NoOne
Gone but not forgotten.
I wonder how many, or rather how few, Christians begin to comprehend the statement of Romans 5:20: “Where sin abounded grace did much MORE (over) abound. Much more Super-abound. But God Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved). Ephesians 2:4 to 6.
Some years ago I was called to the bedside of a dying saint. A dying saint seventy-two years of age. He had been a saint for two years. He became a saint at the age of seventy. I shall never forget that scene. What an expression of peace and joy was in his eyes! But mingled with that look of joy were tears. His face was wet with tears. As he gripped my hand in his he cried, “O, the love of God, O, the matchless grace of my Saviour.” “Just to think”, he continued, “God spared the life of this blaspheming, profane, wicked infidel until one night two years ago He wonderfully saved me by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ when I was seventy years of age.” He had learned by experience the truth of Romans 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
That man had blasphemed the Holy Spirit, the Holy Son, the Holy Father, the Holy Book, the Holy Church and everything else holy, not only once, but time and again, and yet he was gloriously saved. None of his sins were unpardonable, for they were all pardoned. According to Acts 13:39, when he believed, he was justified from all things. According to Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 2:11, Romans 3:24, God forgave that wicked man all of his sins for Christ’s sake. God forgave him all his trespasses; and without a cause, by His grace, through the redemptive work of Christ, God declared that believing sinner a righteous man, fit for His presence in heaven.
If that sinful man had died at the age of seventy or seventy-two, still rejecting the gospel of grace, without faith in what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross of Calvary, all of his sins would have been unpardoned; but not one of them unpardonable. They were all pardoned when he believed.
Christ committed to the Apostle Paul “the dispensation of the grace of God”. Ephesians 3:1 and 2. Under the reign of grace many condemned sinners have gone to their graves despising the grace of God, refusing to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, failing to receive Christ as Saviour. They have, therefore, left this world with all of their sins unpardoned; but not one of them unpardonable, if they had accepted the pardon.
The sin of unbelief is no more unpardonable than is the sin of adultery, murder, or any other sin. There is no unpardonable sin in this day of grace. Christ said: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins.” John 8:24. But now to our question: “Who committed the unpardonable sin?” “When?” “Where?” “How?” “Why?”
First, we dogmatically affirm that it was Israel who committed the unpardonable sin. It was the “why” of the unpardonable sin that caused Paul to write the words of Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the knowledge and wisdom of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”
Perhaps after reading the words of the Lord Jesus concerning Israel, in John 12:37 to 41, you too have cried out: “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”
Let us read again John 12:37 to 41: “But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory and spake of Him.”
If we cry out Romans 11:33, after reading these verses, we will say it again after reading Acts 28:25 to 28, where the language of John 12:39 and 40 is found.
Note the language of John 12:39: “Therefore they could not believe because Esaias said again.” “They could not believe.” Why? Because the unsearchable riches of Christ for Gentiles had to be committed to Paul before all Israel could be saved. Because the reconciling of the world depended upon the blindness and casting away of Israel. Christ had to be rejected, crucified, buried and raised from the dead. The “past-finding-out” ways of God meant that Israel had to commit the unpardonable sin so that the dispensation of grace for Gentile could be committed unto Paul.
The Bible student, who begins the dispensation of the grace of God, or the reconciling of the Gentiles, before Israel was cast away, before Israel committed the unpardonable sin, doth greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures.
What then is the unpardonable sin, and when did Israel commit it” All Bible teachers, when speaking on the subject of “the unpardonable sin” read Matthew 12:31 and 32. Let us read these two verses:
Israel’s pardonable sin was their sin against “the Son of man”. They were His betrayers and murderers. But Christ said, “The Son of man must be lifted up.” John 3:14. “The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him,” Matthew 26:24 “As it is written of Him.” What happened when Israel and Pilate put the Son of man to death on the tree? “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The Son of man had to go just when He did and just as He did. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister “and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45.
