Eternal sin

The Eternal Sin, or "unpardonable sin", is a concept of sin in Christian theology, whereby salvation becomes impossible. Its origin comes from statements by Jesus in the context of his opponents' claim that his miraculous healings were a work of Beelzebub, a demon in league with the Devil.

Biblical Passages

Truly I say unto you, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter: but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: because they say, ‘He has an unclean spirit’.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

The above scripture passages clearly indicate that an individual can taste spiritual realities and know the moving of the Holy Spirit, yet remain unsaved. Experiences prove nothing if they don't result in a new heart. Even the most wicked of men, such as Balaam and Judas, have known the working of the Spirit. "But, beloved," says the writer of Hebrews, "we are persuaded of better things of "you", things that accompany "salvation", though we speak in this manner." The fruit of the Spirit in the Hebrews' lives showed they had salvation, in contrast to "those who were once enlightened" but who only produced "thorns and briers". These "thorns and briers" bring to mind the "thorny ground" in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) - people who fall away from what they once knew, choked by the pleasures of the world. A "sow that was washed returning to wallow in the mire" (2 Peter 2:22) was always a sow. Just as a tare was always a tare. Those never saved eventually display their true nature.

Alternate Christian views

By its nature a person committing suicide cannot confess their sin after the act, hence some would purport that suicide is an eternal sin. Fact|date=August 2008

Mormonism

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, have a similar understanding of the eternal sin to mainstream Christianity. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, said:

:All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it. (" [http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1971.htm/ensign%20may%201971.htm/the%20king%20follett%20sermon.htm?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm$3.0$q=$x= The King Follett Sermon] ," "Ensign" May 1971)

External links

* [http://www.billygraham.org/MyAnswer_Article.asp?ArticleID=1663 "My Answer" column] by Billy Graham
* [http://www.nathan.co.za/message.asp?sermonum=201 "The Unpardonable Sin"] a sermon by pentecostal William Branham
* [http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/cbnteachingsheets/Pat_Perspective_unpardonable_sin.aspx Pat Robertson's Perspective: The Unpardonable Sin]
* [http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu06.htm#answer6 Catholic FAQ: What about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?]
* [http://www.biblicaluniversalist.com/Unpardonable.html What About The Unpardonable Sin] (Universalist perspective)
* [http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1984/432_Beyond_Forgiveness_Blasphemy_Against_the_Spirit/ John Piper's Perspective]