To find any of the unforgivable sins for which God’s justice cannot be contained, look to the Bible.
The God-man, Jesus Christ states, in fact, just one sin cannot go unpunished by God. “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31).
What ever could He mean?
Isn’t God all-loving? All-merciful? How could such a God withhold clemency?
The Catholic Church has taught through the centuries the one unforgiven sin remains an unrepentant heart. A stubborn will that refuses God’s forgiveness is surely damned.
God will not go where He is not invited. Each person has a free will and thus, the right to refuse God’s forgiveness for their wrongdoing.
In those instances, God respects their choice and so, withholds His mercy. They get what they want.
THE UNFORGIVABLE SINS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITS
This failure to be honest in one’s shortcomings can be best exemplified in the realm of human sexuality.
Given our fallen human nature, concupiscence reigns supreme. As Saint Alphonsus Liguori puts it, “In consequence of original sin, we all have an inclination to do what is forbidden” (3.2, Hell’s Widest Gate: Impurity, emphasis added).
This readiness and willingness to do that which is evil applies in the arena of sexuality, most definitely. As Saint Alphonsus points out, sins against chastity are not the most grievous sins a man can commit. He names fornication, masturbation, adultery, and homosexual behavior as all violating the sixth commandment. Rather, these sins and the sin of lust comprise the most common transgressions, and so they ensnare the most souls.
“More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason,” Sister Lucia explains. She was one of the three children of Fatima to receive a vision of hell when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them over the course of several months in 1917.
3 REASONS TRANSGRESSIONS AGAINST PURITY REMAIN THE UNFORGIVABLE SINS LEADING SOULS TO HELL
And those who trespass God’s Commandments in relation to purity actually face an even greater challenge in obtaining forgiveness. For, in order to be absolved, one must request forgiveness. Saint Alphonsus, the Doctor of the Church in Moral Theology, gives three reasons transgressors rarely seek forgiveness:
1. The Dirty Deed Doesn’t Elicit a Deep-Felt Guilt
As the great saint puts it, “Because the sense of injustice committed, which is the primary stimulus to repent of one’s sins, is oftentimes not strongly felt when engaging in them, with the exception of adultery.”
In other words, some sins go unconfessed because they’re not counted as sins in the first place!
Weakly formed or malformed consciences are easiest to blame for this phenomenon. This evidences the importance of good moral formation and the need to develop the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Fear of the Lord.
2. Deep Shame of Impure Acts Causes Retention of the Unforgivable Sins by Sacrilege Confessions
Saint Alphonsus describes it this way: “There is a greater sense of shame when committing certain impure acts and hence greater difficulty confessing them in the sacrament of confession, or even repenting of them in one’s heart.”
The Doctor of the Church explains, “It is to be remarked, moreover, that this sin [of impurity] brings with it innumerable others: enmities, thefts, and, more especially, sacrilegious confessions and Communions, by reason of the shame which will not allow these impurities to be disclosed in confession.”
We all know better than to do those immodest actions, but many of us do them anyway. Rather than fess up in humility to God, asking for His forgiveness, we lie to Him and to ourselves. If we never admit to having a problem, maybe we can pretend it doesn’t exist.
Now, on top of being guilty of the sin of impurity, we can add to it the trespass of a sacrilegious confession!
3. Sexual Deviance Remains a Cultural Expectation
“Sexual activity of all kinds is presented by our post-Christian—even anti-Christian—popular culture as natural and good, and sexual abstinence is even taught to be unhealthy,” explains the great saint.
This can help to explain #1, too. Too few people take seriously their moral duties. They, instead, would just assume have it their way than follow God’s way.
A priest cannot absolve someone if they have no intention of amending their lives. He is powerless, if they never darken the door of the confessional, as well.
We live in an age where pop culture places a taboo on the Catholic faith. Self-inspection and accountability–practices the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic faith develop–are virtually unheard of these days in pop culture.
HOW TO AVOID THE UNFORGIVABLE SINS
The founder of the Redemptorist order gives a host of suggestions in how to break free from the trespasses of impurity:
1. “At once call to your aid Jesus and Mary, pronouncing their sacred names.” Do so persistently, if the temptation continues.
2. “Undertake some special devotion to our Lady,” such as fasting on Saturdays, visiting her image daily, and begging for her intercession.
3. “Never omit saying three ‘Hail Marys’ in honor of [the Blessed Mother’s] purity” when you wake up and when you go to bed.
4. Say an Act of Contrition each night.
5. Memorize and recite the Memorare prayer.
I will add one more, from Catechism Explained
“By frequent confession the Law of God is more deeply impressed on the heart of man; when tempted to sin, the commandment he is about to break presents itself to his mind. The mere thought of confession also acts as a deterrent from sin; some persons abstain from sin because they could not bear to tell it to the priest.”
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone’s conscience was tuned to this channel?
The mere thought of having to admit out loud to one’s confessor this dirty deed prevents one from doing it.
Now that is something to think about.
YOUR TURN
Do you see the wisdom and insight the great saint has?
Do you understand how sins against impurity so often end up as the unforgivable sins leading people to hell?
Please leave your thoughts below.