This then is why Israel’s sin against “the Son of man” was pardonable. This is why those tender words of Acts 3:14 to 18 and 26: “But Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to he granted unto You: And killed the Prince of Life Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which God before hath shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.” “Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” Knowing the Father’s plan and purpose, Christ on the cross prayed “Father forgive them: for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.
The Son of man went to Calvary and then, through the open heavens, Stephen saw Him standing at God’s right hand. That was a reminder of Israel’s great sin. What a sin! But it was pardonable. Israel had only to receive the pardon. The rulers refused the pardon in the holy land. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. Many Israelites repented and received the Holy Spirit. More of them, including the high priest and rulers, resisted the Holy Spirit and blasphemed. They committed the unpardonable sin.
It is interesting to compare Matthew 12:14 and Acts 5:35: “Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, how they might betray Him.”—“When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”
The first was at the time the Lord told of Israel’s unpardonable sin; the second was when Israel’s rulers were committing the unpardonable sin. We shall presently quote the verses immediately preceding Acts 5:33. But let us remember that God from Matthew 1 to Acts 7 was dealing with a Nation as well as with individuals.
The question as to when Israel committed the unpardonable sin is a very important one. The correct answer will save us from the common blunder of so many spiritual Bible-teachers, who have the ministry of reconciliation, the dispensation of the grace of God and the dispensation of the mystery begin on the day of Pentecost. No dispensation of grace, no reconciling of the world until the casting-away of Israel.
Surely we are quite stupid, if we have carefully read Acts 3:14 to 26 and teach that Israel had been cast away at that time. Now carefully study Acts 5:30 to 33.
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give REPENTANCE TO ISRAEL AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
And we are His witnesses of these things: and SO IS ALSO THE HOLY SPIRIT, Whom God hath given to them that obey Him.
When they heard that they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”
Note several facts here: Christ raised up. For whom? Remember His words in Matthew 15:24: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Christ exalted! For whom and for what purpose? “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for TO GIVE REPENTANCE TO ISRAEL, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. What was the Holy Spirit doing? Witnessing the fact that the Son of man, Whom Israel had sinned against, was Israel’s Prince and Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness. The commission of Matthew 10:5 to 8 was still binding: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles;” “go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Nothing for Gentiles in Acts 5:30 to 32. No reconciling of the world yet. No casting-away of Israel yet. No sending salvation to Gentiles because of Israel’s fall at the time of Acts 5:30 to 33.
God wanted all Israel to know that the Jesus whom they had slain was both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36. The Holy Spirit was bearing witness of that fact. Israel now had the opportunity to sin against the Holy Spirit and commit the unpardonable sin. Stephen’s message, in Acts 7, shows us that Israel had not yet been cast away; In that chapter we learn how Israel was committing the unpardonable sin.
We should be interested to compare Christ’s prayer for Israel in the hour of His death, with Stephen’s prayer for Israel in the hour of his death. “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60.
Just what did Stephen’s prayer accomplish for Israel? It is interesting to note that shortly after this prayer, Philip went down to Samaria. It is equally interesting to note another fact, namely, that for some time after Stephen’s prayer, the disciples preached to none but Jews only. Acts 11:19. Another interesting fact: “And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem: and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles:” Acts 8:1. And still another interesting fact: It was several years after Stephen’s prayer before the first company of Gentiles received the message of salvation from any of The Twelve. Even then salvation was not sent to Cornelius to provoke Israel to jealousy, for the dispensation of the grace of God had not yet been committed to Paul, No one then had the ministry of reconciliation in accordance with Romans 11:15—Israel had not yet been cast away.
