Unbelief

[stephen]

But the fearful, and unbelieving,......shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone - Revelation 21: 7.

We find in this fearful catalogue of sin and crime against God, unbelief put alongside the most flagrant iniquity. Observe, and do not forget it! -
the same condemnation that awaits the abominable, the murderers, the whoremongers, the sorcerers, the idolators, is reserved also for the
unbelieving. Do not ever think of unbelief as a trivial sin, when God puts it in such an awful catagory of crime.

Let us look at this terrible indictment and argument. Unbelief limits the power of God, and limits the power of man; unbelief paralyses testimony,
and makes us deaf to the voice of God; unbelief is a permanent forfeiture of blessing, as when Esau bartered his birthright for a mess of pottage,
and could not get back what he had sold, at any price whatsoever. You may lose your life's opportunies and privilages, and even God cannot give
them back; for he cannot restore the lost hour, the wasted year, the mis-spent life. What unbelief has forfeited, no power can give it back......

There is but one thing to do with unbelief: for ever abandon it! Whatever else you do, solemnly covenant with God that you will believe His Word,
trust His Son, yield to His Spirit; that you will step out upon His promises, and venture something for His sake, without regard to feeling, and with
a single-hearted resting upon His immutable Word. Trust it absolutely, for the subduing of sin, for the answering of prayer, for the dispersion of
darkness; and the triumph of faith will also be the victory over sin; the triumph of prayer, the emergence of the soul out of darkness into the
conscious light of God.!

 

[RJ]

Toatal rejection of God's gift or unbelief is the " Unpardonable Sin"!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

Have to dissagree on this one .RJ. did we all not reject the message of the cross before salvation was ours..YES / did we all knowingly reject His love before salvation..YES /, Did He willingly accept us and write our names in the lambs book of life YES./.even though we walked in darkness and in our own wisdom God still found forgivenss enough to accept us as we were ,,soiled broken and unloveable there is always Grace at the cross ,unconditional and free for the asking ..id say we have all been pardoned ,,,,,Rev

 

[Asanima]

Toatal rejection of God's gift or unbelief is the " Unpardonable Sin"!

Wouldnt this mean that all atheists are unsaveable?

 

[Victor9509]

Not so asanima everyone can be forgiving through Christ.
God loves all the same. :shade:

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

Whomsoever has a two fold meaning : it is all inclusive to any who believe upon The Lord " they shall be saved " there is no limitation to the sin that the love of The Lord won't fix If any choose to accept ( Murderers, homosexuals, liars ,adultery and the list goes on ) Whomsoever is exclusive also ! Only those who accept Gods gift of Grace and mercy will forgiveness be applied .but I tell you this if there was room at the cross for Saul of tarsus ( Paul the apostle ) there is room for anybody who follows...Rev

 

[Victor9509]

Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

We as Christians need to be careful that we don't make Those lost in sin feel as if they are not redeemable ! God judges alone and dosent need my help to do so ! We should instead treat the lost as though they have a place saved for them at the table of Grace ! You're seat is waiting ! ,,,,Rev

 

[RJ]

Rev T.S. Perkins, I can only assume you are a "Univeralist"...in the end, you believe that everyone will be saved.

• Explain this: Matthew 12:31-32: “And I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
• You can't have it both ways!
• ALL sin, for anyone is forgiven at the cross but only to those who recieve the forgiveness. What will "not be forgiven" above... is rejection of God's grace and you die in your unbelief!
• Yes God loves all (the sinner) the same, such is the beauty and perfection of God's grace. All have the right to be called a child of God, Atheists too but, of course, when they are saved, they wouldn't be an Atheists would they?
• Again, if you die in your UNBELIEF, that is the unforgivable sin!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

