The Unforgivable Sin

The Unforgivable Sin

 

Solomon told us that there is a time to speak and another time to keep quiet (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

Wisdom is saying the right thing, at the right time, to the right person. If those three things do not align, you should stay silent.

If you follow Jesus, you should have a heart for the lost. This should propel you to go public with your faith and speak up regarding what is true. Some people will listen to you and be curious to learn more. God has primed that person’s heart to be more receptive. Perhaps tragedy moves people to seek out a Christian to pray for them, or to find answers. And when that time comes, we should be ready to answer for why we believe Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). Not everyone will be convinced, like the crowd at Mars Hill after Paul preached (Acts 17:16-22), but they left curious. Others dismissed Paul as a babbler. Apologist Frank Turek once said that if you cannot convince them, plant the seed. The seed works like a rock in the shoe, an objection or point that stays with the opponent that begins ever so slightly to cause doubt on what they believed was false.

Other people will never listen. We don’t know who they are. It could be that they would be ready to listen later on in life. But as we are sharing our faith, it was never the Lord’s intention for us to spin our wheels in the mud, trying to convince the obstinate and hard-headed (Matthew 10:14; Luke 9:5). Say it once and then move on. Your very life is a witness that speaks when your mouth is silent.

The hard truth to accept is that some people will never repent (Rev 9:20-21). One example is Judas Iscariot. I wondered for a long time why Jesus called him the son of perdition (destruction). It is because he chose destruction. He was not beyond hope. Like Peter, he could have sought restoration after the resurrection of Jesus from death, but instead, he bought a rope a hung himself. Even in his guilt, the closest to penance that he reached, he still did not seek the Lord for mercy. He chose death and destruction.

Some sin will end in forgiveness and some sin will end in death (1 John 5:16-17). We are not encouraged to pray for the sins that will end in death, and I will venture to say that sin is stubborn unbelief. There is no point in praying for such as person who is determined to be wrong though he thinks he’s right. Jesus called out a similar attitude in the Pharisees who had committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit by saying that Jesus’ power came from demons and not from the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-29). Perpetual sin and refusal of God’s words and work result in the impossible situation of repenting (Hebrews 6:4-6). This is why we are encouraged to let the obstinate wicked depart headlong to their destruction (Revelation 22:10-12).

This means there is no point in arguing with people. I’ve said this before. Pay close attention to how people ask questions. Their tone reveals if they consider themselves as an authority over you or a humble student attempting to add to their knowledge. Some people ask questions to trap you like they did Jesus (Matthew 22:15). They want to confuse you and cloud your reasoning so they can sneak in and subvert your faith. Cults work just like this. This is one reason why Jesus told us to ignore blind guides (Matthew 15:12-14).

Don’t spend all your energy and time arguing with those who think you are a moron for being a Christian. Go be a Christian! Go live like you believe that this is all true! Stay vigilant over your life, your doctrine, and your work. If the devil cannot get us to disbelieve, he will try to distract, or exhaust us. Don’t fall for it. I’ll end with 1 Timothy 1:3-7.