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   The
Unpardonable Sin

Sinning Away Your Day of Grace

The Sin Unto Death

By Oliver B. Greene (Copied from a free publication without his permission) The Gospel Hour, Inc. Oliver B. Greene, Director Box 2024, Greenville, S. C. 29602 1 First Printing 1,000,000 copies This booklet is NOT TO BE SOLD by anyone, for any reason, at any price. This booklet is to be distributed FREE by those who receive it from The Gospel Hour, Inc., a non-profit Christian Corporation. Booklets like this are published by the Gospel Hour to win the lost and help believers grow spiritually. They are mailed to individuals who send a gift to help support our radio station ministry. Neither individuals nor book stores have any right to sell them. Gifts received for these booklets are used 100% to finance this non-profit ministry. 2 The Unpardonable Sin “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). “For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23). “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). SIN and DEATH are synonymous! SIN and DEATH walk hand and hand, and unless something is done about SIN, the result is always DEATH. BUT– – There is a SIN which, once committed, is UNFORGIVABLE!!! We cannot depend upon preachers and teachers to give us the correct definition of the unpardonable sin, for they do not agree; but it is found in the Word of God. Jesus preached a sermon on the subject, 3 and it is His teaching that we will use. If we heed His warning and believe His Word, we will know the truth concerning this subject. The unpardonable sin is found in three of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We will use the account found in Matthew 12:22-34: “Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He heeled him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 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: and if Satan cast out Satan, his is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But 4 if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods except he first bind the srtong man? And then he will spoil his house. He that it not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. “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. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. “”Either make a the tree good, and his fruit good, or else made the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Let us look at the passage before us very, very CAREFULLY:-- 5 1. JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS! All Scripture is God’s Word and is eternally important; but when we read the words that fell straight from the lips of Jesus, they should have the closest attention mortal man can give. In verse 31 of this passage, Jesus said: “WHEREFORE....”(The word means “For what reason? For what end or object?” In other words, why did Jesus say what He had just said?) The account of the healing of the demoniac and the reaction of the Pharisees to the miracle was given to teach us the truth about a sin for which there is absolutely no forgiveness. 2. According to Jesus (not this preacher or some other religious leader) there is ONE SIN for which there is NO FORGIVENESS. He said: “ALL manner of SIN and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, BUT THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST....” 3.There is NO ROOM left for any hope for the forgiveness of this ONE SIN. 6 4. Jesus said “Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man (Jesus), it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost,” that person cannot be forgiven EVER! 5. Whosoever commits this sin, according to Jesus Christ Himself, “It shall not be forgiven him, NEITHER IN THIS WORLD, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME.” 6. Jesus repeats here what He taught in the Sermon on the Mount: You can know a tree by the fruit it bears (Matthew 7:16-20)–“...for the tree is known by his fruit” – meaning, these men were CORRUPT MEN, as He clearly states next: 7. “O GENERATION OF VIPERS (poisonous snakes), how can ye being EVIL, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” To sum up these seven things I have pointed out: Jesus is the Teacher; His Word is final. He made it clear to ALL 7 that there is a sin for which there is NO PARDON - NO PARDON in this life nor in the life beyond the grave. He made it clear to the group to whom He spoke that day–and also to you and me–that the things we do and say declare what we are. Those men had spoken from their HEARTS these blasphemous words. This proved they were children of the SERPENT, the devil; they were vipers. Keep this in mind as we study further. A Brief Outline 1. What is the unpardonable sin? 2. How does one commit the sin? 3. By WHOM con this sin be committed? 4. Who WILL NOT commit this sin? 5. How can one tell if he has committed the unpardonable sin? 6.Con it be committed TODAY? WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? The answer to this question cannot 8 be found in books written by men–for as I stated earlier, men do not agree on this subject. The answer can be found only in God’s Word’ therefore we shall look in the Bible for the answer. First of all, the definition is “SIN” is found in the First Epistle of John: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the LAW: for SIN is THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW” (I John 3:4). Jesus fulfilled every jot ant tittle of the law and the prophets (Matthew5:17,18). Jesus came to take away “the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus did not fail in His mission. He did take away the SIN of the world; He fulfilled the law – – “The law was given by Moses, but GRACE and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Just before Jesus went to the cross He said to His Father, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have FINISHED the WORK which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). I repeat: Jesus fulfilled every jot and 9 tittle of the law; He paid the sin-debt in full! He finished ALL the Father sent Him into the world to do– – – THEREFORE – The UNPARDONABLE SIN is different from any and ALL other sin or sins. I make the following statement with reverence, FEAR, AND TREMBLING. I KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING; I know I will face this statement when I am judged for my stewardship. I make the statement because it is TRUTH, and there is a dire need for the truth to be made known! Here is the statement:-- GOD CANNOT (and remain God) forgive the person who commits the