Is There An Unforgiveable Sin ?

[Hollyrock]

I have heard that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable...is that true ?

 

[Redeemed86]

Yep, but only unbelievers can do that genuinely. A real Christian wouldn't be capable of it, because God is triune, and acceptance of Christ is acceptance of all three.

 

[Vashti]

I believe that only believers can blasphemed against the Spirit.

Because unbelievers it does not count, because all unbelievers blasphemes God, and Christ, and Spirit, and when they repent, then they are forgives everything through the sacrifice of the Lord.

It was only him who he was cleared and then blasphemed - this will not be forgiven.

 

[tomwebster]

I have heard that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable...is that true ?

Scripture says there IS an unforgiveable sin. If you look at its context in Scripture you will see that it can only be committed by a small group of Christians.

 

[prism]

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
(Mar 3:28-30)

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.
(Mat 12:31-32)

I find it interesting that in both these passages the preceeding verses deal with the 'binding the strong man' and satan's kingdom being dismantled whereas the verses after in both cases deal with warnings of the use of the tongue.
I believe the key in understanding the blashphemy of the Holy Spirit is in Mark 3:30 where Mark summarizes "Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."
The Pharisees, with their tongue and therefore with their heart said Jesus had a demon thus coming crucially close to blasheming the Holy Spirit equating the Spirit with a demon.yet Jesus attributed the work of binding satan's stronghold to the Holy Spirit...
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Mat 12:28)

So we see this as a direct attack on the Holy Spirit and has little to do with Heb. 6:4-8, Heb 10:26-31 and 1John 5:16.
This is a problem for the non believer and not the Christian for we find...
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
(1Co 12:3)

 

[Hollyrock]

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
(Mar 3:28-30)

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.
(Mat 12:31-32)

I find it interesting that in both these passages the preceeding verses deal with the 'binding the strong man' and satan's kingdom being dismantled whereas the verses after in both cases deal with warnings of the use of the tongue.
I believe the key in understanding the blashphemy of the Holy Spirit is in Mark 3:30 where Mark summarizes "Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."
The Pharisees, with their tongue and therefore with their heart said Jesus had a demon thus coming crucially close to blasheming the Holy Spirit equating the Spirit with a demon.yet Jesus attributed the work of binding satan's stronghold to the Holy Spirit...
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Mat 12:28)

So we see this as a direct attack on the Holy Spirit and has little to do with Heb. 6:4-8, Heb 10:26-31 and 1John 5:16.
This is a problem for the non believer and not the Christian for we find...
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
(1Co 12:3)

Hi prism, and thank you for your post...it gave me better understanding.

 

[aspen]

I think the unforgivable sin is refusing justification and sanctification.

 

[jiggyfly]

I think the unforgivable sin is refusing justification and sanctification.

Yes I think so too, but what happens when one stops refusing it?

 

[John Zain]

According to the "experts" ...
this verse refers only to that small group of people back then
who claimed that Satan performed the miracles, and not the Holy Spirit.

 

[aspen]

Yes I think so too, but what happens when one stops refusing it?

Jesus will break our hearts and the dawn of transformation will occur.....

For me, realizing that unredeemed souls and God's omnipotence are really incompatible has made me question my understanding of salvation. Also, if God is truly all present how could He not be in everyone's heart?

The NT says that Jesus came for everyone - if this is true, His death would have been in vain if the majority of humanity is lost,

I am not ready to give up the idea of Hell, but I am definitely questioning the classic interpretation.

 

[jiggyfly]

Jesus will break our hearts and the dawn of transformation will occur.....

For me, realizing that unredeemed souls and God's omnipotence are really incapable has made me question my understanding of salvation. Also, if God is truly all present how could He not be in everyone's heart?

The NT says that Jesus came for everyone - if this is true, His death would have been in vain if the majority of humanity is lost,

Look at what Paul is saying here to those in Galatia.

1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.​

Gal 4:1-7 (NLT)

I am not ready to give up the idea of Hell, but I am definitely questioning the classic interpretation.

I don't deny that there is a "hell" just that it is endless and a place of endless torment.

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

I struggled with this issue for years, even to the point of a nervous breakdown. I thought, or was afraid I would commit this sin. I think OCD played a huge role in this. Those were the days before they knew what OCD was.

