The one sin that is not forgiveable.....

[JCKey618]

I heard in church one Sunday that God can forgive all your sins but if you commit extreme blasphemy, you cannot be forgiven.

Like, if you believe there is a God but you refuse to let Him into your heart and hate him, talk bad about him, and basically have a negative view towards Him. I heard you cannot be forgiven for this.

Is this true?

[bigpoppadiesel]

i thought that there is no sins that are greater or worse, i thought its either a sin or its not? black or white.

[William Ustav]

[ QUOTE ]
i thought that there is no sins that are greater or worse, i thought its either a sin or its not? black or white.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sins vary in degree, not all sins are alike.

Check out Matthew 12:31

<font color="red">Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men</font>

Blasphemy against the Holy ghost is not tolerated, however, if you truly repent and accept Jesus Christ as your saviour and Lord, you still get saved.

[bigpoppadiesel]

i dunno william. from what you posted it sounded like the first time i used the lords name in vain i pretty much condemn myself to unescapable ****ation

[William Ustav]

First of all, there is a difference between blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and Jesus. This is made clear, as Yu showed, here:

<font color="red">10And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven</font>

However, there are many dimensions to this. Let's say you live a life in sin, and you deny the Holy Ghost, and talk bad about it, as if it weren't real, but then you suddenly understand everything, and you repent, you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you - won't He save you? He sure will, I believe. However, if you don't get saved, if you continue to blaspheme against the Holy ghost, there is no chance whatsoever (probably) for you.

This could be drawn to the question on if the people who have never heard about Jesus, in judging them, maybe God takes into consideration that they (if) have not blasphemed against the Holy Ghost? Hmm...

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[PurposeDriven26]

[ QUOTE ]
But remember, it's never too late!

[/ QUOTE ]

Just want to add that it's never too early either. /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[psaturn]

Many people interpret that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is denying God and Christ and His salvation.

However, you have to read this Scripture in context. Where was it used. What was Jesus doing that prompted that remark ?

You will see that Matthew 12: 22 through 32 forms ONE paragraph.

22 Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."
25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand;
26 and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
30 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

So the context of this statement was referring to the fact that the Pharisees ascribed Jesus' work to Beelzebub, the prince of the flies, of demons.

The Holy Spirit is still working today, working with signs and wonders. Miraculous healings, deliverance from demonic oppression, people being set free from their sins. The warning that Jesus said was : do NOT blaspheme the Holy Spirit. It is an unforgivable sin. Jesus said it was by the Holy Spirit that He cast the demons out of the demoniac, the blind and the dumb spirit. Again, do NOT call the works of the Holy Spirit as being demonic. You can tell the works of the Holy Spirit by its fruits. They produce joy, peace and love, patience and kindness.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[RichW]

The way I understand it is this.
If the Lord is speaking to you and you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as your Savior but you keep hardening your heart to the call and denying Christ then that is unforgivable. The Lord will seek out all of his children and try to bring them to him but some will not go. After a person has hardened their heart for so long it is doubtful that they will ever change thus they pass on and have forever lost their chance. They go into the next world covered in sin and not the blood of Jesus and the wages of sin are death. So, it is the unforgivable sin because that person never accepted Christ and never asked to be forgiven and it's too late. So, they remain unforgiven and are eternally seperated from God.

Hey Yu, what if you blaspheme the Holy Ghost early in your life but accept it later in life. Will you then be forgiven? Even if you had blaspheme the Holy Ghost earlier in your life?

[psaturn]

Yu Yevon,

God's judgement is just.

I accept His judgement.

The children of Israel murmured all these times, even though they saw all the mighty works of GOD. So GOD's punishment was greater. All that generation of murmurers died out except for Joshua, Caleb and Moses. Moses did not get to the Promised Land and died thereafter.

Note in the book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira, they lied to the Holy Spirit and died.

Contrast with the sons of Eli, in the book of Samuel, they stole from the people, they lied and even had sex in the places where they were not supposed to. And they did not die right away.

Hmmm. What is the difference ?

During the times of Samuel, the presence of God was faraway.

Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

Hearing the voice of God was so rare and unusual that even Samuel did not know the voice of GOD. When he heard it, he thought it was Eli that called out to him. When it happened several times, Eli realized that God was calling Samuel.

So Eli told Samuel how he should respond. He was supposed to say: Speak LORD for your servant hears.
Samuel heard from the LORD what was He going to do to Eli and his sons and his seeds that he was terrified. There could not be any sacrifice or offerings that could expiate their sins. Eli even told the sons that they should not do that...they ignored him. They were warned.

