Ps. Gloria Wong's Blog

“So what IS the unpardonable sin?”

2010-08-21T01:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I’ve been thinking that when we misunderstand any part of the Word of God, it actually cause our mind to be bound in such a way that we will think, believe, feel and act wrongly. And I thank God for the Holy Spirit who opens our understanding to know it accurately, as well as a study of the context in which a certain thing is said is needful.

One of such instances is found in Matthew 12:31-32 where it’s said “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

You may ask “So what IS the unpardonable sin?”

The concept of an unpardonable sin has been a source of difficulty for many because it seems to go against the Bible’s teachings about grace. We understand that God’s grace forgives every sin, but our Lord mentioned one sin that cannot be forgiven. I guess this may have caused many to secretly wonder and fear “did I or will I in this lifetime commit the unpardonable sin?”

In its context (go read verses prior to Matthew 12:31-32), the religious leaders had come out to hear Jesus, but they opposed virtually everything He said. As He was casting out demons, they accused Him of doing this by satanic means (Matthew 12:24).

Those people were so blind spiritually that they were attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. Furthermore, they were rejecting the Holy Spirit’s work in their own lives. In essence, the Holy Spirit was saying of Jesus, “This is the Son of God. This is God,” and they were saying, “He is not God! He is Satan’s agent.” It was then Jesus said, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31).

Obviously, the unpardonable sin is not merely saying an unkind thing about the Holy Spirit. The religious leaders involved had turned totally against the revelation of God. They were so far into their own wickedness that they rejected not only Jesus Christ, but also the Holy Spirit. They were saying that good was evil and evil was good. They called the Spirit of God, Satan!

Once they had rejected Jesus, the one source of forgiveness, there was now no forgiveness. A person who turns away from Jesus Christ can receive no forgiveness, and that is what these had done. Romans 10:9-10 says “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

If you want to obey God but are concerned that you may have committed the unpardonable sin, you have not committed it. If anyone today has committed this sin, it would be one who is hard-hearted, who has turned against Jesus, reviled Him, and become so depraved that he would claim that God’s Spirit is Satan.

So take heart! Think of yourself as one who is forgiven and whom Jesus loves and who loves Jesus. Only then will you be free and confident to be a disciple (a serious follower) of Jesus. That’s what grace will and should do to us – to love and follow Him all out. Even that is by His grace!

Be Strong and of Good Courage

2010-06-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands (Psalm 138:8 NKJV).

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).

In English there are two words which are spelled ‘perfect.’ Each has a different pronunciation and definition. The Per-FECT here is a verb which Biblical definition is “completion”. This verse means the Lord will complete, end, finish, accomplish or fulfil that which concerns us.

Every area of your life is in a state of development. All of life is a learning process. The Lord is bringing you along by a timetable which has a divine design to it. You are not standing still, nor going around in circles, but you are making progress. Your faith is growing. You are maturing in love. Your understanding of God’s purposes is unfolding. Your knowledge of God’s attributes are expanding. Your priority lists are constantly changing as we evaluate what is important to you and what is not.

Knowing God ‘perfects you’, you can move ahead in the 2nd half of year 2010 with two words: strength and courage.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NKJV, see also verses 6-7).

The Lord issued this statement as a command to Joshua. Often we think of God’s commandments as being strictly prohibitive (“you shall not”). Here the command is quite affirmative. The Bible tells us that the commandments of the Lord are not burdensome (see 1 John 5:3).

Remember, each commandment given by the Lord carries with it the enablement of its own fulfillment. Each command comes with an assurance that you and I are able to perform it. God sees you as strong and courageous as you face the unknown future. These are ideal characteristics for making progress in our life. Refusal to face challenges and overcome it will cause us to remain where we are and not grow. In meeting resistance, you will build your strength. If you only do what is easy, you will always remain weak.

Life will show you that courage is found in the inner man, and strength is shown in bodily action. Courage motivates our will, and strength accompanies effort. It is not possible to say, “I have a lot of courage, but no strength,” or, “I am a powerhouse of energy, but am afraid.” The best confession is: “The Lord is my strength. The Lord is my source of courage for the rest of this year.”