Anyway,

The NIV has a foot note that says, "Technically according to the scribes, this type of blasphemy cannot be duplicated today." I don't know what the scribes read that we don't read. Maybe it would be nice to expand on it a little. Something seems to make sense that it can't be done today.

I think there has to be specific circumstances and that it would be very difficult to commit such an act. However, I believe that Jesus death on the cross has something to do with not being able to duplicate this.

Jesus said, "In this age, or, the age to come." apparently the age of Law there was no redemtion for this, and if commited at that time, even the redemtion of the cross wouldn't cover it. However, after Jesus death and resurection, the Lord promises. "If we confess our sins, he is righteous and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrightiousness."

Some have described to me, that, if you commited the unpardonable, you wouldn't want to repent. That's true I guess, but, you also would've made a decision in your mind that, eventhough you believe in Jesus, you want nothing to do with him. So, you would have to consciencely say something blasphemous.

This isn't something that can be done accidentally, it's obviously not a thought, it's a decided action of speech, designed for a specific purpose.

So, an unbeliever can't do this, a saved believer can't do this, only a person who knows and believes in the exisitence of Jesus as Lord and Savior, yet has decided to reject God can do this. But, even just the rejection alone is not the unpardonable sin. It's the action of speech.

 

[Warrior]

It's very frightening.....

 

[Axehead]

I think it has to do with those who are part of the "Great Falling Away" or "Great Apostasy" as it is also known. This "Great Falling Away" has been happening in every generation. Every generation has a "Great Falling Away". Those who fall away are not unbelievers.

Heb_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,

Heb_6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

Heb_6:6 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.

This fallen away that is spoken of in Heb_6:6 is a definitive hardening of the heart and turning away from Christ.

For those of you that have fallen away and God has softened your heart and brought you back, thank Him for His mercy and love and that you came back before you hit a point of no return.

Heb_12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

The Christian walk is full of perils and trials and tests and our faith will be tested to the uttermost. When a person comes into the Kingdom of God through receiving Jesus Christ, he/she have no idea what lies ahead, but Jesus said, "He that endureth to the end, WILL BE SAVED." Walking with Jesus you should just go ahead and die to everything and everybody. Love ones, health, material possessions, reputation, security, etc, because your heart will be tested to see if it loves these things or people more than God.

John_12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Heb_12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

2Th_1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Remember, we are all being saved. You're not saved until you endure to the end, keep the faith and finish the race.

But if you give up...

Heb_10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

 

[Spirit Covenant]

The unforgivable sin is perpetrated by and unforgivable spirit. The Spirit must be cast out.


Matthew 19
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

 

[Axehead]

Yes, as the Word says, a "root of bitterness will defile many." Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, rejection and hatred. These are demonic strongholds that seek to destroy many.

We must stay in the "love of God", by choosing to forgive.

 

[Hepzibah]

The unforgivable sin is assigning the work of the HS in sanctification, to the devil. Those who oppose the preaching of entire sanctification and say that man cannot be holy or sin free in this life, are refusing the work of the HS and must, therefore imply that it is a doctine from hell.

When one does this, and it is done by most here, it is impossible for one to be made one with Christ and one is necessarily unforgiveable so long as one remains in that state. It is committed by believers who have not become yet one with Christ and therefore Christians.

It is so simple and serious as that. The proof of it is in the confusion about the subject.

 

[biggandyy]

Mark 3:28-29 are out of context! They can not stand alone and be exegeted properly without the surrounding scripture. (WHAT Jesus said)

Look at verse 22: "And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”" (WHO Jesus is addressing)

Then look at verse 30: "He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”" (WHY He was addressing them)

Let's read them in order...

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem [WHO] said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”" ...[Jesus said]" Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” [WHAT] He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”[WHY]

It's quite clear, with the surrounding text (the WHO, WHAT, and WHY), that Jesus is aiming His statement about blaspheme right at the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees accusing Him of being Satan rather than God. They pretended to be the arbiters of Holiness but could not even recognize The Lord Himself in their midst! So Christ puts them in their rightful place, not only refuting their accusation, but turning the tables and bringing their accusation against Him right back on them.

This out of context passage has nothing to do with today, after the crucifixion, during this age of grace. It is very site specific, audience specific, and time specific.

 

[MTPockets]

I have heard that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable...is that true ?

Hi! 'HolyRock'

Ummmm, be warned:
Because your question deserves a full answer, you shouldn't be expecting a short n' sweet reply. :)

The bible mentions three cases of circumstances in which repentance and forgiveness of sins are not possible.

