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You are here: Experts > Homework Help > Christianity - General > Eastern Orthodox > Holy Spirit
Expert: Herman - 11/4/2009
Question
QUESTION: LORD JESUS said that he who rejects the holy spirit will not be forgiven on earth or in heaven..
IS this true? and how do u know if you have committed this sin by accident? please shed some light on this subject if you may
ANSWER: Ah, but how do you reject the Holy Spirit? There is only one way, that is by consciously choosing to do so by refusing to accept God's forgiveness. God does not forgive because someone refuses to accept His forgiveness. You cannot do that by accident. It takes a conscious and continuous effort on your part.
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy, in chapter 34 of his book The Law of God, had this to say regarding the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
"However, whoever knowingly and persistently rejects the most saving mercy of God, which is a blessing of the Holy Spirit, and consciously calls the deeds of the omnipotent God the works of the Devil, he has no means of repentance, and without repentance there is not and can never be salvation."
Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto puts it this way:
"The correct interpretation, as it is given to us by the Church Fathers, is this: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the denial by man out of hatred of God's power to save him. Even more simply, the man who does not believe that the grace of God--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--can save him, closes his heart to the actions of the Holy Spirit; he does not accept Grace. He does not proceed to repentance. He fights against the sanctifying and saving act of God. He creates within himself a sorrowful and incurable condition."
So in summary, it means that the deeds of the Holy Spirit are rejected and attributed to the evil one. Through this the person closes their heart to the action of the Holy Spirit, and therefore cannot be brought to that "godly sorrow" which "brings repentance that leads to salvation" (1 Cor. 7:10).
I hope you find this helpful.
Your servant,
Herman
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: So its Knowingly rejecting GODS unimaginable Mercy and blaspheming in the Lord in the worst way
What is you repent your sins and tried your best to live how JESUS wants you to live and you felt the amazing love and grace of ALMIGHTY GOD...but you fall back in to your sins again...has that got anything to do with the unforgivable sin?
can u also shed light on the sin un to death?
Answer
If we continue to knowingly reject God's grace and forgiveness, over time, we can build up a spiritual callus, that makes us insensitive to God's call. We can get into the habit of blocking Him out so that eventually we don't "notice" Him anymore and we no longer feel the call to repentance. Thus we keep on sinning without repentance, we refuse to ask for God's forgiveness, we don't WANT God's forgiveness, and we become unforgiveable, not by God's choice, but by our own choice.
That is why confession and repentance is so important, so that we do not reach this state, even as the pharisees did in the time of Jesus. They "knew" what was going on, but did not want to give up their status and change their lives, so rather than do that, they claimed that the miracles done by Jesus were from the devil and not from the Holy Spirit, even though they knew better. They tried to mislead the people into their own sins as well. They knew but they had hardened their hearts against God. They only wanted God to work on their terms, and not to accept His terms. That was the unforgiveable sin unto death.
It is not the falling back into sin that causes our death, it is the refusal to pick ourselves up and return to the Father like the prodigal son did, to keep trying. Once we stop trying, then we are dead.
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