DID I FINALLY CROSS THE LINE?

Transcription

1 DID I FINALLY CROSS THE LINE? - THE UNPARDONABLE SIN & THE SIN UNTO DEATH - (by Caleb Phelps) Introduction: Have you ever heard the word unpardonable? In a judicial setting, there is perhaps no word that evokes more fear in the guilty convict. The word unpardonable means that there is no hope of mercy, no expectation of release, and no chance of appeasement. Unpardonable is a terrifying concept. Context: No wonder individuals throughout history have had an issue with the thought of an unpardonable sin found in the Bible. Questions are raised... Isn t God a God of mercy? How could God ignore his people s pleas for forgiveness? What s the punishment for this sin? Have I committed this sin? God is not the author of confusion. There is hope for a biblical resolution to this mind- boggling concept of an unpardonable sin. Questions Raised: As long as people have had the Word of God, there has been confusion about a potential sin that God may not be able to forgive, known as the unpardonable sin. What does the Bible have to say about this sin? Can I commit it today? Am I in danger? This is certainly a question that people ask on a regular basis. What they mean is: Can a person sin so badly that God would never forgive him? Can a man become such a murderer, drunkard, pervert, liar, etc. that he is beyond the grace of God? There are many people who seem to be almost tormented by the idea that maybe they have committed this sin against the Holy Spirit: the unpardonable sin. A consideration of 2 key passages helps Christians understand this topic in God s Word Transition: Developing an accurate understanding of this concept involves a consideration of two key passages. First of all, it is important to consider Matthew 12:22-32

2 Matthew 12:22-32 Matthew 12 marks an irreversible point in Jesus relationship with the Scribes and Pharisees. In verse 32, we find the key to this passage: Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Quotation: By the very words of our Lord Jesus Himself, He states that there is an unforgivable sin, and it is to speak against the Holy Spirit. This is a familiar passage to many Christian people, but it not always understood. There have been many false fears that have arisen because of a misunderstanding of this passage. John Macarthur Explanation: During Jesus earthly ministry, he was known for having an incredible propensity for the supernatural. Eventually, this ability began to cause an annoyance and jealousy to the religious leaders of the day. In Matthew 12, the Pharisees present Christ with a man who is obviously demon- possessed. It soon becomes evident that Christ knows the thoughts and intents of their heart. The results of Christ s power cause the religious leaders to react in anger, and make the erroneous claim that Christ is operating in the realm of Satan. Christ s response in verses 31&32 has ignited much confusion in the minds of serious Bible scholars. Let s take a look at the totality of this interesting account. I. An Unbelievable Miracle A. The Miracle (v. 22) Explanation: It was not totally unheard of for religious leaders in that day to perform actions that dealt with the spiritual world. When the Pharisees brought this man that was so obviously demon- possessed, they did so with a few key motives in mind. They wanted to see if Christ really had the power. They wanted to see how the crowd would react. They wanted to find some fault in his dealings with this man. Little did they know that Christ was the ultimate universal source of power. The demons stood no chance against him. In amazing act of power, Christ casted out the demons without any pagan ritual or demonic observance. He simply healed him. This was a miracle. B. The Amazement (v. 23) Explanation: The Greek word used in this passage to describe the feelings of the multitudes is the word existhmi, which actually means to go crazy, or to lose your mind, or to be uncontrollably amazed. The multitude found themselves absolutely floored by this miracle. They didn t know what to do. They did what was perhaps most natural They recognized that Christ was the Messiah. This simple miracle ignited the crowd into the realization that this could actually be Christ. They were uncontrollably excited. Wouldn t you be?

