Classical Arminian And Wesleyan Arminian
Jacob Arminius defined the unforgivable sin as “the rejection and refusing of Jesus Christ through determined malice and hatred against Christ”. However, Arminius differed with Calvin in believing that the sin could be committed by believers, a conclusion he reached through his interpretation of Hebrews 6:46.
John Wesley, the father of the Methodist tradition, discussed the unforgivable sin in a sermon titled A Call to Backsliders, in which he wrote that “that this blasphemy is absolutely unpardonable and that, consequently, for those who have been guilty of this, God ‘will be no more entreated’.” A prominent Methodist catechism, “A Catechism on the Christian Religion: The Doctrines of Christianity with Special Emphasis on Wesleyan Concepts” states:
The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy includes ridicule and attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil.
This Wesleyan-Arminian interpretation of the unforgivable sin includes the deliberate labeling of good as evil, as rejecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit, of publicly attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, and attributing the work of Jesus to Satan. The United Methodist Church, a Methodist connexion, thus teaches:
Church apostle and later President of the Church, Spencer W. Kimball, stated that “the sin against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file to commit such a sin”.
The Expiation For Sin
Expiation is the act of making satisfaction or atonement for a crime or fault. God, because of His nature, not only demands that sin be punished but He also has provided for the sinners restoration to fellowship with Himself. It is at this point where the death of Christ enters the scene. God could not be satisfied until sin had been fully atoned for. The Bible teaches that by the sufferings and death of Christ, the acceptable Substitute was provided for the sin of man, thereby making His sufferings and death to be vicarious, that is, in the room and stead of the sinner.
Expiation means that our sins were laid upon Christ. The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all . This is what the nation Israel will acknowledge when Christ comes to earth, but it is true of the whole human race. Man substituted his own will for Gods will when he sinned God substituted His own Son to atone for mans sin. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many . Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree . . . .
Sin In The New Testament
The most prominent word for sin in the New Testament is , which renders a’ in the Septuagint, indicating deviation from the good. In the classical authors it indicated “missing of a target.” It could refer to wrong done to man, but above all it expressed sin against God. itself referred to a single act, a characteristic of human nature, or a personal power. In the Synoptics and Acts this word is almost always used as the object of forgiveness, more often in the plural. John and Paul employed the plural especially in formulas referring to remission of sins and to Christ’s death for sins. The singular often indicates the sinful state of the world or the power of sin .
A related term is , meaning lawlessness, iniquity, or a lawless deed. The term usually indicates a state of hostility toward God and His salvific revelation, and reveals the depth of sin. In this sense the one who sins rejects his Christian vocation and communion with God and submits to the devil’s domination.
In the Synoptics. Every vestige of the taboo notion of sin has vanished together with the legalistic and impersonal notion .
In Johannine Writings. Although the Synoptics generally speak of sin in the plural, John speaks of it more often in the singular . John’s notion of sin is that of a separation from God ending in hatred of God and servitude to the devil.
See Also: guilt original sin
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History Of The Seven Deadly Sins
The seven deadly sins were first compiled by Pope Gregory I around the year 600. They are pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Gregory also compiled a list of the seven virtues: faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. The Bible would validate all of these concepts, but nowhere are they recorded in a list like this and nowhere in the Bible are they specifically referred to as the seven deadly sins or seven virtues. They do not pre-date the Ten Commandments which were given at Mt. Sinai around 1450 B.C. It is probably true that they were used extensively to teach principles from God’s Word, particularly in the centuries before the invention of the printing press when the Bible was not available for the common man to read and study.
Christians Quotes About Sin
As the salt flavors every drop in the Atlantic, so does sin affect every atom of our nature. It is so sadly there, so abundantly there, that if you cannot detect it, you are deceived. Charles H. Spurgeon
One leak will sink a ship: and one sin will destroy a sinner. John Bunyan
Be killing sin or it will be killing you. John Owen
One great power of sin is that it blinds men so that they do not recognize its true character. Andrew Murray
The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation. Martin Luther
If ever you wish to see how great and horrid and evil sin is, measure it in your thoughts, either by the infinite holiness and excellency of God, who is wronged by it or by the infinite sufferings of Christ, who died to satisfy for it and then you will have deeper apprehensions of its enormity. John Flavel
A person who is not concerned about having his present sins cleansed has good reason to doubt that his past sin has been forgiven. A person who has no desire to come to the Lord for continued cleansing has reason to doubt that he ever came to the Lord to receive salvation. John MacArthur
This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. D.L. Moody
It is because of the hasty and superficial conversation with God that the sense of sin is so weak and that no motives have power to help you to hate and flee from sin as you should. A.W. Tozer
Every sin is the distortion of an energy breathed into us. C.S. Lewis
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Greek Fathers Before Augustine
Justin Martyr, a 2nd-century Christian apologist and philosopher, was the first Christian author to discuss the story of Adam’s fall after Paul. In Justin’s writings, there is no conception of original sin and the fault of sin lies at the hands of the individual who committed it. In his Dialogue with Trypho, Justin wrote “The Christ has suffered to be crucified for the race of men who, since Adam, were fallen to the power of death and were in the error of the serpent, each man committing evil by his own fault” and “Men … were created like God, free from pain and death, provided they obeyed His precepts and were deemed worthy by Him to be called His sons, and yet, like Adam and Eve, brought death upon themselves” .Irenaeus was an early father appealed to by on the doctrine of original sin, although he did not believe that Adam’s sin was as severe as later tradition would hold and he was not wholly clear about its consequences. One recurring theme in Irenaeus is his view that Adam, in his transgression, is essentially a child who merely partook of the tree ahead of his time.
