Pilgrims Problems No. 7 the Unpardonable Sin — Willie Mullan

The Unpardonable Sin and Its Consequences

And the subject for this evening is the unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin, that is that particular kind of sin that a particular kind of man or woman can sin under particular kind of circumstances.

And if a particular kind of man or woman under the particular kind of circumstances sin, that particular kind of sin, then they can find no pardon before God in this world or in the world to come. That's a mighty statement, isn't it?

Let's turn to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12, and our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking in the open air here to a great company who have gathered round him and challenged him in many ways.

And in verse 31, this is what he said. Matthew 12, verse 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.

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.

And this is a particular kind of sin. It's called the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. It just means speaking against the Holy Ghost in a blasphemous manner. Now, the devil has taken this up, you know, down through the years from that statement was made.

And he comes to certain souls and he tries to torment them and instill into their minds that they have committed this unpardonable sin. And you will find that if you visit some of the mental institutions in our land, that there are dear souls there tonight, mentally deranged and upset and tormented day and night, just because they believe the devil and they think they have committed the unpardonable sin.

I was in a certain mental institution not so very long ago talking to a lady, and I said to her, Sarah Jane, and that's not her name, I'm just taking you off the track, and I'm not telling you where the mental institution was because I don't want to say anything about her.

I said, Sarah Jane, what brought you to this state that you're in now? And she stiffened up like a poker and her eyes stared at me. She almost became blank and then she staggered out. I have committed the unpardonable sin.

And I can tell you tonight that there are thousands of these cases in our land, thousands of them, and there might be even some folks in this meeting who at times have been tempted to believe they have committed this sin.

I want you to get the hold of that. You see, the devil has taken this statement up and he has confused these souls. But not only has the devil confused sinners about this particular sin, he has confused the very best of saints about this particular kind of sin.

You know, Dr. Henry Mould, who was one of the great preachers, and one of the greatest preachers that Britain ever had, he said it's easier to say what this sin is not rather than to say what it is. And I don't believe that.

I think that's an easy way of getting out of tackling the subject. Oh, I don't think the Holy Ghost will let us just lie in the dark, you know. I will tell you that Oswald Chambers, who's usually a great expositor, this is what he said, it's in a word here before me.

He said the subject is confessibly difficult. I know it's difficult, but it's not beyond getting light and truth. You don't stop just by saying it's confessibly difficult. Dr. Joseph Barker, who was at the City Temple in London for many years, and was a great old expositor even in the days of Spurgeon, held his own there in London.

This is what he said. He said explanation of this mystery of the unpardonable sin, there is probably no explanation. Oh, that's baloney. That won't do. That is not just what we want. I think that the Holy Ghost was sent, the spirit of truth he is, to lead us into all truth.

St. Augustine, this is what he said. He said this sin is the sin of all those who really die impenitent. Oh, that's baloney too, isn't it? If a man dies impenitent, I know he's lost, of course he's lost.

Oh, but before he died in this world he could have pardoned, couldn't he? But we're talking about committing a particular kind of sin and hence done. There is no pardon in this world after that if he lives even for 50 years, nor in the world to come.

We're not talking about him dying, we're talking about him living and dying. It won't do. These things won't do. I'll tell you, when you hear these scholars mumbling over these things, you can see the difficulties that are here.

Dr. Plummer said, Constant and consummate opposition to the influence of the Holy Ghost because of a deliberate preference of darkness to light is this sin. Oh, there's a glimmer of truth there, all right, but you know yourself it's not just exactly what we want, is it?

Bishop Ryle comes nearer to what I think than anybody. He said this sin is the union of light in the head and hatred of light in the heart, and the hatred of light in the heart overcoming the light that's been brought to the mind and the man going into darkness.

Now that's really clever saying it's the union of light in the head and hatred in the heart, but as Dr. Ironside would have said to me, well that's clever, but it's not clear. We need to have it clear, don't we?

That's what we're after this evening. Now I have to do one or two things here to help the clarity of this. You know, there are a whole lot of kinds of sin, different kinds of sin. You know, the other night in this very meeting we were looking at the sin against the Godhead, and the sin against the Godhead is not blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, nor is it blasphemy against the Son of Man.

Natural Revelation and Sin Against the Godhead

Let's turn back to Romans again just to get this for maybe somebody who wasn't here when we did this. Romans, and we're at the first chapter. Letter to the Romans, and we're at this great and mighty first chapter of Romans.

