Is it possible to do something so horrible that G-d would or could not forgive you under ANY circumstances?

Question

Before anyone asks...No, I didn't do anything so awful.

This was a very thought-provoking question that we recently brought up with our Rabbi at a Torah study, and it brought out some very interesting answers, so I thought I would see what the Yahoo Answers audience has to say.

Although this was brought up in a Jewish context, please comment from your own religious (or non-religious, as the case may be) point of view.

This certainly begs the follow-up question...could there be ex-murderers in heaven?

Thanks! d=)

Answer 1

That IS an interesting question. Atheist or not, I'd like to be in your Torah study. :]

I think that if this deity-- for simplicity, I'll call the deity Adonai-- is supposed to be all-good and all-merciful (as I think he's been written to be) then I wouldn't think so. But that's a tough question.

Isn't suicide supposedly unforgivable, though?

Answer 2

Jesus the Christ sacrificial atonement paid for all the sins of every person that God has chosen to save. The unpardonable sin cannot be committed today because Jesus is not physically here on the earth. This sin was blashphemy against the Holy Spirit because while Jesus was here on earth as the God-Man everything He did was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. He did not do anything by His own power as God. He totally yielded Himself to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Yes, there will be those who murdered in heaven. Moses is the perfect example of one. David had a man killed, Saul (Paul) had many Christians murdered.

Answer 3

Jesus taught that man might commit all manner of blasphemies, and even deny him and yet receive a forgiveness of sins, however, if one sins or blasphemes the Holy Ghost, there is no forgiveness in this life nor the world to come. What exactly blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is, is somewhat unclear. It is sometimes referred to as the Shedding of Innocent Blood, or putting Christ to open Shame. Murder may be a form of this Shedding of Innocent Blood, but I believe it goes deeper than that. I believe it is a sinning against such great light and knowledge, having received a full understanding of the plan of Salvation and God's design for man, and then denying it and seeking to destroy it openly. It is essentially to join in league with Satan in open rebellion against the kingdom of God seeking to bring souls down to Perdition and endless misery, if possible. For those Son's of Perdition, there is no Salvation in this world nor the world to come. Why, because they don't sin in ignorance, but sin against light and knowledge having once been given to them through a witness of the Holy Ghost. To deny a witness of the Holy Ghost is worse than to meet Jesus on the Street and deny him. Why, because the witness of the Spirit is more sure. Our five senses might easily deceive us, but an impression of the spirit is hard to deny. It is said to be like walking in the open sunshine at midnoon and denying the Sun's presence.

Answer 4

What worse then killing Gods own son? Yet the Bible states they still had the ability to repent and follow God.

Repentence has a way of destroying and putting behind all the things youve done so that you may have a new life with Christ doing Gods will.

Answer 5

There is only one sin the Lord will not forgive - blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven either in this age or the age to come.

Answer 6

Blaspheming makes the list, as many pointed out, but so does Idol worship. That commandment specifically states that God will not only refuse to forgive you, but your next three generations as well.

So apparently, anyone born to an idol worshiper will also not receive forgiveness.

The Devil clearly did something that will not be forgiven. He coveted God's crown. I assume a fair God would impose the same treatment on all who do so.

50% of the angels that followed the devil will not be forgiven. They aided the devil, though they didn't aspire to God's crown themselves. I assume that a fair God would equally damn any who similarly sympathize with the devil.

Answer 7

God want even the worst person on this earth to become a better person. Anyone, who is trying with all their heart and soul to improve, will be forgiven, until they start backsliding. Anyone, no matter how good will not be forgiven, if they start moving in a definite negative direction, and are not trying to change their course. Forgiveness is not free, it is earned like everything else in life.

Answer 8

Blaspheming the Holy Ghost is the Bible's only unforgivable sin.

Answer 9

From the Christian perspective.. and as you've read in some of the answers, blaspheming God is the only unforgivable sin. What that is meaning is not saying "nasty" things about God, but denying God's gift of forgiveness.

God has already forgiven every sin you have done, do, and will do (except one)... and He has achieved that forgiveness through the blood of Y’shua, Jesus the Messiah. That ONE sin is the sin of refusing, not wanting, to BE forgiven, not accepting His gift of life. Afterall, if you say to God, "Sorry, but I don't believe in Jesus and what He did" and God will reply, "Well, I am truly sorry to hear that, but I won't force you against your will to accept anything you don't want to do. So, since you don't want to be with Me, you have to be separated from Me."

The sin is in the refusal to accept what God has promised from the days of Adam and Eve... the Messiah who restores mankind to their "communion" with the Creator of the Universe. Kind of like getting a delivery from FedEx... it has YOUR name on it... but you refuse it. The FedEx man can't just SHOVE it in your face (not in this case), and he must take the package back stamped "REFUSED" on it.

BUT!!!!! Here's the good news... that sin of blasphemy does not exist for the believer, because if you DO accept that "parcel"... that gift of forgiveness...TOTAL forgiveness... well? That last, unforgivable sin doesn't exist. You've ACCEPTED God's gift, ergo, you have NOT blasphemed (sinned that last sin) against Him.

Yes, there WILL be ex-murderers in heaven, but it will be "okay." You see, there are things that will not exist in heaven... things like sadness, and pain... and the remembrances of sin will also be gone... why? Because when God forgives sin, He not only forgives, but He perfectly FORGETS it too. When the murderer says, "I'm sorry for my sins, and I accept your gift of life" then God says, "I see you are repentant, and therefore I no longer acknowedge the sins you have committed. Nothing stands as a block between You and me anymore, forever."

Now... as we are part of being in heaven, believers also "share" in that total forgetfullness, so, even when we "meet" other believers in heaven, we will not even KNOW WHAT their sins were, and it will be ALRIGHT, because it is God's will for us to love each other as He loves us.

I realize you are coming from a Jewish perspective, and I know that you have likely been "warned" against the organization Jews For Jesus. But if you are interested in learning this concept from the Jewish perspective, their website can offer a load of information.


Have a blessed day.

Answer 10

Mat 12:31 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.