unpardonable sin, BECAUSE this sin has nothing to do with the LAW, CHRIST, OR THE FATHER. The sin has to do with the PRECIOUS HOLY SPIRIT– the most tender, the most sensitive, and in this age of GRACE, THE MOST IMPORTANT member of the Godhead. It is HE the Holy Spirit, who draws sinners to Jesus; and if He does not DRAW the sinner to the Saviour, THE SINNER CANNOT COME. 10 The Holy Spirit not only DRAWS the sinner, HE “BORNS” the one who comes to Jesus for salvation INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST. Jesus said: “...Except a man be born of water and OF THE SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The tender, compassionate holy Spirit DRAWS, He “BORNS,” but He does more–MUCH MORE! The Holy Spirit comes into the HEART of the Christian, and one “BORN of the Spirit” Immediately becomes a “partaker of DIVINE NATURE” (II Peter 1:4). The Holy Spirit LIVES in the heart of the Christian: “...for He (the Holy Spirit) dwelleth with you, and shall BE IN YOU” (John 14:17). “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16). “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man HOVE NOT the Spirit of Christ, HE IS NONE OF HIS” (Romans 8:9). 11 “For as man as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). “The Spirit (Holy Spirit) . . . beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). The Unpardonable Sin Is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit What does that mean? The definition of “blasphemy” is: “SPEAKING or ACTING hateful or hurtful against a PERSON . . . . Indignity offered to God in WORDS, SIGNS, or WRITING.” What did the Pharisees in our text do or say that caused Jesus to make it clear to them they had committed a sin for which they could never be forgiven? Notice the Scripture again: “And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, bu by BEELZEBUB THE PRINCE OF THE DEVILS” (Matthew 12:23, 24). 12 I ask again, what did they do or say that brought ETERNAL DAMNATION–UNFORGIVABLE SIN–upon them? They gave Beelzebub (the devil) credit for the miracle Jesus had just wrought “BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD” (Matthew 12:28). A man was healed who was so full of demons he was BLIND and could not TALK! The very second Jesus cast the demons out of him, he could SEE and TALK. The Pharisees said Jesus did it by the power of the devil credit for the work of the Holy Spirit, and because of this – THEY SEALED THEIR DOOM. BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ONE SIN FOR WHICH THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS; and allow me to add– –this is the ONLY SIN for which there is NO FORGIVENESS! You may hear sermons on “The Three Unpardonable Sins: (or the Four, or the Five) – but according to God’s Word there is only ONE unpardonable sin. 13 HOW DOES A PERSON COMMIT THIS SIN? The unpardonable sin is committed by SPEAKING, or ACTING, or THINKING–(“Jesus knew their THOUGHTS, and said unto them. . .” –Matthew 12:25)–“hateful and/or HURTFUL” AGAINST EH Holy Spirit. It is “INDIGNITY” toward the Holy Spirit in words, signs, or in writing. I have been in meetings where things occurred that I did not agree with, but I am VERY VERY CAREFUL not to attribute all that I do not agree with in religion to the devil. YOU, dear friend, had better be careful also. Take thought before you say, “That church, preacher, teacher, or radio program is of the devil.” It may be, but DO YOU KNOW? If you do not have clear Scripture to prove that a man, church, or program is of the devil, you had better keep silent, and leave it to the Lord to judge: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things 14 of darkness (the devil), and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: . . .” (I Corinthians 4:5). The devil attempts to get many unsaved people to THINK they have committed the unpardonable sin, and by so doing keep them from being saved. I will show you clearly from God’s Word, later in this message, how you may KNOW whether or not you have committed this sin. The devil also torments the minds of many Christians by telling them they have committed the sin; he does this to rob them of joy in the Lord and to keep them from winning souls. Later I will also show you from God’s Word a precious truth concerning this. Have you DELIBERATELY attributed the work of the Lord – TRUE preaching in the name of Jesus, real cases of souls saved at an old-fashioned altar- have you attributed true spiritual things like these to the devil, to the power of the devil? I doubt you have – – IF YOU ARE READING THIS MESSAGE IN SINCERITY! 15 BY WHOM CAN THE UNPARDONABLE SIN BE COMMITTED? Every UNBELIEVER in the world is a candidate to commit the unpardonable sin. Why do I say that? The ONE DESIRE of the devil is to DAMN your soul – – to see you burn in hell. If the devil can lead you to blaspheme the Holy Spirt, he knows you are his; he knows you will never be saved.. Therefore he need not worry about you any more. If the devil can get you to commit the unpardonable sin he can make a check mark by your name and know you belong to him–and then all that separates you from HELL-FIRE is the little time you have left to live! So you can see that every unsaved person on earth is a candidate to commit the unpardonable sin. WHO WILL NOT COMMIT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? Is anyone alive immune from committing the sin? Is there any way I can 16 be sure that I will never commit this sin? YES, THANK GOD, there are millions alive today who CAN BE SURE they will NEVER, EVER– – COMMIT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN!!! Who are these millions? EVERY BORN AGAIN BELIEVER has the BIBLE GUARANTEE that he will NEVER commit the sin that will never be forgiven. Why, and HOW, can a believer be sure he will never commit the sin? In Bible language – “Come NOW and let us (you and me) REASON together. . .” (Isaiah 1:18):-- A believer is a Christian. A Christian is a child of God, born of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit, sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. DO YOU, dear soul, think the precious Holy Spirit would lead YOU, or ME, or ANY CHILD OF GOD, to blaspheme Himself? You see, the blessed Holy Spirit is in the world to GLORIFY GOD, AND JESUS, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS– 17 NOT to BLASPHEME. Jesus said: “Howbeit when He, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, is come (He came on the day of Pentecost, and He has not departed since), HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH (He will not guide God’s children to blaspheme, but He will guide the children of God into ALL TRUTH): for HE shall not speak of Himself . . . . HE SHALL GLORIFY ME . . .”