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation in one's life leave no
pretense to doubt the existence and Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, it is no small wonder there is such a severe penalty assigned to
those who experience the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, only to apostatize from faith in Christ.
Before
moving on to describing exactly what the unforgivable sin is, let's review
the experiences necessary to qualify for committing the unforgivable sin.
First:
The individual must come under conviction for sin.
Second:
The individual must be Born Again.
Third:
The individual must be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Fourth:
The individual must have a strong knowledge of God's Word.
Fifth:
The individual must have Spiritual Gifts in operation.
Top
Chapter
2: So,
Exactly What Is the Unforgivable Sin?
"For
if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who
hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the
Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of Grace." (Hebrews 10:26-29)
This
passage of Scripture is specifically referring to the mature believer who
has had the five experiences mentioned previously, only to turn their back
and willfully walk away from Jesus.
Notice
in verses 28 and 29 "He that despised Moses' law died without
mercy... Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God..."
The
Apostle Paul is addressing the Hebrew Christians of the Early Church. The
same Early Church of the Book of Acts. These Hebrew individuals had come
under conviction for sin by the preaching of God's Word. They were
Born Again and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Personally instructed in
the Word by the Apostles Peter, Paul and others, they had strong knowledge
of God's Word with Spiritual Gifts in operation.
These
Hebrew Christians were experiencing such tremendous persecution,
particularly from their unsaved Hebrew brethren, that they were sorely
tempted to return to Judaism. The Apostle Paul warned them if they did
turn back and away from Christ, they would have trodden underfoot the Holy
Son of God.
The
Apostle Paul was warning them that would be tantamount to considering the
Blood of Christ's Covenant an unholy thing because they would be saying that
Jesus Christ was not their Messiah. They would have been stating that Jesus
Christ is not the Son of God. They would have been turning their backs on
Him.
The
Apostle Paul was solemnly warning them that if they did that, knowing full
well what they were doing, it would be impossible to restore them unto
repentance.
The
Apostle Paul was warning them that they could go so far with their decision
to apostatize they simply would not return to Christ.
That,
Paul warned the Hebrew believers, would be unforgivable.
Personally,
I believe had they walked away from Christ in this manner only to realize
their error and repent, Jesus would have forgiven them and restored
them.
However,
the problem is when a Born Again, Spirit-filled, knowledgeable in the Word,
operating in the Gifts of the Spirit Christian walks away to the point where
they simply will not repent and come back, they cannot be
forgiven.
They
cannot be forgiven because they will not seek forgiveness.
Because
they refuse to seek forgiveness for having trodden the Blood of Jesus
underfoot, Holy God cannot forgive them.
This,
I believe, is what makes this Christ-rejecting sin unforgivable.
When
a baby Christian walks away under tremendous pressure, having not
experienced the qualifications for committing the unforgivable sin, not
fully realizing what they are doing, it is not as serious as when a mature
believer does it.
When
a mature believer who knows exactly what they are doing and acts willfully
when they say, "I don't want Jesus any more," carries out their
decision, it is a much more serious matter indeed.
Much
more serious because the individual is running the risk of coming to the
place where they will never turn back and never seek forgiveness, which
makes their sin unforgivable.
Or,
as the Apostle Paul sternly warned, "It is impossible ... to renew them
again unto repentance." (Hebrews 6:4 & 6)
As
a Christian are you concerned that you may have committed the unforgivable
sin of walking away from Christ?
If
so, do you fulfill the five criteria necessary to qualify for committing the
unforgivable sin?
If
the answer is "No, I do not fulfill the five criteria necessary"
then it is not possible that you have committed the unforgivable sin.
If
the answer is "Yes, I do fulfill the five criteria necessary to qualify
for committing the unforgivable sin. Yes, I have walked away from Jesus but,
yes, I want to repent and come back," then you, too, have not committed
the sin which is unforgivable.
The
unforgivable sin is unforgivable only because the one who has really
committed it will not repent. It is impossible to restore that one to
repentance.
But
if, indeed, you are willing to repent for having walked away from Jesus, God
is willing to forgive you and restore you.
The
unforgivable sin is only unforgivable when one goes so far from Jesus Christ
that they will not return to ask forgiveness for having walked away from
Him.
"If
we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Be Blessed in Jesus' Strong Name ... John and Barbara Hamel
How
to Be Born Again (Receive Christ as Your Savior)
How
to Receive The Holy Spirit & Power
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