By David ReayThursday 1 Aug 2013LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Matthew 12:30-32
30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me,and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
31 “So I tell you,every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven-except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven,but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven,either in this world or in the world to come. (NLT)
Let’s say right at the outset that if you are presently worried about having committed the unforgivable sin,then you haven’t committed the unforgivable sin. To explain: the unforgivable sin is to refuse God’s offer of forgiveness till your last breath. Jesus describes it as blasphemy against the Spirit who is the one who taps us on the shoulder reminding us of the availability of grace and mercy.
Jesus has just driven out a demon from a man and some called such an act demonic. Jesus was from Satan not from God. To persist with this idea is to cut ourselves off from the source of forgiveness. If we don’t think Jesus is offering us forgiveness and if we believe we don’t need it,then we can’t by definition be forgiven.
Of course this attitude has to persist till our time of death. Many reject grace at one stage in their lives only to change later. So we can never point to someone and say they have committed the unforgivable sin. Their rejection of the Spirit’s testimony may only be temporary. Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind in saying that rejecting him can still be forgiven.
And we must never confuse a particularly scandalous sin with the unforgivable sin. As if Jesus’ work on the cross has some fine print and exclusion clauses attached to it. Jesus’ death on our behalf covers all our sins,not just the minor or ‘respectable’ ones. Those who are finally unforgiven are those who refuse to admit their need of it and Jesus’ provision of it. And we can never be sure who fits that description.
Blessings
David Reay