The immediacy of the punishment (from the 40 years of Exodus to the death of Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament) to the delay (in Eli's time prior to Samuel) depended on how close God is at that time and place.

There will be a time soon that God will do again the mighty works that we read in the Bible and even greater works than that. More people will be faced with the choice of the reality of God and the application to their lives. The "major" sins that Christians and nonbelievers may do today, there will be no tolerance of it during the upcoming revival. Like Ananias and Sapphira, they may die, not having a chance again to change what they did....for the judgment of the LORD starts in the House of the LORD.

The judgement is greater on those who know and should know better what they are supposed to do.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

[psaturn]

Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

[bigpoppadiesel]

what do you think they meant by hearing his voice? do they actually have conversations with him or is it more you have an epiphany and just assume that its God projecting this understand into your mind? ex. you suddenly discover what would constitute living a good life and than ur like well why should i do that? and than the answer pops into your head. just curious

[Adam Knowlden]

Great article,



[/ QUOTE ] "I would like to just know if what it says in Matthew is true. It states that every sin is forgivable, except if a person speaks badly about the Holy Spirit. I have attended a private Christian school and one day my Bible teacher was saying that a person is not forgiven if he/she speaks against the Holy Spirit. As he stated that... I thought something against the Holy Spirit. I did not mean to... it just happened. I prayed and asked forgiveness, but does that mean I am forgiven or eternally condemned? SINCERELY WORRIED"

Clearly, this student is confused about the true meaning of this biblical reference. Once understood, this young person can rest assured that the unpardonable sin was most certainly not committed in this case. In fact, this sin cannot be committed by a true Christian.


An unforgivable sin is described in Mark 3 and Matthew 12. These passages involve Jesus Christ's repeated and widespread public defeat of Satan and his demons. Many readers and theologians have been confused about the true nature of this sin. As you read these verses for yourself (below), bear in mind part of the purpose of Jesus Christ's ministry was to directly confront darkness with the light of truth in a public battle of pure good versus pure evil. The only being in the universe that is more powerful than the Evil One, is God. He is the only one with enough power to bind Satan himself and forcibly dispossess him.

Mark 3:22-30 states,

"And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, 'He has Beelzebub,' and, 'By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.' ...'Assuredly, I [Jesus] say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation;' because they said, 'He has an unclean spirit'" (NKJV, emphasis added / Note: The Pharisees made the same charge in Mat 9:34.).

In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus says to the Pharisees,

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (NKJV, emphasis added).

What is the context of these statements, and what is the exact sin described?


Pharisees
The Pharisees had long observed the sinless Jesus Christ. They observed him doing undeniable and powerful miracles that were, at the very least, clear evidence of power supplied by God. These impressive miracles were freely given in pure kindness and love to release people from obvious suffering and the oppression of horrible evil.

However, the Pharisees had so firmly set their hearts against accepting Jesus as the Messiah that they rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence the crowds. They publicly credited the most ultimately evil being in the universe with these precious, godly miracles. In other words, they called the precious and holy Spirit of God, the unclean spirit of Satan. In effect, they charged Jesus Christ with sorcery; one who is in league with Satan. These charges are not only appalling and extremely serious, but clearly absurd. As Jesus immediately responded,

"How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house" (Mark 3:23-27; also see Luke 11:14-23).

Note that...

"Jesus does not deny the existence of other exorcists here. [See: Matthew 7:22-23] ...Exorcists often invoked a higher spirit to get rid of a lower one. ...But a demon's retreat that meanwhile drew attention to another of Satan's servants would only be a strategic retreat; such possible activity contrasts with the wholesale exorcizing of the masses that Jesus undertakes, which clearly signifies a defeat of Satan [Matthew 12:29; 4:24; 8:16; Mark 1:34, 39; 5:12, 15; Luke 9:1] ...the parable about tying up a protective householder means that Jesus had defeated Satan and could therefore plunder his possessions--free the demon-possessed" [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), pp. 143, 80.].

Author Dr. Henry Morris insightfully clarifies the true nature of Pharisees' sin:


"The unforgivable sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit has been interpreted in various ways, but the true meaning cannot contradict other Scripture. It is unequivocally clear that the one unforgivable sin is permanently rejecting Christ (John 3:18; 3:36). Thus, speaking against the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting Christ with such finality that no future repentance is possible. 'My spirit shall not always strive with man,' God said long ago (Genesis 6:3). ...In the context of this particular passage (Matthew 12:22-32), Jesus had performed a great miracle of creation, involving both healing and casting out a demon, but the Pharisees rejected this clear witness of the Holy Spirit. Instead they attributed His powers to Satan, thus demonstrating an attitude permanently resistant to the Spirit, and to the deity and saving Gospel of Christ" [Henry M. Morris, The Defender's Study Bible (Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, 1995), emphasis added.].

