Imagine Bob. Bob was, at some point, Christian. Perhaps he was raised that way, or perhaps he came to faith later in life, but at some point, he was confirmed, communing regularly, professing Christ, and has felt God's Presence in his life. Then, something happened. Some event caused Bob to turn away from Christ to pursue a different path. Maybe the breakup was public, or maybe it was just in the privacy of his heart, but at minimum, Bob said to God, "go away; I don't need or want you". ---- A certain user cited Hebrews 6:4-6, claiming that Bob, having apostatized, can no longer be redeemed: > 4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If 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. (KJV) However, this seems contrary not only to Scripture (with God, all things are possible), but to God's own nature (God is patient, wanting everyone to be saved). Indeed, most sects as far as I can tell teach that there is no sin from which one cannot repent, and that it is only by remaining in sin that one cuts *one's self* off from Salvation, essentially by refusing to accept the free gift. Logically, moreover, this teaching would suggest to Bob that God despises him and that not only should he not bother to seek God, he might as well do all he can to be God's enemy since he has nothing to lose. **Which sect(s) teach that one who has fallen off the path cannot be called back?**

So as far as I understand it, it is the case that if one prays, asks for forgiveness and repents and baptizes then according to most denominations and the Bible God forgives the sin one has committed. However what I can't quite wrap my head around is how to forgive oneself. Forgiving oneself in this context means (please use your own definition if mine isn't accurate enough): - Accepting that one has committed sin - Not beating oneself up/self criticism anymore because of the sin - No feelings of resentment or vengeance towards oneself - No destructive feeling of regret (still regretting but not the kind impeding with daily life or mental health) - No destructive guilt or shame (similar to regret: A little guilt/shame is not the problem, but to much of it risks mental health) While it might be easier to forgive single mistakes, it's a lot more difficult to handle character weaknesses or repeating sin. Is there any additional information about that? Summarized Question: - What does the Bible/the denominations say about **self forgiveness**? - How can one forgive oneself? - What steps can one do to forgive oneself? - Is the process to self-forgiveness fundamentally different for specific sins? - How can one forgive character weaknesses or repeating sin?

According to Acts 3:19-21: > 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.  I see repentance as requirement for Gods forgiveness, meaning the complete stop to any sin or sinful behaviors. Now this is easier said then done for addictions. Addictions have this characteristics: - Compulsiveness: An overwhelming urge to engage in the behavior or use the substance, often uncontrollable. - Tolerance: Increasing amounts of the substance or intensity of the behavior are required to achieve the same effect. - Withdrawal: Physical and psychological symptoms that occur when the addictive behavior or substance use is reduced or stopped. - Negative Impact: Continued engagement despite knowing it causes significant problems in personal, social, occupational, or health areas. - Loss of Control: Difficulty in limiting or stopping the addictive behavior or substance use. - Preoccupation: Persistent thoughts and focus on the substance or behavior, often at the expense of other activities and responsibilities. In Summary: Stopping an addiction is not easy and extremely difficult. So while it is easy to regret addictions and make genuine efforts to stop one, there isn't a method with guaranteed success. Addictive behaviors are often done consciously, meaning the case for active sin can be made. Assuming an addictions that is inherently sinful e.g. a sex-addiction(outside of marriage) or an addiction impeding with obedience like Gaming-addiction(no time to do what God says) or a self-destructive addiction like fentanyl: - Is the Assumption that repentance is required for forgiveness correct? - Is an addiction "forgivable"? Note that due to the nature of repeatableness, it means that shortly after the process of repenting and receiving forgiveness, a person sins again (Relapse). This potentially could undermine the effect Gods forgiveness could have. - Is mastering the addiction a requirement for salvation? (Lets exclude the edge-case of repenting and dying before the next chance to indulge in the addictive behavior arises) - Are there differences between denominations on this topic of forgiveness of addictions? What is their reasoning for one denomination being more or less strict on addictions?

