Difference Between an Act and an Attitude
He is not talking about AN ACT of sin, repented of — but about an attitude and a life of continuously living in sin!
We must, as a continuous WAY OF LIFE, "walk in the light" — that is, THE WAY of obeying God's Commandments. THEN "we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (verse 7). The word "cleanseth" here is from the original Greek word "katharizo" which is in the Greek "aorist," or present continuous tense. It does not say, the blood of Christ "did cleanse us, when we were first converted." But, rather, does now cleanse us who were, in the past, converted.
The following verses make this meaning clear. Notice verse 8:
"If WE" (who are already Christians) "say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
Here again, notice the tenses. John does not say, "If we Christians say we did not sin, before we were forgiven and converted." He is not talking about past sins, committed before repentance and conversion. THOSE sins God has forgiven in the past and no longer remembers. He is speaking here of the present. "If we, NOW, say that we now have no sin."
Now continue, "If WE confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to CLEANSE US from all unrighteousness" (verse 9). This is speaking of any sins a Christian may commit, after he has been converted. IF we confess, and REPENT, Jesus, our High Priest, alive in heaven, will FORGIVE, and, more, CLEANSE us of all unrighteousness.
What is "righteousness”? Psalm 119:172 — keeping ALL God's Commandments. Unrighteousness is transgressing one or more of God's Commandments. If WE, who are already Christians, confess and REPENT of any sin we might, unhappily, commit (though we certainly SHOULD NOT SIN!!) , the living Christ not only will forgive, but CLEANSE US from doing it anymore!
Next verse: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us" (verse 10). In other words, "If WE CHRISTIANS say we CHRISTIANS have not sinned."
The next verse continues right on, though it is in chapter 2.
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (chapter 2, verse 1). Or, "I write this to you CHRISTIANS, that you who are already Christians will not sin." Then he continues, "And IF any man sins, WE — [we Christians] — have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: and He is the propitiation for OUR sins" (verses 1-2). And he continues, same verse, to show he is NOT talking about forgiving sins of people "in the world" repenting and just BEING converted: "and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Plainly that says that Christ is the propitiation NOT ONLY for the sins of the whole world — the unconverted — BUT, ALSO, for OURS — speaking of converted Christians.
In the very next verse John shows how WE Christians know that we know HIM — "IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." That is, if that is OUR WAY of life — OUR ATTITUDE — OUT DESIRE — OUT INTENTION. We may stumble and fall down once in a while, along THAT WAY. We are "BABES IN CHRIST" and babies fall down sometimes, learning to WALK. But our "WALK" is THE WAY Of keeping God's Commandments!
In verse 4, he speaks of the FALSE Christians. "He that saith 'I know Him,' and keepeth not His Commandments, Is A LIAR, and the truth is not in him." That is, the one who never professes to keep God's Commandments, yet professes he is "saved by grace."
The FINAL CONCLUSION
Now we are ready to MAKE PLAIN what IS the "unpardonable sin" — that sin that can never be forgiven, in this world or the next!
SALVATION means being BORN into GOD'S KINGDOM, changed from a flesh-and-blood mortal HUMAN, to a Spirit-composed, life-inherent, immortal son of God the Father — the Father of the divine Family. That change will come at the time of Christ's return. This salvation depends upon God's Holy Spirit dwelling in one at the END of the ROAD — end of your life — or, as Paul characterized it, the end of the race.
SIN is the transgression of GOD'S LAW. We are born with a carnal mind, hostile to God's Law, resentful of authority over it. All have sinned!
When one REPENTS of sin and sinning — comes to a CHANGE of mind and attitude in regard to sin, and BELIEVES in Jesus Christ as His Savior not only from past sins, but from SINNING — God has PROMISED His Holy Spirit. This GIFT from God, of the presence within of His own immortal life, effects a CHANGE in the MIND. It becomes spiritual-minded — comes to the ATTITUDE of desiring to GO THE WAY Of God's Law — of loving God, being submissive to God's authority, WANTING God's righteousness. No longer SELF-centered, but God-centered.
He thus starts his WALK down that road, to the end of his life. It is the WAY of God's Commandments, as a WAY of LIFE. At the end of that road is ETERNAL LIFE — his LIFE GOAL, which he now desires above all else!
God's Spirit dwelling in him is the divine LOVE of God which fulfills God's spiritual Law. Through God's Spirit, God by grace has GIVEN him the spiritual EQUIPMENT to walk that Way. It is a WAY of overcoming, and of GROWING in character — in the knowledge of Christ and of God's WAY. God's Spirit dwells in one actively, flowing into him from God, flowing on out in LOVE to God, and LOVE to neighbor.
BUT, as he WALKS this WAY of life, HE IS A "BABE IN CHRIST," actually learning to walk spiritually, just as a human baby must learn to walk physically. He must TRY not to fall, yet he is bound to fall down a few times along the road, learning to walk spiritually.
If, through former HABIT, or being overcome by temptation of the PULL of the flesh — of his human nature — or other cause, he encounters an INCIDENT of committing a sin, for which he is afterward truly sorry — and for which he REPENTS — all the while his INNER Spirit-begotten MIND Still in the ATTITUDE of DESIRING to continue on GOD'S WAY, then he has an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ our High Priest — to FORGIVE that sin.
THAT IS NOT AN UNPARDONABLE SIN!