Some years ago I was called to the bedside of a dying saint. A dying saint seventy-two years of age. He had been a saint for two years. He became a saint at the age of seventy. I shall never forget that scene. What an expression of peace and joy was in his eyes! But mingled with that look of joy were tears. His face was wet with tears. As he gripped my hand in his he cried, “O, the love of God, O, the matchless grace of my Saviour.” “Just to think”, he continued, “God spared the life of this blaspheming, profane, wicked infidel until one night two years ago He wonderfully saved me by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ when I was seventy years of age.” He had learned by experience the truth of Romans 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
That man had blasphemed the Holy Spirit, the Holy Son, the Holy Father, the Holy Book, the Holy Church and everything else holy, not only once, but time and again, and yet he was gloriously saved. None of his sins were unpardonable, for they were all pardoned. According to Acts 13:39, when he believed, he was justified from all things. According to Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 2:11, Romans 3:24, God forgave that wicked man all of his sins for Christ’s sake. God forgave him all his trespasses; and without a cause, by His grace, through the redemptive work of Christ, God declared that believing sinner a righteous man, fit for His presence in heaven.
If that sinful man had died at the age of seventy or seventy-two, still rejecting the gospel of grace, without faith in what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross of Calvary, all of his sins would have been unpardoned; but not one of them unpardonable. They were all pardoned when he believed.
Christ committed to the Apostle Paul “the dispensation of the grace of God”. Ephesians 3:1 and 2. Under the reign of grace many condemned sinners have gone to their graves despising the grace of God, refusing to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, failing to receive Christ as Saviour. They have, therefore, left this world with all of their sins unpardoned; but not one of them unpardonable, if they had accepted the pardon.
The sin of unbelief is no more unpardonable than is the sin of adultery, murder, or any other sin. There is no unpardonable sin in this day of grace. Christ said: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins.” John 8:24. But now to our question: “Who committed the unpardonable sin?” “When?” “Where?” “How?” “Why?”
First, we dogmatically affirm that it was Israel who committed the unpardonable sin. It was the “why” of the unpardonable sin that caused Paul to write the words of Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the knowledge and wisdom of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”
Perhaps after reading the words of the Lord Jesus concerning Israel, in John 12:37 to 41, you too have cried out: “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”
Let us read again John 12:37 to 41: “But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory and spake of Him.”
If we cry out Romans 11:33, after reading these verses, we will say it again after reading Acts 28:25 to 28, where the language of John 12:39 and 40 is found.
Note the language of John 12:39: “Therefore they could not believe because Esaias said again.” “They could not believe.” Why? Because the unsearchable riches of Christ for Gentiles had to be committed to Paul before all Israel could be saved. Because the reconciling of the world depended upon the blindness and casting away of Israel. Christ had to be rejected, crucified, buried and raised from the dead. The “past-finding-out” ways of God meant that Israel had to commit the unpardonable sin so that the dispensation of grace for Gentile could be committed unto Paul.
The Bible student, who begins the dispensation of the grace of God, or the reconciling of the Gentiles, before Israel was cast away, before Israel committed the unpardonable sin, doth greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures.
What then is the unpardonable sin, and when did Israel commit it” All Bible teachers, when speaking on the subject of “the unpardonable sin” read Matthew 12:31 and 32. Let us read these two verses:
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
In connection with these verses concerning Israel’s pardonable sin and Israel’s unpardonable sin, let us study the Parable of the Vineyard, in Matthew 21:33 to 46, especially verses 35, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 45, and the words of Stephen, recorded in Acts 7:51, 52, 55 and 56. “And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them.” Matthew 21:35, 37 to 40 and 45.“Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and THE SON OF MAN STANDING on the right hand of God.” Acts 7:51, 52, 55 and 56
In Acts 7 we learn that Stephen recited Israel’s history from Abraham to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He was addressing Israel. No doubt they thought again of the Parable of the Vineyard spoken against them by Christ on earth. Although Christ, on earth, many times referred to Himself as “the Son of man”, Stephen was the first man to call Him the Son of man (except John 12:34). Israel had betrayed and murdered the Son of man. Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now Israel was sinning against the Holy Spirit. Israel was committing the unpardonable sin of Matthew 12:33. Let us quote again Matthew 12:31 and 32: “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit 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 Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (age) neither in the world (age) to come.”Israel’s pardonable sin was their sin against “the Son of man”. They were His betrayers and murderers. But Christ said, “The Son of man must be lifted up.” John 3:14. “The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him,” Matthew 26:24 “As it is written of Him.” What happened when Israel and Pilate put the Son of man to death on the tree? “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The Son of man had to go just when He did and just as He did. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister “and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45.
