Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Unpardonable sin | Matt 12:32 | Hank | 143808 | ||
ngkh - The antitdote to speculation is accurate knowledge of Scripture! This holds true of all scriptural subjects and thus it is no less true of Christ's teaching about the unforgiveable sin. Judging from what I've seen on this Forum, few theological concepts are more misunderstood or more speculated upon than Christ's teaching on the unforgiveable sin. ..... In the first place, it is necessary to read the entire passage in Matthew's gospel that deals with this specific sin: Matthew 12:22-37. In order to understand what Jesus meant by His stern pronouncement in vss. 31 and 32, we must learn what evoked it, and we do by a careful reading of vss. 22-24. Jesus had healed a demon-possessed blind mute, and when the Pharisees heard of it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." Thus they ascribed the deeds of Jesus not to the power of the Holy Spirit of God but to satanic power. Thus to reject the power of Christ was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit of God by whose power the Incarnate Christ was Himself empowered. ..... Now, let's probe deeper into the passage and its cast of characters, namely, the Pharisees. The sin was the Pharisees' DELIBERATE rejection of that which they knew to be of God (cf. Acts 4:16). Unable to deny the reality of what they had seen with their own eyes, they attributed to Satan what they knew the Holy Spirit had done through Christ. ..... Now, someone who had never been exposed to Christ, His divine power and presence, might reject Him in ignorance and later repent and be forgiven. Even a Pharisee like Saul of Tarsus could be forgiven -- and certainly was forgiven -- for speaking against Christ and persecuting His church. But his unbelief stemmed from ignorance, as 1 Timothy 1:13 confirms. But it is an entirely different matter with those who know His claims are true and reject Him anyway. They "sin against the Holy Spirit" precisely because it is the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ by making His truth known to us, as it says in John 15:26, "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about Me." ..... These Pharisees had witnessed His miracles first-hand and knew the truth of His claims, yet they still blasphemed the Holy Spirit. No forgiveness was possible for them. In blaspheming the Holy Spirit they had rejected Christ, exhausted their options and had no further recourse. They had rejected Christ, who was and is the fullest possible revelation of God. "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). --Hank | ||||||
2 | Unpardonable sin | Matt 12:32 | justme | 143812 | ||
Hank: My study of Scripture in relationship to the "unpardonable sin" has boiled down to one conclusion, and that is to reject Jesus Christ, and to remain in that belief at the time of ones death. A person who so rejects the Holy Spirit's pleading to make Christ Lord has blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Is this not what you have saiid? I believe satan uses this topic to cause believers to doubt the "sealing of the Holy Spirit" upon us as the mark of Jesus Christ's ownership of us. Then again this also points us to the "eternal secuurity of the believer", at least from my Baptist point of understanding of Scripture. (I am not trying to push my theological view point on anyone) My belief is that only at ones death is the sin "unpardonable". Would you not agree? Blessings to you Hank. justme |
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3 | Unpardonable sin | Matt 12:32 | Ray | 143815 | ||
Hi justme, In your other post you spoke of "God's power through the Holy Spirit". What is the "power" that was used to cast out the demons in Matthew 12:28? We can not say along with the Pharisees that it was a demonic spirit because that would be blasphemy. Could we say however that it was a holy spirit that cast out the demons? Could not we say that He cast out demons by the power and spirit of God? Matthew 12:28, "But if I cast out demons by the *spirit of (God), then the kingdom of God has come upon you." Luke 11:20, "But if I cast out demons by the *finger of (God), then the kingdom of God has come upon you." From the heart, Ray |
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