No Forgiveness

Verse of the day: Leviticus 24:15-16 “Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death.’”

It amazes me that some Christians can read the Old Testament Scriptures, and still not understand just how gracious and forgiving God has been toward us in this church age. When we read how intolerant God is toward sin, how can we not be grateful for the salvation, forgiveness, grace, and mercy we have in Christ? Yes, God is love, but He is also a just God who will not allow sin to go unpunished. There were many infractions of the Law for which God commanded that violators be put to death. As forgiving as our God is, there is one sin for which there is no forgiveness; that sin is the sin of blasphemy. In Mark 3:28-30, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” This was in response to the Pharisees accusation that Jesus had healed many and exorcised many in the power of Satan. In doing so, they were denying what the Spirit was doing in proving, and testifying, that Jesus is the Messiah, and thereby trying to discourage others from putting their faith in Him. In Matthew 12, the account specifically tells us that Jesus healed a demon-oppressed man who was blind, and mute, that resulted in this accusation by the Pharisees. There are many sins that we commit, that in Christ we are forgiven. However, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is a sin that is unpardonable. Why? The short answer is this, a person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit today, is one who rejects the Gospel message, and rejects Jesus as Savior. Jesus said in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” In John 16:8-9 Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me”. When an unsaved person, rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit, in respect to who Jesus is, that is unpardonable. Jesus said in John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This is not speaking of someone who initially rejects, but some time later comes to hear and believe the truth of who Jesus is. This is speaking of a person who vehemently rejects the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus as Savior, and dies without Christ. Once a person passes on to the next life, it is too late to accept Jesus. The punishment for this sin is eternal condemnation. Sadly, I have been reading lately that there are those who claim to believe in Jesus, and God’s Word, but reject that there is a literal hell. Yet, to say this is to contradict God’s Word and Jesus’ own words. They conveniently take the Scriptures that clearly speak of eternal fire, and eternal condemnation, and proclaim them to be “figurative”, in order to fit their crooked theology. How can we apply the word “eternal” in Scripture to eternal life, and say that we will be with God eternally; but then reject “eternal” punishment, when used in Scripture with eternal fire, and say that there is no eternal punishment and that we will only burn for a period of time? That is the devil’s theology. Jesus clearly spoke of Hell in Luke 16:19-31 (and clearly refutes the theology that says that we will just lie dormant in our graves). The rich man immediately opened his eyes in hell, and Lazarus was carried to be with Abraham in that account. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 we are told, “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” In Mark 9:42-48, Jesus clearly speaks of a place called Hell where there is fire that shall never be quenched. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus said that there are those who will be cast into eternal fire. Revelation 20:14 clearly says that death and hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Amazingly, those who proclaim that there is no hell do not quote these verses; especially those that record Jesus’ own words, and write off the verses in Revelation as figurative. The bottom line is that anyone who rejects Jesus, after being convicted by the Holy Spirit, and dies without Christ, has blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and is doomed to ETERNAL punishment. If you do not truly know Him, accept Him now before it is too late!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).