believer) and ‘apostasy’ (permanent, unforgivable lapses).”39 The distinction is sound. Christians do sin. John’s first letter makes that plain (1 John 1:9). A Christian who has been drifting away from Christ and is now troubled by that fact and is wondering if there is a way back needs to be assured that there is. Blaspheming against the Spirit is not simply to experience doubt. In fact, there are different kinds of doubting in the New Testament. John the Baptist had doubts about whether Jesus was
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