The first of these can be found in Matthew 12:31 (which Member 'Prism' offered),. This verse is where the Lord Jesus makes the following statement: "Therefore I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever says a word against the Son of man win be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come".

(By the way, we would do well to note that these words of our Lord imply the possibility of forgiveness in 'the age to come', after death, in eternity, or whatever description you wish to apply).

What we are discussing here is the sin which the Lord Jesus mentions in Matthew 12:31 which is the dreaded and much discussed 'sin against the Holy Spirit'.

First of all, to show that this is not some vague, undefined sin, let's remind ourselves of of Mark 3:30, " ... for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit". As if to make this doubly clear,

Mark, (by way of a footnote), added these words to the end of the paragraph, after having recorded earlier that the scribes from Jerusalem had said: "He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons", (Mark 3:22).

The second case of unforgivable sin can be found in Hebrews 6:4-6, just after the verses about the first principles of Christ. In verses 4 thru 6 we read: "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt".
Here again the author goes to some length to describe the kind of people this terrible verdict applies to. Just as Mark, the author of Hebrews does not want to leave an impression of vagueness and uncertainty.

The third case is not mentioned in the Bible as explicitly as the first two. Yet, for a proper understanding of the first two, the third case is the most important of the three.
Genesis 3:14 and 15 as well as Hebrews 2:16 imply that although the mercy of God is extended to man, this is not the case where (fallen) angels and Satan himself are concerned.

It is clear that the ignorant and unstable people of 2Peter 3:16 will eagerly, "twist to their own destruction", these Bible verses. Some might ask, "Why, is God's mercy not sufficient to cover these cases? After all, anyone can make a mistake and change his mind afterwards. Why should God then refuse to accept them?"

We have some Christians who wrongly believe in 'eternal security' or 'the perseverence of the saints', Hebrews 6:4-6. These have gone out of their way to prove that the people referred to in this verse could not have been genuine 'born again' children of God, even though they have tasted the heavenly gift and become partakers of the Holy Spirit' etc. Utter nonsense!

We also have many Christians who believe that these cases of unforgivable sins seem to portray God's goodness and mercy as severely limited. If God went as far as He did, why can't He give these categories of sinners another chance?

The first thing we have to put to rest is this:
The absence of a second chance is not due to any lack of goodness or mercy in God but simply to the condition of the sinner's heart.

Let's have a look at Satan, the original sinner:
Here we have to go right back to the question: Why did God create heaven and earth? The answer is: Because He wanted a partner worthy of Himself to have fellowship with. This partner is man ... you and me!
God never abandoned this purpose; nor has He ever lost sight of it.
In the Bible this purpose is expressed in Genesis 1:26: "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness", and in 2Timothy 3:17: "... that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work".

In the first place the 'man of God' is of course Christ, and also all who belong to Him. God's first act in this plan was to create the scene where the 'man of God' was to develop and to dwell: heaven and earth.
This part of creation included the servants who were to escort and protect man on the long trip to spiritual maturity: the angels.
The prince of the angelic servants, and himself a servant, was a powerful 'covering cherub' whom we might call Lucifer, (Bearer of Light). This mighty angel, probably on learning of the position he was to occupy in God's plan, rebelled against the eternal purpose of God because he wanted to occupy the top position set aside for man.

Unlike man, the angels were created as 'final products'; they did not have to go through a lengthy period of development. This means that, at the time of his rebellion, Lucifer fully understood the scope of his decision to reject the 'eternal counsel'. In his pride he decided it was worth his while to oppose God and try to unlawfully gain access to God's throne.
This indicates the self-defeating nature of evil. But even so, Satan (as Lucifer was henceforth called) had considered all the options open to him and had come to the conclusion that he should go ahead, come what may. He refused to be a servant and wanted to sit on God's throne. As God's eternal counsel never changes, Satan never had any reason to change his mind about the issue.

Being a servant forever remained a loathsome idea to him. I use the word "forever" because, for us living in space and time, it is impossible to fathom the meaning of the word eternal; a dimension not as yet completely known to us. As Satan's rebellion took place in the 'eternity' of the spiritual world, "foreever", for him may not be a virtually endless succession of moments in which opinions can be changed and positions reconsidered. Moreover, because of his degree of perfection and his living in God's presence, faith with its accompanying notions of development and change remain unknown to Satan.
Obedience and dedication was all that was asked of Satan, and in these he failed.

