
The unforgivable / eternal / unpardonable sinPanic caused by beliefs about that sin. 
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Panic caused by fear of having committed the unforgivable sin:The unforgivable sin apparently causes a great deal of distress among
Christians who interpret the Bible literally and take it seriously. The three passages in the Gospels that discuss this type of sin seem to imply that once it is committed, the individual is permanently lost. It is often not possible for an individual to be absolutely certain that they have never blasphemed the Holy Spirit at any time in the past. James Akin comments:
"Today virtually every Christian counseling manual contains a chapter on
the sin to help counselors deal with patients who are terrified that they
have already or might sometime commit this sin." 1
Rev. Ken Collins writes:
Of all the hard sayings of Jesus, this one has caused the most serious
pastoral problems. Even before I was a pastor, I can’t tell you how many
times some guilt-ridden person came to me in tears, begging for an
explanation of this verse. Far too many for my taste! There are people who
are predisposed to feeling guilty, either because of their personality type
or because they have been pressed down by adversity, so as soon as they come
across this passage, they are convinced that they have somehow blasphemed
against the Holy Spirit. ... Sometimes they feel so guilty that they come
not to have the burden lifted, but only to have it identified! They are
convinced they are far beyond the pale of salvation. They are so convinced
of their unworthiness that they do not seek to be saved, they only seek to
understand why they cannot be saved.
2
David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God
writes:
"As a longtime pastor who has worked with many thousands, I have
counseled scores of people who were racked with fear, anxiety and concern
that they were guilty of this sin. It was often very painful to watch
confusion, misunderstanding and guilt unnecessarily grip people who still
sincerely wanted to serve God, after believing they had committed
this unforgivable sin. In many cases, they were absolutely certain
that they were guilty of it. Invariably, after counseling with them, it was
clear that they were not. But convincing them of this was sometimes not
easy." 3

Release from the fear:Hank Hanegraaff of the Bible Answer Man
program writes that one of the most frequent questions he is asked is "How
can I know for sure that I have not committed the unforgivable sin?" He
always answers in the same way:
" 'If you are truly concerned, you have not
committed the unforgivable sin.' Rather than demonstrating concern, those
who actually commit the unpardonable sin are cavalier about Christ and
Christianity. In other words, they have no interest in His forgiveness." 4
Some might not consider this an adequate answer. Presumably, a person could commit the unpardonable sin in a moment of desperation or panic, when they were not behaving or thinking normally. They might be "cavalier about Christ and
Christianity," but only briefly. However, when they return to normal later, they would regret and confess their sin, and develop a major "interest in His forgiveness." But a literal interpretation of the unforgivable sin passages would seem to indicate that they cannot regain what they have permanently lost. Patrick H. Reardon of Touchstone Journal writes:
"The whole business of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is that it is,
by definition, the sin of which men do not repent. It is total and
inveterate blindness of heart, in which men can no longer discern the
difference between light and darkness. They have loved the darkness rather
than the light, and they have refused to come to the light, lest their sins
be revealed. Such appears to be the sin of which the Lord’s enemies are
guilty in these texts where we find them plotting His death."
"For a pastoral perspective it may be said that those Christians who fear
they may have committed 'the unforgivable sin' should be take courage from
the thought that their very fear is strong evidence that they have not done
so. Those who are approaching the unforgivable sin are those who no longer
even think about repentance and feel no need for it. Those who have reached
this state are no longer concerned about such things. A pastor dealing with
a person anxious in this matter should bear in mind that those who seek his
counsel in such anxiety certainly have not committed the unforgivable sin.
Those guilty of such a sin do not seek counsel from a pastor." 5
David C. Pack continues:
"I have often had to explain that the very act of being concerned
is its own proof that one has not gone far enough to be guilty of this sin.
Still, many continued to agonize that they had been condemned by God—with no
hope of being restored to the Christian path. It often took long hours—much
counsel and explanation—to reassure them that they had not committed the
unpardonable sin! I was not always able to convince them. Some still
gave up seeking and obeying God because they had lost hope!" 3
All three sources seem to overlook what must be the most common situation: that a person is saved, later momentarily commits the "unforgivable sin" and then later returns to their normal state. 
References:The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
-
James Akin, "The Unforgivable Sin," Eternal Word Television Network, at:
http://www.ewtn.com/
-
Ken Collins, "The Unforgivable Sin," at:
http://www.kencollins.com/
-
David C. Pack, "Just what is 'The Unpardonable Sin'?', The Restored church
of God, at:
http://www.thercg.org/
-
Hank Hanegraaff, "The Unforgivable Sin," Christian
Research Institute, at: http://www.equip.org/
-
Patrick H. Reardon, "Daily Reflections," 2005-FEB-07, at:
http://www.touchstonemag.com/

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Copyright © 2006 to 2013 Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Posted: 2006-OCT-24
Latest update: 2013-JUN-09
Author: B.A. Robinson
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