Verse 20, Paul writing to the saints at Rome said, for the invisible things of him, he was talking about God in verse 19, for the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen.

That is, from the very beginning of creation are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. You see, as you go back and see God commanding and it stands, God saying, let there be light, and there was light, and so on, and so on, and so on.

You know, the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, and we went into all this. Even his eternal power and Godhead. Let's get the word Godhead in here.

Right across the whole earth today, right across this whole planet. There is no excuse for a man even in the jungle tonight. He knows there's a God. Yes. The invisible things are clearly seen, even his eternal power and Godhead.

And sometimes the folks around here come to me about the heathen. What will we do with the heathen? What's going to happen to the heathen? Let me say to you now that man did not begin as a heathen. He began as God, in the garden.

Just please remember that. You'd think you were born in a jungle from the beginning. Oh no, they left God. See what it says here? Verse 21. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God.

No, they were thankful. But became vain in their imaginations. Oh, man has an imagination upstairs here, and it's a terrible thing when it goes wrong. He can imagine anything. Their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise.

You can see this every day while you meet these academics, and they all have the greatest imaginations. And you can see how daft they are at a glance. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

What's verse 23? They changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man.

Back there when they knew God.

Oh, they were so clever that they thought they could do without him, and they would worship images. And they're at it yet, you know. They worship plaster casts not far from here in this town. Ah, look, that's the sin.

Against the Godhead. Oh, that's not the unpardonable sin. Plenty of folks who've played at worshipping this, that, and the other have got gloriously saved, you know. So it's not the unpardonable sin. And then, of course, there's the sin of blasphemy against the Son of Man.

Blasphemy Against the Son of Man Can Be Forgiven

You know, Paul blasphemed the Lord Jesus before he was saved. Let's go to 1 Timothy till you see. 1 Timothy, and we're at the first chapter. And Paul writes into Timothy in the first letter and in the first chapter of verse 12, said, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer.

Oh, yes, he did, you know. He hated the name of the Lord Jesus. And blasphemy against the Son of Man is a terrible thing, but it can get forgiveness. You know that old Soper said on one occasion that our Lord Jesus flirted with Mary and Martha all the days of his life, and that is blasphemy.

Oh, but the Lord didn't blot them out with fire from heaven, you know. And Raraheb said, and it's in the book, that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, shut the blessed virgin Mary up in the temple and kept her there until he made her pregnant.

And that's where Christ came from. And that is blasphemy of the deepest dye. It would make your blood run cold, wouldn't it? And there is a bishop of the Church of England now, at this moment alive in England, who said not long ago on the TV that Christ was a homosexualist because he just had 12 men with him.

Well, it's a good job they haven't me to deal with. Gracious God spares them. I just would have no mercy. I would be wrong, of course. But you would feel like lifting them and throwing them into hell.

These are terrible things, they're blasphemy against the Son of Man. But there's even forgiveness for that. Yes, that's another kind of sin. Then you know about the sins of the flesh. Got to do these quickly.

Sins of the Flesh and Sins of the Spirit

Let's get round to this. This is Galatians, and it's the fifth chapter. We don't need to go into this. Verse 19, now the works of the flesh. Although the translation says, Now the sins of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, and so on.

Ah, well, there are different kinds of sins. Some of us have been guilty of some of these sins. But God forgave us. We got forgiveness of sins. Let's look at the sins of the Spirit. Because they're different.

Saved men sometimes of sins. Let's go to 1 Peter. First epistle of Peter. And we're at the second chapter. Verse 1, he's talking to the saints, you know. The elect, as we saw last week. Men who were sanctified by the Spirit.

Men who were washed in the blood. Men who were redeemed by the blood. Do I need to go over all chapters again? He's saying to these men, Wherefore laying aside all malice. That's of the Spirit, you know.

And all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings. Oh, you know, saints can become so bitter at times. That they could destroy a whole flock. I don't think we need to waste time. You know about the sin which doth so easily beset us?

It's unbelief. That goes for the whole bunch of us. Sometimes God speaks to us. Comes into the room quietly. And he maybe calls us. Maybe in these meetings he's calling some young man, a young woman. Into the work, into the vineyard.

And you sit alone, and you hear the voice, and you tremble. And you look at the kids, and you look at the future. And you can scarcely believe God. And it's your cursed unbelief keeps you stuck. Oh, he'll not call you out the start.

