The Unforgivable Sin

When Christians are asked about their greatest fear regarding their Christian walk, some reply they are afraid of committing the “unforgivable sin;” perhaps this fear is held by those who want to walk as close to line of sin as possible, but it even haunts many somber believers. First, this feared sin is more complicated than just saying some words. Perhaps, just saying the feared words that bring supposed blasphemy to the Holy Spirit is not as devastating as believed.  True, the mouth speaks from the heart, but at times, many people say words without previous thought and those words may not actually reflect their genuine beliefs. Most times, this stated fear is unfounded. Correctly understood, this sin involves premeditated blasphemy of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. It is rejecting, defaming, or opposing God, perhaps even attributing the works of God to Satan. Jesus Himself said, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” – Matt. 12:32 (ESV); in the original language, these are active, intense warnings about continually speaking against those in the Trinity; the other apostles echo this opinion, Mk. 3:23-29; Lk. 12:10. Most Jews in Jesus’ time, understood that even speaking the name of God was disrespectful and could be considered “blasphemy,” which was a religious capital offense. Stephen’s strong words and subsequent stoning, reveal that a person could be killed for this misunderstood infraction without fear from the Roman reprisal, (Acts 7:54ff). The seriousness of this offense can also be found when Jesus’ opponents attempted to dismiss His actions by accusing Him of blasphemy or attributing His power to Satan. This action is recurring in Mk. 2:7; Lk. 5:21; Jn. 10:33. Even during His trial, the issue of blasphemy was used for justification for His death, “Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy,” Matt. 26:65 (ESV), cf. also Mk. 14:64.
Certainly, we should always use the name of the Lord respectfully. But, is limited poor or unthoughtful use a designation for eternal damnation?
By careful study, the deduction becomes clear that the “unforgivable sin,” is not a one-time utterance, it is rather an ongoing practice, likely developed over some period of time culminating in the person turning their back on God’s desires, His importance, or even His existence. The Greek word “blasphemia,” means “vilification (especially against God): - blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.” The sin labeled “blasphemy”, refers to speaking wickedly about God over a period of time; an active and ongoing opposition to His desires.
God’s grace is immense, but if a person does not believe God exists, His grace has no real personal meaning to them. If a person has questions about Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit can provide a clearer understanding, confessed mistakes can be forgiven. If, however, the person rejects the Holy Spirit, they have rejected God and His supremacy. When this occurs, there is no desire for salvation and nothing remaining to provide the needed guidance to accept Jesus and participate in His ultimate sacrifice. God will always forgive a person’s confessed sins if the person believes in Him and their intention is to follow the guidance given by the Holy Spirit, but if they consistently deny His existence, there are no other solutions for salvation.
A person who accepts Christ as God’s Son has accepted the very opposite of a statement for rejecting any part of what can be described as a Trinity. Furthermore, if a person is concerned about committing the sin of blasphemy, they have moved beyond the general position of completely rejecting God or attributing His actions to Satan; these are not people who should be concerned about committing this heinous sin.
We must understand that when Jesus returned to heaven, He left the Holy Spirit as our internal guide, one who will not command us, but will provide reminders to guide us along our unique individual spiritual journey, called sanctification. At the beginning of this journey, scripture describes sanctification as a statement of position or status, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” – Rom. 6:6 (ESV), cf. also, 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor 5:17; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 10:10. God’s grace provides this initially granted status; following this, the practical realization is that people will continue to sin at some level. The next part of sanctification becomes a process wherein each Christian should continue to grow and replace sinful practices with holy practices. Paul said, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” – Rom. 6:17-18 (ESV), cf. Romans 12:1-2; Gal. 2:20; 1 Thess. 4:3; 2 Pet. 3:18.
This guidance describes a “growing” process (2 Pet. 3:18), not an immediate judgment of further sinful acts. All their sins are continually forgiven (1 Jn. 1:7), because they have accepted God’s offered grace and are in covenant with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Witnesses

One of the most meaningful descriptions of Christianity is they are witnesses of God’s work. This was previously stated in Isiah, “Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, t is true. “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.” – Isa. 43:9bff. (ESV). When Jesus came, one of His tasks was to witnesses to what God was doing for humans via the power of the Holy Spirit. Joel says that many people, from many groups, would become witnesses (Joel 2:28-29). When Jesus returned to heaven, His disciples became the primary human witnesses of what God was doing, as they were led by the ultimate witness, the Holy Spirit. Ongoing witness by the apostles was unique in many ways and therefore unrepeatable, but the role of witness was not limited to the apostles. Witness became the charge to the people of the revealed Kingdom, the church. All Christians are empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ work and proclaim liberty to those captivated by sin. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers the Christian Mission. This is exactly what Luke noted about the people leaving the inaugural Pentecost feast in, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” – Acts 8:4 (ESV)

