And the winner is...

What an awesome experience this has been. I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned and gained from blogging. I've had good and bad conversations, either on the blog, via email and face to face. I've been encouraged and lectured on my differing points of view. I have surprised and stunned people. There have been a few times when I considered not writing anymore because of the conflict in misunderstandings/

interpretation. All of the bad has been far outweighed by the overwhelming encouragement I receive from "almost" everyone. Funny, the people who I've considered close in the past have been the most critical. But that's ok! I fully expected this to ruffle religious feathers.

In my last blog, I asked: what is sin?

Wow! What a great set of understanding there is amongst my "followers" :) I was pleased with the responses. The comments were exactly what I wanted to see. Which means I actually articulated myself in a way that was understood. Something I've not accomplished in writing in my past. Communication via text is difficult.

While I read a lot of great comments, I still find myself wanting a list of sins. I guess that's just my OCD mindset. It would be so much easier. Wouldn't it? But to be placed under the law again is something I can't imagine ever being pleasant. Oh wait, isn't that what religion tries to constantly do? All I know is that I'll never measure up to a set of rules. That was the whole point of the law in the first place.

So I didn't get my list, which is a good thing. Knowing me...I would purposefully break the rules anyways. Rebellion is something I constantly fight with. You might even say that I'm rebelling against my rebellion.

Know to the heart of what I'm trying to convey. I may not have found my list but I did find Something else. Jesus says 3 times in the new testament that there is only ONE sin which can't be forgiven. Denying/blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:32, Luke 12:10 & Mark 3:29).

Is His blood not big enough to cover that sin?

Or is this something altogether different? Is this beyond the situation of forgiveness? Is denying the Holy Spirit the same as denying Christ? No, it isn't (that will have to wait for another blog) See Matt. 12:32 if you don't believe me.

Did Jesus actually say that EVERY sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, except one?

This line of thought makes a very strong case for universalism (which I don't believe in). But how do we interpret this?

Your thoughts and time on this matter are appreciated.