Originally Posted by Hope12
Hello Bubbler,
(Matthew 12:32) For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.
(Matthew 12:31) “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven.
(Mark 3:28-29) Truly I say to YOU that all things will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit. 29 However, whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.”
(Luke 12:10) And everyone that says a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but he that blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven it.
(Hebrews 10:26-27) For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but [there is] a certain fearful expectation of judgment and [there is] a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.
Jesus spoke of 'cutting off one's foot,' not literally but in a figurative sense, when he said: “If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you.” He meant that, instead of letting a body member such as a hand or a foot cause its owner to commit unforgivable sin, he should deaden such body member as completely as if it were severed from the body.
(Matthew 18:8) If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to be thrown with two hands or two feet into the everlasting fire.
(Mark 9:45) And if your foot makes you stumble, cut it off; it is finer for you to enter into life lame than with two feet to be pitched into Ge•hen´na.
Jesus had just cured a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb. The crowds marveled, but the Pharisees scoffed and said Jesus did it by means of Beelzebub. Jesus refuted their claim by showing that if Satan expelled Satan he would be divided against himself and his kingdom could not stand. Also, if Jesus expelled demons by means of Beelzebub, by whose means did their sons expel them? Then he said: “Every kind of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in the present system of things nor in that to come.” Matt. 12:22-32,
They could speak against the Son of man and later be forgiven on the grounds of their ignorance of the facts about him. Their sins of ignorance are forgivable if they do not resist knowledge of the truth when they are brought face to face with it. However, it was different when the Pharisees said: “This fellow does not expel the demons except by means of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Why so? Because this was a sin against the holy spirit, since manifestly such a cure as Jesus had just performed could not be by human power. To say it was of Satan was illogical, as Jesus showed them. The Pharisees did not say such cures were of Satan when their sons cast out demons. Why arbitrarily say it now, in Jesus' case? Why say it was God's spirit when their sons did it, but deny the manifest operation of the holy spirit when Jesus did it? Why? Because they did not love the truth and did not want to be led to the truthful conclusion that they were false teachers and Jesus was the Messiah. To admit this would mean giving up many selfish practices. Too many selfish things were at stake for them.
So they resisted the true conclusion to which Jesus' works should have led them. Let them speak against the Son of man if they wished; still they should have listened to the witness borne him by his works, works performed by the power of the holy spirit. Jesus said: “If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works.” John 5:36; 10:37, 38,
When they said these miraculous works were done by Satan they sinned against the spirit. They blasphemed God's spirit, saying it was of Satan. Willfully and for selfish reasons they resisted the display of its power. To such ones Stephen said: “Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the holy spirit.” Acts 7:51,
It was this willful quality of the sin that made it unforgivable, because it made them unteachable, beyond correction, and opposed to God's provision for forgiveness. As Jesus said: “Whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.” Mark 3:28-30,
There is no sacrifice to cover such willful sinning against the holy spirit, “not in the present system of things nor in that to come.”
Writes John: “If anyone catches sight of his brother sinning a sin that does not incur death, he will ask, and he will give life to him, yes, to those not sinning so as to incur death. There is a sin that does incur death. It is concerning that sin that I do not tell him to make request. All unrighteousness is sin; and yet there is a sin that does not incur death.” 1 John 5:16, 17,
If one sins in ignorance or because of human imperfections, forgiveness is available. But for willful sinning there is no sin-atoning sacrifice: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.” Heb. 10:26, 27,
Willful sin, with eyes wide open to the undeniable operation of God's holy spirit or active force, is unforgivable and we should not pray for the forgiveness of such sinners. Even before Christ's time intercession was not to be made for such ones. Jer. 7:1-16; 11:14; 14:11
Willful sinners, insincere and unrepentant, set in their evil ways and unwilling to conform to God's requirements, have “no forgiveness forever”; which means that when they die they go into second death, they have committed the unforgivable sin.
My opinion according to my understanding of the scriptures.
Take care,
Hope12
:)
