The love of God towards us cannot be measured in human terms, for it far surpasses any emotional or real concerns we may have for each other. Love is measured by what one does, not what one says and the extent to which Christ went to save us from sin reveals the depth of God’s love toward the human family.
On a horizontal level, love towards one another can reach its zenith if a man is willing to die for his friends. But the depth of God’s love is manifested in His willingness to die for His enemies, as was made certain on calvary. In other words, when we did not care about Christ’s sacrifice He went ahead and paid the price for our freedom. Let’s read:
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Therefore, God does not take the unpardonable sin lightly, and He will try everything possible to save those who are heading in that direction, or who are not aware of their danger. Before The Holy Spirit is removed from persons, many well directed efforts on numerous occasions are made to keep such an one from going over the cliff.
But when everything has failed, when the repeated efforts of the Holy Ghost are rebuffed and despised, then God is left no choice but to suspend recovery efforts, and then it is that the voice of God in one’s conscience goes permanently dead. These efforts made at reconciliation by The Holy Ghost continue, much longer after human beings would do, for it’s often the case that some persons may adopt the three strikes and you’re out method of recovery.
But God’s efforts to save persons often continue for very many years, long after other men would have given up hope. Thus, the commission of the unpardonable sin is in most cases, not a one time action on the part of the human agent, but rather, the culmination of a series of rebuffs and resistances to the voice of God in our consciences, pleading with us to turn from sin. Then if we continue in a sinful course of action, it becomes futile for those ongoing efforts at reconciliation to continue.
Whilst God’s gracious overtures to save individuals continue, a whole lot of undeniable evidences are often presented to the conscience of the person in question, and it is our response to those evidences that determine our eternal destiny.
If, when presented with facts by The Holy Spirit, we deliberately close our eyes or try to justify ourselves in sin, then the next time God makes another effort, the voice of conscience gets more blunted, and if it continues over an extended period of time, the time will come when God may be speaking, but we won’t be hearing or listening.
When Christ warned against the unpardonable sin, it was done in the context of undeniable evidences of His power that was being deliberately attributed to devils, and thus, if one considers the work of The Holy Ghost to be of satanic origin, then conversely, that person will inevitably assess satan’s work as being of godly origin. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Thus, it was the deliberate effort on the part of the human agents, in refusing the evidences presented by The Holy Spirit, that caused Jesus to utter such a warning, for whenever and wherever persons try to put darkness for light, or willfully represent good for evil, the hardening of their hearts against The Holy Ghost takes place.
This scenario has been demonstrated in the Bible time and time again, with the hope that we who are living in the final days of earth’s history would not repeat the same errors. As we study the history of three kings, we can learn from their experiences and choices, how to avoid the unpardonable sin. Thus, our focus will be centered mainly on the many undeniable evidences God gave to these persons in their consciences, and their reaction to the facts, as they would go on to alter their destiny.
Speaking a word against The Holy Spirit is basically the refuting of undeniable facts about wrongdoing, when those facts are presented to our consciences. We begin with pharaoh, king of Egypt, who was to be given numerous opportunities to acknowledge that he was in the wrong, but who, at every turn, had made the decision to close his eyes to the facts. Even when he was forced to confess that he himself was wicked, he never reached the point of humbly submitting to God.
Instead, he continued to harden his own heart, and God, who gave to all the freedom of choice, let the king choose whether to submit, or continue in sin. The same sunlight that hardens concrete, will melt butter, and therefore, Pharaoh’s response to those undeniable evidences is what drove him to commit the unpardonable sin. Let’s read:
Exodus 8:17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice but they could not. 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
The next set of undeniable evidences granted to the conscience of pharaoh was scheduled to take place in the natural world. A deadly infectious disease in cattle was on its way, but a strange distinction was to be made that just could not be reasoned away on any logical grounds, other than the hand of God was in it. If there are several ranchers in one area, but only one set of farmers are seeing their cattle die from mad cow disease, an immediate investigation would be launched by the FDA to determine what could be causing the difference.
And if for some reason it is discovered that the only real difference is the religion of the ranchers, then it is almost a foregone conclusion that a supernatural phenomenon is underway, which would transcend science, or logic as we know it. In pharaoh’s case, several differentiating factors are to be given so that to any reasonable person, all the facts would lead to a special interference from God. A specific time is set for the disease to begin, which in and of itself is unheard of. In addition, only those livestock belonging to pharaoh and other Egyptians would perish. Let’s read:
Exodus 9:3 Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 4 And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.
5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land. 6 And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
Even when pharaoh is forced to acknowledge the facts and evidences granted him, he stubbornly refuses to repent. Instead, he feels remorse for the results of his action, but he does not feel sorry for the cause of his action. Many people today are feeling very sorry because of the resulting corona virus, but not many persons are feeling sorry for the cause, which is the eating of forbidden foods. And like pharaoh, if a cure was to be found, many who have temporarily stopped eating wild meat, would return to doing so. Let’s read:
Exodus 9: 22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28 Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail. 33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
Undeniable evidences were stacked one upon the next, pharaoh’s own magicians plead with him to submit to the God of heaven, he verifies the great difference placed between himself and God’s own people in the plagues, yet he continues to resist the voice of God through His providential working. This continues, until The Holy Spirit gets frustrated with Pharaoh, and when the obstinate king would not listen to either God or man, and presumes to threaten Moses with death, then The Holy Spirit is left no choice but to depart from him.
