Who, According to Christianity, is Irredeemable?

[Dimmesdale]

I essentially want to explore this question in its many facets. At what point is a human being utterly bereft of divine grace, in the Christian scheme of things? Is it that some commit the Unpardonable Sin? Or is it when the trajectory of an evil person's life is such that, he or she simply cannot recover a former, better trajectory? Or is it that some are literally cursed from birth?

I welcome any and all sincere answers to this question. I myself am not a Christian, and have no dog in this debate. I am simply curious.

Thanks for your time in advance.

[Purple Knight]

I would say there is one class of people who are irredeemable: True individualists.

If they believe fundamentally in paying for one's own crimes, that nobody can step in and do that for them, then their requests for forgiveness can never be genuine, so they can never actually be forgiven. Even if they believe absolutely that the Bible is true, God and Jesus are real, if they're true individualists in the sense that they think it would be wrong for one person, to pay for the crime of another, then they're kinda screwed.

Also I think blasphemy is an unforgivable sin. So individualists, and blasphemers.

[Dimmesdale]

I would say there is one class of people who are irredeemable: True individualists.

If they believe fundamentally in paying for one's own crimes, that nobody can step in and do that for them, then their requests for forgiveness can never be genuine, so they can never actually be forgiven. Even if they believe absolutely that the Bible is true, God and Jesus are real, if they're true individualists in the sense that they think it would be wrong for one person, to pay for the crime of another, then they're kinda screwed.

Also I think blasphemy is an unforgivable sin. So individualists, and blasphemers.

In a sense I am an individualist then. I don't pay much attention to the OT but this verse speaks to me:

The person who sins will die. A son will not be punished for his father’s sins, and a father will not be punished for his son’s sins. The righteousness of the righteous person will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be his own. - Ezekiel 18:20

That said, I think that we may be partially let off... That God can make up the difference to some extent. In proportion to what we do, God is disproportionate in His gracing us. Still, we need to do the work, and not merely coast on grace.

Ultimately, I can't argue with this verse... it speaks to me.

[oaroloye]

[Replying to Dimmesdale in post #1]

SHALOM!

There are three classes of irredeemable persons, according to The Bible:

(1) DELIBERATE SINNERS.

. NUMBERS 15:27-31.

27. "And if any Soul Sin through Ignorance,
then he shall bring a she goat of the first year
for a Sin Offering.
28. "And the Priest shall make an Atonement
for the Soul that Sinneth Ignorantly,
when he Sinneth by Ignorance before The LORD,
to make an Atonement for him;
and it shall be forgiven him.
29. "Ye shall have One Law for him
that Sinneth through Ignorance,
both for him that is born
among The Children of Israel,
and for the Stranger that sojourneth among them.
30. "But the Soul that doeth ought presumptuously,
whether he be born in the Land, or a Stranger,
the same reproacheth The LORD;
and that Soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31. "Because he hath Despised The Word of The LORD,
and hath Broken His Commandment,
that Soul shall utterly be cut off;
his Iniquity shall be upon him."

(2) BLASPHEMERS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.

. MATTHEW 12:22-37.

22. Then was brought unto him
one possessed with a Devil,
blind, and dumb: and he healed him,
insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23. And all the people were amazed, and said,

"Is not this the Son of David?"

24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,

"THIS FELLOW DOTH NOT
CAST OUT DEVILS,
BUT BY BEELZEBUB
THE PRINCE OF THE DEVILS."

25. And Jesus knew their thoughts,
and said unto them,

"Every kingdom divided against itself
is brought to desolation;
and every city or house divided against itself
shall not stand:
26. "And if Satan cast out Satan,
he is divided against himself;
how shall then his Kingdom stand?"
27. "And if I by Beelzebub cast out Devils,
by whom do your children cast them out?
therefore they shall be your judges.
28. "But if I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God,
then The Kingdom of God is come unto you.
29. "Or else how can one enter into
a Strong Man's House, and spoil his Goods,
except he first bind the Strong Man?
and then he will spoil his House.
30. "He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth abroad.
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.'
'
32. "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.
33. "Either make the tree good,
and his fruit good;
or else make the tree corrupt,
and his fruit corrupt:
for the tree is known by his fruit.
34. "O generation of Vipers,
how can ye, being evil, speak good things?
for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh.
35. "A good man out of
the good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things:
and an evil man out of the evil treasure
bringeth forth evil things.
36. "But I Say unto you,

'THAT EVERY IDLE WORD
THAT MEN SHALL SPEAK,
THEY SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT THEREOF
IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.'

37. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

(3) THOSE WHO OBSTRUCT LITTLE CHILD BELIEVERS.

. MATTHEW 18:1-9.

AT the same time came the Disciples unto Jesus,
saying,

"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

2. And Jesus Called a little child unto him,
and set him in the midst of them,
3. And Said,

"Verily I Say unto you,

'EXCEPT YE BE CONVERTED,
AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN,
YE SHALL NOT ENTER INTO
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.'

4. "Whosoever therefore shall
humble himself as this little child,
the same is greatest
in The Kingdom of Heaven.
5. "And whoso shall receive
one such little child in my Name
receiveth me.
6. "But whoso shall offend
one of these little ones
which believe in me,
it were better for him that a millstone
were hanged about his neck,
and that he were drowned
in the Depth of the Sea.
7. "Woe unto the World
because of offences!
for it must needs be
that offences come;
but woe to that man
by whom the offence cometh!
8. "Wherefore if thy hand
or thy foot offend thee,
cut them off,
and cast them from thee:
it is better for thee
to enter into life
halt or maimed,
rather than having
two hands or two feet
to be cast into Everlasting Fire.
9. "And if thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out,
and cast it from thee:
it is better for thee
to enter into Life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes
to be cast into Hell Fire."

[marke]

I essentially want to explore this question in its many facets. At what point is a human being utterly bereft of divine grace, in the Christian scheme of things? Is it that some commit the Unpardonable Sin? Or is it when the trajectory of an evil person's life is such that, he or she simply cannot recover a former, better trajectory? Or is it that some are literally cursed from birth?

I welcome any and all sincere answers to this question. I myself am not a Christian, and have no dog in this debate. I am simply curious.

Thanks for your time in advance.

In Mark 3 Jesus explained that there is only one sin that hath never forgiveness and that is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.