What is the difference between the two types of blasphemy described in Matthew 12? Why is the sacrifice of Christ ineffective as an atonement for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Respected Christian theologian Dr. F.F. Bruce writes,

"...Speaking against the Son of man might be due to a failure to recognize Him for what He is. So Paul recalls how in his pre-Christian days he thought it his duty to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. But if, having seen the light on the Damascus road, he had deliberately closed his eyes to it and kicked out against the goad which was directing him into the true path, that would have been the sin against the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit persuades and enables men to accept Christ and enjoy the saving benefits of the gospel [John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Acts 7:51], but if anyone refuses to submit to the Spirit's gracious constraint, preferring to call good evil and evil good, how can the gospel avail for him? The deliberate refusal of the grace of God is the one sin which by its very nature is irremediable" [F.F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), pp. 46-47.].

"Anyone who rejects the Holy Spirit's convicting influence and does not repent will not be forgiven, 'neither in this world, neither in the world to come' (Matthew 12:32)" [Ray Comfort, "The Unpardonable Sin," The Evidence Bible (Gainesville, Florida: Bridge-Logo Publishers, 2001).].

"Jesus thus regards blasphemy against the Spirit--permanently rejecting his identity (Matthew 12:18) as attested by the Spirit's works (12:28)--as the worst of sins" [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 80.].



The situation was similar at the biblical city of Capernaum, where Jesus Christ performed an extraordinary number of miracles and taught many important public lessons. In the end, most of the people of Capernaum remained unrepentant. Like the Pharisees, they persistently rejected the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit who bore witness to the true identity of Jesus Christ, their Messiah.

They turned away from the abundant light graciously provided to them, and chose to remain forever in their unbelief. They persistently refused to listen to anything the Holy Spirit was telling them. Like the Pharisees, they chose self-imposed blindness. For this reason, they were strongly judged. "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required..." (Luke 12:48). Thus, along with nearby Chorazin and Bethsaida, Capernaum received a very stern warning from Jesus, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee" (Matt. 11:21-24).

How can one know whether or not they have committed "the unforgivable sin?"

Bible researcher Larry Richards points out,

"This reference to an unforgivable sin has troubled many unnecessarily. Those who are concerned that they have done something for which Jesus will not forgive them show a very different attitude from the Pharisees, who refused to accept even the most compelling evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. The person who rejects the Spirit's message about Jesus will not be forgiven. Anyone who seeks Jesus' forgiveness certainly has not committed the unforgivable sin" [Larry Richards, 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 1993), pp. 241-242.].

Scholars Morris and Clark further explain:

"Persons deeply troubled by a guilty conscience often fear that they have sinned too grievously for God to forgive and save them. Others, dominated by a carnal, calculating attitude, hope to sin to the limit and then come to Christ to escape the consequences. Thus with radically different motives, both ask 'Is it possible to sin beyond the point of being saved?'

God's ability to save is not limited by man's sinfulness. In fact, every person, before he accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, is in total rebellion against God, though sinfulness many not manifest itself with equal intensity in every person. The Apostle John taught believers,

'If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world' (1 John 2:1-2).

The Bible is filled with examples of people who receive forgiveness for all manner of wickedness, for 'the Lord's hand is not short that it cannot save' (Isaiah 59:1). God's boundless grace prompted Paul to exclaim, 'When sin increased, grace abounded all the more' (Romans 5:20). And Paul's personal testimony showed God's redemptive purpose and power were not limited by man's sinfulness, thus encouraging those who feared they had sinned too grievously to be saved (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

While God's ability to save is boundless, the Bible clearly shows that there are certain conditions under which He will not save. For instance, God will not save those who neglect or despise Christ's sacrifice in an effort to find an alternate salvation plan.

'For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins' (Hebrews 10:26).


This warning pertains to those who 'trample under foot the Son of God' and regard His blood as unclean (Hebrews 10:29). God the Father has appointed His Son's sacrifice as the sole way of salvation and will not grant salvation to those who seek it by any other means.

The book of Romans contains the most concentrated teaching on the subject of salvation to be found in the New Testament, and it begins with a panorama of man's sin. Those who rejected God's revelation concerning Himself and worshipped idols instead were given over by God to a more severe moral defilement (Romans 1:22-24). Those who worshipped man instead of God received equally severe punishment: 'For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions,' the result being rampant immorality and homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27).