Personal suffering

On our unique individual spiritual journey, we may experience suffering, but we should not be discouraged by this, it is expected. Paul reminds us, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” - 2 Cor. 5:1-5 (ESV). If we are faithful, we will prevail with help from the Spirit.
While difficult to understand, there appears to be a direct connection between the role of suffering and the workings of the Holy Spirit shaping and honing our character, Rom. 5:3-5. James and Peter agree with this concept, Jas. 1:2-4; 2 Pet. 1:5-8. These struggles and sufferings cause us to demonstrate our dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is available to help in our struggles, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” - Rom. 8 :26 (ESV). This reminds me of instances in which parents observe their child struggling to communicate a feeling and then look at each other with silent communication, remembering what the child is feeling because they have felt it, also. Jesus and the Holy Spirit have felt every feeling we have, and much more. Together, these two share these feelings directly with the Father. However we struggle or suffer, we must remember that we are children of God with an inheritance in another place; there is a great reception waiting for us when these earthly struggles are complete.

Things taken away

For many of us, one of our goals becomes to continually gain more of something. For many, it is to gain greater wealth, for others the goal is greater physical strength or abilities, and some seek beauty. While these personal goals are slightly different, a common concern for each is that some or all of these might be taken away. When a person strives to gain a particular goal, all struggles to gain that goal seem worthwhile, but when things are removed, the person may feel disappointed, or depressed, even frightened that more will be taken away. When these things happen, Christian need to review the ways God has dealt with His creation in the past. When we read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit for encouragement, He might help us recall Job, who lost a great many things, “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” - Job 1:21 (ESV). Later, when the people of God struggled, Isaiah was given this message, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isa. 41:10 (ESV). As we think about our lives and accomplishments, we should consider that these possessions were provided in some way by God. We should be grateful that we had them for a time. A scripture that may help is, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” – Phil. 4:19 (ESV). Whatever we have will be enough if we understand we will have all we really need. We should also be careful about the things we desire because, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” – Gal. 6:7-8 (ESV).” Loosing things we have desired and worked for can be a struggle, but we need to remember that the indwelling Holy Spirit is within us and will never be taken away. He will help us, if we will rely on Him.

Relationships

All relationships have challenges; the best ones are those in which each partner is committed, open, and agrees to work at bettering it. Those in relationship must realize that all partners change as time progresses. As the relationship grows, one or both partners may become frustrated or hurt at times due to actions done or words said by the other. In human relationships, there are usually some opinions correct and some partial, or incorrect. When the inevitable conflict arises, hopefully, a compromise can be reached and the relationship remains healthy. A human’s greatest relationship is with God and has a different dynamic. The creator God is always correct and humans must strive to accept this and mold their preferences to match His. In order to pilot this change, Christians have the Holy Spirit living within them; any further sin will not cause the Holy Spirit to leave, He is committed to us. He will help us remember things from scripture to guide us along the way; yet we must agree to follow. If we are honest, we sometimes feel frustration and anger toward God. Many times the root of this tension is that our preferences are not being honored. Perhaps we are hurt by this, but we can be confident it is for our best. We must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. We can rebel and resist His guidance (Isa. 63:10; Acts 7:51) or even grieve Him (Eph. 4:30). He is hurt when we attempt to stifle or quench [extinguish a fire] His goal of guiding us to be more dedicated (1 Thess. 5:19). We must not turn our backs on Him and consistently deny Him or we might be in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Heb. 10:29). The Holy Spirit wants to help us become more dedicated to God, or more holy. His desire must be accepted and His direction followed willingly by us.

Core Message

The core message of the New Testament is the emergence of the promise, God’s Kingdom on earth. This phenomenon was orchestrated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus began His ministry of revelation after being baptized, anointed by the Spirit, spending 40 days fasting, and overcoming specific temptations by Satan. He spent His life helping people and reveling the principles by which God wants people to live. After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples spent 40 days with Him before He ascended (Acts 1:3-4). On the next Pentecost, the disciples began their ministry, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Acts describes how the news of the revealed Kingdom spread throughout the inhabitants of the earth, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV). Jesus had instructed His disciples, “as you go,” preach and make disciples Matt. 28:19. As those collected at Jerusalem left, they did as Jesus had commanded (Acts 8:4). Later, Paul was instructed to preach to the Gentiles as Isaiah (49:6) had prophesied and Jesus promised (Jn. 10:16). With this, the prophecy of Joel was realized, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” – Joel 2:28 (ESV). As present disciples, we too, should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us how to instruct others about Jesus’ gift by our words and actions.

