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Most Christian denominations teach that the devil and his angels cannot be forgiven because they committed an eternal sin, while Adam and Eve committed a mortal sin, hence they can be forgiven. How did the devil and his angels end up committing an eternal sin when the only sin that leads to eternal damnation is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

All sin can be defined as going against the will of God in heaven or on earth

Was it pride that made the devil and his angels liable of eternal damnation and how is this a tresspass against the Holy Spirit?

Since the Bible claims that no sin is small or great, why was the sin by the devil and his angels so great that it made them guilty of eternal damnation and how is the sin of pride any different from the sins committed by men because even men have pride and conspired to be like God in the Tower of Babel?

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    I don’t know if anyone argues that the devil only ever committed one sin. Instead, the sin of Satan and his followers is the consistent rejection of God and his Son, Jesus Christ.
    – Luke Hill
    Commented Jun 19 at 11:25
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    @Luke Hill, I do agree that Jesus existed before his incarnation but the book of Isaiah says that he conspired to ascend his throne above the stars of God and to sit at the mount of assembly of God , so how is that different from what the men at the tower of Babel tried to do? To date men are still trying to outdo God by inventing robots and AI that have knowledge that is targeted at reaching that of God though that is impossible, this attempt by man to be like God , how is it different from the devil's attempt? Commented Jun 19 at 11:38
  • Would you like to have the response from a specific point of view/denomination? Or are you interested in different opinions/interpretations (backed up biblically) on this point?
    – Js Witness
    Commented Jun 19 at 12:13
  • @JsWitness, am interested in different opinions backed up by the Bible Commented Jun 19 at 12:24
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    The scriptures do speak of unforgivable sin - aka, blasphemy of the HS - and thus it isn’t accurate to say that there isn’t a distinction in the severity of different sins. But scripture does make the point that regardless of how you “little” you sin, you are still a sinner and fall short of God’s righteousness. Commented Jun 20 at 8:35

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God treated humanity and the angels is an obvious different way. With the angels they all decided from their own will, to follow God or to rebel. With humanity, God gave the choice to one federal head for all mankind, Adam.

All humanity, being in Adam, and not yet existing, in that sense sinned in him and contracted the penalty of eternal damnation. God made what is called the covenant of works with Adam, so he lost or earned heaven from his own works.

Now although men born from Adam were born with his guilt, their very sins, punishment for his sin, yet they had no choice in rejecting God, as they were born into a state of rejection, or rather being rejected in Adam.

Romans 5, ESV

18 Therefore, as one trespass[f] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[g] leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

God is his own free and sovereign perfections, chose, not because he must out of righteousness (as though someone could say what God must do!) but because of his own and only perfectly free will, chose, to manifest the glory of his person, to provide redemption for this lost humanity. In so doing, he also provided a means that each soul as they are born, have an opportunity to choose for themselves, life over death. If elect to do so.

To the angels, having all had a choice, and making their choice manifest to the rest, publicly, God’s glory was maintained in their immediate separation from his presence, forever. For those he chose to save from mankind, having mercy to who he will have mercy, he had to take upon himself their nature, die in their place and live a righteousness life, to impute perfection to them, while they were still unable to obey God, or will any good, still being subject to eternal death and having no more ability to do good than the demons.

The only difference therefore between men and angels is that God judged all mankind based on one man, Adam, into hell, and based on one man Jesus, judged hellish sinners into heaven. No human entered hell or heaven based on their own works but their own choice in receiving life. This choice was over a long period of history to manifest God’s perfect judgment for each one. In other words, angels and humans are not judged differently for the type of sins but from a different type of covenant administration with them.

Regarding all sins being the same. Well all sins in some sense are equally sinful, in that they all deserve eternal punishment, yet the degree of those sins may be greater as they grow within a sinners heart. Nevertheless, in terms of the general salvation of eternal life or eternal torments it’s rather irrelevant, or at least much less worthy of mentioning. All that matters is that Christ is believed and held onto, in order not to suffer those torments and to enter eternal glory.

Regarding blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, that is simply rejecting Christ while under ‘the immediate convincing presence of the Holy Spirit’ convincing the mind to recognize Christ’s credentials. If a man rejects Christ, at the very moment that their opportunity to receive him is at its height, how could they be saved? They have rejected the only means of salvation.

Luckily for most blasphemers and wretched sinners who reject Christ, like the Apostle Paul himself before conversion, they have not yet had the Holy Spirit fall upon them to reveal his excellent glorious grace and his wonderful sovereign will.

Just as God manifested his awesome glory in creation that makes most people want to keep living even in this hellish world, so in his new creation in Christ where he restores everything his glory is manifested to unspeakable heights. When a person enters into this grace and forgiveness, they can’t help but sing his praises in heartfelt gratitude and joy.

Come! Taste that the Lord is good. None have ever regretted it.

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  • With the angels they all decided from their own will, to follow God or to rebel. With humanity, God gave the choice to one federal head for all mankind, Adam., very interesting arguments, Thanks. Commented Jun 19 at 12:03
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Humans and angels are very different types of beings.

Humans are created with a human spirit that allows them to observe themselves and their environment and to make non-reflexive decisions, distinguishing them from animals:

Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
Zechariah 12:1

But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
Job 32:8

In addition to their own human spirit, they can also receive some of God's holy spirit, typically at baptism.

Combined, these spirits are an embryonic spirit being that will potentially develop God-like character, and eventually be reborn as an immortal spirit:

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:52—53

Developing that character requires recognizing one's mistakes and repenting of them (changing one's behaviour and attitude), and then receiving God's forgiveness.

There is no reason to believe that angels have anything similar, or that they are anything other than created spirits. They may very well be incapable of repentance or of developing character.

The angels that rebelled have proven themselves unworthy by going against the will of God. They are incorrigible, incapable of reform, and so will be destroyed at the end of the Millennium.

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I would cite James 3:1-5. Teachers receive greater condemnation, for just as the rudder steers the whole ship, the tongue can lead many to destruction. The serpent’s lie brought all of mankind to destruction, and for doing so (for lying to the woman and bringing about their destruction), he was cursed (Gen. 3:14-15). For a sin of such a destructive nature, his punishment is equally severe.

And for the record, some sin is worse than other sin. James doesn’t say that all sin is the same. He says that sinning is sinning. If you keep one law and break another, you’re still a breaker of the law.

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