An Unforgivable Act
A very real problem is how to treat those who may have totally rejected God. If
we believe in God, then we must recognize that evil exists which is opposed to
God. Some human beings appear to have rejected love and God, and to have chosen
the pleasures of evil. Jesus tells us that even though all else will be
forgiven, there will be no forgiveness in this world or the next for those who
blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Matthew says Jesus said "blasphemy" against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven, whoever "speaks a word against" the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven). Those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit have not only chosen
to do evil, they appear to have separated themselves from, and totally rejected,
God, the One alone who is good. Those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, who
blaspheme God, the One alone who is good, even once, will never be forgiven,
they have committed the eternal sin. No matter what else you do you must never
commit the eternal sin.
Those who think they may have already
committed the eternal sin, may not have. Carefully searching heart, mind, and
soul, may help people tormented by fear that they have blasphemed, spoken a word
against, the Holy Spirit. If the reader is afraid they have done so, the very
fact they are frightened by the thought of blaspheming God perhaps suggests they
may not have done so. If you believe you may have committed the eternal sin,
perhaps you have not. If you believe you may have committed the eternal sin, you
should talk with those who love God. You should talk with those who know and
understand and have chosen to do God’s will, so that if you have not committed
the eternal sin you may stop being afraid and may choose to do God's will. You
should use the knowledge and understanding of love you find when you complete
your search of your heart, mind, and soul, to decide if you really believe you
have committed the eternal sin, or not. If you have not committed the eternal
sin, then if you choose to love as God would have you love God will forgive you
for everything you have ever done, for every sin you have ever committed. (if
you are distressed or depressed, or if you continue to think you may have
committed the eternal sin, see the following note on distress and depression)
How do you know who has blasphemed
the Holy Spirit, and who has simply chosen to do evil? Are you not judging
others, and not forgiving them, if you try to decide who has and who has not
blasphemed, spoken against, God? If you can determine who they are, are you
supposed to love those who have rejected God and embraced evil? Perhaps you
should love them, perhaps not. Perhaps they are no longer your neighbor and you
should not love them, perhaps not. There is an argument that you
should neither hate nor love those who have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Perhaps
you should totally reject them, perhaps not.
Certainly you must completely separate yourself from their evil. Perhaps you
should cut yourself off from them completely, perhaps with the exception of
giving them food when they are hungry, etc. At the
very least you must be certain not to let those who may have blasphemed the Holy
Spirit influence your life in any way. You must never commit the eternal sin.
You must decide for yourself how to
treat those who have committed the eternal sin. You must decide for yourself how
to treat those who you believe may have committed the eternal sin. Your answer
to the question of how to treat those who have or may have committed the eternal
sin, who have or may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, must come from the
knowledge and understanding of God’s love, of God's will, you have when you complete your search
of your heart, mind, and soul.