Conference yukon::christian_v7

    What is the only sin that God can't forgive and would cause you to go
    to Hell?  To me, that says the unpardonable sin is the rejection of
    God's Son and His atonement for our sins on the cross.
    
I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    Knowing this, any unpardonable sin would be the rejection of Jesus
    Christ.  This is what blasphemes the Holy Spirit.
    
    Mike

>    What is the difference between the two, since the Father, the Son and
>    the Holy Spirit are one (the Triune God)?  And why is the first (God) a
>    forgiveable sin and the second (Holy Spirit) not?

My take on this varies only slightly from what Mike said in .1.

The office of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Jesus Christ.  Without
that guidance, we cannot find Jesus.  The Holy Spirit convinces people
of sin; without this convincing people cannot see the need for salvation.

Therefore, the rejection that Mike talks about is a willful unbelief
("I will not believe [what the Holy Spirit tells me].")  If a person
will not believe and offends the Holy Spirit through continued
rejection, eventually, God's meadure will be full and the Holy Spirit
will be offended and leave.  At this point, how will a person be convinced
of sin?  A person cannot be pardoned if he does not believe Christ for
salvation.

Mark

    Thanks for your responses.  I have discussed this with a friend and his
    explanation/understanding was the same as yours.  I had not understood
    it in that light before the conversation with my friend.  I thought it
    was more of a verbal cursing/rejection of evidence of the Holy Spirit
    (or some other 'thing' or action taken by a person), as opposed to an 
    (unspoken?) attitude of the heart.  Out of the abundance of the heart, 
    the mouth speaketh.  Light dawns on marblehead....I was looking at one 
    (exterior vs. interior) to the exclusion of the other.
    
    Karen

>   I thought it
>    was more of a verbal cursing/rejection of evidence of the Holy Spirit
>    (or some other 'thing' or action taken by a person), as opposed to an 
>    (unspoken?) attitude of the heart.  Out of the abundance of the heart, 
>    the mouth speaketh.  Light dawns on marblehead....I was looking at one 
>    (exterior vs. interior) to the exclusion of the other.

You're not alone and you are not a marblehead.  This mistake that people
make causes them to live in fear of doing the one thing that will lose
them the opportunity to be saved.  And some people (wrongfully and 
regretfully) live defeated lives because they do not come to the
understanding you now have (internal v. external).

A good measure to show that one has not committed the unpardonable sin
is to be convinced of their sin and feel sorry for them.  God will in 
no wise cast you out!  (He will forgive!)  People who have committed the
unpardonable no longer realize their peril (likely because their conscience
is seared to the point on irreconciliation).  There is no sense of need
for God.  The opposite of love is apathy, not hatred.  One can shake
their fist at God and still repent, but what can God do to one who 
does not care (has no regard for God) and rejects God based on that apathy?
He must either violate His nature and force us to love Him or allow us
to choose between life and death, though He would have us choose life 
(Deut 30:19).

Mark

    Both the Old and New Testament agree. 
    
    It is not in a specific act that the problem exists, but in a path that
    is chosen.
    
    Chose the narrow path and the choice is life.
    
    Choose the broad and the path is unforgiveness, death and destruction.
    
    
    Rich

    Also, it is important to remember that as Ephesians 1:13 says, upon
    believing we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  We not only
    reject the Holy Spirit's guidance, we do not open the door of our
    hearts and we do not let Him in.  
    
    -Jack