Questions about Sin
When I go into public high schools as a Christian worker, I am often asked by the school students whether smoking, swearing, abortion, pre-marital sex, etc, etc, etc, are sins. The idea of sin seems to be a huge concern for many teenagers. Various factors, such as increasing levels of freedom and independence, surging hormones, peer pressure and media influences, as well as underdeveloped levels of self-discipline, can mean that teenagers engage in activities that they know to be wrong and unhealthy.
I find it interesting that the concept of sin is still understood, and is very real concern, for young people in post-modern society. However, I am disappointed by these “sin questions” from high-schoolers because they reveal a very narrow view of sin, on one hand, and no real comprehension that Jesus has provided the solution for the sin problem, on the other.
When these “sin questions” come up, I try to redirect and refocus the subject, without minimising their concerns, by pointing out that ultimately there is only one sin that really matters. John made this very clear in his gospel when he quoted Jesus.
Jesus said,
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s One and Only Son” John 3:18.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s anger remains on him” John 3:36.
The ultimate sin is not believing in Jesus. Not believing in Jesus is the same as rejecting him. As far as salvation and eternal life goes, unbelief is the sin that really matters![1]
While stating plainly that condemnation is the consequence of unbelief, John, quoting Jesus, did not focus on this sin. Instead, he wanted to focus on the antidote: belief, and the new, abundant, and eternal life that comes from faith.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son that whoever is believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.
“. . . everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” John 3:15.
“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” John 10:10b.
John wrote his whole gospel with the hope that people reading it would believe in Jesus and receive eternal life as children of God.
“But these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” John 20:31.
“To all who receive [Jesus] to those who believe in his name, God gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.
What does it mean to believe?
The Greek word for believe is typically used in a present, continuous tense by John and means “keep believing, keep trusting, keep having faith.” True belief and faith is not just a mental or intellectual thought, attitude or acknowledgement. It involves entrusting your life to Jesus.[2] When someone arrives at the point when they can place their faith in Jesus, they become spiritually alive, instead of being spiritually dead. (More about what happens when we become a Christian, here.)
Jesus said,
“I tell you the truth whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; that person has crossed over from death to life” John 5:24.
When we put our faith in Jesus we receive salvation. We enter into a new, eternal life in relationship with God, and God completely forgives and pardons all our sins. (Compare John 5:24 with Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 3:14.)
God doesn’t want us to sin. He doesn’t want us to do things that are wrong and unhealthy: things that hurt and damage ourselves, other people, society, and the planet. God wants us to live lives that bring his love, healing, hope and restoration. This can only begin when we believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, and experience for ourselves his gift of salvation.[2]
Footnotes
[1] The Bible speaks of blasphemy (insults) against the Holy Spirit as the unpardonable sin (Matt 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 12:10). The context of these verses shows that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit involves ascribing the devil and demonic power to Jesus’s ministry and miracles.
I have not mentioned the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in this article because people who commit it are very few in number, whereas people who do not believe and trust in Jesus, and thus reject him, are numerous. Also, if anyone is worried they may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, their worry is an indication that they have not blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
[2] Christian faith involves believing that Jesus is divine and that he came to earth sent from God the Father. Furthermore, Christian faith involves trusting that Jesus is the Saviour of humanity. He can rescue us from sin and death and provide eternal life because he paid the penalty of sin with his sacrificial death on the cross and he rose from death. In reality, many Christians come to saving faith in Jesus before fully appreciating these facts.
© 1st of October 2010, Margaret Mowczko
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7 thoughts on “Unbelief: The Ultimate Sin”
Someone on Facebook asked about the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and I replied. Here’s part of what I wrote.
The reason Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable is because that’s what the scribes and Pharisees, the people Jesus was speaking to in that moment, were doing: they were saying very bad things about Jesus who was operating under the Spirit’s power and guidance.
The scribes (Mark 3:22) and the Pharisees (Matthew 12:24) were calling Jesus “the ruler of demons”, after he had healed a blind and mute demon-possessed person, they were saying this despite what the Holy Spirit was trying to reveal to them. They were resisting the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus had shown them sign after sign that he was the Messiah, but they remained hard-hearted and refused to acknowledge his messianic signs (such as healing a man born blind).
Context is everything, and Jesus was making a point for that occasion, and may even have been using hyperbole. Jesus often used hyperbole (e.g., if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.)
Thank you Marg for your ministry
Surely, believing is critical for eternal life.
I try to get my understanding from the whole bible (I know that you do the same). In line with your conclusion, what would you think that the following verses mean? That keeping His commandments are the evidence that you are saved? Yet, we know that at times, there are some commandments that are not easy to keep, starting from keeping Sabbath
John 14: 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments…. 20 “In that day, you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
Matt. 7:21 “”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (reminds me of the parable of the 10 virgins)
Revelation 14:12 Here is the perseverance of the saints—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua.
Revelation 12: 17 So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.
1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing—but keeping God’s commandments matters.
One last question, what caused God to decide to harden the heart of the people of Israel (Romans 11:7) and when was this hardening done by God? Somehow, this is connected to the subject of Eternal life.
Grateful to God that He has called you to teach
Francine
Hi Francine,
I receive hundreds of comments, questions, and requests every week, and I am unable to reply to them all.
I recommend this website for questions on biblical interpretation: https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/
You mentioned blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Footnote 1.
I think I’m seeing that the root of the word blasphemy is {G984 blapto}, which has a meaning of “hinder.” Is it possible that hinderance of the Holy Spirit (aka Complementarianism) could be construed as blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
I’m sure your answer will be no, but I have to ask. 🙂
Hi Jill, The meaning of “blasphemy” and blasphēmia is pretty straightforward in English and in Greek. Here’s LSJ’s entry on the related verb.
BDAG gives the meaning of blasphēmia as “speech that denigrates or defames, reviling, denigration, disrespect, slander.” Their use of italics for definitions.
I looked in a few lexicons, and Strong is the only person to suggest an etymology for the first syllable of “blasphemy.” He claims “blasphemy” is derived from blaptō + phēmē.
Phēmē means a “saying, utterance, announcement, report, rumour.” According to LSJ, phēmē can be used in the context of a “report of a man’s [person’s] character, repute.”
Perhaps the first syllable is derived from blaptō. Whether this is the case, or not, however, it doesn’t affect the actual meaning or usage of the word.
Also, blaptō in texts written in the centuries leading up to the first century AD meant “injure, hurt, damage.” “Hinder” is a very old, mostly Homeric use of the verb.
“Blasphemy” is a report that damages someone’s reputation through denigration.
The idea that our siblings in Christ who hold to “gender roles” have blasphemed the Holy Spirit is shocking and disturbing. Until a decade or so ago, I was one of those Christians. I was mistaken but I was close to the Lord.
Some Christians are quenching and suppressing the ministry of the Spirit (cf. 1 Thess. 5:19-21), but unless they have truly slandered the Holy Spirit’s work, they have not blasphemed the Spirit.
Marg, thank you so much for clearing this up for me. You obviously put a lot of thought into this reply, and I am grateful for that. Another person had brought up this idea, and I was just following up on it to make sure I wasn’t missing something.
I should add that Jesus often used hyperbole. He may have been using hyperbole in Matthew 12:31-32 (and the similar verses). And as I say in a footnote, Mark 7:28-29 spells out what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit involves.