Have I Committed the Unpardonable Sin?”
These study notes correspond with Study #5 of the Jesus on Prophecy series. Click here for the YouTube link.
To download a pdf of this study, click here.
The Sin Unto Death vs The Sins Not Unto Death:
· The Bible teaches that there are two categories of sin described as the sin unto death and the sin not unto death. While ALL sin is unrighteousness and MUST be cleansed from us by the blood of Jesus. There is only one type of sin that costs us our salvation...1 John 5:16-18
· This is not to be confused with God excusing sin. All sin must be cleansed because heaven is a place for the righteous alone (2 Pet. 3:13, Rev. 22:14-15, 1 John 1:9).
· In order to save us from our sin, Jesus must cleanse us thoroughly. No unrighteousness will enter heaven (2 Pet. 3:13). All sin must go. We must surrender all to His cleansing power and recognize the distinction/reason for these two categories. This distinction is not a license to continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-2, Matt. 5:17-19 & Rev. 22:14-15).
· How much of our sin did Jesus die for? All of it! Absolutely all of our iniquities were laid on Him and He died for/as us! Why then should any man die? Why should any man pay the price for sins already paid for? Having already died for those very sins, didn’t Jesus exhaust that penalty already?...Is. 53:4-6
“Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these requirements. By dying in man's stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon.”
(Selected Messages Book 1 pg. 340.1)
· Jesus did what? He EXHAUSTED, EMPTIED, DEPLETED the penalty for our sins! There is no condemnation remaining there for you or I! Jesus took it ALL and there is nothing there left for us! Now remember, the sins for which He died cannot enter into heaven. Christ MUST cleanse us of them all! But these sins, whether lying or stealing or any other condemned by the law (Ex. 20:1-17), are NOT THE CAUSE OF DAMNATION BUT THE FRUIT OF IT! A man can never be lost because he is a thief. However, when all is said and done, his remaining a thief testifies to his being lost. We are not lost because we break the law (this does not excuse breaking it—that is sin...1 John 3:4), we are lost because we reject God’s provision (Jesus) to make us law abiding citizens. It is for UNBELIEF in Him that a man is condemned (Mark 16:16). Unbelief can have no Saviour because unbelief acknowledges and receives no Saviour.
“Christ “gave Himself for our sins,” Gal. 1:4. That is to say, He bought them, and paid the price for them. This is a simple statement of fact. When we hear a man say that he gave so much for a certain thing, we know that that thing belongs to him, because he has bought it. So, when the Holy Spirit tells us that Christ gave Himself for our sins, we should be equally sure that they belong to Him, and not to us. They are ours no longer, and we have no right to them.”
(Salvation In Jesus Christ pg. 5.1)
“The fact is that Christ has bought us, together with our sins, and has paid the price. Therefore, there is no room for the question, “Will He accept us?” He has already accepted you! Why does a man buy an article at the store?-Because he wants it. If he has paid the price for it, having examined it so as to know what he was buying, does the merchant worry lest he will not accept it?-Not at all; the merchant knows that it is his business to get the goods to the purchaser as soon as possible. There is no chance for any one to object, “But I am so sinful and unworthy.” That makes no difference; a man will accept what he deliberately purchases, especially if he has paid a great price for it; and Christ “gave Himself for our sins.” There is nothing in the whole universe that God desires so much as us and all the sins we have! We have only to praise “the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” Eph. 1:6.”
(Salvation in Jesus Christ pg. 6.2-3)
The Unpardonable Sin Against the Holy Spirit!
