Hi John

I believe as long as a person is alive and until he dies there is nothing that God won't forgive if that person will put his trust in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.Your response about rejecting the "good works" of the Holy Spirit as demons would be unforgivable does not line up with scripture. The Holy Spirit draws all to become saved. If a person "rejects" that salvation and dies then that persons sins are not forgiven. If a person accepts Jesus than ALL his sins are forgiven.

The story of Stephen is an example of people rejecting the Holy Ghost yet could still be saved.

Acts 7:

⁵¹ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.⁵² Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:⁵³ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,⁵⁸ And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.⁶⁰ And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep

 

 What you quote says that whoever speaks a word against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven.You use an example of blasphemy and define it as someone saying the spirit speaking is not the Holy Ghost and you say this person cannot be saved. I know what you are getting at(I think) and you can correct me if I misunderstand you. Let us say that someone hears another person speak in tongues(which I believe has ceased). Some would claim that since they believe tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit that if that person says that is from demons then that person cannot be saved because that sin cannot be forgiven. Even though later in life that person has a change of heart and accepts Jesus free gift but because he rejected the teaching of tongues as being demonic he cannot be forgiven.

 

As you seen from the passage above in Acts 7 that Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost and the people there "rejected" his (Holy Spirit's) teaching. They even stoned Stephen to death. This is very clear evidence that these people rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. Notice Stephen ask God to not hold this sin against them. Now from what you believe as the unforgivable sin is no-one that participated in that can ever be saved. They committed what you would say is the unforgivable sin. Did you notice who the leader of that group was? Saul was the leader who would soon become the Apostle Paul. Paul even claims that he was the worst of all sinners yet God saved him.

 

So to sum it up aboout the unforgivable sin.

1-Any sin can be forgiven until you die. If you die during this dispensation without ever following the leading of the Holy Spirit then you will not be forgiven. You rejected God's plan which was being presented to you by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

2-There will be a sin AFTER the rapture that will be unforgivable while you are alive. It is talked about in Hebrews and 1 John and Revelation.

 

Hebrews 6:4-6

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,⁵ And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,⁶ If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Hebrews 10:26

²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

 

Who is the writer of Hebrews talking to? These people accepted the Holy Spirit teachings. What sin did they committ that could not be forgiven?

Hebrews 1:2

² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

 

Hebrews was written to the people living during the tribulation period. There is an obvious sin that will not be forgiven during this period. John talks about it 1 John and identifies it in Revelation.

1 John 5:16

¹⁶ If any man see his brother sin a sin 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.

 

Revelation 14:9-11

⁹ And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,¹⁰ The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

 

The sin that can be committed while you are still alive that CANNOT be forgiven is the sin of taking the Mark of The Beast. This is the only sin you can committ while still in this earthly body that God will not forgive. There will be no question during the tribulation as the 144,000 witnesses preach to the people about not taking the mark.Thankfully we will not be here as this takes place AFTER the rapture.

 

thanks

Mike W