Brian.L. Hi This also is just my opinion. :) I feel the unforgivable sin is to never ask for forgiveness if God is calling you. When I confessed my sins I was getting convicted so I ansered.
If a person does not ask for forgiveness how then can God forgive him/her?
I feel as long as there is a yearning for God in our livesthen we are safe from having committed the unforgiveable sin because does not the Word of God say that no one can come to the Father unless the Father calls him/her.
BigDBrian, the believer in this dispensation of grace will
NEVER be judged for their sins.
ALL SINS (past, present and future) of a believer have been paid for on the Cross of Christ. Therefore, it is impossible for the believer to commit the unpardonable/unforgivable sin.
1Cor.3:8-15 tell us that the believer will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ and be rewarded according to our works, not according to our sins.
The following is a conversation between two very good friends of mine that was posted on another forum. I have met them both at a Bible conference some years back. We are like minded believers and very good friends. "Berean" lives in Florida and "Fish" lives in Ohio.
This should answer the question "Can the believer today commit the unpardonable sin" in this dispensation of grace.
Berean
No law = No transgressions?
The bible says we do not obtain salvation by the law, but we obtain it by faith in Christ's shed blood for our sins, that it might be by grace.
Before the dispensation of grace was revealed to Paul and the new program was started, faith by grace...Israel was under the law.
Under the dispensation of the law, transgressions were committed
Under the dispensation of grace there is no law...therefore for a saved person, there is no transgression.
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fish
Rewards - not salvation - is the issue for Christians
Without Christ, we are here under the Law (conscience or the written Mosaic code)...
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
"In Christ," we are here under grace:
1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Cor 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
So how does the saved one know what is edifying?
1 Th 5:21 Prove [discern, examine, try, test] all things; hold fast that which is good.
Do Christians - who are dead to the Law - have the freedom to engage things which are NOT good? Drug abuse, homosexuality, adultery, theft, etc etc? YES.
SHOULD they? NO:
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
Is God pleased by Christians living in and for the flesh? NO.
Will He chastise them? Very possibly!
Will He condemn them to Hell for it? NO.
BUT!!!
Will they be edifying themselves and others in the Body by their sinful example? NO.
Are they building themselves up to the fulness of Christ? NO.
Are they building for eternity with gold, silver, precious jewels, OR with wood, hay and stubble? The answer is obvious.
Can their example negatively impact the faith and walk of other Christians? YES.
Can their example cause unbelievers to mock Christ more than they already might? YES.
Are they grieving the Spirit? YES.
Are they slandering the name of Christ? YES.
Will they lose reward at the Bema because of it? YES.
Knowledge of the Mystery is vital here, as Paul's letters are the only place to find out how God is dealing with man today, and who the Christian is "in Christ:"
2 Tim 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
I'm glad you brought this up, B; I'm going to store this one away in my files (it'll preach).
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Berean
I am glad you liked this topic Fish...Let me give you the verse and the good news I based this on...
Romans 4:15b...for where no law is, there is no transgression.
It is impossible to lose one's salvation if one is saved, because we are not under the law. Therefore no transgression can be made against the law and we cannot be judged according to it. Because there is no law for a saved person.
So if God were going to judge us He would judge us according to what???? Can't be the law...For He Himself says THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION
And what would it be??? What charge would He bring against us??? What transgression could we commit??? THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION
So how does one lose his salvation???
We have already been judged guilty and Christ paid for our sins and we are now not under the law but in Christ and His righteousness...not our own.
I am sure we could have many little chats on this subject...but I am sure our Catholic friends, for one, will not like this one.
Romans 4:14: For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace;
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fish
You are 100% correct.
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Christ lived a sinless life under the Law (HIS Law, when you think about it).
Yet He submitted Himself to the Law's death penalty for our sins.
All of that - the sinlessness, the death to sin, and the resurrection life - is credited/imputed to all who simply believe. That's all there is to it. He took our sin, we get Him.
Could God have done more for our salvation that He did in Christ? No. Could He have made it any easier for us to be saved? No. No wonder adding even one work to His one demand of faith is damnable.
God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!