3 Illustration: Red Sox/Yankees in Boston was down 3-0 in the ALCS, and came back to win it. To many sports fans this seemed like a miracle. We were beside ourselves. Application: Just as we were beside ourselves because of the Sox comeback, the Jewish multitude was beside themselves because of this tremendous act of power, this resulted in Transition: Obviously, this was not the way that the Pharisees wanted this to go. They reacted by attempting to take matters into their own hands. II. A Unjustifiable Accusation (v. 24) Explanation: Immediately, the Pharisees knew they were in trouble. o Having the crowd confess Christ as Savior was the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen! o You can almost see them conniving amongst themselves, as to how they re going to get their way out of this one. Eventually they came up with the answer. o They decided to claim that Christ used Satan s power to cast out the demons. o Since Christ was using the power of the Holy Spirit, and not Satan, this was obviously a problem. o This was blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. Argumentation: The Pharisees did not dispute that a miracle had indeed taken place. But this did not mean that they were willing to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Unable to deny that Christ was performing miracles, they accused Him of being in league with Satan. o They said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul" (Mark 3:22). Beelzebul, or Beelzebub, was the name of a pagan god, and was often used by the Jews to refer to Satan. Literally, the name means "the Lord of the flies" (Roper 314). III. An Undisputable Answer (v ) Explanation: Jesus lays out a few clear logical arguments that leave the Pharisees with no way to turn. They had flawed logic, and Christ wasn t afraid to expose it. o Christ demonstrates his power (v. 25) He read their thoughts! Surely this was omnipotence, and not devil worship! o Christ shows how ridiculous it would be for him to work for Satan (v ) Wouldn t it be crazy for Christ to use Satan s power to fight Satan? o Christ shows their bias (v. 27) It was not uncommon for those who worked for the Pharisees to cast out demons through ritualism. Christ questions why it s okay for them to do it and not him? Can t the same claim be laid against them? o Christ claims power (v ) First, He claims that His kingdom is now set up on earth. Second, he claims that he is indeed fighting Satan with the Holy Ghost by directly attacking him. Finally, he claims that those who aren t with him are against him. The purpose of this claim is to warn those who are against him of the impending judgment.

4 IV. An Unforgiveable Sin (v ) Interrogative: So, what exactly had these Pharisees done that would cause Jesus to say that they could "not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come?" Explanation: Christ realizes that serious action must be taken against these allegations. He is about to break into some of the harshest language that he ever uses during his earthly ministry. He goes so far as to claim that those who fall into the trap of the Pharisees will never be forgiven. What does this mean? Here are a few key things to keep in mind. o Jesus is not saying that all blasphemy won t be forgiven. Obviously it will! Paul was a blasphemer. Peter was a blasphemer. "Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; [14] and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 1:13). o Jesus is making the direct claim that in this instance, attributing the works of Christ through the Holy Spirit to Satan will result in eternal damnation. How had the scribes and Pharisees reached such a deplorable condition? By constantly and consistently refusing to accept the Spirit- created evidence that proved Jesus to be the Messiah, their hearts had become rock- hard. o This sin can t be committed in its pure form today. Conclusion: This specific sin cannot be committed today, because Jesus isn t among us performing miracles. However, it is possible in a more broad sense to reject Christ much like the Pharisees did. Such rejection leads to the same eternal damnation.

5 1 John 5:16-17 Diversity of opinion has abounded concerning the interpretation of the problematic portion found in 1 John 5:16 where the apostle John writes, If any one sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. I. The Background A. Old Testament Background The OT frequently mentions specific sins the bring punishment by death 1) Numbers 15:30-31 this passage indicates that one who willfully and defiantly sins shall be cut off from among his people. 2) Numbers 18:22 this passage states that coming near to the tent of meeting was punishable by death 3) Psalm 19:13 this passage suggests that presumptuous sins are punishable by death B. New Testament Background The NT also has examples of sin being punished by death 1) Acts 5:1-10 this is the most notable of the NT passages and talks about Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Lord and were killed. 2) Acts 12 talks of Herod being killed by the angle of the Lord 3) 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 Paul warns against taking the ordinances wrongfully 4) Hebrews 10:25-27 warns us that if we sin willfully after we know the truth there is not more sacrifice for our sins 5) Hebrews 12:15 tells us that bitterness if it is allowed to take root can defile II. The Context A. Book Context Explanation: The entirety of 1 John deals with tests of life, tests designed to give assurance of salvation to believers and to expose those who are not really believers: "We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him" (1 John 3:19). Argumentation: It is important to note that this book was written to believers. B. Immediate Context Explanation: In the preceding verses (5:14-15), John speaks about prayer and the confidence a believer may have concerning the acceptance of that prayer before God and the granting of the request. In verses 16-17, he gives a specific illustration and limitation within which the prayer of a Christian may be benevolently and effectually employed, namely, in rescuing a brother from death. Quotation: Thus it is that when one comes to the throne of God in prayer, the standing of his brother is immediately brought into focus. This connection has led Cameron to remark, "Our holiest hours of prayer and worship should be marked by benevolence toward our brethren."

