The scripture 1 Jhn 5:16-17: what sins are we not forgiven for?  If you are a christian and use the Lord's name in vain, can you be forgiven?  The way I read it in the Bible, you can't be; please help me understand all this.

Sincerely,
Looking For The Line

Dear Looking For The Line,

John says that there is a sin that leads to death – that sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).  Any sin can be repented of and forgiven (1 Jn 1:9)… except for the sin against the Holy Spirit.  Now, let’s explain what that sin is.

When Jesus says that any sin will be forgiven except for someone blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30), He said it to the crowd that accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mk 3:23).  That crowd could have been forgiven of any sin, but instead they rejected the miracles that testified that Jesus was from God.  Contrast that crowd’s attitude with Nicodemus’ attitude.  Nicodemus understood that the only way that someone could perform a miracle was if God was with him (Jhn 3:2).  When that crowd rejected the evidence that the Holy Spirit provided (in this case, the miracles), they rejected any chance to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus’ teachings.  When we reject the truth of God (the Bible), we reject the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit’s primary job is to bring the truth of the gospel to mankind (see the post “What the Holy Spirit Does” for more details).  Someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit sent us in the Bible.  Any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to God’s Word and obey it (Rom 10:17, Heb 5:9), but there is absolutely no hope for someone if he or she will not accept the Holy Spirit’s Bible.

What is apostasy?  Is this the same as falling back into sin, but you can't come back to Christ?  Is there no forgiveness?

Sincerely,
Re-Admit One

Dear Re-Admit One,

Apostasy is when a church, group of people, or individual begins to teach something different than the Bible.  The word ‘apostasy’ comes from a Greek word that means ‘to fall away’ or ‘forsake’.  The Greek word for apostasy is used in 2 Thess 2:3 to describe false religion starting and tearing people away from true Christianity.  Apostatizing means that you have forsaken the truths of the Bible and have decided to follow a different path.  When people do this, they lose their salvation because the Word is no longer their guide (Jhn 14:6).

According to the Gospels, the believers of Jesus would attain salvation through the words of Jesus.  Does this mean that salvation was not dependent on the shedding of His blood since it was stated before the crucifixion?

Sincerely,
Why Did He Die?

Dear Why Did He Die,

What Christ preached was that He would die for our sins (Matt 12:40, Matt 26:28).  Jesus said that it was His blood that would give people eternal life (Jhn 6:53-54).  Jesus said that all men would be saved through Him in anticipation of the sacrifice He was about to make.  Without the cross, Jesus’ words would have been empty promises.  Jesus even recognized the necessity of His death when He proclaimed “It is finished” with His last breath (Jhn 19:30).  Jesus did die on the cross, and His blood did pay for the sins of mankind (Heb 9:28)… thus finishing the saving work that He had been preaching about.

(This post is a follow-up to “Blood In Both Directions”)

Does this mean, according to Paul, the justification and reconciliation could be attained despite the fact that the matter of faith in the Christ remained a secret until the first century when it became revealed to Paul and his associates?  Was the conscious faith not necessary until then for some reason?

 

Sincerely,
Just Wondering Jew

Dear Just Wondering Jew,

People who lived before Christ were still saved by faith in God.  The whole point of faith is that it is a matter of trusting whatever God has told you (Rom 10:17).  Faith assumes that there are pieces of the puzzle that aren’t revealed to you yet... but that the person (or in this case Deity) that you are putting your faith in is trustworthy (Heb 11:1).  The Old Testament saints had faith in Christ because they trusted in the Messiah that was to come.  The New Testament saints have faith in Christ as they trust the words of the Messiah who walked this earth many years ago… both groups have faith in Christ.  Each group had different instructions and different information that God had given them to follow, but they both had faith in the same God (1 Cor 10:1-4).  Each group had a conscious faith in God – just different rules to follow.