Sunday Morning, August 10, 2008, 

All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.  - Matthew 12:31 

This morning, Sis Debbie led a study about the Unpardonable Sin.  What is this sin?  Is there really a line one can cross where God won’t forgive anymore?  And if so, what factors determine that line? 

In order to answer these questions, we explored God’s character and compared it with the pagan influences of the day.  We found that God is a God full of mercy, longsuffering, compassion, and love.  He tells us to forgive our enemies 70X7 times a day.  Will He do any less?  He is slow to anger and not willing for any to perish (Ps 108:8, II Pet 3:9).  He is the same yesterday today and forever (Heb. 13:8).  His relationship with mankind is defined as a covenant, an agreement between 2 parties where each party seeks the well being of the other party involved and not his own.  He wants only our good.  His love never fails (I Cor 13:8). 

Unfortunately, as generations of Christians progressed from the apostles on down, several things happened.  First of all, some of the early Christians, many who were newly converted pagans, brought with them some of their pagan ideologies. These practices were incorporated into worship (as can be seen in the book Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola).  One such concept was the view of God.  They believed God was the master and we are the slave.  We must obey or be punished.  A relationship of fear was emphasized and Hell was used as a control tactic by the “church”, marring God’s character by characterizing Him as a short-tempered, easily angered, quick to administer punishment.  With this idea in mind, one can see how the thought of an “unpardonable sin” could bring terror to one’s heart and be used to keep a soul in line. 

All sin is pardonable.  God wants to forgive, but He cannot do so when a person loves their sin and refuses to leave it.  Such a person cannot have forgiveness, or have their sin “covered by the blood” when they are still committing it and are unrepentant.  When light shines on a person, and they love darkness more (their sins) and they refuse to change, God CANNOT pardon them.  In essence, their sin is UNPARDONABLE.  This is blaspheming the Holy Ghost, telling Him “I don’t believe You enough to change my ways”. 

This unpardonable condition is only temporary as long as the individual refuses to change.  If they do, God will forgive.  What happens, though, is the more we refuse the Holy Ghost, the more hardened we become until eventually there is nothing more God can do in this life to wake us up and show us our need of Him.  If there would be a change, God would be quick to pardon.  He only sets His face against us as long as we are against Him.  (Jer 18:8, 26:13).