6 III. The Problems First of all, let me say that if there are any apparent problems in this passage, they come as a result of our lack of understanding. There are no problems or contradictions in the Bible. There are, however, difficult passages. This is one of them. It has caused confusion, and at times even fear, in the lives of those who have stumbled across it. The first of these problematic questions that we have to answer is this A. Who are the brothers? (v. 16) 1) It appears from the use of the term brother, that John must be referring to the believers in the church that he is writing to, right? If this is so, how can a Christian commit a sin that leads to death? 2) In order to understand this passage, we must understand who the brothers are! B. What is the Sin? (v ) This is scary language! Can someone actually commit a specific sin that leads to death? IV. The Solutions Believe it or not, there are solutions to these apparent problems in this passage! A. The Brothers 1) The Brothers are the unsaved who look saved Explanation: The apostle John appears to have in view an unsaved man who professes to be a believer, but who is in actuality in need of salvation. It is clear that "brother" in Scripture normally refers to a saved individual, but John's usage of the term implies that in some cases there will be a difference between what is professed and what is actually true. Argumentation: When you look at this passage you may be thinking, how could John be talking about brothers in Christ? I thought that we were already saved! That s exactly what it may look like, but this is not the case Throughout much of the writings of the New Testament, it is important to consider how the term brother or adelfoz is used. Many times, it is not used in the case of a believer at all, but it is used to refer to a brother in a more loose way, as in a neighbor. This is much like the passage in Hebrews 6:6 that refers to those who have been enlightened, and tasted. In other words, they know of the heavenly gifts, but they have rejected Christ in their hearts. They look saved, but they re not. Refutation: God s efficacious grace in transforming the sinner is persuasive, not coercive. Why would we think that God s action with regard to the brother not sinning to death is any less coercive or any less a violation of the uprightness of his character than God s activity with respect to the man whose sin is unto death? Sin is a stubborn, rebellious act of one s will, both in the believer and unbeliever, regardless of who commits it. Although it is possible, I think it is highly unlikely that John would here refer to a non- Christian as a brother. Most commentators agree on this point.

7 2) The Brothers are saved people who have continued in their sin Explanation: John writes his letter to a saved audience to give them assurance of their salvation. In saying that some sin leads to death and other sin does not, John is not giving us a criterion by which we may examine the lives of other believers in order to determine whether or not we should pray for them or whether or not they are saved. He differentiates between these two kinds of sin simply to tell us why it is that some of our prayers are answered and others are not. Argumentation: James 1:15 is another example of a passage that is clearly written to believers and is warning the believers that sin is deadly, Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 1 Corinthians 11:20 lets us know that when a believer partakes in communion unworthily he can become weak and sickly. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. Conclusion: The book context and the broader Biblical context all seem to point to the word brothers referring to actual believers. John is warning the believers about the seriousness of sin. B. The Sin has 4 options 1) Mortal Sins Explanation: The Church of Rome has consistently maintained that the "sin unto death" is a grave, post- baptismal sin. This sin is commonly referred to as "mortal" sin, as compared with the less significant sin which is called "venial." Although the designations are not specifically named in Scripture, it is asserted that the distinction between the two types of sin is clearly affirmed. In general, mortal sins are said to be those which exclude the offender from the kingdom (e.g., Eph 5:5; Gal 5:19-21) and venial sins are those which do not (e.g., James 3:2; 1 John 1:8; Eccl 7:21). Ivan A Busenitz (Associate Dean and Professor of OT at The Master s Seminary) Quotation: The difference between venial and mortal sin follows upon a diversity of disorder inherent in the concept of sin itself. This disorder is twofold: the one involves the abandonment of the very source of order, the other only involves departure from secondary elements in that order.... Hence, when the soul is so disordered by sin that it turns away from its ultimate goal, God, to whom it is united by charity, then we speak of mortal sin. However, when this disorder stops short of turning away from God, then the sin is venial. (Thomas Aquinas)