This then is why Israel’s sin against “the Son of man” was pardonable. This is why those tender words of Acts 3:14 to 18 and 26: “But Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to he granted unto You: And killed the Prince of Life Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which God before hath shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.” “Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” Knowing the Father’s plan and purpose, Christ on the cross prayed “Father forgive them: for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.
The Son of man went to Calvary and then, through the open heavens, Stephen saw Him standing at God’s right hand. That was a reminder of Israel’s great sin. What a sin! But it was pardonable. Israel had only to receive the pardon. The rulers refused the pardon in the holy land. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. Many Israelites repented and received the Holy Spirit. More of them, including the high priest and rulers, resisted the Holy Spirit and blasphemed. They committed the unpardonable sin.
It is interesting to compare Matthew 12:14 and Acts 5:35: “Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, how they might betray Him.”—“When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”
The first was at the time the Lord told of Israel’s unpardonable sin; the second was when Israel’s rulers were committing the unpardonable sin. We shall presently quote the verses immediately preceding Acts 5:33. But let us remember that God from Matthew 1 to Acts 7 was dealing with a Nation as well as with individuals.
The question as to when Israel committed the unpardonable sin is a very important one. The correct answer will save us from the common blunder of so many spiritual Bible-teachers, who have the ministry of reconciliation, the dispensation of the grace of God and the dispensation of the mystery begin on the day of Pentecost. No dispensation of grace, no reconciling of the world until the casting-away of Israel.
Surely we are quite stupid, if we have carefully read Acts 3:14 to 26 and teach that Israel had been cast away at that time. Now carefully study Acts 5:30 to 33.
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give REPENTANCE TO ISRAEL AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
And we are His witnesses of these things: and SO IS ALSO THE HOLY SPIRIT, Whom God hath given to them that obey Him.
When they heard that they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”
Note several facts here: Christ raised up. For whom? Remember His words in Matthew 15:24: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Christ exalted! For whom and for what purpose? “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for TO GIVE REPENTANCE TO ISRAEL, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. What was the Holy Spirit doing? Witnessing the fact that the Son of man, Whom Israel had sinned against, was Israel’s Prince and Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness. The commission of Matthew 10:5 to 8 was still binding: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles;” “go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Nothing for Gentiles in Acts 5:30 to 32. No reconciling of the world yet. No casting-away of Israel yet. No sending salvation to Gentiles because of Israel’s fall at the time of Acts 5:30 to 33.
God wanted all Israel to know that the Jesus whom they had slain was both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36. The Holy Spirit was bearing witness of that fact. Israel now had the opportunity to sin against the Holy Spirit and commit the unpardonable sin. Stephen’s message, in Acts 7, shows us that Israel had not yet been cast away; In that chapter we learn how Israel was committing the unpardonable sin.
We should be interested to compare Christ’s prayer for Israel in the hour of His death, with Stephen’s prayer for Israel in the hour of his death. “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60.
Just what did Stephen’s prayer accomplish for Israel? It is interesting to note that shortly after this prayer, Philip went down to Samaria. It is equally interesting to note another fact, namely, that for some time after Stephen’s prayer, the disciples preached to none but Jews only. Acts 11:19. Another interesting fact: “And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem: and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles:” Acts 8:1. And still another interesting fact: It was several years after Stephen’s prayer before the first company of Gentiles received the message of salvation from any of The Twelve. Even then salvation was not sent to Cornelius to provoke Israel to jealousy, for the dispensation of the grace of God had not yet been committed to Paul, No one then had the ministry of reconciliation in accordance with Romans 11:15—Israel had not yet been cast away.
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