I think the unforgivable sin is not believing that the cross is biig enough to cover anybody IF they chose to allow .now by universalist you mean I believe in a universal God then call me guilty , if you mean I believe in universal grace yes guilty as charged , ! How can I serve a God that says whomsoever and follows it with but not you ! Really ? If we choose to turn from our condemning ways that are the nature of us all and ask God to forgive us HE DOES NO MATTER HOW DIRTY WE WERE OR WHO WE WERE ....we are now saved ,reconciled and made whole before almighty God ....now the word also tells us and warns us to avoid those that claim Christ but deny the power there of ! The cross is the power of God unto salvation the Holy Spirit is what fuels it and thee Lord God Himself leads all ! ..love ya bud. ....Rev

 

[RJ]

No, you have me wrong:

• First, with all due respect to your title, you did not expalin the above Matthew 12: 31-32. I can only assume that you can't and maintain your theology!
• I want to know how you explain : " but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”"
• What I am saying is that that, for the most part, Universalim is believing in a universal reconciliation between all humanity and the divine. In other words Universalists believe that in the end, God will reconcile everyone and save everyone. Do you or do you not believe in this, Bud?
• You say a lot of different things about this and that but you are very confusing to me: The cross has taken care of our sin and sin nature. The cross is for everybody, no matter what the sin! You don't have to do anything to have this. The power of God's grace and forgiveness has already been accomplished at the cross and Christ said it was "finished"! Everyone has the right to claim this forgiveness.
• If you accept this forgiveness and recieve the resurrected body of Jesus Christ unto you, The Holy Spirit, then and only then are you saved and obtain eternal security.
• Again, with all due respect, everything else other than these points above are of no valuve to your forgiveness and salvation!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

Wow! That's a lots of micro management there , again to say the act of Christ could not cover all is insane due to the fact agin of the word whomsoever . And when The spirt left Christ he said It is finished !! A complete work it covered all bases of sin ! All we have to do is accept this work and live like we do . I'm no longer bound by Sin ! But is have to deal with the flesh because I live in it for now . Not redeemed by my actions but by Grace alone . As for Matthew 12 by denying the power of the cross you deny the the power of holy spirit as well , you can't deny one and disconnect the other two ,Father,Son and Holy Spirit are all one ! It's a package deal at the cross , when we refuse the unction God places in our heart to serve and seek Him we deny the Holy spirit and walk not after God and His will for our lives but serve the flesh and it feeds on sin nature not Christ nature ! When we speak against Christ that can be forgiven us but to speak against the Holy Spirit Gods direct power line to us as Christians its like hang up on God himself and that will get you fire ! I'm concerned that you don't feel the cross was a complete work though . If not for the salvation of all who would believe than Gods Gift was incomplete and vain , my Sins weren't like murder or any thing but my heart was just as black before I accepted Jesus ! And now I as all us do fight Dailey battles but we don't live in the mire of our flesh with out a fight to overcome it Due to a Christ nature in us ! In Jesus name only through the power of God do I stand a chance and with the Holy spirit leading will I win the day ! ....Rev

 

[RJ]

Wow! That's a lots of micro management there , again to say the act of Christ could not cover all is insane due to the fact agin of the word whomsoever

• Come on Rev, please stop with the confusing mis-statements....I just previously said that the act of Christ on the cross WAS for everyone....can't you read?
• I never denied the power of the cross...just the opposite!! Why do you say this?
• Your wrong....it is not a package deal at the cross, they are seperate events! The cross forgives only, which is for everyone; it is seperate from the resurrection which gives life for those who recieve it, when you are saved by the endwelling of the Holy Spirit.
• Please quit putting words or thoughts in my mouth! The work at the cross was indeed final and complete but only for forgiveness it does not save anyone. Which came latter, the resurrected body of Christ is what saves you!!!!! Like I have said: By the action of the cross, God has given everyone the right and chance to be forgivenbut not everyone will accept it and be saved!
• Doen't the Athiest still have the right to Christ's forgiveness by way of the cross? Why of course!! But, if he rejects it unto death, he has no salvation. You recieve forgiveness then your are "Born Again" by the Holy Spirit! Even the Devil believes in the finality of the cross but he still rejects the Holy Spirit.
• Hebrews 9:22....In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. The finality and completness of the cross was his shedding of blood and death for our sins, Then unlike any priest before him, Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of God because the requirement for the forgiveness of sins was complete. Through the law, the penalty of sins were covered over by the annual act of the "Day of Atonement" and was required every year for thousands of years. Christ took away the penalty of sin for ever.
• So this brings us back to: I want to know how you explain : " but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”" You still refuse to answer this directly! This is the unpardonable sin!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