(John 16:13, 14). Christians are: CONVICTED of sin and CALLED to God by the Spirit; BORN of the Spirit; UNITED to Christ by the Spirit; INDWELT by the Spirit; LED by the Spirit; FILLED with the Spirit; SEALED by the Spirit; and in that glorious resurrection morning the bodies of believers will be RAISED by the Spirit. (Space will not allow me to give you the text of all the following Scriptures, but please read them in YOUR BIBLE: – – John 6:44; 16:7-11; 3:5; I Corinthians 12:12, 13; Romans 8:9; John 14:17; Romans 8:14, 16; Ephesians 5:18; 4:30; and Romans 8:11.) IT IS NO WONDER THERE IS NO 18 FORGIVENESS FOR BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT! Are you a child of God through faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross? If you are, stop right here and PRAY A PRAYER OF THANKS GIVING FOR YOUR SALVATION– –AND ALSO FOR THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU WILL NEVER BLASPHEME THE PRECIOUS HOLY SPIRIT WHO LEADS YOU MOMENT BY MOMENT! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION” (Ephesians 4:30). When the devil sees the SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON ONE’S HEART, he KNOWS that he cannot get into that heart and cause that person to BLASPHEME the Holy Spirit! Why does Satan KNOW he cannot get into the heart SEALED by the Holy Spirit? He KNOWS BECAUSE: “Ye are of God, little children, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM: BECAUSE GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU (the Holy Spirit), than he that is in the world (the devil, demons, evil spirits)” (I John 4:4). The devil KNOWS God when he meets God, and he knows that God is more powerful than he! God’s guarantee to His child that His child will never blaspheme the Holy Spirit and spend eternity in hell with the devil and his angels, is THE SEAL OF GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you are born again, you HAVE NOT committed the unpardonable sin, and you WILL NOT commit the unpardonable sin – BECAUSE the Holy Spirit leads God’s children into “ALL TRUTH” and “IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.” YOU, dear Christian (I did not say, church member; I SAID, DEAR CHRISTIAN), have the SEAL OF GOD ON YOUR HEART, and the SEAL of God is your GUARANTEE of reaching heaven safely! Paul speaks of “CHRIST–IN WHOM ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your sal- 20 vation: in whom also after that ye BELIEVED, ye were SEALED with THAT HOLY SPIRIT of promise, WHICH IS THE EARNEST (an earnest is something given to bind a bargain, to guarantee a transaction) OF OUR INHERITANCE until the redemption of the purchased possession . . .” (Ephesians 1:12-14). HOW CAN A PERSON KNOW IF HE HAS COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? There is a SURE way one can KNOW whether or not he has committed this fatal sin: – – – IF YOU think you have committed the sin; if the devil tells you there is no hope for you because you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit; if you are tormented until at times you have thought of taking your own life, thinking there in NO HOPE for you– –let me ask you ONE QUESTION:-- – DO YOU WANT TO BE SAVED; DO YOU HAVE THE LEAST DESIRE TO BE SAVED? IF YOU DO, YOU HAVE NOT – 21 I repeat, HAVE NOT – COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. ONLY the Holy Spirit could put within your heart the desire to be saved. If you had BLASPHEMED THE SPIRIT, He would not bother you in any way; He would not put within your heart the desire to be saved. Therefore your heart would be cold and hard, and DEAD to spiritual things. REMEMBER– – Jesus said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW him . . .” (John 6:44) – and this is done through the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit DRAWS, CALLS, WOOS, KNOCKS at the door of your heart. If you had insulted Him, if you had blasphemed Him, He would not call you; He would not knock at the door of your heart. You can rest assured the devil will never put within you the desire to be SAVED! ONLY the Holy Spirit will put that desire within your heart. DID YOU KNOW– – The desire to be saved, 22 The desire to go to heaven when you die, The FEAR of spending eternity in hell, The FEAR of standing before God, Can come only through the POWER of God by mean of the Holy Spirit? EVERYTHING having to do with SALVATION FROM SIN is of GOD! God loved sinners, He sent Jesus to die for lost sinners, He made possible salvation from sin through the finished work of Jesus–and there is NO OTHER WAY. JESUS is “the AUTHOR of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). JESUS is “the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our FAITH” (Hebrews 12:2). Salvation is by God’s grace “through FAITH . . . THE GIFT OF GOD: not of WORKS, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). NO, DEAR FRIEND, if you had committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, you can be sure you would have NO DESIRE to be saved! If you are LOST, and you do have a desire to be saved, YOU CAN BE SAVED–and that means 23 you have not committed the sin that spells doom, eternal doom! BUT LET ME WAN YOU– – TODAY is the DAY, and THIS MOMENT is THE TIME for YOU to be SAVED (II Corinthians 6:2). Give your heart to Jesus NOW, and you will find PEACE and HAPPINESS that will remove all fear and dread of what sin and the devil can do to you. If you refuse to trust Jesus as your Saviour, YOU CAN REST ASSURED the devil will try harder than he ever has to send your soul to hell. CAN THIS SIN BE COMMITTED TODAY? This question has already been answered, but I feel that I need to say more about it. In spite of the fact that some “great” preachers have taught in the past, and some still teach today, that the unpardonable sin cannot be committed in the Dispensation of Grace – IT CAN BE COMMITTED! This wonderful Dispensation of Grace, know as the Church Age, began at 24 Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit cam and the Church was born (Acts chapter 2). The Holy Spirit has been in the world since the day of Pentecost, and He will remain until the Rapture of the Church, about which we read in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Holy Spirit is operation in the plan of God today as He never did in the past dispensations. THIS is the age when can, and do, blaspheme Him. The Spirit will go out with the Church at the time of the Rapture. In II Thessalonians 2:6, 7 we read: “And now ye know what withholdeth (the Holy Spirit) and he (Antichrist, the Man of Sin) might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work (that is, the spirit of the devil was already working in that day–but the spirit of the devil cannot take a human body and appear in the person of the Antichrist until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world): only He (the Holy Spirit) who now letteth (hinder), until he (the Holy 25 Spirit) be taken out of the way.” During the days of the reign of the Antichrist, the unpardonable sin will be receiving the mark of the beast. This will occur during the tribulation period, and this will occur AFTER the Rapture of the Church. You will not be here if you are born again; therefore you need not worry about the mark of the beast. (Please read Revelation 13:11-18 and 14: 9-11.) THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO LIVE ANY DAY, AND EVERY DAY, IS IN CHRIST!!! SAVED!!! 