The Unforgivable Sin : Any Opinions?

[RobedWithLight]

Our Lord Jesus Christ said, He who sins against the Son of Man may be forgiven. But he who sins against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven, either in this world or the next.

Any opinions / perspectives ?

Anyone ?

Gerry

 

[Juxtaposer]

I guess I understand the unforgivable sin as utterly rejecting God’s Holy Spirit. My opinion on this: don’t do it.

 

[Vincent]

Here’s how it’s used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.

See also Jimmy Akin’s “The Unforgivable Sin”.

 

[Chuck]

The problem with any sin being unforgivable other than the rejection of God’s salvation in Jesus is that it diminishes the grace given on the cross and moves the Law back into play. Which of course means we are doomed. We cannot survive the judgement of the law.

One unforgivable sin - that’s enough for me!

Chuck

 

[Gratias_Grace]

Juxtaposer:

I guess I understand the unforgivable sin as utterly rejecting God’s Holy Spirit. My opinion on this: don’t do it.

I think you are right, because I have asked this question in “Ask an apologist’s” forum. If we say no to the guidance of the Holy Spirit (- no to ongoing convertion), our hearts harden and it will not be easy to listen next time the Holy Spirit will guide us.

If we contiue to sin in that way, I think there perhaps will come a day when we can’t hear the call nomore. Then we can’t be forgiven because we do not recognice God any more. Since we don’t recognice Him, we will not go to confession. Since we don’t confess we can’t be forgiven.

But if we start listening again and repent our sins, then we will be forgiven and can continue to work on our relationship with the Lord again.

 

[germys9]

Don’t make it more complicated than it is. As the CCC says, the only sin unforgiven is the sin unrepented. The Holy Spirit is what allows us to know and see that we are in sin and therefore it would be a sin against the Holy Spirit to not repent of what we know is wrong.

 

[Juxtaposer]

germys9:

Don’t make it more complicated than it is. As the CCC says, the only sin unforgiven is the sin unrepented. The Holy Spirit is what allows us to know and see that we are in sin and therefore it would be a sin against the Holy Spirit to not repent of what we know is wrong.

So the only sin that won’t be forgiven is the un-repented one? How is that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

 

[asquared]

blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the refusal to acknowledge God’s mercy and forgiveness, the refusal to repent of sin and ask forgiveness and trust in God’s mercy. the only unforgiven sin is the sin for which we do not ask forgiveness.

 

[bengal_fan]

Juxtaposer:

So the only sin that won’t be forgiven is the un-repented one? How is that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

because it is the Holy Spirit which convicts us of sin and leads us to repentence. when we deny this conviction, we deny the work of the Spirit and thus blaspheme against the spirit.

 

[Annunciata]

bengal_fan:

because it is the Holy Spirit which convicts us of sin and leads us to repentence. when we deny this conviction, we deny the work of the Spirit and thus blaspheme against the spirit.

Good answer Bengal!
Annunciata

 

[BLB_Oregon]

bengal_fan:

because it is the Holy Spirit which convicts us of sin and leads us to repentence. when we deny this conviction, we deny the work of the Spirit and thus blaspheme against the spirit.

Yes. If you won’t admit you are wrong and will not submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, your choice will be honored. To put your wisdom above that of the Holy Spirit, that is blasphemy, for you make yourself your own god. The refusal of correction and forgiveness is the unforgivable sin.

To say that the handles to the doors of Hell are on the inside is not to say that no one could conceivably choose to go there. (Have you ever pictured the damned as saying, “Lord, when did we EVER see you hungry and fail to feed you?” – their arms crossed and their jaws set?)

 

[trogiah]

Jesus made this statement right after some religious leaders had said that He (Jesus) was possesed by an evil spirit.

I believe he was warning them (or his disciples) that anyone who claimed to be waiting for the Messiah (such as the scribes and pharisees at least claimed to be doing) that also refused to see that Jesus was the Messiah - could never reconcile those two viewpoints. They would either have to give up their faith or come to accept that Jesus was the culmination of their faith.

To put it another way - They could be forgiven for all the torture and death they dealt to him, they could never rest with the thought that he wasn’t the Messiah.

-Jim

 

[Pace]

Great advice everyone. But… does anyone else ever wonder if good advice is enough anymore? Or if this advice can actually go deep enough into the question? I’m convinced that we can SEE the answer and (vicariously) experience the how of this question in the film “Mulholland Drive”. See what you think.

 

[RobedWithLight]

Thanks to everyone for the great replies. I still have much to learn from all of you.

Grace of Christ to all of you.

Gerry

 

[Little_Mary]

bengal_fan:

because it is the Holy Spirit which convicts us of sin and leads us to repentence. when we deny this conviction, we deny the work of the Spirit and thus blaspheme against the spirit.

We Catholics are professional pray-ers. Is there a prayer for this? To pray to God to hear the Holy Spirit’s convictions and enable us to repent for all of our sins? I’d like to add it to my prayer time.

Thanks.

 

[Curious]

blasphemy of the Holy Spirit…when Jesus said that in that passage didn’t the context go something like this:

Jesus did something wonderful and the Pharisees were growling about it as usual and said His power was of devils. Soon after that, Jesus said what he did. I always thought blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was saying that devils were doing something was actually wrought by God’s power. If that’s the case there’s a LOT of people in trouble.

 

[jeffreedy789]

curious - thank goodness that’s NOT the case… it’s too often that we call something of God or of the devil when it’s the opposite or neither.

i’m grateful to the ccc and those who quoted it for a lucid reply. being a convert, i’d never heard a good answer to the q. in the circles from which i come (no, not the 7 rings of hell), the answer is ‘to refuse to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior’. which makes sense to someone who believes that all you have to do to be ‘saved’ is to accept Jesus, and then it’s all over and done.

as in every OTHER case i’ve encountered, the RCC answer makes more sense, is more in line with scripture, and resounds more thoroughly with my heart.

 

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Curious:

blasphemy of the Holy Spirit…when Jesus said that in that passage didn’t the context go something like this:

Jesus did something wonderful and the Pharisees were growling about it as usual and said His power was of devils. Soon after that, Jesus said what he did. I always thought blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was saying that devils were doing something was actually wrought by God’s power. If that’s the case there’s a LOT of people in trouble.

I am so glad you asked this. I know the Church maintains the explanation that most of these posts have said, but I never can quite see it. Yes, the warning follows on the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus was casting out devils by the power of (I believe), Beelzebub,who is a demon. To me, this means that if someone says that the Catholic Church exists by the power of Satan (as sadly many ministers do), then he/she is, in effect following the same procedure as the Pharisees and blaspheming the Holy Spirit,whom we know directs the Church.

The more bland interpretation already existed before Vatican II, because I checked it out in a Radio Replies Book from the 1940s. This, for me, is a difficulty.

Again, I’m so glad you asked this. Do you suppose we are the only two people in the Church to question what seems to me to be an “easy out” answer?

May the HOLY SPIIRIT guide you,

Anna

 

[Curious]

Again, I’m so glad you asked this. Do you suppose we are the only two people in the Church to question what seems to me to be an “easy out” answer?

I’m not Catholic Anna. But thanks.

 

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Curious:

I’m not Catholic Anna. But thanks.

RATS! That makes me the ONLY one!

Anna