Hope Abandoned

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

“So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.  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.  Matthew 12:31-32

At the beginning of the 14^th-century, Dante Alighieri wrote a description of hell, based on Scripture, in which he described the abyss as having an inscription over the entryway:  Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.  Years ago I watched on TV the sentencing of serial killer Ted Bundy as the judge looked him in the eye, and said, "What you have done is unforgiveable." 

The question comes to us all:  Is there is something we could possibly do that is totally unforgivable?  I want to state unequivocally that human free will includes choosing to step past the line of even God’s forgiveness!  Many folks would rather deny that fact, or ignore it.  It tends to make one uneasy to think about it, but to the person who is more inclined to face truth and be prepared for reality, the words of Jesus ring a bit harshly, but without a doubt…true!

As a pastor, whenever I surveyed a congregation about topics to preach on, this is invariably the most requested topic.  The usual reason is fear that they, or a loved one or friend, may have committed this sin, and be lost forever.  That fear is reasonably-solid ground for drawing the conclusion that you HAVE NOT committed the unpardonable sin. 

John Bunyan was a drunkard and worse.  He was afraid that he was beyond redemption.  Yet the Lord forgave him, and he wrote Pilgrim's Progress, the world's second-best seller of all time, behind the Bible.  (Yes, even more than Harry Potter).

For You Today 

I have been asked if I've ever known someone who's committed the unpardonable sin.  I must answer honestly that I cannot look in another's heart and judge.  But I have been around some who exhibit every indication that if it can be known to a human mind, they are beyond redemption. 

We can be freed from all doubt.  That way is to give our life to Jesus.  William Cowper was a sensitive young man.  He loved the Lord, but he was afraid that he'd committed the unpardonable sin, and that he was lost…forever.  All hope was abandoned.  The thought of it drove him to attempt suicide several times.  By the third time, he became convinced that if he hadn't committed the unpardonable sin before, certainly the attempts at taking his own life removed all doubt.  He became filled with the darkest of despair and grief.  Then someone lovingly showed him the reality of the cleansing of blood by the Lord Jesus:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9 

Cowper accepted Christ, took Him at his word, and was saved.  Was the transformation complete?  Did Cowper have assurance against the devil's lie of an unpardonable offense in his life?  Listen to the words of William Cowper in 1771:

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

Scripture tells us to not harden our hearts against the day of judgment.  So….soften…soften…repent, and be forgiven.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Images:  Wikipedia.org   Images without citation are in public domain. Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Spirit of God

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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.  “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.  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.  Matthew 12:30-32^(NLT)

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.  John 16:8-9^(NLT)     

These two passages say a number of important things, not only to the church, but to all people.  If there is such a thing at all as sin, being forgiven is of such importance anyone in his right mind would move heaven and earth to discover how to be forgiven! 

Blasphemy is sin against the Holy Spirit of God (rejection of what the Spirit says is sin and what the Spirit says is holy).  Among the list of what that includes is, chiefly, when people reject what Jesus did, dying our death penalty, so that our sins can be forgiven.  Matthew, the tax collector-turned evangelist, says that Jesus said a person who rejects Jesus the Son is rejected by the Father in this world and the next.  Sobering thought!

Another important message about the Holy Spirit’s ministry in John’s Gospel is that the chief purpose of the Spirit moving and working among humans is to reprove, or convict us of all which separates us from God...namely, our sins; and chiefly…our unbelief!

If you mention the Holy Spirit in a church crowd you can get mixed reaction.  There are those who don’t want you to mention the Spirit…ever!  Among those leaning to the charismatic (gift-centered) side, when you talk about the Spirit there will be a knowing smile of all that knowledge about how the spiritual gifts work; they just can’t get enough about all the gifts being operational in their own life and in the life of their church.  And then, In true 21^st century-style human combativeness there are plenty of people on the other side of that fence who will gladly defend against all that loving-the-gift-better-than-the-giver stuff!  There is, after all, nothing we love better than fighting over who God loves most!

What’s ironic is that arrogant, combative, brother-separating-from-brother attitude is exactly the issue to which the Spirt came to speak conviction into our hearts.  After all, was it not a brother who first picked up a stone and separated himself from his brother permanently?  When Jesus ascended back to the Father in Heaven, and the Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, it was so that we could have our blinded eyes opened to how much God truly does love us; it was so we would understand that God’s invitation to come close to Him is in spite of our weakness, not because of any goodness or strength we possess.  God’s love is for anyone who will lay down that nonsense of human independence and recognize our need in Christ, and our need to love and trust each other.

For You Today

You will have an opportunity today to go in one of two directions.  One direction will be to resist the Holy Spirit, and that will include such things as anger, pride, jealousy, envy, lust, or one of a thousand other ways to separate you from God’s love. 

The other direction is to listen to the ways His Spirit leads you into righteousness, how He teaches you to give control of all you do, say, and even think, to the Spirit who wants to stay closer to you than that arthritis you live with.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: By Ziko-C (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

The Spirit will Tell You

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Friday, April 8, 2016

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And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.  Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.  “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.  He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.  All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’   John 16:8-15^(NLT)

When Jesus ascended to the Father after the resurrection he did not leave the church without strength.  The oft-forgotten third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit of God came in power.  While Jesus was visible to humans, and had a ministry of proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed, the Spirit’s ministry in and through the church is to unveil the ministry of Christ in at least two ways:

Convict the world of its sin

Convicting anyone of personal sin is not an easy job.  It’s been said that, when you’re preaching on sin the only ‘amen’ you’ll get is about someone else’s sin.  

Amen?

Well, the reality about convicting or convincing people of personal sin is something preachers hardly have to work at; we all seem to understand deep inside that there is a darkness and a willfulness that fights-against anything that inhibits our doing what we want to do.  And that is the definition of sin – rebellion against God. 

'The Holy Spirit convicts us – makes us understand this aspect of our human nature.

Convict the world of the 

coming judgment

It’s one thing to make people aware of sin; getting them to understand the eventual penalty for sin is quite another matter!  Somehow the idea that we will be judged for our sins has gone the way of failing in class, or actually completing a jail sentence.

Living in 21^st century culture is an incredible experience, somewhat like the description in Genesis of Noah’s day.  Rebellion against God’s will and righteousness is rampant and almost without stigma.  People live their lives intemperately and joke about it.

The inference, of course, is that anyone who has a healthy respect of God or his power to judge humankind for sins is something of an unsophisticated dweeb, a nerd; just a poor, deluded monkey.  Oh, come-on…you don’t really believe that Sodom and Gomorrah burn in hell God-garbage, do you? 

In a recent video ad by the Freedom From Religion group, activist Ron Reagan looks directly into the camera and declares:  Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in Hell.[2] 

Wow!

Here’s the bottom line (and Mr. Reagan, I hope you’re listening), the Holy Spirit of God at one time convicted you of your sin, and warned you of the coming judgment.  If you really believe there is no God, no sin, and no coming judgment, you have passed the point where you have a conscience.  Your strong delusion is just the beginning of an eternity separated from a God who loved you (and all of us) so much that he died for us to save us.  You have rejected God, and people who do that – despite their great passion to be free from God – will one day find themselves standing in judgment.          

For You Today

Remember the Holy Spirit’s message about sin and judgment:  Trusting in Jesus Christ is the only help and hope for those whose sin has not been confessed and forgiven.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons

[2]FFRF Ron Reagan Ad (see HERE on YouTube)