Answers to Correspondents: Speaking Against the Holy Ghost

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26.-Q. Why is it that one speaking against the Son of man shall be forgiven, but one speaking against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven? (Matt. 12) Can a true believer commit this sin?
A.-The reason why sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost can not be forgiven, is because of the character of the sin; that is, that while God acting in power is acknowledged, for that Satan was cast out the Pharisee admitted (ver. 24), this power was attributed in willful and intelligent malice to, Satan. It is this attributing the manifested and acknowledged power of God to Satan, that constitutes the sin against the Holy Ghost. Christ was acting by the power of the Holy Ghost, and by this power had cast out devils, yet they said, " He hath an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:3030Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. (Mark 3:30).) Unbelief and ignorance showed itself in rejecting and speaking against the Son of man, and however far the ignorance and unbelief might go, it could forgiven upon that ground; hence the Lord could pray for such in those touching words on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do " (Luke 23); and Peter says to the Jews, when offering them forgiveness after they had crucified Christ, " I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers" (Acts 3:2121Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21)); so Paul, as to his own case says, " Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because' I did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim. 1:1313Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (1 Timothy 1:13).) Of course no true believer can commit this sin, and we must doubt if it ever can in this dispensation be in question even for an unconverted. person; it appears to belong to circumstances peculiar to the ministry of Christ on earth amongst the Jews; it is especially Jewish, and sealed the doom of those that committed it, individually as well as nationally, and upon their doing it, the Lord immediately separates and distinguishes the remnant from the rest of the nation, severing all connection with them upon the ground of nature-henceforth His " brethren" are those that " do the will of God." This gives such special interest and importance to the end of Matt. 12 and Mark 3