The point we should all note here is that Satan's decision to rebel was taken with full knowledge of all the facts as they concerned him. These facts have not changed, and he therefore has no reason to change his mind, assuming that 'changing one's mind' is at all possible in the dimension we call eternity. Satan is a hopeless case, his evil is total ... he is evil incarnate.

So we now have the picture more clearly. God's reluctance to 'concern' Himself with fallen angels is simply because it would be a waste of effort. For Satan, it is an utter impossibility to contemplate forgiveness by God. Satan goes to perdition not because he has to, but because he wants to.

Apostasy
The element of full knowledge of and insight into the decision one makes goes long way towards explaining the 'human' cases of unforgivable sins.

All sincere and genuine Christian cannot claim ignorance of the ways in which the grace of God works in and for us. We have all been enlightened by Word and Spirit; day after day we have tasted the heavenly gifts of forgiveness, fulness of the Spirit and progress towards the purpose of God. Furthermore, we are partakers of the Holy Spirit which becomes strengthened in the gifts of the Spirit. We have experienced the powers of the age to come. We have tasted the goodness of the Word of God; witnessed signs and miracles in our own life and in that of our spiritual brothers and sisters.

Having said that, the question remains: "Why then would a person such as this commit apostasy and abandon the body of Christ and of those who will inherit salvation?
I'm sure that we can all suspect at least one good reason.
An integral part of our Christian life consists in a struggle against evil. This struggle can sometimes become so fierce that a person may decide it is just too much for him.
Of course, this is a matter of cowardice in the face of the enemy. "But as for the cowardly.... their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death", (Rev 21:8).
Another reason is love of the world: "Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me", (2Tim 4:10).

In any case, whatever the reason, the decision is made in full knowledge of the circumstances. A life with the Lord has lost its radiance and attraction for one reason or another. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, but also the most beautiful thing in heaven and earth.

If, after having taken a deep and personal part in it, the best God has to offer is rejected, what is there left to attract the heart? Literally nothing.
People who consciously make this decision will never find reason to reconsider. They have crucified the Son of God on their own account. They have committed an unforgivable sin.

The Pharisees
The argument of full knowledge also applies to the case of the Jewish religious leaders who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. A very revealing passage in this respect is Mark 3:1-6, the story of the man with the withered hand who was healed by Jesus on a Sabbath.
Equally revealing is Luke 20:9-18, the parable of the vineyard. In Luke 20:16 we read: "He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others". When they heard this, they said, "God forbid", or "Never, at no time". These people knew exactly what was at stake in the dispute between Jesus and themselves.

A word spoken against the Son of man is forgivable, the Lord Jesus said. After all, He came in the likeness of 'sinful flesh' and so an honest mistake was therefore possible and even more or less to be expected. Remember? At one stage even Jesus' own relatives tried to stop Him, convinced as they were that He had gone out of his mind, (Mark 3:21).

Blaspheming against the Son of man is one thing, but calling the Spirit that manifested Himself in Him an evil spirit is quite something else.

The Doctors of Divinity of Jesus' days knew quite well the history of Yahweh's dealings with Israel. The Spirit at work in Jesus could easily be traced back, via John the Baptist, to the faithful men of God from Israel's past. In the words Jesus spoke, but especially in the miracles of mercy and love He did, they could see Yahweh, the God of the Covenant.
Yet in well considered rejection they opposed Him where they could, for no other reason than to maintain for themselves the position of religious honor and leadership.

Finally they called the God at work in Jesus by the name of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, knowing full well what they did. Why should they ever change their mind? Whichever way they approached Jesus, there was no way in which they could expect to keep their position if they accepted Him. So they put themselves in a position of unforgivable sin.

Clearly not all religious leaders of the Jews went as far as those mentioned here. Nicodemus, although afraid of the Jews, believed in Jesus. Others may have opposed and slandered Jesus, they did not really know what they were doing, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, (1Cor 2:8).