8 Refutation: Although we can agree that the NT does teach that sins differ in magnitude there are several problems with this view. First: the definition of venial and mortal is imprecise, essentially destroying any real distinction between the two. Second: Scripture teaches that every offense is deadly and subject to the claims of divine justice. Thus Ezek 18:20 declares, "The person who sins will die." Likewise Rom 6:23 asserts, "The wages of sin is death." The malicious motivation behind the sin, or the lack of it, makes no difference, as James 2:10 indicates: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." Third: Though sins differ in degree, the essential character of sin does not vary. (Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no remission ) 2) Apostasy Explanation: Some authors have suggested that the "sin unto death" refers to total apostasy, exemplified by the renunciation of the faith. Refutation: The major difficulty with this conclusion, however, is the fact that Scripture nowhere teaches that the genuinely regenerated person can apostatize. This same writer in his Gospel contends that the believer is secure (John 10:28, 29). Elsewhere in this Epistle, he reiterates that the one who is born of God does not habitually sin (1 John 3:9; 5:18). It would be difficult to think of another New Testament author who affirms the doctrine of eternal security with any greater conviction or frequency than the Apostle John (John 6:37-44; 10:11-18,27-30; 17:1-2,7-12; 1 John 5:18). 3) Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit Explanation: This is just like Matthew 12. The brother about whom John speaks is not a Christian man. The term brother is being used in the broader sense of a neighbor or of a nominal Christian, a church member who professes to be a brother but who in reality is a counterfeit Refutation: This doesn t appear to be valid, because it is in a totally different context, and John never talks about the Matthew passage. 4) Rejecting God and Salvation Explanation: John is possibly writing concerning the final rejection of God in the hearts of mankind. This would most certainly lead to eternal damnation. Once your final decision is made, it s made for all of eternity. This is a sin that leads to death. Because of the obvious problems with the other options, this passage is probably referring to the sin of rejecting God and salvation. Once that final decision has been made in the heart, the eternal destiny has been sealed. It is an unpardonable sin. Refutation: This does not seem to flow with the New Testament teaching that God would not have any perish. Furthermore, this view is saying that the death in this

9 passage is eternal separation from God but the book of 1 John is written to give the believer assurance of his salvation. If John was writing about people rejecting salvation it would not fit with his books theme. 5) We don t know, but it was written to warn about the seriousness of sin Explanation: The brother is a Christian, and it is possible for him to commit sin that leads to death. The purpose of this passage, therefore, is not to set us upon the task of determining what the sin unto death is or who may or may not have committed it. The message of the apostle is that sin is deadly, and that if we would have life we must avoid it. This view fits with the other NT passages that speak of the serious consequences of sin (Acts 5, 12; 1 Corinthians 11; Hebrews 12; James 1) Conclusion: This is not written to an audience of unbelievers to persuade him but to a believing audience to assure them. The context it is talking to believers. There are 5 others passages in the NT that warn believers that there is a line that can be crossed that will require that God bring them home. By His discipline God is protecting the church from the leaven of sin and by His discipline he is protecting the individual from a greater account of sin. When God calls a sinning believer home he is merciful and loving both the church and the individual. This also explains why John would tell the church to not pray for a brother in this state. There are some that have become so grounded in their sin that they are bringing shame to the name of Christ. Hebrews 6:6 warns about these brothers saying, f they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. When we see a brother sinning, but not backsliding, we should pray for that brother, and God will forgive him. When we see a brother sinning, but not deliberately, we should pray for that brother, and God will forgive him. However, when we a brother continues in sin and backslides into the world, he is sinning unto death.

10 Conclusion Transition: In light of these two passages, let s conclude by considering a few reason I believe God has included these passages in the Bible: 1. Check your heart (2 Cor. 13:5) o Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? o Explanation: There may be some of you who need to be considering whether you are showing the fruit of the Spirit before it s too late. At the moment of death, if you have rejected Christ, there s no time to go back. o Application: You may wonder, Have I stepped over the line? or Have I committed the sin unto death? The answer really lies in your question. If you are wondering whether or not you have become calloused in you sin then your conscious is still working and you obviously have not stepped over the line. 2. Share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) o And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. o Illustration: People outside of Noah s ark. It was too late for them o Application: Make sure that you are sharing the news of Jesus Christ before it is too late for others round about you. Share it now before they reject Christ for good! 3. Bask in the greatness of God s forgiveness o Explanation: The "Good News" that Jesus came to deliver is that forgiveness is available to everyone! The ever- flowing waters of the Well of Life are always available to those who desire to come and to quench their thirst. How we should rejoice that o Quotation: There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains. There is no need to be afraid! There is no sin that a true Christian can commit that would damn his soul for eternity!