Four days ago, I had the pleasure of riding with my oldest daughter, enjoying and taking advantage of the nice and beautiful day out. First, we enjoyed a nice and delicious protein salad from Subway in Kenansville, afterwards, we took my 10-month-old grandson to the park, and departing from there, we decided to head back to my daughter’s house, as she lives in Warsaw. During the ride back, I chose to pull out and continue reading this great book I started on about sins and forgiveness, and on one of the chapters I had just started, there was this young lady named Gayle detailing how she had an abortion and because of it, she could never get over the guilt, regret, or forgive herself about what she had done, and whenever she tried, her family and friends would scold her that she committed the ultimate sin. Que in the pastor and he asked her, “Sweetheart, did you ever seek Jesus to confess and repent of this sin?” And her answer was, “Pastor I have tried many times, but my heart just never seems to be in it. It’s hardened. I was told that I won’t be forgiven ever. My family and friends told me that I have committed the ultimate sin, a sin worse than others, and that it won’t do me any good to ask for forgiveness.” The pastor, filled with such compassion for her, walks over to her my book tells me, and gives her the biggest hug before telling her, “My dear, and with all due respect when I say this, because I truly do love the Lord, and He loves you unconditionally, but that is a load of crap and where you are standing today, is where those family members and friends who told you this bull should be standing also so that they could learn a thing or two because it’s clear to me that they don’t read or study the Bible.” I laughed so hard, until I suddenly realized that once upon a time, my own daughter faced the same dilemma as Gayle in my book and the same oppression from family and friends. I didn’t then and I don’t now condone abortion, but at the time, my daughter being an adult and having her own personal reasons, didn’t allow me to have an opinion or choice in the matter. The best thing I knew to do for her afterwards was to just be there and to comfort her. And when the attacks came for her because they did come, claiming that she committed the ultimate sin, I stepped in and put a stop to it. Like Jesus stated in John 8:7 of the NIV, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” This surely piped a lot of them down. Sin is sin. There is no sin greater than another. There is no sin that is too big or too small, too dark, or too light. If you are a sinner, then you are a sinner. Period.
We’re told that the seven deadly sins are pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath. Sometimes referred to as vanity or vainglory is pride, covetousness or avarice is greed, and anger is wrath. Covering drunkenness and more generally, self-indulgent excess is gluttony. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin suggests that, according to the biblical terminology, it has three aspects: rebellion against God, which is the most basic concept, violation of relationships with people, and breach of or disobedience to the law. In 1 John 3:4 of the KJV it states, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” The seven deadly sins are not recorded in the Bible. The categorization and history of this sin began in the year 400. A fourth-century monk, Evagrius Ponticus, described eight evils to resist then Pope Gregory 1, two centuries later, refined the inventory to seven. Isaiah 14:13-14 tells us selfishness and pride are viewed as the root causes of all sin and related to each of the seven. Christians can combat the seven deadly sins in their lives by living out godly characteristics and growing in the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
The 10 Commandments Listed In the Bible Are:
1. You shall have no other Gods before me.
2. Don’t make an idol.
3. Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t commit adultery.
8. Don’t steal.
9. Don’t lie.
10. Don’t covet.
(Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5)
Of these listed commandments, could there be consequences? Absolutely, “the wage of sin is death,” but there is also the confession and repentance of your sins. God forgives all sins, except one.
This young lady in my book and my daughter were both consumed with so much guilt, pain, hurt, and regret of their actions and being judged so harshly because of it by friends and family members, they both hardened their hearts to seeking God and talking to Him about it, they were too ashamed to confess their sin and repent, and because of this, they both hardened their hearts against the Holy Spirit who was trying to lead them to repent of their sin and believe in Christ. This is an outset, the unforgivable sin, Blasphemy against the Spirit. Mathew 12:31 states, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.” Jesus says about the Holy Spirit in John 16:8, “And he when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” One can never find forgiveness for sins if one rejects the Spirit. Yet, both were truly unaware that they were committing and persisting in unforgivable sin. “Thus, the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is not a wayward word uttered in a moment of anger. Nor is it some other dramatic sin, like murder, or suicide, or adultery. There is not a hint in Mathew 12 that Jesus had such sins in mind. (Besides, don’t we observe God forgiving such sins throughout the Bible? -think only of the narratives of David and Paul). Blasphemy against the Spirit is ongoing hardening of your heart against the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead you to repent of sin and believe in Christ. It is an issue of the heart that manifests in one’s words (and actions). Someone who hardens his or her heart against the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit and who refuses to repent of sin and turn to Christ in faith has committed a sin that never can be forgiven. The person who repeatedly and without repentance rejects the Holy Spirit’s testimony to Christ is the one who has blasphemed the Holy Spirit. That sin is the only sin that never will be forgiven.” (Berding, 2021). Luke 12:10 says, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.”
This young lady in my book had someone to come along and guide her where she needed to be. This Christian character also, like me with my own daughter, would not give up on Gayle, therefore helping her to unharden her heart and show her how to unburden herself of the guilt, regret, and pain, and to confess her sins to the Lord, those of commission and omission. My daughter had described to me that for her, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off her when she unhardened her heart and confessed and repented of her sin. Finding her way back to the Lord after her decision and knowing that she had been forgiven, had allowed her to ignore the continued whispers of those still evil so-called friends and family members. So, when you decide to tell someone that their sin is bigger than your sin, just remember, don’t, because sin is sin. Until next time folks!!
Source: Berding, K. (2021). What is the Unforgivable Sin? What is Blasphemy against the Spirit? From https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2021/what-is-the-unforgivable-sin-what-is-blasphemy-against-the-spirit
