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What Is the Unforgivable Sin against the Holy Spirit? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
CE.com ^
| June 15th, 2006
| Eric Stoutz and CE Editors
Posted on 10/14/2011 5:20:26 PM PDT by Salvation
June 15th, 2006 by CE Editors
Eric Stoutz
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
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Dear Catholic Exchange:
I recently read a passage about the unpardonable sin. No sooner did I finish reading the passage, did I become worried about committing it so enough blasphemous thoughts that I didn't believe came into my head. I have been struggling with these thoughts for weeks. Often new thoughts would soon enter my head. I prayed for forgiveness I never believed these thoughts, but I'm still worried. Please help me.
Thank you for your concern,
Christopher
Dear Christopher,
Peace in Christ!
In Matthew 12:31 Jesus says, Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Jesus called not all blasphemy unpardonable, but only that against the Holy Spirit. But what you describe does not resemble the unpardonable sin.
Looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the deliberate refusal to accept Gods mercy and forgiveness (no. 1864). Six species of this sin have been identified over time as
(1) Despair;
(2) Presumption;
(3) Impenitence or a firm determination not to repent;
(4) Obstinacy;
(5) Resisting divine truth known to be such; and
(6) Envy of anothers spiritual welfare.
The one who despairs ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God (no. 2091). Despair is directly contrary to the theological virtue of hope, which is, in part, a reliance on the grace of the Holy Spirit (Catechism, no. 1817).
Presumption is a sin against the Holy Spirit inasmuch as one presumes he can save himself apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit or that God will save him without conversion (cf. Catechism, no. 2092).
Impenitence clearly resists the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to conversion and repentance (cf. Catechism, nos. 1430-33).
Obstinacy is akin to impenitence, because one not only resists the grace of the Holy Spirit, but willfully persists in what he knows to be grave sin.
Resisting divine truth is to resist that which one knows to have been revealed by the Holy Spirit as necessary to divine and catholic faith. One is guilty of heresy, thereby cutting themselves off from God (cf. Catechism, no. 2089).
Finally, envy is a sin against the Holy Spirit because it was through Satans envy that death entered the world (cf. Catechism, no. 2538; Wis. 2:24). When one is envious of the spiritual good of another, he places himself on the level of Satan who wanted Gods glory for Himself rather than humbly accepting the gifts God had given him (Ezek. 28:11-19). One must accept the blessings God has given him rather than look at how God has blessed another and desire that for himself. Envy of anothers spiritual good is a sin against the Holy Spirit inasmuch as it is the Holy Spirit who pours out spiritual gifts to the faithful.
More on why blasphemy is unforgivable:
Matthew 12:32 teaches, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. How do we reconcile this passage with our reliance on the Fathers infinite love and mercy for our salvation, such that, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16).
The short answer is from definition. The following is from a commentary by John Paul II on the Scriptural prohibition of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit:
According to such an exegesis, 'blasphemy' does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross (Dominum et Vivificantem, Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit, no. 46).
Thus, while it is usually defined as speaking against God (see Catechism, no. 2148), in this case blasphemy is the refusal to accept salvation.
TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Moral Issues; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; holyspirit; romancatholic; romancatholicism; unforgivablesin; unforgiveablesin
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Part of tomorrow's Gospel.
1
posted on
10/14/2011 5:20:30 PM PDT
by
Salvation
To: All
2
posted on
10/14/2011 5:22:22 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
Blasphemy...denying the Holy Spirit’s existence and the power thereof to move in and effect change in the hearts of men.
3
posted on
10/14/2011 5:24:11 PM PDT
by
nfldgirl
To: Religion Moderator
Even though my eyes were tested out OK there is something about having the dilated that remains a couple days.
Should be
What Is the Unforgivable Sin against the Holy Spirit? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
4
posted on
10/14/2011 5:24:25 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
I don’t know about all that, but I’ve always understood the “unpardonable sin” to be continual rejection of the prompting of the Holy Spirit to turn to God.
I’ve also been told that if someone is worried about having committed it, it’s a pretty good indication that they probably haven’t.
5
posted on
10/14/2011 5:25:10 PM PDT
by
lquist1
To: lquist1
I am a Southern Baptist and that is pretty much the same thing I have been taught. Not really that much different from the Catholic view.
6
posted on
10/14/2011 5:32:59 PM PDT
by
yarddog
To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...
7
posted on
10/14/2011 5:33:56 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: yarddog
8
posted on
10/14/2011 5:34:37 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
"Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."
9
posted on
10/14/2011 5:38:57 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
The answer to this question is pretty clear...
When Jesus healed someone, the Pharisees after witnessing the healing proclaimed that Jesus had performed the miracle by the power of Satan.
Jesus immediately responded with the point that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven.
1. You have to be a direct witness to a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
2. After witnessing such an event, if you claim that it was the devil who did it, you have committed the unpardonable sin.