Even though, in that incident, under temptation, or neglect of prayer and Bible study, he does yield KNOWINGLY, his mind, for the time being, ASSENTING to the deed. This is doing it, for the moment, WILLINGLY, but it is NOT willful sin.
The determining factor is this: As long as God's Spirit is DWELLING IN him, he is in contact with God, and still his ATTITUDE is right. And as long as God's Spirit does dwell in him, he is ON THE ROAD to ETERNAL LIFE. He may, on occasion, stumble and fall down. But he continues, so far as his overall ATTITUDE is concerned, on this ROAD to LIFE.
Now I have shown that God will forgive such an incident of sin in a Spirit-begotten Christian.
You may ask, "But would God forgive if he ever sins AGAIN?" As long as his INTENTION — his overall ATTITUDE and desire — and effort — is to WALK WITH GOD, going GOD'S WAY, God will forgive. Jesus said we must forgive, not just once, not twice, or seven times, but seventy TIMES seven. Is God LESS forgiving than He expects us to be?
WILLFUL Sinning
WHEN one receives the Holy Spirit by God's grace, this Spirit dwelling in him is tentative and conditional SALVATION. But IF one again changes his mind — changes his LIFE'S GOAL — takes his eyes completely off the Goal of God's Kingdom, and fixes them PURPOSELY on going back to THE WAY of worldliness and sin — IF he changes his WAY of life back to the CARNAL WAY of the world, leaving the ROAD he was traveling with CHRIST — THEN he has set his mind on determined, premeditated, deliberate WILLFUL SIN!
IF he decides he no longer WANTS to go GOD'S WAY, deliberately and intentionally changes his OVERALL ATTITUDE, and desires, and CHOOSES the world and its ways — deliberately chooses a life of rebellion, comes to have contempt and disregard for God's Law, then that man either has done or is in danger of doing despite to God's Holy Spirit which a merciful and loving God had GIVEN by grace!
SUCH A MAN is surely in grave DANGER of BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT!
This is not a mere stumbling while ON THE WAY — on GOD'S WAY the WAY of His LAW fulfilled by His HOLY SPIRIT — the way to Eternal Life. This is not an incident of sin. A man may stumble over an INCIDENT of sin again and again, while WALKING the WAY of God, with God's Spirit still dwelling IN him. Always he will repent — because his ATTITUDE is, simply, that he DESIRES, more than anything in life, to SUCCEED along this WAY he has chosen — to OVERCOME, to GROW spiritually, to receive ETERNAL LIFE. He may find the road hard, difficult, beset with temptations and spiritual pitfalls. He will most certainly suffer persecution. But his overall WILLFUL purpose, ATTITUDE and life-GOAL is to be submissive to God, to RELY on God, to be OBEDIENT to God, to LIVE for God, and to enter the Kingdom of God.
What most people do not understand is the difference between an incident of a sin committed — even though there be REPEATED such incidents of stumbling, always repented of — and one's overall ATTITUDE, or desired, deliberate, willful, and fixed PURPOSE!
The one who changes that overall ATTITUDE from one of submissive yielding to God to one of hostile rebellion — the one who changes his life's GOAL from wanting God's RIGHTEOUSNESS, and ETERNAL LIFE, to wanting Self-centeredness and willfully going the WORLD'S WAY, is in an altogether different category than the one whose GOAL is the Kingdom of God, but who stumbles in an incident of sin — or even many such incidents.
TWO Ways into Unpardonable Sin
I want to be even more specific. I want every reader to UNDERSTAND. And I feel very few do fully understand this question.
There are at least TWO ways in which a Spirit-begotten Christian may LOSE the gift of God's Holy Spirit.
1) By deliberate choice. This may come from wrong reasoning; from wrong desire thought out to a final fixed, permanent decision as to his WAY OF LIFE; or, from allowing resentment in his heart toward either God or some person who may have wronged him. To allow resentment to embitter him, until he comes to change his whole life course, turning from God.
I cannot put too much emphasis on guarding against harboring resentment. It is spiritual POISON — deadly spiritual poison. If ever you begin to feel resentment against some injustice, go PRAY, asking God to remove it QUICKLY. Do not let it well up inside you — never harbor it. If you do, you will become as "hooked" with it as a dope addict becomes "hooked" with heroin! It is that serious!
God warns you, "Follow PEACE with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Heb. 12:14-15). Your bitterness may not harm the other fellow — but it may destroy you!
2) The converted Christian can lose the presence of God's Spirit by CONTINUED NEGLECT. Neglect of prayer, neglect of Bible study, neglect of spiritual fellowship with God's people. Or, by continuing too close a friendship with unconverted people — letting participation with them in material interests, pleasures, sports, entertainments, cause NEGLECT of spiritual interests. Don't misunderstand. A certain amount of diversion can be healthy. And you cannot avoid all contact with unconverted people. But never let it DOMINATE in your interest and heart.
To the Colossians, God says through Paul: "Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). That is, instead of seeking an interest in television shows, or popular materialistic interests, actively seek more knowledge of Christ — more of the UNDERSTANDING that comes from GOD, in the Bible. Make this your MAIN interest. Never let occasional diversion compete with it as your overall interest.
The passage continues: "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (verse 2). Make the SPIRITUAL things your dominant all-absorbing BIG interest — until you LOVE the receiving of new spiritual knowledge, and set your affection on it. Digging out new spiritual TRUTH in the Bible is the most exciting interest there can be in life. It's not dry, dull, uninteresting, boring. It's exciting, thrilling — and also profitable and uplifting!