26 Sinning Away Your Day of Grace This statement has confused a lot of people. Some ministers use this term when preaching on the unpardonable sin; some say this is the only UNPARDONABLE sin. What does it mean? It means a person says “NO” to God one time too many, and he departs this world before he has another chance to be saved. For instance, if a man attends church Sunday after Sunday, he hears the Word of God, he is convicted of sin, he feels in his heart that he should be saved and live right, BUT– – he refuses to be saved, he refuses to give his heart to God in response to the Spirit’s call, he rejects God’s grace again and again– –ONE DAY God will withdraw His call. No one can say when–for no one knows how many times God will call. 27 ONE TING WE DO KNOW – God is not DUTY BOUND to call a sinner over and over. When God by the Holy Spirit calls a sinner and that sinner does not respond to the call, God is under no obligation to call him again. ALL of us deserve hell, for “ALL HAVE SINNED . . .” (Romans 3:23). God could permit us ALL to die and go to hell and still be a just God, a holy God. God does not own man anything. ALL GOD HAD DONE FOR US is because of His “GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US” (Ephesians 2:4). If you, dear soul, at one time or another have rejected the call of God, DO NOT EVER DO IT AGAIN. That is, IF GOD CALLS YOU AGAIN– –if you have another chance – – THAT MOMENT receive Jesus as your Saviour. Do we have any Scripture to prove there is a time when God withdraws His Spirit and instructs the Holy Spirit never to convict or call an individual again? Yes, we do; and we will look at a limited number of the MANY Scriptures that clearly prove man can cross 28 the deadline by continually rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit. In the first book in the Bible, God said, “My Spirit shall not ALWAYS strive with man . . .” (Genesis 6:3). The meaning is clear: There comes a time when God withdraws His Spirit, and the Spirit no longer strives with that person. Pharaoh brought destruction upon himself by putting of God’s instructions. God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go out of Egypt, but Pharaoh kept saying “Tomorrow: – he promised, but his did not keep his promise. Pharaoh DROWNED and went to hell when the waters of the Red Sea closed in upon him and his army. (Read Exodus chapter 7: 10 though chapter 14, and you will see the mighty hand of God in destroying the enemies of His people.) “Tomorrow” is the word that will destroy you spiritually. TODAY if you hear HIS VOICE . . . BE SAVED! Listen to this solemn warning: “He that being often reproved hardeneth his 29 neck, shall SUDDENLY be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1)> During more than a quarter of a century of meetings in big tent, auditoriums, and churches all over this country – – I SAW THAT SCRIPTURE FULFILLED MANY TIMES! I could give truthful accounts that would literally fill pages in this book, of times when men and women, and even young men, sat in my meetings, heard the Word of God, heard the call of God, rejected God’s call night after night – – and suddenly they were cut down in tragic death! I literally SHUDDER when I think back over some of the experiences I had in the meetings God allowed me to conduct – – – BRIEFLY:-- A dear man dropped dead at my feet while I was telling him from God’s Word how to be saved. Another man died in the prayer room while a minister was instructing him in the way of salvation. A young man ran from the tent to keep from coming forward at the altar 30 call– – got in his automobile, left at a high speed, went down the road a half mile, ran into a bridge, and went out to meet the God he had rejected! The car had to be cut apart to get his body out. An elderly couple attended services every night for two weeks in a church meeting. They raised their hands for prayer night after night, but would not be saved. The last night of the meeting I went back to where they were sitting and pleaded with them to be saved – – but THEY REFUSED! – – The next morning the husband killed his wife and then took his own life! In another city a rich man was invited to the meetings day after day for four weeks – – – he finally cursed and asked to be left alone! (He had a beautiful home on a big farm– a two-story house; he slept on the second floor.)-- – ONE WEEK after the tent meeting closed, when his wife called him for breakfast that morning, he got out of bed, put on his house shoes and robe, and started down the stairs. Without warning he 31 tripped, fell, BROKE HIS NECK, and woke up in HELL! What a terrible way to die! These are TRUE STORIES, and I could give a hundred more just like them – – some just as gruesome. It may be that YOU can shake your head in God’s face time and again, and get away with it-but ONE DAY you will say “NO” to God the last time, and God will say the same thing about you that Jesus said about the fig tree: “. . . three years I come seeking fruit on this tree, and find NONE: CUT IT DOWN; WHY CUMBERETH IT THE GROUND?” (Luke 13:7). How many years has God sought fruit from you–that is, how many years had God been seeking, calling, inviting you to be saved: One year, or two, maybe five . . .ten . . . twenty – – OR EVEN MORE? I wonder just how long it will be before He says to the heavenly REAPER– – “CUT HIM DOWN!” Something to think about; do you agree? Then THINK, and be saved– –before you, too, SIN AWAY YOUR DAY OF GRACE! 