'And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper' (Romans 1:28).

Several conclusions can be drawn from these warnings.

First, God actively punishes unconfessed sin not only after the sinner's death, but also during that person's life.

Also, moral degradation is a punishment of God upon willful spiritual ignorance.

Further, when God gives one over to a depraved mind, that person's sensitivity to sin is deadened and his chances for repentance thereby lessened.

Yet, God does not violate man's freedom, forcing man to sin and then judging him for it. Rather, men in this state welcome more extreme degradation and actively embrace it: 'who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness' (Ephesians 4:19).

Consequently, Scripture states both that Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 8:32; 9:12).

The Holy Spirit convicts men of their sin and draws them to the Savior (John 16:8-11; 3:5-6). Yet, at least once in history, God has punished iniquity by withdrawing His Spirit. Prior to the world-wide flood, God said, 'My Spirit will not strive with man forever,' and then He appointed 120 years during which repentance could be made (Genesis 6:3). Instead of repenting, man used God's longsuffering as an occasion for further sin, and only Noah and his family were spared.

God has further declared that He will not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31).

...If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind.

The real danger arises, however, when one can continually violate God's law and never feel the slightest remorse over his rebellion. The Bible's warning should jolt the spiritually flippant out of their complacency:"

"It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6).

[Henry M. Morris and Martin E. Clark, The Bible Has the Answer, Revised and Expanded (Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 1976), pp. 244-246, emphasis added.]

George Standison and staff further clarify,

"With this exception [the unforgivable sin], there is nothing in the category of human offenses that is beyond the reach of divine forgiveness. 'Although your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.' is the ancient promise given by God to men; 'though they be like crimson, they shall be as wool' [Isaiah 1:18].

This is not to be interpreted, however, as an encouragement to sin, but rather as an inducement to repentance. If the sinner truly repents, imploring God's forgiveness for Jesus' sake; if he accepts him as Saviour and endeavors, with divine help, to live thereafter a Christian life, he will not only be forgiven, but will be kept from falling back into sin. This is the teaching of the Gospel, and it is exemplified in innumerable cases today. We have many instances everywhere of great sinners who have forsaken their evil ways and who are now living the new life, sustained by divine power.

'There's a wideness in God's mercy
Like the wideness of the sea.'

We have the Saviour's distinct assurance, 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out' [John 6:37]. There is no punishment for sins that are forgiven. 'Jesus paid it all'" [Bible Answers for 1000 Difficult Questions (Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers)].

If you, dear reader, have not yet truly repented of your sins and asked our Lord Jesus Christ for the total forgiveness and salvation that only his precious blood can provide, we urge you to do so immediately. It is the wisest decision you can ever make!


Can a Christian commit "the unpardonable sin?"

Authorities agree that the answer is no. Here's why.

"If we refuse to accept the testimony given to us by the Holy Spirit, fight off His conviction of our sin, and never accept the truth, we will never come to Christ for salvation. In Christ, all our sins are forgiven. Therefore, no Christian can commit the unpardonable sin. Only an unregenerate person who refuses to come to Christ will die in his or her sins" [Freedom in Christ (Knoxville, Tennessee: FICM.org, 2002).].

"...once you accept Jesus, that part of the Holy Spirit's job is complete, thus you can't blaspheme His work. Naturally, He continues to work with you, and you can be stubborn and resist Him as a Christian, but you can't blaspheme Him. Live unproductively, carnal and unspiritual, possible. But commit the unpardonable sin? It's just not possible for a true Christian. Remember what Paul said: [Darrin Yeager (DYeager.org, 2002).]

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1).

A true Christian cannot commit a sin for which there is no forgiveness. We are protected by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5). Although we can certainly grieve the Holy Spirit, he still seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The Apostle Paul was confident "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6, NKJV).

Bear in mind, however, if someone who claims to be a Christian is responding to the Holy Spirit and Christ in a way very similar to that of the Pharisees, despite the strong witness of the Holy Spirit and abundant exposure to the truth of God's Word, it is highly doubtful that the person was ever saved. Only God knows for sure. The evidence clearly points to an unregenerate heart.

"...for a tree is known by its fruit. ...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:33-34, NKJV).

[/ QUOTE ]

[Fandango]

what about suicide? because i know that doing damage to yourself or others(except for war, etc.) is a sin. and if you are dead, how can you ask for forgiveness? this is one thing i'm not really clear about... can someone please explain?