this is where i drop my pride as a minister and say im sorry i cant answer youre question to satisfy you to my shame..id be inclined to say this is where you need a bible scholar and not an evangelist .if ive misunderstood i do apoligise ..having all wisdom would be nice but i must admit i just dont have the answer you seek ..i encourage you to continue to ask and when the answer becomes clear please enlighten us all to the glory of God ..and im still convinced THE cross is the power of God unto salvation... .Rev

 

[RJ]

So this brings us back to: I want to know how you explain : " but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”" You still refuse to answer this directly! This is the unpardonable sin!

• So again, we are back to what is the unpardonable sin: O.K. so you are not knowledgeable enough to explain such a simple verse or you refuse because it does not support your theology.
• I appreciate your encouragement but I am not currently at a loss for an explanation but I am sorry for misquoting, it was Matthew and not Hebrews: Matthew 12 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
• Here we go again: Every kind of sin and even slander against God can be forgiven. You already know, to be saved, you must be "Born Again" , in other words, you recieve the Holy Spirit into you. A believer can not ,by nature, blasphemy the Holy Spirit because the H.S. lives indside the believer. To die in your sin is to not recieve God's Spirit and free forgiveness, so you are not forgiven in this life or after death!
• All I wanted was your statement of belief or nonbelief in the verses Matthes 12: 31-32 and not a sermon.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

RJ . I have gracefully bowed out and told you I can't not in good convince as a minister tell you that I have all the answers ,I DON'T and will gladly admit it but as I said you need to ask a bible scholar I am not . Now at this point you're posts became demanding in tone and acusive ! Agin when you answer this question I encourage you to share the word God has shown You on it so as the word proclaims iron sharpens iron ...please accept my apologies if this offends ...blessings .Rev

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

I did as I said you should I went to a scholar , zondervan new American standard life application study bible , page 1616 , lower left hand corner line notes " Matt 12:31-32 The pharasies had blasphemed aganist the spirt by attributing the power by which Christ did miracles to satan. ! 12:24 instead if the Holy Spirit .the unpardonable sin is the deliberate refusal to acknowlage Gods power in Christ . It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of the heart .sometimes believers think they have commuted the unpardonable sin. But only those who have turned there back and rejected all faith have any need to worry .Jesus said they can never be forgiven -not because their sin was any greater but because they will never ask forgiveness . Whoever rejects the promoting of the holy spirit removes himself or herself from the only force that can lead him or her to repentance and restoration to God " I hope this helps answer you're question as I agree with it completely , it's as I said before denying the pull of the holy spirit on our heart and denying the power of Gods saving grace in Christ .... Rev

 

[RJ]

Whew!!!.......I guess that is a "round-about" way of agreeing that unbelief is the only unforgivable sin!:baffle:

 

[Fenn]

This was very confusing. Reading through it a couple of times. I believe RJ and Rev agreed from the beginning. RJ was saying that if you die an unbeliever and die still denying God and Christ then you will not be allowed into the kingdom. That is the unforgivable sin. This means that every atheist who dies in the sin of rejection shall not have salvation. While still alive this sin will be forgiven if they repent and seek salvation. I hope I have that right RJ.

 

[RJ]

It is really simple isn't it Fenn!
God doesn't make it as had as some of us make it!