Through the lens of scripture

Well, let me start today by reflecting on something I said last week.

 

If you remember I said, 

 

“all sins can be atoned for and forgiven by the blood of Jesus- all sins”

 

And I was encouraged to know that you guys actually listen to my sermons……good to know…….since after the sermon, I had a few people ask me a great question……….

 

What about the unforgivable sin that Jesus mentions in the gospel……isn’t there one sin that can’t be forgiven by Jesus….that unforgivable sin that Jesus mentions, that sin of 

 

“blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”

 

And as a result I read and prayed and looked again at this unforgiveable sin, and still, whether it is my stubbornness or my poor reading of the scriptures, but still after looking at this unforgivable sin, I still truly believe, through the scriptures that all sins can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus, even the unforgiveable sin.

 

And you may think I am performing biblical gymnastics here, to claim that even an unforgivable sin is forgivable, but let me try and convince you.

 

In Mark 3:22-30/ Matthew 12:22-32/ Luke 12:8-12 this unforgiveable sin is mentioned.

 

In Mark, the context of the conversation is clear.

 

The scribes who had hardened their hearts to Jesus were spreading lies about Jesus. Jesus was casting out demons and the scribes were claiming that this was not the work of God, but the work of the devil.

 

They were falsely attributing the work of God to the devil. 

 

These scribes were witnessing God in the flesh stand before them, they witnessed the work of God cast out demons and yet because their hearts were so hardened they refused to give the glory to God, and instead they lied. 

 

It was then that Jesus told them that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness”

 

In John 16:8 it tells us that the work of the spirit is to convict people of sin and their need of righteousness- to be right with God. Or let me put it another way, the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin and of their need of a saviour- Jesus. 

 

And so the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, is one who goes against what the Holy Spirit does. This is the person who never repents, one who is never convicted of their need of a saviour- Jesus. 

 

Their heart becomes so hard that there is a persistent and unrepentant resistance against the work of the Holy Spirit, that they never come to repentance and belief in Jesus.  

 

Therefore the unforgivable sin, can still be forgiven if they turn and repent of their sin, and stop resisting the work of the spirit. However, if that heart never turns to Jesus, there is only judgment. 

 

Of course, this will ultimately happen at death…….. but is there a point in this life, where someone’s heart is so hard, that it will never soften, never repent……I don’t know…..God knows that

 

…..what I do know is this……

 

As long as that unrepentant sinner is still living, I will pray that the Holy Spirit will convict their hearts of sin, bring them to repentance and bring them into God’s kingdom. 

 

As we claim in our core beliefs on the page of our website, we believe that the grace of God is much deeper than any stubbornness of a person’s heart.