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Okay, what does the Bible mean 
by the unforgivable sin? Also called the blasphemy against 
the Holy Spirit? Yeah, I think that there's a 
connection between that and apostasy. And apostasy, I think, is spelled 
out in Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10. So, in the Gospel record, 
I think specifically the crime, the sin that is being dealt with 
is that Jesus did mighty deeds and miracles, and his opponents, 
the unbelieving Jews, were ascribing that to the devil himself. And 
so, it's in that context, in verse 31 of Matthew 12, therefore 
I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, But the 
blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone 
who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven 
him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not 
be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." So 
by their conduct, by their rejection, by their resistance of our Lord 
Jesus, it was impugning the Holy Spirit. I don't think we're supposed 
to see, as we talked in the last section, you know, divisions 
amongst the Godhead. I think Berkhoff says it well. 
It is not so much a sin against the person of the Holy Spirit 
as a sin against his official work. in revealing, both objectively 
and subjectively, the grace and glory of God in Christ. So it 
is to resist and reject that which God has done here, specifically 
in the miracles and the signs and the wonders that are attributed 
to our Lord Jesus. And then in Hebrews 6 and 10, 
the commonality is to resist and reject what God has done 
in sending the Son of His love, who is superior to the Old Covenant, 
who is superior to the Aaronic priesthood, who is superior to 
all these things that you guys want to keep going back to. So 
an apostasy is a defection from the truth. It is a rejection 
of the truth. It is, in the language of Hebrews 
10, to trample again underfoot the Son of God. So, to witness 
the works, the power, the glory, the gospel of God, and then just 
to wholesale reject it. And I don't think it's the struggling 
saint. I don't think it's the little 
faith guy that's, you know, am I a believer or not? These people 
don't want recovery. It's not like they've committed 
the unpardonable sin or they've committed apostasy and they feel 
bad. That's not it at all. I mean, these guys in Matthew 
12, not only did they not feel bad, but they clamored or cried 
out, away with him, away with him, crucified him, manipulated 
Pontius Pilate such that he would be crucified. in the same way 
in those contexts in Hebrews 6 and 10, they needed to stay 
in terms of their profession of faith in Christ and not go 
back to Temple, not go back to Moses, not go back to Aaron. 
Not that Temple, Moses, and Aaron were bad, but Temple, Moses, 
and Aaron pointed to Jesus. The substances here don't go 
back to the shadows. To go back to the shadows was 
a defection from or an apostasy from the glory of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. But if they were like that in 
the next year, they might actually hear the gospel or they could 
come turn around again, right? That's right. We don't know who 
a genuine bona fide apostate is. We don't know who a genuine 
bona fide reprobate is. There's no markers. There's no 
indicators. We preach the gospel to every 
creature. It's God's will, God's work to save his elect. And so, yeah, we don't, if somebody, 
Now, I mean, if somebody is a violent apostate or a violent reprobate, 
that doesn't mean we have to keep, you know, going into their 
yard while they try to shoot us. You know, you've got to exercise 
wisdom. Paul says in Romans 12, as far 
as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Well, I don't think 
that obligates me to get shot with buckshot by a reprobate 
neighbor. So yeah, we don't know decisively 
and we don't know beyond a shadow of a doubt who's a reprobate 
and who's an apostate. So I always try to be careful 
in using that language in preaching or teaching because we don't 
know. Somebody may give expression 
or give evidences of being an apostate or a reprobate and get 
convicted and converted. And we praise God. Yeah. While there's breath in the lungs, 
there's hope for them. That's right. Amen. That's how we operate. 
Yeah. That's right. But there is a category of apostate 
and of reprobate, just because we don't know who they are. God 
does. So, you know, and I think that's 
what those Matthew 12 or the unpardonable sin and the apostasy 
passages in Hebrews 6 and 10, I think that's what's going on. 
Yeah. And if somebody's doubting and 
wondering, have I committed that sin? Does the fact that they're asking 
that question show that they haven't? Yeah. Yeah.