Aid

We often think of help as another person providing aid so that we may complete a planned activity. This is accurate for tasks in the physical realm, but falls short for tasks in the spiritual realm. Tasks in the spiritual realm are dictated by God and He has provided Jesus to provide the needed aid because no human can supply such needs in the spiritual realm. When Jesus, our Lord, went away, He left the Holy Spirit to help us (as much as we will allow) for needs in the spiritual realm. When we are focused on the spiritual realm, mankind's actions in the physical realm should have no affect on our completed activities for the spiritual realm. "So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" — Heb. 13:6

Help

When we became Christians, Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have been born again, or perhaps better, "born from above." (Jn. 3:3) Now, the Holy Spirit lives within us, making our bodies part of a Temple and blessing us as we serve God. We can be courageous people even in the face of attack, criticism, and ridicule because of the Spirit's empowerment. This indwelling also produces fruit exhibiting actions of which God would approve. Additionally, the Spirit pours love into our heart and provides courage for serving God. The Spirit's powerful presence can help us overcome sinful leanings and live the lives Jesus desires. {Gal. 5:16; 19-21, cf. Jas. 1:14-15; Gal. 5:22; 5:24-25}. When we became Christians, Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Tit. 3:3-7). The Spirit lives in us, making our bodies part of a Temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and blessing us in many ways (Rom. 8). We can be courageous people even in the face of attack, criticism, and ridicule because of the Spirit's presence. The fruit that the Spirit produces (Gal. 5:22-23) and the love that the Spirit pours into our heart (Rom. 5:5) provides courage for serving God. The Spirit's presence is a powerful force to help us overcome sin (Rom. 8:13) and live self-disciplined lives. We only need to submit to His guidance.

Cry

Does God cry? If Jesus as a human cried and He told us we see the Father through Him, it is safe to conclude God can become deeply touched. The text literally says Jesus "shed tears." (Jn. 11:35) While it is unlikely that God, beyond Jesus has the ability to shed tears we think of as humans, He is still touched by events surrounding His children. What did Jesus cry about? Was it the death of Lazarus, who He knew He would bring back to life shortly, or the sadness He saw in Mary and Martha - those very close to Him? Based on other writings about Jesus, I propose it was due to His sympathy with these women, people who He cared about. Jesus now cares deeply for His creation and whatever form it may take, He is certainly saddened by human challenges. Jesus mirrored this when He tried to interact with the Jews, "He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored." Mk. 3:5 (ESV)

Idolatry

Idolatry is essentially considering someone or something greater than ourselves and becoming servants of that thing. The one greater thing should be only the God, Jehovah! Scripture is clear that God directed the Holy Spirit to live within the Christian. Since that is the case, shouldn't we avoid anything that is counter to His efforts? This will make the Spirit's task of sanctification easier. If this is a formidable effort, He will help overcome these challenges if we ask Him. "Put to death (become separated from), therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Col. 3:5 (NIV)

Who to follow

In our adolescent years, most of us desire to participate in "grown up things", the things we see older people do that we are not allowed to do. There are myriad reasons for this ranging from bodily maturity, to emotional understanding, to spiritual comprehension. Be this as it may, there comes a time when parents have taught their children as much as required before a seemingly major transition occurs. In the USA for many people, this major transition is leaving home for college. Legal responsibility wanes at age 18 and more decisions have already begun. The individual is then allowed and expected to make many more decisions without direct oversight and responsibility of the parents. As we compare our present practices to those at Jesus' time, a common desire should be that both parents and children continue to be led by the Holy Spirit along their unique individual spiritual journey. A messianic Jew,  Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, provides possible insight into Paul's basis for encouraging the Galatians. He writes, "In today’s Jewish life cycle, the event and rituals associated with becoming a Bar Mitzvah play an important role. The ceremony to mark this event as practiced today is of medieval origin, but the fundamental concept traces back to the first century and earlier. At the age thirteen, boys participate for the first time in the public Torah reading as adults – leading the synagogue in congregational worship. The father, however, plays an interesting role in this wonderful ceremony. He pronounces a short blessing: בָּרוּךְ שֶׁפְּטָרַנִי מֵעֹנֶשׁ הַלָּזֶה (baruch shepatrani meonesh halazeh). In translation, it means something like this: “Blessed is He who released me from responsibility for this one”. Until the time of becoming a Bar Mitzvah (literally “son of commandment”), the father has responsibility for his son. He is to offer him close guidance until such time that he will be able to engage with the Torah on his own. The idea here is not that the thirteen-year-old son is no longer in need of parental guidance. It does not mean that the boy is now permitted to desist from honoring his father or should no longer obey him. But it means that Torah from this point on becomes his primary guide instead of his loving father.
It is possible that the Apostle Paul, who was steeped in Pharisaic Judaism of the first century, understood this basic principle of close guidance transfer as well. He understood together with some other Jews of his time that now with the coming of the Jewish Christ, such responsibility transfer was taken to the next level. In one of his letters to the gentile followers of the Jewish Christ, the Apostle Paul wrote about his countrymen’s experience with the Torah: ”Before the coming of the faith, we were closely guarded by the Torah (ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι), until the faith that was to come would be revealed. The Torah was our guardian (ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγoς) until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. (Gal. 3:23-25) Later in the same letter, he stated that gentiles are in the same position as Christ-following Jews. They too must be primarily guided not by the Torah (no matter how wonderful and good it is) but by the Holy Spirit sent by Israel’s God at the request of King Jesus (John 14:26). In Galatians 5:18 he wrote: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Torah. Paul believed that the new age had dawned with the coming of the Messiah. This meant that the Christ-following Jews were no longer primarily guided by the Torah, but by the faith in Christ Jesus. However, just as in the case of the father and the Torah, the believers were not to disregard the Torah simply because they were now under the close guidance of someone who was even greater – Christ Jesus through God’s Holy Spirit!"

