Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Unforgivable Sin

Focus verses: Luke 12:1-12

I have heard people argue about unforgivable sin. We have books written about "forgiving the unforgivable." Those books talk about betrayal, infidelity, violence, murder and the like.

But none of those things are unforgivable in the eyes of God. Look at the life of King David. He took a woman in adultery. He conspired to have her husband killed in battle. Yet God still called him a man after God's own heart. His human failings were just that. And when he took his guilt to God, he said:
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge." (Psalm 51:4)

He sinned against Uriah. He sinned against Bathsheba. But God's laws were broken and that was uppermost in his mind. If God can forgive David, what can He not forgive us when we confess to Him and repent?

Jesus, in this passage, talks about blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. So just what is blasphemy? It is blaming the Holy Spirit for the sins of man. It is failing to understand the work of the Holy Spirit and giving credit for His works to other circumstances or efforts.

Who is this Holy Spirit? He is the third person of the Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is the Paraclete, the one who is sent to walk beside us, to dwell within us, to instruct us in the proper path. He is our eternal connection in this temporal world.

Are we sensitive to His promptings? Do we hear His quiet voice in the turmoil of our lives? Do we listen for His instruction? I hope so. Only with His help can we live the Christian life to which we've committed.

Father, God,

Stir our hearts to hear the promptings of Your Holy Spirit. Make us sensitive to His nudges. Hone our ears to His voice, Your voice.
In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Paraclete:
You who draw near,
You who walk beside,
Come to comfort,
Comet to strengthen,
Come to shine the Light of the
Word on the Darkness of my heart.
Help me to align with you, Oh, Holy Spirit.
Help me to bring my thoughts
Captive to the will of Christ,
Captive to the Word of God,
Captive to obedience,
Instantaneous and unquestioning,
To Your promptings.
Help me to study to show my self approved,
Unashamed to sit in the Council of your saints.
Help me to see the will of the Father in everyday situations.
Help me to respond in love to the Lord.
Help me to respond with Love to all His hurting creation.
Keep me dead-on, sighted with tunnel vision,
Single-minded on the goal of
Total obedience as a channel of His love.
Amen.
Copyright Judith Robl 1997

1 comment:

Judith Robl said...

Thank you for your affirmation.