3. Saying that the miracle was a trick or something is not the same... that is simply dis-belief.
Some would argue that in order to commit this sin, you would have to be witnessing Jesus performing it... which means it’s not possible to commit this sin today.
Others argue that you can indeed commit this sin if you witness a true manifestation of the Holy Spirit (such as a miraculous healing) and claim that it was by Satan’s power.
The other extreme suggests that if you even speak out against someone speaking under direction of the Holy Spirit, and then say that their words are not from God, that this qualifies. Most modern day theology has a tendency to hover around this version or variance of it, and it is frequently used as a manipulative tool to coerce people into believing the speaker or at least to keep quiet.
Personally, I believe that the truth lies in the middle. I believe it is possible to commit this sin today, but it would require that you witness a miracle, and then say that Satan did it. (Who would do that other than someone totally sold out to Satan?)
Given this, I would submit that this is one reason why we rarely see miracles occurring today. They DO happen, but I believe God is very careful about when and where... simply because God doesn’t want to give up on anybody if he can help it... and miraculously healing someone in public could actually be exposing unbelievers to the vulnerability of committing the unforgivable sin.
10
posted on
10/14/2011 5:42:30 PM PDT
by
Safrguns
To: Salvation
11
posted on
10/14/2011 5:50:10 PM PDT
by
ColdSteelTalon
(Light is fading to shadow, and casting its shroud over all we have known...)
To: Safrguns
I always understood that in fact no man truly knows what acts or omissions would constitute this sin. I doubt despair would always qualify as I have personally seen people go into severe depression requiring hospitalization; and at their low point felt even God rejected them. After medication and treatment they returned to a reasonably hopeful frame of mind.
12
posted on
10/14/2011 6:00:12 PM PDT
by
AEMILIUS PAULUS
(It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
Comment #13 Removed by Moderator
To: All; Religion Moderator
Please remember, everyone, that this is a Catholic/Orthodox Caucus thread.
If you are not an active member of a Catholic or Orthodox Church, please do not post on this thread.
14
posted on
10/14/2011 6:23:07 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All; Safrguns
Hebrews 6
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, [d]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
7 For ground that drinks the rain which often [e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close [f]to being cursed, and [g]it ends up being burned.
15
posted on
10/14/2011 6:25:33 PM PDT
by
johngrace
(1 John 4!- which is also declared at every sunday mass.)
To: Salvation
If you know you have committed an unpardonable sin, doesn’t that mean you despair of salvation? If it’s unpardonable, it’s unpardonable. No?
To: Salvation
Presumption, or as it’s known on FR, “once saved always saved.”
To: Salvation; All
I remember reading a charismatic reverend who could see into the Spirit. He once believed in once saved always saved. Until His cousin a christian woman who loved to have sex with anyone for years produced a vision from the Lord on the answer to this very Question. I should point out that God waited decades for her to repent according to his story.
He saw her die in a sex act and her soul go to Hell.
The Lord gave him this verse after the Vision. I just posted it before. I never forgot these verses since that story. Very interesting to say the least.
Hebrews 6
The Peril of Falling Away
1 Therefore leaving the [a]elementary teaching about the [b]Christ, let us press on to [c]maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, [d]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
7 For ground that drinks the rain which often [e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close [f]to being cursed, and [g]it ends up being burned.
18
posted on
10/14/2011 6:50:26 PM PDT
by
johngrace
(1 John 4!- which is also declared at every sunday mass.)
To: johngrace
>>> For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
If you quoted this passage as an example of unforgivable sin, I would like to point out a couple of things...
1. “Fallen away” is not a reference to condemnation
2. “Renew again to repentance” is not a reference to salvation.
Those are key operative phrases that can easily be confused with condemnation and salvation, but they are more in line with a person’s state of mind... which is what is being discussed.
My short interpretation of that passage is “Those who turn from the faith (fall away) are vulnerable to an early death.”
Another alternate reading of that passage refers to those who have actually seen the works of the Holy Spirit, and still turned away (refused to accept Jesus). In other words, if the Holy Spirit Himself cannot win a person’s heart to Christ, it is impossible for anyone else to.
Since it is difficult to understand exactly who is being referred to in verse four (saved or unsaved), I would offer both interpretations as possibilities... but I would not say this passage refers to the unpardonable sin.
19
posted on
10/14/2011 7:39:00 PM PDT
by
Safrguns
To: Safrguns
Your entitled to your opinion.
Hebrews 6
7" For ground that drinks the rain which often [e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 BUT if it Yields thorns and thistles, it is Worthless and close [f]to being Cursed, and [g]it ends up being BURNED."
Remember it was in a story I read. It does not mean it was true either. But the verses do speak for themselves at times. I read mine in the Holy Spirit. Meaning after very much Prayers in the Spirit. If we read it without any real prayer time we can be dangerous to say what it really is meaning. Of course that is in my opinion.
Freeper Regards!
20
posted on
10/14/2011 7:59:28 PM PDT
by
johngrace
(1 John 4!- which is also declared at every sunday mass.)
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