· According to Jesus, blaspheming and rejecting the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable...Matt. 12:31-32
· In order to understand why this is an unforgivable sin we must 1st recognize our need of the Holy Spirit’s work. What exactly does He do? It is He alone that convicts us so that we see our need of Jesus, it is He alone that can guide us into all Truth, it is He alone that performs the righteousness of God in/through us and it is He alone that can melt our hearts and lead us to Christ THE ONLY SAVIOUR! Who could possibly be saved without the Holy Spirit’s working? No one. The rejection of Him is unpardonable, not because Christ lacks mercy but because to reject His Spirit is to remove THE ONLY AVENUE through which His mercy comes to us. He is an essential Bridge that must never be burned (figuratively speaking of course)..John 16:7-11, John 16:13, Gal. 5:22-23, Phi. 2:13, Rom. 3:11, John 16:13-14
“No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul...The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.”
(The Desire of Ages pg. 172.1)
Unconditional Pardon...Conditional Cleansing:
· God desires our confession and He desires to cleanse us of all sin. Is pardon with God conditional? Does He wait until I’m sorry to pardon me for my sins? (Note: 2 phases of forgiveness are here represented: both pardon and cleansing)...1 John 1 :7-9
· Only those IN CHRIST have God’s forgiveness...Eph. 1:3-7
· God placed every one of us IN CHRIST! In other words, God has already placed you in the position to receive His forgiveness...1 Cor. 1:30-32, Col. 1:12-14
· PARDON is unconditional with God. He pardons without our earning it, while we are still His enemies...Rom. 5:8-10, Col. 2:12-13
“...when He granted forgiveness of sins at the cross, it was not merely the sins of believers which were forgiven. This act of forgiveness was a corporate event, and it was effective for all mankind. Thus, this passage of Scripture teaches the forgiveness of all sins (except the unpardonable sin) for all who have ever sinned—believers and unbelievers alike. The question is: How does this event relate to 1 John 1:9?”
“The Greek term used in Colossians 2:13, which is translated “forgiven,” is charizomai in the original text. However, the word translated “forgive” in 1 John 1:9 is an entirely different word in the original text—aphiemi...The Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament provides additional insight into the meaning and usage of this word. “Charizomai, as a verb means to bestow a favor unconditionally, is used of the act of forgiveness, whether divine or human.”
“These insights are good news, but the word translated “forgive” in 1 John 1:9 (aphiemi) does not mean unconditional pardon. It comes from two root words—apo and hiemi. Apo means “from” and hiemi means “send forth,” or “send away.” Thus aphiemi has the meaning of sending forth from, or sending away from. It conveys the concept of two entities being separated. We see it used in Matt. 13:36” “Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.” The word “sent” is aphiemi in the original text. In 1 Cor. 7:1 Paul says, “Let not the husband put away his wife.” The words “put away” are translated from aphiemi.”
“With this background, we can see that 1 John 1:9 could more accurately be translated, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to put away [or separate us from] our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness...Two different aspects of forgiveness are highlighted by these two verses of Scripture. One text is speaking of (1)pardon. The other is speaking of (2)cleansing. 1 John 1:9 does not contradict Colossians 2:13, nor does it contradict 2 Corinthians 5:19.”
-The Message of the Latter Rain
by Kelvin M. Duncan & Earl D. Peters pg. 67.1-4
· It is true that all men were pardoned at the cross. However, no man can be cleansed of sin without his personally choosing to give them up. As Christians, we trust Jesus as a Lamb to take away our guilt and sin. We must now learn to trust Him as our Priest in Heaven to cleanse us of those very sin. All men have been pardoned of sin beloved but ONLY the cleansed are saved from it. Would you give Jesus your sins today? We can trust Him with them...Ps. 103:8-12, 1 Cor. 5:7, Heb. 9:2, Heb. 4:14-16
“Do not listen to the enemy's suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have made yourself better; until you are good enough to come to God. If you wait until then, you will never come. When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise of Jesus, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out,” John 6:37. Tell the enemy that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of David your own, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow,” Psalm 51:7.”
(Christ’s Object Lessons pg. 205.2)
“Arise and go to your Father. He will meet you a great way off. If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love! His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it! Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul.”
(Christ’s Object Lessons pg. 206.1)