You've got these sins. Those are all kinds of sins, you know. Here's one that some of you don't know so much about. It's the sin of the apostate. I don't think too many know about this. Let me take a moment or two.

Apostasy and the Warning in Hebrews

I wish I could stop the clock sometimes while I do the thing. Let's go back to Hebrews. Hebrews, chapter 6 it is. Now I think that I must say this for the young folks here. See this great letter to the Hebrews.

Because I believe it was written by Paul. And I don't need to waste the time of this meeting to prove that. I can prove it from a lot of ways that it was Paul. I haven't any doubts about it, but it doesn't matter to us tonight.

And Paul is writing to these Hebrew Christians, Jews, who have got saved. But remember with that company of Jews that he was writing to, there was a company with that company who were only partially persuaded or almost persuaded.

Some of these Hebrews, they were just getting the light that Christ was the end of the law. That he was the fulfillment of all the old Jewish types. And you know they were standing still there. And you know they needed to go on and finish the thing.

And you have to watch as you read through Hebrews for these two companies. And if you don't watch, you'll make great mistakes. And the expositors have made great mistakes. Now let me prove this to you.

Let's come to Hebrews 10 before we begin there and then we'll do this right. Paul has said so many things right through until he comes to Hebrews 10. And then he said this at the very last verse. Verse 39.

But we are not of them. Now what's the we and what's the them? There must be two companies there. And he puts himself in the we doesn't he? But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition. Some of these Jews almost persuaded, could see the thing.

But they were in danger of going back. Going back to the law. Going back to the types. Going back. Turning their back on Christ. Says we are not of them. We are not of them that turn back unto perdition.

Watch this bit now. But of them that believe to the saving of the soul. That's the company I belong to too. Two companies there. We are not of them you know that stand and stare at the Christ and then turn back.

You see when God gives a man a full revelation of his son. And the man stands and stares. And then eventually turns back. Like a man that I knew once he said to me. Can I say this and you'll understand me won't you?

To hell with Christ he said.

I'm taking Mohammed. You know what that means? That's apostasy.

He's had all the revelation he's going to get. That's a terrible thing. I don't think there's anybody in here guilty of anything like that of course. But I'm here to show you these things. Now let's go back to chapter 6 now.

He's talking to these believers. And these two companies are always near at hand. He said in verse 13 of chapter 5 or maybe get these verses in too. See it's time that beats me. But for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness.

For he is a babe. Strong meat belongs to them that are of full age. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore just because of all that. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ.

Let us go on to perfection. Let us as in the us. The apostles in the us. Often to the real believing class. Let us go on to perfection. That's what we are doing this month. I'm a long way from what I believe.

But I'm going in that direction. And if Jesus would come now. I'd be perfect before I go through the roof. Rise to meet him. But I'll be changed. There's an old text that says we shall all be changed.

And some of you would need it. Bless God. Okay. I'm only saying that to you because. I worked with a partner who was the dearest soul and God to our family. And went to heaven long ago. Used to say Willie we shall all be changed.

And you need it if anybody ever need it. Yes. Alright let's get this clear now before I lose it. Let us go on to perfection. Never mind the bit that's in between. Verse 3. And this will we, we, we do.

We believers are there. We're going on to perfection. And this will we do. If God permits. Now watch this bit. For it is impossible. For us. Who were once enlightened. Not a bit of it. It didn't say that.

That's the way some of you have read it all your life. Oh no it didn't say it. It's impossible for us it says it's impossible.

That's a different crowd altogether.

There are two crowds there. You're bound to see the us and the we. You're bound to see the them now aren't you? We're not talking about believers now. We're talking about boys that stood and stared at Christ.

Possible. For them. Who were once enlightened. Ah yes the fellow I talked to. He was enlightened there. All right. To hell with Christ. The late and the old. Mohammed. It is impossible. Let's get the word impossible in now.

Mind you this is a terrible sin this apostasy. But it is not the unpardonable sin. It's impossible for those who were once enlightened. And have tasted of the heavenly gift of course. When they offered the cup of vinegar to Christ.

He took it and tasted it. And would not drink. Oh tasting it is not making it your own. There's a whole lot of boys that have been brought up in good families. And they have tasted it. But they never made the Christ theirs yet.

There's some of you in here tonight. And you know as well as where you're sitting that your old dad and mom were saved. And you tasted a whole lot of things in your early days that came because they loved Christ.

