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Your pastor says: What then is it? The unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an act of resistance which belittles the Holy Spirit so grievously that he withdraws for ever with his convicting power so that we are never able to repent and be forgiven.

I understand what he is saying (I probably have committed such an act of resistance), but I have heard from others that no one is beyond redemption. That we ALL have the power within us AT ALL TIMES to ask for forgiveness, it is just that our stubbornness gets in the way.

As your pastor alludes to in his article I suppose there is disagreement among believers as to what exactly this unforgivable sin actually entails.

I understand what he is saying (I probably have committed such an act of resistance), but I have heard from others that no one is beyond redemption. That we ALL have the power within us AT ALL TIMES to ask for forgiveness, it is just that our stubbornness gets in the way.

You have to understand that one of the big debates within the protestant community is between Calvinist and Armenians (sp). Calvinist believe you will only come to repentance it so moved by the Holy Spirit of God, through that perspective what he is saying is that when you have blasphemed the holy spirit you will *not* be moved *ever* to repentance and that if you are truly moved that way you have not committed such an offense.

Armenians (example: Nazarenes, Weslians) believe man chooses to serve God and through his choice, and Gods grace, he is redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Calvinist believe God has chosen the elect and will preserve them until such a time as *his spirit alone* draws them near (i.e. we have no say in the matter, its *only* Gods grace).