32 In the Book of Hosea God told His people: “Ephraim is joined to idols: LET HIM ALONE: (Hosea 4:17). When God says “Let him alone,” ALL HOPE IS GONE! In Romans chapter 1 we read: “Wherefore God also GAVE THEM UP . . .” (verse 24). “For this cause GOD GAVE THEM UP . . .” (verse 26). “. . . as they did not like to retain God in their KNOWLEDGE (thinking), God gave them over to a reprobate mind (dead mind – they could not think intelligently) . . .” (verse 28). The people of whom Paul is speaking in Romans chapter 1 were GIVEN UP BY GOD– – soul! spirit! and body! (Pleas read all of the first chapter of Romans.) Yes, you can say “NO” to God so long that He will withdraw His Spirit and will say to the Spirit– –“Leave him alone.” Or He may say, “Cut him down!” ARE YOU SAVED? If you are not, please THINK! Please 33 allow God to speak to you through His Word. REMEMBER– – “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. . .” (James 4:14). “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). TRUST JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOUR TODAY! 34 The Sin Unto Death We have studied the unpardonable sin, the sin that cannot be forgiven. We have studied sinning away you day of grace, or putting off salvation too long. Both these sins are committed by unbelievers, but THE SIN UNTO DEATH is a SIN committed by a Christian; it cannot be committed by an unbeliever. continued rebellion on the part of a Christian–knowing all the while what he should do, but refusing to do it– spells death. (This sin is like the unpardonable sin in that it stands alone.) The first two sins we studied bring SPIRITUAL DEATH, eternal death in the lake of fire and brimstone; but the sin unto death brings PHYSICAL DEATH and has nothing to do with the eternal damnation in the lake of fir. SCRIPTURE: “If a man see his brother sin a sin 35 WHICH IS NOT UNTO DEATH, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. THERE IS A SIN UNTO DEATH: I DO NOT SAY THAT HE SHALL PRAY FOR IT. ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN: AND THERE IS A SIN NOT UNTO DEATH” (I John 5:16, 17). Let me repeat: There is a distinct difference between the unpardonable sin and the sin unto death. The sinner commits the unpardonable sin, the born again believer commits the sin unto death. According to God’s Word, THERE IS NO NEED, OR POINT, IN PRAYING FOR A PERSON WHO HAS COMMITTED EITHER SIN. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:31, 32); and as I have already stressed, a born again believer– –born of the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit– –will not blaspheme THE SPIRIT! So again, knowing that you are born again, say “THANK GOD!” However– –it is possible for the 36 GREATEST CHRISTIAN, the most spiritual believer in your church or community, to commit the sin unto death. It is possible for YOU to commit it– –it is possible for me to commit it! YOU SEE . . . since the devil cannot damn us, he will do all in his power to rob us of our spiritual birthright. The spiritual birthright of every believer is to enjoy FULL JOY (I John 1:4) and ABUNDANT LIFE (Johan 10:10). If the devil can lead us aside from the “straight and narrow way,” if he can cause us not to live a dedicated spiritual life– –HE WILL; and if he can get control of our mind and body strongly enough, he can cause us to commit the sin unto death. Every book in the Bible has a key verse that unlocks the book and reveals to us the primary purpose for the particular book. The First Epistle of John is God’s love letter to His little children–“that YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL” (I John 1:4). The first thing I want you to see in our study os this sin is: THERE IS 37 NO POINT IN PRAYING FOR ANYONE THAT COMMITS THE SIN UNTO DEATH. God will not hear the prayer–the person MUST DIE– – there is NO ESCAPE! This Bible face should make us shudder. There are MANY passages in the Bible that clearly teach the sin unto death. We will look at just a few: First let me show you that there is a time when we should stop praying for, or witnessing to, certain people under certain circumstances. In the case of Abraham and his nephew Lot, IN SO MANY WORDS God said to Abraham, “Abraham, there is no need to pray for Sodom any more– –get Lot out. I WILL DESTROY SODOM!” The account is found in Genesis18:20-33. Read it. CONCERNING THINGS SPIRITUAL, Jesus said: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6). 38 WHAT IS THE SIN UNTO DEATH? Please note the Scripture says “sin”–not “sins”! The ONLY place to find BIBLE answers to BIBLE QUESTIONS is in THE BIBLE. Religion and denominations have done an excellent job of confusing people; but God “is not the author of confusion” (I Corinthians 14:33). The Apostle Paul was called and commissioned of God as the apostle to the Church. Fourteen New Testament epistles were penned down by this CHOSEN VESSEL, and he gives the answer to our question in I Corinthians, in WORDS easy to understand. The Corinthian church was a special object of the devil’s attack, to be sure– –he did everything in his power to hinder the work of the Lord there. The factions in the church were not due to heresies, but to the carnality of the restless Corinthians, and also to the admiration of wisdom and eloquence. Many in the church were vain, many were carnal; but the condition that upset Paul more 39 than all the rest, was a case of incest that had not been dealt with by the leaders in the church. Concerning this Paul wrote: “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should HAVE HIS GATHER’S WIFE. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to DELIVER SUCH AN ONE UNTO SATAN FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLESH, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS” (I Corinthians 5:1-5). This man was in the church; he was a believer. His mother, no doubt, was 40 dead, and his father had taken another wife– –maybe a young woman, possibly very attractive. Whether it was her fault or his, this man took his stepmother and was living with her as husband and wife– –he stole his own dad’s wife, his stepmother! The leaders of the church knew about it but had not done anything to correct this ugly situation in the church family. It was not a secret thing; it seems the whole church knew about it. When the report reached Paul, he immediately sent instruction to the church telling them what to do; he did not want them to wait until he could come to handle the case– –it was too serious to think of that. IT MUST BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY! Paul assured the Corinthian church that his spirit wold be there with them when they met to do what HAD TO BE DONE! THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING TO DO; there