Doctrine and Covenants 42:18 appears to teach that anyone who kills cannot ever be forgiven. Does "killing" refer only to murder or to any killing, be it in self defense or as part of a way? > And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come. D&C 42:18 Does the LDS Church hold to this position today? If so, how is God's forgiveness of David reconciled with that as well as the people mentioned in the book of Alma? > Nathan said to David, “You are the man... You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites... David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “**The LORD also has put away your sin**; you shall not die. 2 Samuel 12 (portions) ESV > > And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that **he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed**, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. Alma 24:10

A few times questions about “Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit” have been asked on this site and then closed as either “off topic” since they are interpretative per denomination, or closed as “duplicate” which then links to a different closed question. To try to remedy this, since I believe it’s an important topic to discuss, I am curious how various denominations interpret this “unforgivable sin”. > How is “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” interpreted by various denominations? > What are some of the key disagreements between various denominations on this topic? > What do they [an aforementioned denomination] use as supporting evidence for their interpretations? An answer of any specific denomination is helpful, you (of course) don’t have to answer how each and every denomination interprets this.

It is recorded in the Gospel of John that after Jesus's death and resurrection, he appeared to the disciples and said the following: >On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. > >Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23 In this scene, we see Jesus commissioning his disciples and empowering them with the Holy Spirit to carry on his ministry and to forgive people's sins on his behalf. However, what about the second part of the fourth statement he says here - "If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven"? Has much been written on this delegated power of condemnation? Have any denominations held that Christians have the power to condemn people for their sins, just like they have the power to forgive them?

> “For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup. For the one who eats and drinks without careful regard for the body eats and drinks judgment against himself. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead. But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭27‬-‭32‬ ‭NET‬‬ Does this suggest that this sin is unforgivable since they are guilty of the blood and body of the lord?

There is a belief that according to Hebrews 10:26, the "unforgivable sin" is sinning willfully after having been saved. What is this belief called and what is its theological origin? I'm not asking for it to be refuted, I just want to know the name

>There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary: >1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception. 2. Blasphemies against Her Perpetual Virginity. 3. Blasphemies against Her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize Her as the Mother of men. 4. The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn, or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother. 5. The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy images. [Top 5 Sins Against the Immaculate Heart of Mary](http://www.vcatholic.com/articles/top-5-sins-against-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary/) **Why are the offenses against Blessed Virgin Mary are called blasphemies instead of sin?** Looking for Catholic Foundational Teaching and explanation on blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus says: > Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, > but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever > speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever > speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this > age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV) In the KJV, this is called "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost". What does this refer to? PS: I have taken a look at a related question(Are there unforgivable sins? ), but I would like more answers to this specific question.

According to everything I have ever learned, forgiveness is based on repentance. This usually requires asking God for forgiveness for our sins. Weeping bitterly is not a sign of repentance. It is likened to a criminal that has been caught. The account in John shows a post-death picture of Jesus and Peter. Not only did Peter not make amends, say I'm sorry, anything at all. He could not tell Jesus he loved him. There is nowhere an indication that Peter was sorry for denying Jesus. There was no way he could say he did not know who Jesus was. God told him personally. His behavior borders on the unforgivable sin. People cite Peter's work after the fact. That is not the question. Did Peter ever ask for forgiveness? Why not? Also being exasperated that Jesus asked him three times, if he loved him, is not a sign of repentance. Weeping bitterly and exasperated are not signs of repentance. Why would Jesus ever give his role as shepherd to someone like this?

At Matthew 12:32 we hear some tough talk from Jesus: > Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. I wish to know whether there are other sins which fall in the category of those which will not be forgiven in the age to come , say, desecration of the Holy Euchariat , or say, murder of an ordained priest . What do the Catholic Church teach about the sins which may not be forgiven in the age to come.

