Expert: Mel and Guyna Horne - 2/11/2006

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Im worried i have lost my salvation,While reading about the unforgiveable sin in Matthew all sorts of blasphemous thoughts entered my head I keep rejecting the thoughts in Jesus name,but they dont go away, I really believe in Jesus but im scared sick now! Maybe i took it all wrong but what do you think ?
Answer -
Hi,

Since all sin is against God, there is no sin that he cannot forgive.

What is sin?
1John 3:4 "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

Whose law?
James 4:12 "There is one lawgiver[God], who is able to save and to destroy: . . . "

Mat. 12:31 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: . . . "

1John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."

God does give us a choice:
Deu. 30:15 "See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil;"
Deu. 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your children may live:"

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

What is the unpardonable sin?

Mat. 12:31 ". . . but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.'

"Blasphemy" is "evil speaking". To speak evil of God's Holy Spirit is to reject it.

It is the other part of that choice of choosing life or death. If we reject God and his way of life and offer of salvation, God cannot forgive that because it is our free will choice. God is not going to force anyone to be in his kingdom. We can only be there if we begin with the choice to want to be there.

In addition to believing, we are also told to "prove all things".

1Ths. 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Proving what is truth requires study.

2Tim. 2:15 "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  

Wrong thoughts can come either from within or from outside us.

From outside ourselves:
When something appears on our TV that we do not want to see, we simply change the channel.
Our minds are also like televisions or radios in that we can always change the channel.
It appears that Satan tempts us by broadcasting like a TV station. He sends out thoughts and images that are selfish, evil or in some way wrong.
If you have a radio with a tuning knob, as you spin the knob you can hear words, phrases or bits of music as the antenna is changed to different radio wave frequencies. We can control our minds the same way. If we let
our mind wander, our thoughts can be influenced or even controlled by anything or anyone around us. Or we can choose a specific station and leave the tuning knob alone, or adjust it if the station starts to fade
out.

Some thoughts come from within us.
Mat. 15:19-20 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  These are the things which defile a man: . . . "

And then there are thoughts that seem to come from nowhere. Thoughts that we don't want to think about. Some can be so horrible that we cannot believe that they came from within us. The most evil thoughts are those
brought to us by the Satan Broadcasting System. Some people have problems shutting out the worst of the messages and have to have psychiatric or
psychological help.

The mind is like a muscle in that it needs exercise. One method of torturing POW's is to deprive them of mental exercise by isolating them in dark, windowless cells. Soldiers are taught how to do mental exercises and
to keep their minds active in order to survive mentally.

We can exercise our minds by choosing what we think about. We already do this in the classroom, on the job and when pursuing recreation.
Studies have shown that it is possible for us to think about as many as six things at once. Playing the piano requires separate thoughts and decisions about two hands and two feet.  Playing drums involves both hands, one or both feet, from one to ten musical objects, plus watching
and listening to the other band members.  Video games often require thinking about more than one thing at a time.

This ability can make it more difficult to shut out certain thoughts while allowing others to remain. The easiest method in this case would probably be to shut out all thoughts except one and to concentrate on it.

The Apostle Paul told the church at Philipi to control their minds and to think about specific things:
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,. . . honest, . . just, . . .pure, . . . lovely, . . .of good report,. . . if there be any
virtue,  . . .any praise, think on these things.”

This is important because we “are” what we “think”.

Pro. 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: . . . “

If we spend a lot of time thinking about something we are more likely to do it.

People often blame God or Satan for everything wrong in their lives, but often, we do not need Satan's help to do or think wrong. Some evil thoughts and deeds come from within us.

Jas. 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:
:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
:15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.”

Every sin begins with the thought. If we stop the thought, we can avoid the sin. But if we entertain the thought, allow it to stay, encourage it, develop it, it can lead to the action.

It is possible to allow demons to control our minds, and to become demon possessed. To avoid this, all
thoughts of being subject to Satan should be forcefully put out of our minds.


That you are concerned about your thoughts shows that you are still going in the right direction.

Lk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaks.

As long as we seek to please God, we have no reason to fear anything.

1John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love."

Mat. 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself."
1John 5:2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments."

We hope this helps.
If you have other questions, feel free to ask.
Sincerely,
Mel and Guyna

So the verse in matthew is reffering to rejecting Christ ?
Id heard it was attributing Christs work to the devil
For more answers and for Christian humor visit:
http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/index.html  

Answer
Hi,

[Note: The experts automated system does not allow us to delete previous text when we respond. So this will get longer with every followup.]




We wrote:


>>What is the unpardonable sin?

>>Mat. 12:31 ". . . but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men.'

>>"Blasphemy" is "evil speaking". To speak evil of God's Holy Spirit is to
reject it.


You asked:
>“So the verse in matthew is reffering to rejecting Christ ?
>Id heard it was attributing Christs work to the devil”


The word in the Greek means slander:
"blasphemy, Greek “blasphemia”,
1) slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another's good name
2) impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty "

source  http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/words/9/1139855837-4094.html


The scriptures say:
Mat. 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw.
Mat. 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow [Christ] does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

The Pharisees were attributing Christ's work to Satan.

Mat. 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them,  . . .”

Mat. 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat. 12:32 And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Whether they understood him or not, Christ had just said that they had committed blasphemy against him, and that it was forgivable.
Christ told the Pharisees and everyone else listening, that they could reject him and still find forgiveness (if they repented). But if they rejected the Spirit of God, they could never be forgiven.

Rather than a play on words, it is more of a play with words.
If we reject Christ, we have rejected the Father and His Spirit. If we reject the Father and His Spirit, we have rejected Christ because Christ and the Father are “One” (Jn 10:30). If we accept God the Father and his Spirit and the message [delivered by Christ], then we have also accepted Christ.

The Pharisees were not offended directly at God or at God's Spirit, but at Christ because he was contradicting their “traditions” and their understanding of God's laws given through Moses.
In a way Christ was telling them that if they could get past being offended at Christ for turning their religious world upside down (Psa. 146:9, Acts 17:6), they could still find salvation.
Christ was a “stumbling block” (Isa. 8:14) to the religious leaders of Jerusalem. So he was saying to them, “Forget about me, consider the message and accept it.” Of course, in doing so, they would eventually have to accept him also. Christ offered them an easier way to approach the truth he brought.


Jn 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, make yourself God.
To which Christ responded:
Jn 10:38 But if I do [the works of my Father], though you believe not me, believe the works: that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

In other words, even if you do not believe me, believe the miracles you are seeing.  Even if you reject me, at least accept that these miracles are of God and receive his message.  If they believed the “works”, they would eventually have to believe Christ. But this was an easier way for them if they would take it.

So, attributing Christ's miracles to Satan could be a step on the way to committing the unpardonable sin, or it could just be another sin that is forgiven if we accept God the Father, his Holy Spirit, and God's message delivered by Christ, which includes accepting Christ's sacrifice for our sins.

Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Mel and Guyna