But you never made them yours. You know it's impossible for those who were once enlightened. Or tasted of the heavenly gift. And were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. Oh you know that's not one of the offices of the Holy Ghost told the believer.

If I go over the offices of the Holy Ghost told the believer. The Holy Ghost baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. The Holy Ghost fills the believer. The Holy Ghost anoints the believer. Oh but I've preached at meetings where the Holy Ghost has come upon the meeting.

And men with guns in their pockets felt the power of the Spirit. They had tasted of the Holy Ghost. Made partakers in a sense you see. And they've tasted the good word of God. It came with power and the power of the world to come.

If they shall fall away. Did you get the word fall? It's the old word for apostasy. If they turn back. That's apostate. That's the sin. Now watch this. If they fall away. It is impossible to renew them again.

Don't be trying to tell me that this portion belongs to people who were saved and get lost again. Don't try to tell me that because I'll put you in a fix if you do. Old methods have come to try to tell me this you know.

Well I'll tell you this. You just tell me tonight that any believer can't fall away. Then I will tell you that it is impossible to renew him again. You're giving them a through ticket for hell from that moment.

It doesn't say for it is possible you know. It says it is impossible. What are you talking about? You're dumbing the folk. We do hear tripe from people who can't handle this book. This is apostasy now.

That's a different sin. I'm not going on with that sin anymore. Maybe come to apostasy in these meetings before that. Now we're coming to the unpardonable sin this evening. If somebody could wheel the clock back for half an hour.

Never mind we'll have to do what we can. Now we're back at Matthew's gospel. And we're at chapter 12. Matthew's gospel and we're at chapter 12. Now you need to take a big part of this chapter in to get the solid foundation of what we're at.

Jesus, the Pharisees, and the Sabbath

Verse 1. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn. Isn't that a sort of lovely scene? Beautiful eastern sunshine. And here is the Lord Jesus and his disciples going through the corn on a Sunday afternoon.

And his disciples were in hunger and began to pluck the ears of corn and eat. When the Pharisees saw this they said unto him, Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

And let me tell you, you will search the Old Testament in vain to find where it says one word against eating corn on Sunday afternoon. It is not there. It was an old pharisaical law but old pharisaical laws are not God's laws.

But they thought they were and they made them.

The commandments of men for them became the commandments of God. It is not there anywhere in the Old Testament you try it. So you see. And then the Lord just very wonderfully talked to them. Verse 3, but he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was in hunger?

You know, he can quote every time, Have ye not read? Do you see how quick he got round to that? And then down the bit he says, Have ye not read in the law, verse 5, How that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath?

If you want to talk about profanity, don't they walk on Sundays? He's just talking to them, you know. That's all. So he leaves them. I want you to get this quite clear. He leaves this corn field and he departed then, said verse 9, and went into the synagogue.

See, it's the Sabbath day. Going into the synagogue. And behold, there was a man which had his hand withered, and they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That they might accuse him.

Wanted to know, you know, Could this man be healed on the Sabbath day? Now watch how he tackles this. He said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep? And if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold in it and lift it up?

Every one of them almost in the synagogue had done this at some time. Well, surely a man is of more value than a sheep. The Lord was wonderful here. All the time he was wonderful. No wonder his name was wonderful.

You know, he just, he just shut them up at all times. Verse 13 says,. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth on hand. Stretched forth, and it was a stone whole like as the other. Then the Pharisees went up.

Now I want you to get this. Held a council against them, that they might destroy him. Can't manage him, soldier. Can't manage him, destroy him. Fancy these Pharisees, who pretended to know the law, who were so religious that they didn't want anything to happen on the Sabbath day.

Fancy them getting together in the council to take the life of the Lord Jesus. You think they're holy or religious or anything? This country of ours is full of that crowd. And they would burn me if they could.

But they can't. And I don't give two straws. Nor never did, nor never will. Because I can tell you, that sin of the deepest die. Pretending to be religious and aiming at taking the life of God's Son at the same time.

They don't know anything much worse. But let's go careful now. Verse 15,. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from sins. Now he's out of the cornfield, and he's out of the synagogue, and he's on the street.

I want you to get this. He's on the street. Because I don't want you to miss this at all. He withdrew himself from sins, and great multitudes followed him. Crowds thronged the street. And he healed them all, charged them that they should not make him ill.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah, the prophet saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him. He shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall he lift up, neither shall any man hear his voice in the street. He wasn't standing in the street, you know, shouting about them. Just Jehovah's servant. But he's in the street.