And as Moses walks out through those palace doors for the last time, pharaoh’s day of grace comes to a permanent close. He committed the unpardonable sin, and by so doing, cut himself off from the grace and mercies of God, through Christ. Let’s read:
Exodus 10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. 29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
King Saul, like pharaoh became delusional, because of his stubborn rebuttal of facts presented by God’s Spirit. When the demon of jealousy came upon him, he sent several soldiers to take David by force, after he discovered that David was hiding out by Samuel. The first set of soldiers set out on their journey, but as they approach Samuel’s home, The Holy Spirit accosts them and brings them under His direct sway in so much that they begin to prophesy among the other prophets which were present with Samuel.
The news of the strange occurrence reaches Saul’s ears, but instead of acknowledging the facts in the case, he sends another battalion of soldiers, as if to verify what he heard; but they also come under the direct power of God, and prophesy as heretofore. Whenever any person, or ruler of any nation has a problem with facts and truth and will continuously choose not to believe reliable information given by trusted and reliable sources, it is almost certain that the person in question is demon possessed.
The messengers who brought the news to Saul were not David’s servants, but Saul’s own officers, whom he had selected for that purpose. But regardless of the fact that they were reliable and verifiable, Saul persisted in kicking against the pricks of conscience and he sent a third embassage of soldiers. These also fail in their mission, because of the sheer power of The Holy Spirit, who is appealing to their consciences.
But Saul, who has become totally blind and delusional, refuses to believe the truths on the ground and finally just like pharaoh, he himself goes to see if peradventure he might fight against God. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 19:20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise.
And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. 22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night.
Our last cast of characters is Nebuchadnezzar, who, even though he suffered from pride, was altogether different from Saul and pharaoh, for whenever he was confronted with undeniable evidences coming from God, he would consider, he would change his course, and he would acknowledge that the God of heaven was, and still is right.
It’s not that Nebuchadnezzar did not have his own problems like everyone else, but what he did with the facts on the ground made all the difference, and because of that specific disposition to acknowledge truth, God could, and did work with him. In other words, when The Holy Ghost pointed out his errors, he did not make excuses, he didn’t blame others, or try to reason away the evidences of God’s power. Instead, he would acquiesce, and admit that he was in the wrong.
Thus, any person who cultivates the disposition not to rebel against reproof or correction from God, has great potential to be saved eternally, for God could work with them. It is never the grievousness of our sins that causes anyone to be lost, it is the stubborn rejection of facts, evidences, and those truths, given by The Holy Ghost, beckoning us to change course.
Therefore, when Jesus warns us about speaking a word against the Holy Spirit, He is always primarily referring to what individuals choose to do, to quiet an awakened conscience, by stifling truth and facts. This course of action inevitably leads to a syndrome known as self-deception where persons deliberately choose an alternate set of facts to believe.
Lying is the signature characteristic of satan, and if persons deliberately choose to believe lies instead of undeniable truths, then their minds become too blunted for The Holy Spirit to impress them, which then leads to the unpardonable sin. Let’s read:
Matthew 13: 10 And the disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
As was stated before, king Nebuchadnezzar was an altogether different breed, for whenever he was due for correction by God, he would take it in the right spirit, and therefore the stage was set for his conversion, and we believe he will be saved when Jesus returns to receive his own. When Christ stopped him dead in his tracks, as he tried to burn the three Hebrews for refusing to bow, he reconsidered his evil doings, and he immediately changed course midstream, because the evidences God gave him were of such that they would appeal to any reasonable person. Let’s read:
Daniel 3: 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them; 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
What a world of difference attitude makes, for if an individual is humble enough to receive correction, it becomes very difficult for that person to be lost, for God will not leave one stone un-turned, until such a person is brought to a knowledge of the truth. What the world is currently experiencing, is a wake- up call permitted by God to awaken the consciences of people everywhere to consider the truths in the Bible which have been too long neglected, some of which point us to Christ’s soon return.
And in lieu of those truths, all should now avail themselves of His grace, while probation still lingers. God is now appealing to the consciences of all, by showing us that the eating of forbidden foods will harm us, just as he has stated in His word, over and over again. Several recent viruses, and a plethora of cancers and diseases are the direct result of persons ingesting that which has not been designed for human consumption.
Pork producing plants are shutting down all over the country so that repentance can be made easy for those who desire to obey. It’s just as if God is pleading with the inhabitants of earth, through every available means, to turn and live. In other words, God is saying to earth’s inhabitants, if you continue to eat forbidden foods, they will kill you. Let’s read:
Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. 4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. 7 And the swine, though he divides the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. 11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh. 24 Whosoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even. 32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.
35 And everything whereupon any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you. 46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps upon the earth.
47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
But if, instead of confessing our sins, and humbly accepting God’s correction, we succumb to various conspiracy theories, in an effort to quiet awakened consciences, and if we look for other reasons and causes other than what God has plainly stated, that will be the equivalent of burying our heads in the sand, and God’s voice in our minds will become less recognizable. While mercy still lingers, the loving voice of God’s entreaty beckons to us to turn from doing evil to righteousness.
We can, like Nebuchadnezzar, take a humble approach, confess our sins and be saved, or like pharaoh, we may choose to ignore truth, and thereby become encased in alternate facts, which ultimately lead to never-land. The choice is ours, and if we were to reconsider our ways in the light of Biblical truth, Christ who died to save us from ourselves will be willing to forgive and restore. Thus, we will close with a passage from the Bible which encourages us not to harden our hearts, and thereby cut ourselves off from God’s grace. Let’s read:
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
God Bless!