The Ultimate Penalty Of Sin Is Death However God Offers The Gift Of Eternal Life God Provides A Way To Remove The Effects Of Sin That We Have Earned
The Bible clearly tells us that the effects of sinall sin that is not repented ofultimately lead to death .
Notice Ezekiel 18:20: The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
We each bear the effects of our own sin. We are only accountable for our own sin, but that is enough. We have all earned the penalty of death .
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If Youre Worried That You May Have Committed A Sin God Will Not Forgiveyouve Likely Not Committed This Sin
The thought of an unforgivable sin has haunted sensitive people in every Christian century, and maybe it has haunted you. I want to be clear in saying that if youre bothered in your spirit that you may have committed a sin God will not forgive, the very fact that you have anxiety over that is evidence youve not committed the sin. If He is still working in your heart, its not possible to have committed the unpardonable sin. The very fact that youre reading this article is a tremendous indication youve not committed the unforgivable sin described in the Gospel of Mark.
Hallmarks Of Gods Character
1.a. After bestowing life upon humanity, what else did God provide? Genesis 2:7, 15. Why is this a blessing for us? Ecclesiastes 5:12, 18.
Note: Adam was not to be idle. No sooner was he created than his work was given him. He was to find employment and happiness in tending the things that God had created, and in response to his labor his wants were to be abundantly supplied from the fruits of the Garden of Eden. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 273, 274.
1.b. What daily evidences reveal Gods abundant love for us? Psalm 36:59 Acts 14:17.
Note: We are indebted to Him for every moment of existence, and for all the comforts of life. Counsels on Stewardship, 17.
We are to regard the trees laden with fruit as the gift of God, just as much as though He placed the fruit in our hands. Lift Him Up, 62.
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Mortal Vs Venial Sins: A Protestant And Roman Catholic Divide
From the Patristic era on , especially developed in Roman Catholic theology , a distinction was made between mortal sins and venial sins . On the surface this distinction seems to refer to differences between sins in terms of their consequences, but within Roman Catholic theology, the distinction is tied to their overall sacramental theologysomething the Reformers rightly rejected.1 Tradition has always talked about degrees of sin, yet, in Roman theology, the mortal-venial distinction is used in ways that go beyond simply talking about degrees of sin. What, then, is this distinction and how does it function within Catholic theology?
Venial sin, on the other hand, is defined as a minor sin that allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.3 Such sins are things like thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter,4 but they are less serious. Why? Because if committed and not confessed and repented of, they do not stop the process begun at baptism of Gods work of justifying grace that gradually makes the person more righteous. These sins result in temporal punishments, but do not cut off a person forever from salvation.
What Are The Consequences Of Sin
The short answer to this question is death. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. However, sin does bring consequences to our lives while we are still alive. Perhaps the worst outcome of our sinning is a broken relationship with God. If you have ever felt like God is distant, youre not the only one, we all have at some point felt this way and its because of sin.
Sin pushes us farther away from the One our souls long for and this is very painful. Sin separates us from the Father. Not only does it lead to death and not only does sin separate us from the Father, but sin is harmful to us and those around us.
9. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
10. Colossians 3:5-6 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Dont be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
11. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Dont you know that the unrighteous will not inherit Gods kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit Gods kingdom.
12. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Examples Of Sin In The Bible
Here are stories of sin.
36. 1 Kings 15:30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.
37. Exodus 32:30 The next day Moses said to the people, You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.
38. 1 Kings 16:13 because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.
39. Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
40. Judges 16:17-18 So he told her everything. No razor has ever been used on my head, he said, because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mothers womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man. When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, Come back once more he has told me everything. So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.
42.Genesis 19:26 But Lots wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
The Explanation Of Sin
What is sin? When one seeks the answer to this question in the many and varied definitions of men he is left somewhat confused. There is a difference between the way God describes and explains sin, on the one hand, and the way, on the other hand, that men describe and explain sin. A certain minister excused bad behavior by accounting for it in terms of infantile environment, traumatic experiences, psychological complexes and the like. And then he added, After preaching for fifty years I cannot help feeling that the church harps far too much on sin.
Now where does a man get such ideas? Certainly not from Gods revelation to man as we find it in the Bible. This same minister, who calls himself The Christian Agnostic, also said, Pauls words that through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin can be dismissed as nonsense. Well, to such blasphemy I can only reply that God knows the thoughts of men and is able to answer their questions before they are asked. God tells us in His Word what sin is. But when any man exalts the human mind to the place of deity and goes so far as to rule God out altogether, that man is on the brink of destruction. The Bible condemns human intellect as the supreme court.
This is a valuable listing of the words and their root meanings however, I would like to expand one or two of the ideas.
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In Summary This Is The Unpardonable Sin:
In its essence, the unforgivable sin is hardening your heart against God and repeatedly refusing to respond to His entreaties to your soul. By continuing to resist and reject the Lord, you build calluses on your soul until the conviction of the Spirit of God no longer registers on your heart. Over a period of time you become hardened. You hear the Word of God and it makes no impact on you. If you die in that condition, theres no further forgiveness available. For those who reject Jesus Christ, theres no forgiveness anywhere else, anytime, either in this world or the next. He died for you, and if you reject that, theres no other sacrifice for sin.
So dont worry that youve committed the unpardonable sin. But if you dont know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, be concerned that you might.
Closing thoughts:
Seven Sins & The Christian Church
According to Christian tradition, the seven deadly sins could not be forgiven. However, according to the Bible, these seven deadly sins are completely and totally forgivable by God, but this doesnt give us free license to commit these sins. Biblically, the only sin that cannot be forgiven is a complete rejection of Gods grace, which is outright rebellion against Godalso known as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
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