Denied. ~reflex on Luke 12:8-12

Being denied before the angels of God, being unforgiven – these are serious matters.

Jesus tells his disciples that those who deny him before others will be denied before the angels of God; the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Given the infinite merits of the Redemption and the infinite mercy of God, the idea of an “unforgivable sin” has been discussed and debated since the early Church. Is there actually a sin that we can commit that cannot be forgiven? The answer is no… and yes.

There is no act that we can commit, no word we can say, no thought we can think, that God will refuse to forgive in this life. We cannot “out-sin” God’s mercy and love. Nothing we can do will stop God from loving and pursuing us with His merciful love; He will not close His Heart against us or refuse to forgive us or turn away from us. Ever.

But. WE can refuse this love and mercy. WE can refuse to acknowledge our errors and selfish choices and refuse to ask for or accept God’s forgiveness. In short, WE can be obstinate and stubborn and turn our backs on HIM.

St. Thomas Aquinas refers to St. Augustine’s explanation that blasphemy is one sin against the Holy Ghost, and that “those who despair of pardon for their sins, or who without merits presume on God’s mercy, (and)… He who dies in a state of obstinacy is guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost.” (For avid Thomists, this is ST, Second Part of the Second Part, Question 14).

So it is despair, presumption, and obstinance that are the problem. The key here is whether we are OPEN or CLOSED against grace, whether we trust in the Lord wholly, whether our hearts are hardened against the Holy Spirit’s word and work in us. This is our part in the life of the spirit: to continually hold ourselves before the Lord and open ourselves fully to all He longs to pour into us, all He longs to do in us, so that we remain malleable and our hearts are gradually enlarged to hold all of it. Every time we choose ourselves over others or over God’s will, we are darkened and hardened a little more. On the other hand, every time we kneel to pray, ask for forgiveness, and go to Confession, we are softened and given a little more light to walk in His ways.

Everything comes from God. For our part, we must prepare ourselves and hold ourselves in readiness to receive His gifts of forgiveness, love, and peace. We must open ourselves and offer ourselves to Him and listen to His Word.

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-15).