Hardened Hearts
In cases of unforgivable sin in men there is of course an additional element which confirms or aggravates the decision to turn away from God or to blaspheme his Spirit. It is about the hardening of the heart which occurs under the influence of the evil spirits which rush in, so to speak, the moment this kind of decision is made and man has put himself on the side of the darkness.
He will lose no time occupying the territory so freely offered to him. Thus the person's own decision, already influenced by the Evil One in the first place, will be confirmed and made permanent by the spirits he virtually invited to enter. Whereas a blasphemer acts under the influence of a spirit of hatred, somebody who gives up the struggle of faith is more likely inspired by spirits of cowardice, fear or self-pity.

To be sure: if faith is idenfication with God and his eternal counsel, apostasy and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit are a thorough identification with Satan, the enemy of God.

Ezau
Let's look at more biblical examples of unforgivable sinners:
First there is Esau, about whom it says: "... Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know, that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent (or: no grounds for repentance), though he sought it with tears", (Heb 12:17).
Esau had sold his birthright knowing full well what it stood for; after all he bad been brought up by the same parents as Jacob. His tears were hardly sign of sincere repentance; they merely showed the frustration he felt at the impossibility of eating his cake and having it too.
In other words, instead of seeking for the correct way of putting himself right with God, (by accepting the fact that God had named Jacob as the next in line after Abraham and Isaac), he tried to obtain the 'blessing' without having to knuckle under to God. No wonder he missed out. 'An evil, unbelieving heart' was his main sin.
Esau's decision was based on full knowledge of the consequences and a refusal to reconsider. Through a series of wicked decisions he subjected himself to the hardening infiltration of the Evil One. His position was not all that much different from that of Joseph's brothers, who at first also refused to accept the counsel of God revealed in Joseph's dream, but later proved to have learned their lesson when they met their brother again in the Egyptian prince who held their lives in his hands.

Judas Iscariot
Much the same can be said of Judas Iscariot. He was one of the twelve, he was sent among the Israelites to preach the gospel of the Kingdom "with signs following". He may have been one of those who told Jesus at their return,- "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name". And perhaps it was to Judas that the Lord said: "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven", as a warning to "confirm his call and election". The sons of Zebedee fought about who was to be the first in the Kingdom of Jesus, but at least they had understood that this Kingdom was not to be expected on earth, (Mark 10:38-39).
Judas, however, tried to use the Messiah as a tool for the realisation of his own dream of wealth and power. Starting with petty theft, he ended up by betraying the Son of man with a kiss. Satan, never slow to accept Judas' invitation, entered into Judas called Iscariot.

When Judas finally came to his senses and realized that he had betrayed the innocent blood of the Son of God, a bottomless despair engulfed and laid hold on his heart and he, too, found no 'ground for repentance'. Demons of fear and despair drove him to his final act and, to put it in the words of Acts, "falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out".

What we must learn is that our life of faith takes place within the realities of the spiritual world. It has nothing to do with speculations about the limits of God's love and mercy but only with our own decisions which determine our position in this spiritual world.

Moreover, we are dealing with a ruthless and cunning enemy. The Lord Jesus fought the decisive battle and conquered. This means we too must 'seek and destroy' rather than 'holding the fort'. It is a fierce struggle in which the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is proof to us that we are conquering and cooperating with God in the realization of the eternal purpose of the Kingdom.

Indeed, in this Kingdom we shall see that the goodness, mercy and love of our God is without limits.

 

[John_8:32]

I think it has to do with those who are part of the "Great Falling Away" or "Great Apostasy" as it is also known. This "Great Falling Away" has been happening in every generation. Every generation has a "Great Falling Away". Those who fall away are not unbelievers.

Heb_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,

Heb_6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

Heb_6:6 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.

This fallen away that is spoken of in Heb_6:6 is a definitive hardening of the heart and turning away from Christ.

For those of you that have fallen away and God has softened your heart and brought you back, thank Him for His mercy and love and that you came back before you hit a point of no return.

Heb_12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

The Christian walk is full of perils and trials and tests and our faith will be tested to the uttermost. When a person comes into the Kingdom of God through receiving Jesus Christ, he/she have no idea what lies ahead, but Jesus said, "He that endureth to the end, WILL BE SAVED." Walking with Jesus you should just go ahead and die to everything and everybody. Love ones, health, material possessions, reputation, security, etc, because your heart will be tested to see if it loves these things or people more than God.

John_12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Heb_12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

2Th_1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Remember, we are all being saved. You're not saved until you endure to the end, keep the faith and finish the race.

But if you give up...

Heb_10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

I hope you do not mind me adding a verse here...

Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.