Scripture refers to an unpardonable sin in [Matthew 12:31–32](https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Matthew+12:31-32&qs_version=ESV) , [Mark 3:29–30](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3:29-30&version=ESV) , and [Luke 12:10](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:10&version=ESV) , as well as [Hebrews 6:4–6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+6:4-6&version=ESV) . There's also "sin that leads to death" ([1 John 5:16–17](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+john+5:16-17&version=ESV)) . Given the [Protestant understanding of sin](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/41820/21576) , **what is an overview of the doctrines they develop from these passages?** To Protestants, what is the unforgivable sin? Related, but not tradition-specific: https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/3334/21576

I've read that obstinacy in sin is unforgivable. Is it one of the sins against Holy Spirit and therefore cannot be forgiven? However, what if a sinner decides to stop being obstinate and repents? Can God forgive it then, or is it still unforgivable, no matter how much the sinner repents?

Jesus came and died for our sins so that we may be forgiven and have salvation. But Matthew 12:32 (NIV) says there is at least one thing to prevent being forgiven. > **32** Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Are there unforgivable actions that would clash with Jesus' sacrifice (eg: an unbeliever 'speaks against the Holy Spirit', then later in life repents and turns to Christ.) Will that person be granted eternal life?

I have a question that I need answered, I am fearfully worried for my salvation!. Some time ago I went through some spiritual problems - One such thing is that I started reading about the 'Unforgivable Sin'. I felt I had comitted it!. I started reading about it and asking questions, I got two responses - 1) It was a Demon - making me believe I had done it. 2) It was the Holy Spirit - making me realize my sin and need for repentance hence the worry. I pondered for weeks over this e.g. How can people give two opposing responses. Then one day under my breath while working it out I said 'The Holy Spirit is Like a D****' I didn't think anything of it at the time as I was basing this statement on a vauge view of the Holy Spirit and Demons. I am worried that God will have taken this the wrong way - In my confusion I said this - That being said I never ever, ever meant it in the connotation that the Holy Spirit is evil. The statement was mearly me working out how to tell them apart. E.g. If some christians said number 1 and others number 2 then my reasoning is there must be some aspects that are undisernable. We are even told to Test the Spirits which would mean comparing them and even finding Similaries otherwise we would not need to test them in the first place. I am fearfully worried God will not understand what I mean? Can someone tell me weather I have committed this or not?

I hope you will allow me to ask another question. We all know that there are many harsh statements in the Bible (Matthew 12:31-32, Hebrews 10). Sometimes, these harsh statements are along the lines of "If such and such a condition is fulfilled, then there is no hope left for such and such a person to whom the condition applies" - i.e. the implication is that such and such a person is doomed to hell. My question is: Sometimes, a given person does not even know if he or she has fulfilled one of those conditions. To my knowledge, people have tried to give explanations of these scenarios, but I do not know if there is a total, definitive, absolute, verdict, on what these conditions actually are that doom someone to hell without hope. In life, we usually do not know things with absolute certainty, and a certain amount of belief in positive outcomes of uncertain events is usually needed to preclude a descent into total nihilism. Colloquially, one might say that as long as a person believes there is light at the end of the tunnel, he or she would be able to pick himself or herself up the next day and make an attempt to continue walking with God. But if this person is faced with uncertainty over eternal salvation, can it trigger nihilism and despair? **Is there ever a situation (or can there be such a situation) where fear over damnation to hell due to the scenarios described led a person who need not have borne such fear, to descend to unnecessary nihilism and hence give up on Christianity with the attitude "well, since I am already condemned unconditionally, what is the point of seeking God any longer?"** (It is true that no one can really be sure of having been condemned unconditionally by the scenarios in Matthew 12 and Hebrews 10, but what if pessimism led the person to progress from the idea that he or she might have committed an unforgivable sin to a belief that he or she had committed it, with the resulting nihilism described above?)

According to Catholic Teaching, what is sinning against the Holy Spirit and why is this unpardonable? [cf. [Matt 12:31-32 (RSVCE)\]][1] What are the the sins that are considered sinning against the Holy Spirit? The desirable answer will be the one that draws from the Church's patrimony e.g. from Church Fathers, Saints & Doctors, and Papal Magisterium.