Facing "the Unpardonable Sin"

If there is one mental trouble above another that seems to call for sympathy and tenderness of treatment, it is the fear that one has committed “the unpardonable sin,” and now stands facing hopelessly the eternal consequences of this wrong-doing. Nor is this fear an utterly exceptional one. Many a sensitive conscience has suffered from it for years. It is worth serious thought on the part of all those who would help souls.

Several conversations which I had with one of these troubled souls illustrates one phase of this difficulty, and a way of meeting it. A young man who was active in Christian work, and who was a confessed follower of Christ, had puzzled over the words of our Lord that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit could not be forliow to 2)eal with 2)out)t5

given (see Matt. 12: 31-37). Thinking over the subject persistently, he had come to fear that he had committed that sin, and he was oppressed accordingly.

“As I read the Bible,” he said, “Whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.* Now I fear that I have, at some time, spoken in that way. If I have, there is no hope for me.”

“Did you do this deliberately, and with a purpose of doing it? Or did you merely do it triflingly and irreverently?”

“It is the thing itself that is spoken of by our Lord, without reference to the inner spirit of the speaker.”

“Have you regretted your thoughtless and irreverent evil speech?”

“Yes, indeed I have, many and many times. But that doesn’t make any difference in the case of a sin that will not be forgiven in this world or the next, in spite of our repentings.”

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“Does it seem like a loving God, to be watching for one slip of the tongue, or one thoughtless or irreverent word, and then to refuse to forgive that wrong, however penitent or humble the wrong-doer finally is? God sent Jesus into this world to show his love for sinners and Jesus ‘is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them ’ (see Heb. 7: 25). Is your view consistent with the Bible teachings about the never-failing love of God?”

“I shouldn’t think so if it were not for those words of Jesus about this 07ie sin as different from all other sins. But there his words stand, and I’m fearfully troubled because of them.”

“Well, now, my friend, don’t you misread those words as they were spoken and as the record of them stands? When did Jesus speak those words? and to whom? and under what circumstances? They

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are too important to be perverted and misused. Have a care, therefore, on that point. Read over more carefully the passage in Matthew’s Gospel, and see what the words mean. Jesus was working wonders of grace. He was showing the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. He was opposing Satan and his works. Then those who opposed Jesus said that he and his disciples were representatives of Satan. At this, Jesus suggested that one who counted the Holy Spirit and Satan one and the same, was in a hopeless state; God could do nothing more for such a man. If one who sees God’s work and Satan’s work says that there is no difference between the two, God is powerless in that man’s behalf God has nothing better than the Holy Spirit’s work to show to a man in this world or the next. My friend, can you see nothing better in the Holy Spirit’s work than in the work of Satan? ““Indeed, I can see a great deal that is jfacing “the TnnparDonable Sin”

better. There is no comparison to be made between the two. One is all good; the other is all bad.”

“Then you have no doubt as to where you would stand on that issue?”

“Of course I do not.”

“If, therefore, the unpardonable sin is being on the side of Satan against the Holy Spirit, as the great issue in the contest, in this world or in the next, you would feel that you were on the right side and in the right state, — would you?”

“Yes, I would, as you state the case. But I have not been looking at it in that way. I have not read the words of Jesus in this way before.”

“Well, that is the way that I read those words, as they were spoken according to the Bible record. I find a meaning in them consistent with the spirit of Jesus, with the general teachings of Scripture, with the peculiar circumstances of their utterance, with the lessons of sound reason, and with the very letter of the

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text. On the other hand, you find a meaning in the words as you read them that is, as you admit, not consistent with what you have known of the love of the Father, with the spirit of Jesus, or with the known workings of the Holy Spirit. Which of these two methods is to be preferred? Tell me frankly.”

“Your view, I admit, does seem the most reasonable.”

“We may always be sure that a positive command or threat of God is based on a principle prevalent throughout all God’s domain. It is never a mere specific offense or transgression that he refers to as cutting one off from hope, but rather an attitude of being, which would be the same in this life and beyond. Thus it is in this instance. But, tell me, did it ever trouble you to think that the sin you had committed had shut you out from God’s love and presence?”

“It has caused me agony unspeakable. I have mourned over it, and prayed about facing **tbc TUnpatDonable Sin*’

it day and night; and oh, how I have longed for help!”

“That is in itself proof that you have not committed the unpardonable sin. Jesus speaks of that sin as putting its doer in a hopelessly hostile attitude toward God. If you had committed that sin, or were in that attitude of being, you would not want to be forgiven or loved of God. No, no, my friend, you have sins enough that can be forgiven, which you ought to think about and strive to overcome, without worrying over the unpardonable sin which you do not comprehend, and which you evidently have not committed.”

And that long-troubled soul was led into the light, and found peace and rest in the assured love of God. May every soul similarly perplexed have like rest and peace!

He had been worrying over a sin which he had not committed; but which if he had committed, he would have ceased to worry about. So, in fact, his very worrying

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was proof that he had no cause for worry. How Satan gives trouble to those who are his determined enemies, leaving alone those of whom he is already sure!

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