Let's get him in the street. Now when he's out in the street, and the crowds are around him, then, verse 22, that's the great moment, then, this then was brought unto him, one possessed with the devil, blind and dumb.

This poor man was both blind and dumb because a demon had taken command of him. And he healed him. That's the scene we're seeing. It's in the street. In so much that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

See this man being brought to him in the middle of the street. And he just healed him like nothing. This blind man can see. And there isn't any bluff about this. This dumb man can speak. Now I want you to hear the saying,.

And all the people were amazed.

And if we could only see this done like this. I had a healer who came to me some months ago, says, I can heal anything, right? You are. I have a car here. He was a blind man down the street a bit. Come on, I'll take you.

He has no notion at all. Some old woman with a supposed pain,.

He'd work out her all night, wouldn't he?

Let's take her away in the meeting here. Not a one of them. Yeah, but this was real. All the people were amazed and said, is not this the son of David? We're persuaded now that this was the Christ. This is the King.

He has come. They were persuaded. This is out in the open now. I want you to get this. All right? But, there's a but there, verse 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, this fellow. Oh, you're not allowed to call the Lord Jesus this fellow.

A scorn. A scorn. You know, they can't again say what's been done here. There's no arguments. The man can see, and he can speak, and the whole crowd, the multitude, they're persuaded. Now, here's where they went to with the scorn.

They said, this fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. See this work that's done today. This is done by the devil working through them. Get that now. I want you to get this very carefully now.

That's blasphemy. But we'll get around to it, all right. 25. And Jesus knew their thoughts. Don't ever come talking to me about his knowledge being limited, or I shall keep you for about an hour to show you that it wasn't.

Oh, he knew their thoughts. I don't know your thoughts. It's a good job. We'd have a row here sometimes. Jesus knew their thoughts. Said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. How shall then his kingdom stand? So, first of all, he's using logic. Simple logic, isn't it? That's simple logic. If this is the devil and me working against the devil in him, then there's something wrong here.

He just beats them by logic. Then he goes on, And if I, by Beelzebub, who was the prince of the devils, this was the name for the prince of the devils, if I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils by him, do your children cast them out?

You see, there were children of the Pharisees going round the land, casting out devils. Now, by whom do your children cast them out? But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then there's no question about it.

One of the translations says, Since I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. That was light that was being brought to them. First he beats them by logic, then he brings light, then he brings proof, or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods?

Except he first bind the strong man, then he will spoil his goods. You see, he talks to them by logic, common sense, then he brings light, if I'm casting out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Then the proof is, if I've entered into the strong man's house and I've bound him, then he puts the case quite clearly. He that is not with me is against me. He that gathereth not with me scattereth the blood.

You see, the time has come for you men to stand up and make your decision now. They were on a tickly spot now. And then he said this, 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.

Whoso speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him, but whoso speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Now there are one or two things here that we must get very clear.

The Unpardonable Sin as a Historical Act of Blasphemy

You know, many dear souls tonight in mental homes believe that they have said things against the Holy Ghost and therefore they are blaspheming the Holy Ghost and therefore this unpardonable sin is theirs.

That won't do you. You see, this is a particular kind of sin under particular kind of circumstances. Actually this was a dispensational sin. It cannot be committed tonight. And it couldn't be committed after Christ left this earth.

You know, if the Holy Ghost uses me and men get saved, praise the Lord, some old critics will have a lot of things to say about me. Oh, they say everything about me, oh my. But you won't be blaspheming the Holy Ghost even though you curse me while the Holy Ghost uses me.

Oh no, you can't do that. You see, what we would need is the circumstances. We would need Christ in the street, in the avenue. We need Christ in the street. And we would need the blind man and the dumb man.

We would need the Holy Ghost to set the man free in the open air before the crowd. But it must be the Christ and the Holy Ghost. You're not going to get that today. You see, the holiest man that ever stood on the platform is just a man.

And he could make a blunder, you know. I've made a million of them. It doesn't make a matter of what you say about me. But we would need Christ in the street. We would need this mighty thing to take place.

We would need you to be gazing and then to stiffen your neck and say, oh, it's not the Holy Ghost in him at all. It's the devil in him. And there's not a soul in a mental home tonight raving mad now that has committed this, you know.