The Unforgivable Sin

“The blasphemy against the Spirit which is unforgivable and leads to destruction is unbelief and the denial of the existence of God, despite the miracles which have been performed before one's own eyes, despite the many facts that irrefutably prove the existence of God. Stubborn denial and unbelief constitute blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God is not forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come, and a man who dies without repenting of his unbelief perishes. Sometimes the most evil, filthy thoughts that appear in the mind of a believer are understood as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and people consider such one to be lost. They're deeply mistaken. Is it possible to say that someone who believes in God, loves Him, and hopes in Him can conceive blasphemies against Him? Obviously, these are not his thoughts, but are whispered by the enemy of our salvation, for whom it is most advantageous for a man to fall into despair, to consider himself to have fallen away from God - for then he would be entirely in the hands of the devil. Here's what I'd ask him: Let's say you're walking down the road. You run into a drunken man who is pouring forth the most terrible curses. What should you do? Quickly run past him, trying not to listen to what he's saying. If something remains in your memory against your will, is God going to condemn you for this as if it were your own blasphemy? No, He will not. It would be another matter if you were to go up to this drunk and begin to say to him, "That's good - now tell me something else, and now how about this." You would embrace him and go with him, delighting in what he was saying. In that case you would be condemned along with him. That's how it is with thoughts. If you try to drive them away, then know that you will not answer for the fact that they came to you. You are mistakenly attributing them to yourself - they’re not yours, but are suggested to you by the enemy. Only when you voluntarily dwell on an evil thought and it gives you pleasure - then you're guilty, and must repent of this sin.” St. Barsanuphius of Optina #sin #blasphemy #thoughts

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