What to do?

The specific actions of those who first believed in Jesus are recorded in several places. A popular scripture taken as a command of Jesus to His disciples is recorded in, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” - Matt. 28:19-20 (ESV). This is usually bolstered by a reference from another disciple, “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld,” – Jn. 20:21-23 (ESV). These linked references tend to focus specifically on the disciples. The Matthew passage can also be interpreted as “as you go,” instead of just, “go.” He would later tell His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 (ESV). We can see examples of believers understanding this scripture, just so. This is revealed as Jews left Jerusalem. Luke states, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” – Acts 8:4 (ESV). While the forgiveness of sins may be limited to the disciples, Jesus' desire for all His disciples to spread the news about His work wherever they went is not. These statements are the ones Jesus wanted His Jewish disciples and proselytes to remember. Later these would be expanded to all believers. Jesus provided a path for salvation and wants all believers to regard others as equals with Him in a relationship to God, one in which the Holy Spirit lives within them. All believers have unique talents and abilities, and each believer is crucial to creating the complete group of people that serve Jesus, the Kingdom. It is then those members who extend grace to other believers and consider unbelievers or uncommitted worthy and allow the Holy Spirit to lead them as they attempt to introduce and lead them to Jesus. This is what Jesus expects His disciples to do.

Real Life

Physical life is a regenerative force motivated by our hopes and desires, fueled by our perpetually degrading physical bodies. Spiritual life is perpetually developing and being made more effective by the indwelling Holy Spirit. "But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." - Rom. 8:10-11 (NIV)

Stumble

When we encounter impediments as we walk, we may stumble. Perhaps our foot hits an obstacle as we walk and we must regain our balance before moving on. Our spiritual lives with Christ is described as a walk. We must attempt to walk carefully and surely. If we stumble in our spiritual lies, the Holy Spirit is nearby to help. "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ... in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;" - 2 Cor. 6:3-6 (NIV)

Hypocrite

A word that incenses most people whither in or out of a religious setting is Hypocrite. Although the word originated from biblical roots, it has come to be used for secular comparisons as well. This word is rooted in the Greek word “hypokrites,” which means “stage actor, pretender, dissembler.” This usually means a person who declares one thing, and does another. It is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. Perhaps the most visible example was highlighted when Jesus told His disciples not to act like Pharisees, “so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” - Matt. 23:3-6 (ESV). Later, He went on to say, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” Matt. 23:23-26 (ESV). Left with this, we may ask, what is a Christian expected to do? Basically, be truthful to one’s own present status and do whatever one chooses to do without affronting others, but with little regard to impressing them. When others point out sinful behavior, we should acknowledge it and admit we are struggling with our own sinful challenges. We are saved sinners. One of Apostles, Paul, struggled himself with this challenge. In Romans 7, he said, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” – Rom. 7:19 (ESV). Paul chooses a different approach, admission of his sinful nature and his struggles to allow the Holy Spirit to lead him away from his weaknesses.
When people nowadays choose to call Christians hypocrites, they may be very correct if we try to display a demeanor that is clothed with perfection. We must realize the purpose of the Mosaic law was to demonstrate that people are incapable of living sinful lives. People need Jesus to ransom us from this ever accumulating burden of sin. We must accept the reality that before accepting Jesus' gift, we were sinners, and still are sinners, but with a different pathway. Hopefully, our pathway is different than those who do not believe in Jesus. But, as humans, we will never escape committing some sins, but we can enjoy everyday life with the expectation that one day we will be with Jesus. The two benefits for Christians as children of God are, we have a perpetual forgiveness position (1 Jn. 1:7), and we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us become better servants of Jesus, making us better people.