Not a day goes by that I do not thank God for His Mercy and His Grace. I worship Him; I praise Him; I thank Him and I make sure I stay connected to Him. There are many times I fail Him but not once has He ever failed me. There are times when I have questioned and more than likely tested that statement but the truth of the matter is, He has not once failed me.
In my studies and conversations with the Lord, I have come to learn and realize many truths. It amazes me that no matter how far along my journey I get, I keep learning and keep discovering and keep uncovering a wealth of knowledge. I believe that is how it is supposed to be. God enlightens and endows us with the wisdom and insights we are ready for - those our gifts can be enhanced with. We must be willing to cultivate and apply what is bestowed upon us not hoard it.
"but just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God," 1 Corinthians 2:9-12
The Holy Spirit comforts us and guides us. He lives in us. And in as much, gives up hope and courage to endure whatever we face in this world. He also helps us avoid temptation. In all of that, He also endows us with wisdom, knowledge, our spiritual gifts and so much more.
Thus, it is only logical to find the one sin which God cannot forgive is mentioned in Mark 3:28-30 and Matthew 12:31-32. Jesus had been performing miracles, including driving demons out of people by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead of recognizing the source of Jesus’ power and accepting Him as God’s Son, the religious leaders accused Him of being possessed by the devil and driving demons out in the power of the devil. Jesus responded by saying "I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemes of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”
Why would this be true? We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. The Holy Spirit becomes our permanent possession the moment we believe. Note the important part - when we believe and receive Christ. We can say the words and go through the motions but it is when we truly believe and truly open our heart to Christ, regardless of what we say or do, that we become transformed, become born again and receive the Holy Spirit. THAT is the moment we become saved. There is a difference.
We may not understand our relationship with the Holy Spirit or the great and wonderous works He will do in our life but that is all part of the glorious gift of faith, mercy, grace and true love. The mark of a true Christian is the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. For this reason, and this reason alone, it is abundantly clear why the "unforgivable sin" is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is merely a sign that the faith expressed was not genuine belief. (Do not confuse not accepting the Holy Spirit with "grieving" or ignoring the Holy Spirit as they are two different things. You can accept Christ and receive the Holy Spirit then choose not to act upon the change - this is described in Scripture and of course, a topic for another day.)
Now that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we are ready to embark on a journey of righteousness. Most Christians will immediately turn to the 10 Commandments. These are, of course, "rules and laws" to live by. Are they?
Think of the 10 Commandments as "sovereignty in a list." Sovereignty by its truest definition is, "freedom from external control." The commandments prove that God wants mankind to be free: "I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Following the commandments actually frees us from the terrible consequences of sin, making our lives better. God was showing us the true function and beauty of His laws. In them, we can see the nature of God and His plan for how we should live. They are intended to direct us direct us to meet the needs of each other. We clearly see throughout the Old Testament how man tried to justify "law keeping" rather than fulfilling God's ultimate law and commandments. This is illustrated in Matthew 22:37-40.
Jesus did not come to "abolish the law" but to "fulfill it." Thus, He did not take the 10 Commandments and "toss them aside." He merely explained their purpose and meaning which is something that had gotten lost along the way.
Next week, we will take time to look at the 10 Commandments in more depth as well as Jesus' words. In the meantime, take time to ask yourself a few simple questions. Is your profession of faith genuine? Do you know if the Holy Spirit dwells within you? If not, why not? Is it because you never really accepted Christ with all your heart? Is it because you did truly accept Christ but you turned a deaf ear to the Mighty Comforter? If you never accepted Christ, it is not to late to do it right now, right this minute, right where you are. If you have turned a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit, you can, right now start to rebuild that relationship. When was the last time you picked up a Bible or read any scripture? When you do, do you pray for discernment or do you merely rely on your own understanding? How much do you miss by not reaching out to the One who wrote it for you? Is your heart open to the message, the wisdom, the comfort, the grace, the truth (no matter how harsh or comforting it may be?) Are you tired of the bondage you find yourself in? Isn't it time for the freedom, the sovereignty you can only find in the one true God? My prayer is you will answer honestly and merely pray a simple prayer, right now. He is listening and He will answer.
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