could be NO COMPROMISE. Paul made it VERY CLEAR what they were to do with this man: – – 41 “IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST . . . . “–not in their name or the name of the church; they were to carry out this discipline in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! What were they instructed to do? They were instructed “to DELIVER SUCH AN ONE UNTO SATAN FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLESH (body) . . . .” Does that mean the church was to turn this man over to the devil to damn in hell? NO!!! It certainly does not! Read the rest of verse 5: – – “. . . that the SPIRIT may be SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS.” This account in I Corinthians chapter 5 is a Bible picture of “the sin unto death.” A believer living in known sin, going on, and on, and on, without any sorrow for that sin– –persistently refusing to repent of the sin, WHATEVER IT MAY BE– –such a person will be cut off (physically) and removed from the church and the earth by death. God will not 42 allow one of His children to continually live in sin and bring reproach on the name of Jesus and the Church, His body! According to II Corinthians 2:1-10, this man did repent when confronted by the officials of the church, and was spared. However, THE TRUTH IS SET FORTH HERE that a truly born again believer living in unconfessed sin will be CUT OFF– –CUT OFF physically, not removed from the Lamb’s book of life. I do not mean such a person will drop dead a day or two. . .or even a week or two. . .after he commits known sin. No one can say how long God will, in His mercy, spare a person like that, or how long he can continue in sin– –but it is a Bible truth that a born again person, living in sin and refusing to repent of that sin, will be removed from the church and from the earth by physical death. Let me say again: – – THE SIN UNTO DEATH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ETERNAL DESTRUCTION OF THE SOUL. It has to do with the destruction of the BODY. A person who commits the sin unto 43 death will suffer great loss– –HE WILL LOSE HIS REWARD! The Word of God clearly teaches that every believer’s works will be put to the test: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what SORT it is. “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, HE SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD. “If any man’s work shall be burned, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; YET SO AS BY FIRE” (I Corinthians 3:13-15). I confess I do not know what it will mean, or belike, to be in heaven without a REWARD; but there will be MANY who will be there empty-handed! And certainly anyone who commits the sin unto death will lose his reward. The only possible way to understand the Word of God is to compare Scripture with Scripture (I Corinthians 2:13, 14). When we compare Scripture with Scripture and rightly divide the Word of God 44 (II Timothy 2:15) IT IS CLEAR, to all with an open mind, that the sin unto death has nothing to do with the salvation of the soul; it has to do with the destruction of the body–DEATH physically, not spiritually. THE SIN UNTO DEATH was common among the Corinthian believers, so it seems, from the information we have in Paul’s first epistle to the church at Corinth. If you will study chapter 11 of the epistle you will find that some believers in the church were grievously misbehaving, making gluttons of themselves, and drinking excessively, even to becoming drunk, at the Lord’s table. To these CARELESS, CARNAL believers Paul said: “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. (THINK OF THAT– –PICTURE THAT IN THE LORD’S HOUSE IF YOU CAN.) “WHAT? (Paul was amazed!) Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? 45 or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not” (Corinthians 11:20-22). In verses 27 through 29 of chapter 11 Paul instructed the Corinthians to examine themselves, search their hearts, and to eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine only after such an examination– –BECAUSE, if they should eat the bread and take the cup UNWORTHILY they were “guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” Paul followed those instructions with the observation– –“FOR THIS CAUSE MANY are weak and sickly among you, AND MAY SLEEP (that is, many are DEAD)” (verse 30). In verses 31 through 34 of that same chapter Paul instructed the believers in the church at Corinth that if they would judge themselves, repent of their misbehaving at the Lord’s table, and other things they were doing in God’s house . . . IF THEY WOULD STRAIGHTEN UP AND WALK AS A CHILD OF GOD 46 SHOULD, God would not be forced to judge them an even allow some of them to die. BUT IF THEY DID NOT JUDGE THEMSELVES, REPENT, AND GET RIGHT– –God would have no alternative but to judge them and chasten them, THAT THEY “SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED WITH THE WORLD” (I Corinthians 11:32). So we see that BECAUSE OF THEIR MISCONDUCT in the house of God, many of the believers in Corinth were SICK– –and many had gone so far, so long, they had committed the sin unto death. THEY WERE DEAD! Paul made it clear that others wold die also if they did not judge themselves. THE SIN UNTO DEATH, therefore, is continually rebelling against the Lord, against spiritual light. When a believer KNOWS what he should do, but refuses to OBEY the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, THAT BELIEVER IS IN DANGER OF COMMITTING THE SIN UNTO DEATH! Friend– –HAVE YOU EXAMINED YOUR HEART AND LIFE LATELY? 47 Think about it! Allow the Holy Spirit to search you heart and see if there be any wicked way in you. If He points out to you things you should do, OR NOT DO, obey Him. Repent of the sin in your life and surrender all to Jesus– –WALK IN THE LIGHT and you will never commit THE SIN UNTO DEATH. In I John 5:17 we read: “ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN: and there is a sin not unto death.” We need to know all we possibly can about sin, for we are ALL SINNERS. Some of us are saved sinners . . . some are lost sinners. “ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is none righteous, no, not ONE” (Romans 3:10). “If we say that we have NO SIN, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8). “IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM (GOD) A LIAR, AND HIS WORD IS NOT IN US” (I John 1:10). Man is born in sin, shapen in iniquity 48 (Psalm 51:5). Man SINS! But Christ died for our sin (and for our sins), and when man repents of sin and receives Jesus by faith, God saves from SIN and