The Sin against the Holy Spirit

[@marriage4life893]

Thank you! This reminds me of Leviticus 26:14-47 where you see how God slowly becomes their enemy the more they continue to reject him and his ways.

[@stacyclark5910]

Thanks again!!! That really clears up a lot of misconceptions!!! Please keep this great teaching coming!!!

[@Dominick13777]

Great explanation. Thanks

[@michaeldvorak8140]

I thank you for the blessing I’ve received by hearing your explanation of this difficult subject.

[@pastorrich7436]

So well illustrated! A must review for all of the Body!! Thank you, brother.

[@sanjivdungdung]

Good lesson on the holy spirit

[@severalstories3420]

I’m struggling with something at least tangentially related to this topic of sinning, and it’s more of a broad question about the Lutheran paradigm probably. What is the state of the soul prior to confession and absolution after one has mortally sinned? All I ever find in my Lutheran texts is that the Holy Spirit doesn't coexist with such a person. So does that mean they're in the equivalent position as the Roman Catholic being outside the "state of grace"? What if such a person dies before repenting? Also, somewhat relatedly, is justification continually declared to those with faith because it's a declaration of the eternal God who is outside of time (and so we experience any declarations across time, though they're eternally declared?) Thanks.

[@chadbird1517]

I'm not the best one to ask, since systematics is not my wheelhouse, but here is a general reply. If one has rejected the Holy Spirt and faith ("mortally sinned," to use that language), then they are in the same position as any unbeliever. As such, should they die without faith, they would be condemned. The reason justification--that is, the preaching of the Gospel--is continually declared is that it is the God-ordained means, along with baptism and the Supper, that Christ brings to us, in the here and now, the fruits of the cross. We will never stop sinning in this life, so Christ never stops giving us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Somewhat related, here is my explanation of the possibility of losing salvation: www.1517.org/articles/once-saved-always-saved-true-or-not You might find some more answers in these episodes of The Thinking Fellows: podcasts.apple.com/tn/podcast/mortal-and-venial-sin/id1079727939?i=1000476560492

[@severalstories3420]

Chad Bird Thanks so much for the reply. I’ll work through those resources, but my gut reaction is to wonder what comfort one’s baptism is if we can’t trust ourselves not to sin, and even mortally. I’ll come back to this after I do the homework : )

[@severalstories3420]

@@chadbird1517 So, I’ve done the reading and listening (thanks!) but I’m starting to become frustrated at this roadblock to Lutheranism I’m experiencing at the moment. Regarding the mortal/venial sin distinction, for example, it seems like the thinking fellows guys and gals (who are doubtless highly educated people), were sort of spitballing it at least on this one. I get that it’s an informal conversation, but consider for a moment the gravity of the question. If you’re in mortal sin, you’re outside of the faith and damned. I’ve found that there’s lots of oddly casual talk from Lutherans about what miserably filthy sinners we all are, and that every sin separates us from God; yet at the same time there’s this distinction between mortal/venial sinning which, it seems to me, explodes the very assertion that every sin separates us from God. So what frustrates me, then, is the apparent lack of urgency about understanding what sort of danger we’re in. They seem like cool, laid-back and intelligent people on a chilled out podcast so I don’t want to lay into them too much, but there was also a demonstration of misunderstanding Rome’s teaching on this subject as well-which is concerning only because it demonstrates a disinterestedness in what strikes me as one of the most important questions we can ask, namely: am I going to hell for what I’ve done? Or how about: Was I damned after sinning mortally and before the absolution? What about on the way home from the bars after a bad night? Am I SOL then? With respect, in your blog post you seem to want to simply tell me “no, don’t even think of that question. Just look to Christ.” Then what do you study in a theology classroom? Is it all “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” and “we don’t ask those questions here”? Thanks for reading my rant. Your book Night Driving was deeply affecting and I'll return to it often. *Edit 1: Deleted the needlessly harsh crap. *Edit 2: Johann Gerhard: "Since faith unites us so closely to Christ, it is really the mother of all virtues in us. Where faith is, there Christ is; where Christ is, there is aholy life, namely true humility, true gentleness, true love. Christ and theHoly Spirit are never separated; and when the Holy Spirit is present in asoul there is true holiness. Therefore, where the life is not holy, thesanctifying Spirit must be absent; and if the Holy Spirit be absent, Christ cannot be there; and if Christ is not there, then neither is true faith there.Any branch that draws not its life and succor from the vine cannot beconsidered as united with the vine (John xv. 4); so we are not united to Christ by faith unless we derive all our spiritual life and strength from Him." Okay. So we're miserable sinners that can't do anything right, but when that's the case it's evidence that the Spirit isn't in us so we're damned. What gives?

[@marcoandresrosario8474]

@@chadbird1517 1.why did you feel as if you had to make this video? 2.So not just randomly saying something bad about the Holy Spirit isn't the unpardonable sin, even if it is pretty bad?

[@chadbird1517]

​@@marcoandresrosario8474, I make weekly videos based on the upcoming Gospel reading for the Sunday lectionary. Because the blasphemy against the Spirit is mentioned in the reading for this Sunday, I covered it in this video. To your second question, no, randomly saying something bad about the Holy Spirit is not the unpardonable sin. For more information, see how I explained it in the video. Thanks for watching!

[@7sheepdog717]

Before I was a believer, I asked my friend if he had ever thought some Christians are brainwashed. I have since repented and come to faith. But did I blaspheme the Holy Spirit and as a result am truly not saved?

[@Lins_Clarke83]

That’s no blasphemy, don’t worry

[@ephesians_2_8]

Some Christians surely are brainwashed.