As you live life, you need to have your mind and your eyes fixed on God with trust in your heart.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).

In the original text the words “perfect peace” read shalom shalom. This double word indicates a dual peace internally and externally. The word “stayed” is camak (saw-mak’) which is defined as “to lean upon”, “to place or lay something upon an object so that it rests upon and is totally supported by that object.”

When you feel challenged and have lack of courage and experience some fear, you and I can lean on the Almighty continually and His peace will be ours continually. This “leaning” is an attitude of mind which gives God the benefit of every doubt and question; it trusts Him without question and believes without a doubt that all things work together for good to those who love Him (see Romans 8:28).

Many times, unbelief and doubt will cause us to disobey, resulting in lack of peace and not able to experience success. When the Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart, it is speaking of direction. It is saying that David’s inclinations (his leanings) were towards the Lord, to know what is in His mind and heart.

So, transform Isaiah 26:3 into a personal confession and say: “The Lord will watch over me and guard me with an internal and an external peace because my mind and its thoughts are ever leaning in His direction.”

I want to remind you that God’s eyes are always on you and His hands are always near to lift and sustain you. His eyes are on your daily, continual progress. We can be confident that God loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He will not leave it hanging half-way and abandon it. Believe that God always finishes what He starts, including His work in you!

Want to make a difference?

2009-08-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hello there! As you would have noticed by now I am not the ‘blogging’ type of person. One of the reasons is that I have a very bad impression of it when many years back my attention was brought to someone’s blog which was negative in nature. To add to it all, it was the first time I ever heard of this thing called ‘blog.’ So subconsciously I told myself that I would have nothing to do with it.

I strongly believe that as Christians what we communicate through the internet in whatever means must have the element of edifying, which means building up. It is responsible of us to ask “after someone have read of what I have written, what would happen to that person’s view of the subject (which could be a person, or any issue)?” Would it produce good or bad results?

I read in the news these recent few days where our Malaysian government is trying to handle and think whether there should be some censoring done on this modern day freedom in accessing to all sorts of websites. Some of it are of great concerns where even school going children are accessing to child pornography.

As light-bearers of God we can set the standard for the world by setting up our own censoring – how and what we should speak through our writing and what we should or should not view. We are all a part that contributes to what make us Malaysians, and we want to be a good percentage who will be the people who make the world we live in a better place. We are not only naturally Malaysian citizens, but we are citizens of Heaven, ambassadors of the Most High God!

Our own censoring coupled with our declaration in prayers for all Malaysians, will cause a change in the spiritual world that would cause changes in the natural world. After all we have been believing God for a stop to all social evils, a transformation that is desperately needed.

We are the ones who can make a difference, so let it start with ME and YOU and YOU and YOU! Will you be the YOU? Let the GLORY of God come from Heaven to earth.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Let the YOU and YOU and YOU combined….. be a shining light, burning bright so the world can see and come because they see the WAY that leads to LIFE!

So thankful to the Lord that YOU are a part of this all. The Lord has loved you with an everlasting love. A love that is unfailing, filled with His goodness and full of His mercies!

Thank You

2008-10-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

The pastoral team and I are very grateful and thankful to each and every one of World Harvest Church members in this season and time. The Apostolic Program Intake 11 is in the final stage of preparation, and will begin this Sunday with the Orientation at 7.30 pm. We are believing that the Lord will renew, impact and strengthen many of His servants who have been laboring fervently at the spiritual frontier. We want to in advance thank all of you who will be serving in any capacity available.

With this too, I would like to remind that the Praise Celebration will be at KLIH Hotel at 10am for 19th, 26th, October and 2^nd November. Please help remind your fellow cell members in case they do not receive my e-mail. The information can also be seen on our updated website. (http://www.worldharvest.org.my/)

All of you are welcomed to come and sit in the sessions throughout the two-weeks.

Our prayer for you is like what the Apostle Paul prayed over the Philippian church. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” Philippians 1:9-11.

Let us show the hospitability and love to all the ministers and pray that they will be refreshed in spirit, soul, and body.