[Adam Knowlden]

Here are some articles on the topic bro:

First though, I want you to know, that when you accept Christ, God forgives you of all sin you will ever commit or have committed. Christ took every sin on the cross. Every sin you have or will committ has been paid in full on the cross! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

To say you could sin and it somehow won't be forgiven is to say Christ did not take all sin. Once you accept Him you are forgiven of all sin for eternity.

Strong Note*, that is not a liscense to sin!

God can not work in our lives if we chose to live in sin, and moreover, if one is living in a sinful life and not caring to rectify that, chances are they are not born again. You can not truely be born again, and go back to the way you used to be as a sinner.

[ QUOTE ]
Augustine argued in the fifth century that suicide was a violation of the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Later, Thomas Aquinas, being catholic and believing that confession of sin must be made prior to departure from the world to the next, taught that suicide was the most fatal of all sins because the victim could not repent of it. The problem with his view is that it represents a gross misunderstanding of eternal security, which Scripture clearly teaches. We are saved by the grace of God, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and nothing can separate a Christian from the love of God (Romans 8:37-39).
Other verses that clearly teach assurance of salvation for the believer are:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
-John 5:24

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."
-John 10:27-29

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
-1 John 5:11-13


However, suicide is not what God wants for anyone. We have a God who loves us and cares for us and promises to meet all of our needs if we place our trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you feeling that life isn't worth living anymore? Do your problems seem too big to handle? Does it seem that no one cares? Sometimes these feelings of despair or apathy cause people to think about suicide. What does the Bible say?
Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides.

Abimelech
(Judges 9:52-54)

Abimelech lacked personal identity.


Samson
(Judges 16:25-30)
Samson died for a cause he believed in and for revenge.


Saul
(1 Samuel 31:4)
Stressed out, unable to live up to certain expectations; felt rejected and a failure


Saul's armor-bearer
(1 Samuel 31:5)
Impulse, he wanted to die with his boss. 40% of teenage suicide is impulse.


Ahithophel
(2 Samuel 17:23)
Ahithophel was bitter because his advice was not followed


Zimri
(1 Kings 16:15-20)
Rebellion; Zimri had a problem with authority


Judas
(Matthew 27:3-5)
Depressed, Judas felt trapped by materialism and guilt




But what does the Bible say about taking your own life?


1. God has a great plan for your life. God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He created us for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind for everyone.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

2. God's plan is for life, not death. The Bible teaches that both physical and spiritual death are the result of our sin and disobedience to God, but eternal life is a gift to those who receive it.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

3. Jesus taught that death and destruction are the work of "the thief" (Satan). He said, "The thief comes only to steal and destroy;" (John 10:10). John 8:44 says that Satan is a "murderer" and the "father of lies". The feelings of despair that lead to suicide are caused by some of his lies.

4. Jesus wants us to have life. He said:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10)

5. Life belongs to God. It is never our place to take our own life or someone else's life.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)


IF SUICIDE ISN'T THE ANSWER, WHAT IS?

1. The solution to despair and hopelessness is not suicide, but faith in God.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalms 33:20-22)

2. Christ promises that He will give us rest from our problems.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

3. Tell someone. Tell your parents, your brother or sister, your teacher or school counselor, your pastor or youth minister that you are thinking about suicide. If a friend tells you that he or she is serious about suicide, then you need to tell someone who is responsible and can help.

4. Accept Christ's free gift of eternal life and salvation, if you haven't already. Romans 10:13 says: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." John 1:12 says: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

5. When we accept Christ, God gives us a brand-new life and sees us as completely holy and righteous.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

6. Because of God's salvation through the death of Jesus on the cross, we can have assurance of eternal life with God.

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)



[/ QUOTE ]

[psaturn]

Wow, Old School, your really worked on that answer !!!

[Adam Knowlden]

LOL!

Sorry that is not mine. Its an article from christiananswers.net. I thought I put that at the top? Maybe not, here's the link. An excellent site too, everyone who has questions like this should check this site out too.

http://christiananswers.net/

[William Ustav]

It's a top notch site! Along with Answers in Genesis, probably my favorite Christian website /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(not counting ABC /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )

[Fandango]

alright thanks OldSchool. that helped me clear that up.

[JTiger]

[ QUOTE ]
I heard in church one Sunday that God can forgive all your sins but if you commit extreme blasphemy, you cannot be forgiven.

Like, if you believe there is a God but you refuse to let Him into your heart and hate him, talk bad about him, and basically have a negative view towards Him. I heard you cannot be forgiven for this.

Is this true?

[/ QUOTE ]

It refers to the blasphemy against the spirit when you "know" God is true. If you drop a GD phrase, it's not the same. Hope that helps.

[bennyhanna1]

nice throwback thread lol