Only one action places you outside of redemption by God.
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Click to read Matthew 12: 22-32 in context.
Matthew 12:24
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
Matthew 12:32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
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Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines blaspheme: to speak in a way that shows irreverence for God or something sacred.
Jesus healed a demon-possessed man of blindness and deafness. Not willing to acknowledge His miracles, the Pharisees committed the outrage of calling the Holy Spirit, one third of the Godhead, a demon, claiming Jesus healed by Beelzebul. If you love the Lord, you may feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up, as spiritual alarms go off.
The Pharisee spoke maliciously. You can’t blaspheme the Holy Spirit by accident. New Christians worry when they have a slip of the tongue. It’s like a child, frightened of the monster in the closet. Did they destroy their place in the kingdom? Matthew quoted these words to warn against them. He’s now in heaven with Jesus. The words aren’t the problem. Only the intent matters.
Some sincere pastors argue that the unforgiveable sin is to reject Jesus’ sacrifice. It’s true that if a person dies without accepting the Lord, that person will experience eternal damnation. But it’s not the unforgiveable sin. The Lord will forgive it up to the last moment of life. Not a good idea to wait. What if you have a massive heart attack without warning? It’s merely the choice by the rebellious to spend eternity out of God’s presence — not God’s choice but the individual’s.
If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, God abandons you. You will no longer have curiosity about God. He won’t cross your mind. He’s gone from you. No more chances.
I learned one thing in Geometry class. As a total loss at math, it may be the only thing. “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.”
Point A: the Pharisee spoke blaspheme. Point B: he’s damned for eternity.
God will forgive every other sin when you confess and repent.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness of every sin but one.
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