that person instantly becomes a child of God. BUT– –that does not mean that one saved by God’s grace, washed in the blood of the Lamb, will never sin again. God does not want His children to sin, but even the most dedicated Christian will come short of God’s glory at times–and that is sin: “. . .whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is SIN” (James 4:17). When we as believers sin, come short of God’s glory, fail to do good, we should confess our sin to God, for “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). We have One to plead our case before the heavenly Father. Notice these words in the First Epistle of John: “My little children, these things write I 49 unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ THE RIGHTEOUS: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1, 2). THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR UNCONFESSED SIN in the life of a born again Christian. BUT–if a believer refuses to confess and forsake known sin in his life, THIS LEADS TO THE SIN UNTO DEATH– –and there is no provision for repentance; IT IS FATAL!!! We are instructed not to pray for a BROTHER who has committed the sin unto death. There are those who do not agree that the sin unto death is physical death and not spiritual, and that only believers commit this sin. I pointed out in the beginning of this booklet that “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). Unless the sin in an unsaved one’s life is forgiven, taken away, that person is SURE TO DIE ETERNALLY because: “THE WAGES of sin is death . . .” (Romans 6:23). 50 God clearly instructed Adam, the first man, what he was to do and what he was not to do in the Garden of Eden. God said to Adam: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE!” (Genesis 2:17). ADAM ATE the forbidden fruit, and the instant he ate– –HE DIED! The wages of sin claimed him! But Adam did not die physically; he put his mind and hands to work and desperately tried to cover up from God what he had done. But Adam failed, and all who have tried since have failed. Adam became a dead man spiritually–“dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Adam was afraid when he heard the voice of God and ran and his among the trees. He was very much alive physically. NOW– – – – If the statement “THERE IS A SIN NOT UNTO DEATH” is speaking of SPIRITUAL DEATH, we have a flat contradiction in God’s Word–and that 51 JUST CANNOT BE! There are NO contradictions in the Bible. BY THIS we know the sin unto death refers to PHYSICAL DEATH. When a child of God falls into sin, God chastens and correct him (Hebrews 12:5-11). In versus 5 and 6 of that passage we read: “. . . My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” But if the child of God does not heed God’s chastening, if he continues to live in sin, refuses to confess that known sin, and refuses to repent of sin– –SUCH LIVING ON THE PART OF A BELIEVER WILL BRING PHYSICAL DEATH. Believers are “CHASTENED OF THE LORD, that we should not be condemned with the world” (I Corinthians 11:32). THE PROMISE OF JESUS IS: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, AND SHALL NOT COME 52 INTO CONDEMNATION: but is passed from death unto life!” (John 5:24). All born again believers will eventually DIE physically, if they depart this life before Jesus comes in the Rapture. (See I Thessalonians 4:13-18.) But a believer may LIVE OUT his days, if he lives a dedicated life and follows the steps of Jesus– –OR a believer may cut his days short on this earth if he does not live a dedicated life, a surrendered life that glorifies God. I believe many children of God die prematurely because of their careless living. I am quite sure I have witnessed such cases in my ministry. IT IS A BIBLE FACT that BEFORE GOD WILL ALLOW HIS CHILD TO DISGRACE THE NAME OF JESUS AGAIN AND AGAIN before a world that HATES GOD AND HIS SON, God will remove that CHILD OF HIS and bring him up to heaven for SAFEKEEPING! Some will not agree with this, but that is your privilege to disagree. According to the words of Jesus Himself, the born again believer “SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION!” 53 Moses committed the sin unto death. Moses was ONE OF THE GREATEST men who ever lived! Moses prayed when the children of Isreal were in the wilderness starving for water. God heard the payer of Moses and instructed him to strike THE ROCK (a perfect picture of Jesus, our Rock). Moses obeyed God, STRUCK the ROCK, and water gushed forth (Exodus 17:1-6). The time came when it was necessary for Moses to pray a second time for water, and this time God told Moses to “SPEAK to the rock” (Numbers 20: 2-12). But instead of speaking to the rock as God said, Moses STRUCK THE ROCK! Moses smote the rock the first time, and that was as it should have been– –but the second time Moses did not do what God told him to do. Without a doubt he was greatly vexed at the murmuring Isrealites, and in a moment of anger Moses SMOTE THE ROCK the second time. “The rock” in the wilderness was a type of Jesus, THE ROCK (I Corinthians 54 10:1-4) from which comes “LIVING WATER” (John 4:10-14). It was necessary for “THE ROCK” to be smitten, but only ONE TIME! Jesus was smitten once for all forever; He will never be smitten again. IT IS NOT NECESSARY. Moses deliberately disobeyed God, and God wold not allow him to enter the promised land that flowed with mild and honey. INSTEAD, GOD TOOK HIS LIFE, AND “BURIED HIM IN A VALLEY IN THE LAND OF MOAB . . . . but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day” (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-6). Achan committed the sin unto death (Read Joshua chapter 6 and 7.) What a horrible death he died because of his disobedience to the clear instructions of the Lord. Samson committed the sin unto death. He kept company with the wrong crowd; he talked to the wrong person. he did not let God rule in his daily life, he disregarded and dishonored his Nazarite separation unto God–and it cost him his life. (Read Judges chapters 13 through 16.) 55 There are others–many others; but if these instances in the lives of these men do not convince you, I am sure you have your mind made up NOT TO BE CONVINCED. The daily prayer of a child of God should be: “O Lord, cleanse thou me from secret sins. . . . Keep me also from presumptuous sins. . . .LET THE WORD OF MY MOUTH, AND THE MEDIATION OF MY HEART, BE ACCEPTABLE IN THY SIGHT, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer!: (Read Psalm 19:12-14.) WE KNOW: “We KNOW that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (Remember–it is man’s SPIRIT that is born of God, and the spirit of a born again man sinneth not. The devil cannot touch the spirit of a believer. He can touch only the flesh part–the outer man.) “And we KNOW that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 56 And we KNOW that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding. THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM THAT IS TRUE, and we are IN HIM THAT IS TRUE, even in His Son Jesus Christ. THIS IS THE TRUE GOD, AND ETERNAL LIFE. Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (I John 5:18-21). The Holy Spirit uses the word “know” seven times in verses 13 through 20 of this chapter. God gave us The Gospel of John to show us the way of eternal life (John 20"31); and God has given us The First Epistle of John that we my KNOW that we have eternal life (I Johan 5:13). Some say that we should not be so dogmatic about KNOWING FOR SURE, WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, that we are saved– –but Paul said, “. . . I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED. . .” (II Timothy 1:12). We should be dogmatic when such dogmatism is based on THE WORD OF GOD! We are living in an hour when the devil is making his last all-out drive to damn every soul he can, for he knows 57 his time is short. The contrary winds are blowing; the boisterous waves are beating hard and strong; but when we are founded and grounded upon the solid Rock we WILL weather the storm–“because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). BELIEVERS ALSO KNOW:-- – “We now that WHOSOEVER is born of God sinneth not. . . .” ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND that the spirit is BORN OF GOD, not the flesh. The flesh you have now is the same flesh you had before you became a child of God. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh IS FLESH; and that which is born of the Spirit is SPIRIT: (John 3:6). Your body acts differently because you have a new heart, a new spirit. You possess divine nature in the inner man–BUT YOUR FLESH IS THE SAME, AND ALWAYS WILL BE UNTIL IT RETURNS TO DUST . . . or until it is changed at the second coming of Jesus (I Corinthians 15:51- 53). THE SPIRIT, the inner man, that which is BORN OF GOD, does not sin! Your 58 SPIRIT will enter heaven when you die, not your flesh! Your body will not be resurrected until the coming of Jesus the second time. Believers are “new creatures” (II Corinthians 5:17). “We are His WORKMANSHIP, created IN CHRIST JESUS. . .” (Ephesians 2:10). The new creation within, created IN CHRIST, is just as HOLY PURE, and RIGHTEOUS AS JESUS IS HOLY, PURE, AND RIGHTEOUS! “. . .Christ IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GORY: (Colossians 1:27). “Christ. . . is MADE unto us WISDOM, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SANCTIFICATON, and REDEMPTION!” (I Corinthians 1:30). “AND YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM . . .” (Colossians 2:10). What other assurance do we have as believers? “We KNOW THAT. . .HE THAT IS BEGOTTEN OF GOD KEEPETH HIMSELF, AND THAT WICKED ONE TOUCHETH HIM NOT: (I John 5:18). The Greek word used here is the same word used in John 20:17, where Jesus 59 said to Mary Magdalene, “Touch me not.” Believers should rejoice and praise God for this wonderful ASSURANCE! The devil CANNOT lay hold on us! We are God’s children, God’s possession; we possess divine nature; the Holy Spirit leads us, fills us, SEALS US! “. . . he that is BEGOTTEN of God keepeth HIMSELF. . . .” Again we must look at the original Greek text here to understand the FULL, GLORIOUS meaning of this statement. The greatest Greek authorities tell us that “He that is BEGOTTEN of God” speaks of JESUS–not you or me, who are children of God through faith in the finished work of Jesus. We KNOW we CANNOT KEEP OURSELVES any more then we can SAVE ourselves. Our salvation BEGINS in Jesus, CONTINUES in Jesus, and it will be JESUS who will grant to us entrance into heaven. Jesus is the “AUTHOR of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus is the “AUTHOR” and He is the “FINISHER” of FAITH (Hebrews 12:2). 60 Jesus GIVES us VICTORY, and apart from Him we could not OVERCOME (I John 4:4; 5:4). Jesus is ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING (Jude 24). The Greek read: “HE (Jesus) that is begotten of God keepeth HIM (the believer).” Allow me to repeat:–We cannot save ourselves; and we are just as dependent UPON JESUS to KEEP us as to save us! ALL YOU–AND ALL I–CAN DO, IS TRUST JESUS– –for salvation and for victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil! “There is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION to them WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. . .” (Romans 8:1). “CHRIST IN YOU–THE HOPE of glory (heaven)” (Colossians 1:27). “. . .we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM (Jesus) that loved us” (Romans 8:37). The wonderful salvation God provided for us IN CHRIST is ALL sufficient. If we live a defeated life we have no one to blame but ourselves; if we fail to 61 repent and confess our sins to Him who is faithful and just to forgive our sins, we have no one to blame but ourselves–and IF WE COMMIT THE SIN UNTO DEATH by continuing in sin and practicing things that bring reproach upon the Lord Jesus, WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES! IN CLOSING– Let me ask you, do you KNOW you are born again? If so, you will NEVER commit the unpardonable sin. The Holy Spirit LEADS YOU, and He will never lead you to blaspheme Himself. If you are not SURE you are born again, be saved this very moment! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou SHALT BE SAVED!” (Acts 16:31). If you are SURE you are born again, ARE YOU FULLY SURRENDERED to Jesus? To live DAILY completely surrendered to Jesus is the ONLY GUARANTEE that you WILL NOT commit the sin unto death. The devil would take great joy in causing you to commit the sin unto death. The devil is a murderer, 62 a liar, a thief, a deceiver– –and if he cannot damn your soul, he will do all in his power to rob you of your spiritual birthright, which is full joy here in this life and a full reward in the life to come. If you commit the sin unto death, you will not lose your soul, thank God– –BUT you will lose your joy, your physical life, and your REWARD. THEREFORE– – “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those tings which we have wrought, but that we receive a FULL REWARD” (II John 8). “And now, little children, abide in Him; that; when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at his coming” (I John 2:28). 63