MATH1H3@uhvax1.uh.edu (David H. Wagner) (12/08/89)
[This is a response to a question about 1 John 5:16-17. It distinguishes between a sin that does or does not lead to death. David says he used to think that all sins are equally fatal, but wonders how to deal with this passage. I responded that I didn't think I Jn was distinguishing between serious and venial sins, but rather was referring to the infamous "sin against the Holy Spirit", which is not forgiveable at all. This posting is a comment on that aspect. --clh] The best definition of the "sin against the Holy Spirit", which is what I understand to be the "sin leading to death," is given in Hebrews 6:4-6 : "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tated the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." Thus the sin against the Holy Spirit is a complete and utter rejection of Christ by a believer. One could say that such a person completely expels the Holy Spirit from his heart. For such a person we should not pray. The obstacle to repentance here is not that God's grace is insufficient to forgive the sin, but that the person has so hardened his heart that faith is impossible. As one pastor described it to me, "If you have enough faith to worry whether you have sinned against the Holy spirit, then you haven't". Now in a sense, any sin can be said to lead to death, because if we persist in the sin it can defeat the faith which God has given us. The Christian should flee all sin. As God said to Cain, "If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." But when we do sin we can confidently approach God as our own Father and say "Father, forgive me, not because I deserve forgiveness, but because your Son Jesus has already received my punishment, and conquered death." No one who does this is guilty of a sin against the Holy Spirit. David H. Wagner My opinions and beliefs are completely separated from my employer's lack thereof.