Agreed
they didn't have the testimony of the Spirit.
John 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
The works Jesus did by the Spirit testified to the Jews who Jesus was. They did have the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' words didn't just come out of the ether. He is responding to the Pharisees, and the claim they made.
Agreed. But we disagree on what part of their response He was responding to. You say He was responding to the symptom of their unbelief. I say He was responding to the cause of the symptom.
The disagreement has been over whether the atonement covers
all sins for all persons, and if it does, then how can those forgiven of
all sins be still excluded from the Kingdom? We read in John 15:
22
If I had not come and spoken unto them,
they had not had sin: but
now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hates me hates my Father also.
24
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did,
they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Clearly, hearing what Jesus has been saying and seeing what Jesus has been doing, in some way has made them guilty of sin where they were not held responsible before hearing and seeing Jesus. How did hearing and seing make them guilty of sin? Jesus said that "the words I am speaking are spirit and life."
He also said, "
Jhn 12:
44 Jesus cried and said, He that
believes on me, believes not on me, but on him that sent me.
45 And he that
sees me sees him that sent me.
46 I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man
hear my words, and believe not, I am not judging him: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48
He that rejects me, and receives not my words, hath one that judges him:
the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For
I have not spoken of myself;
but the Father which sent me, [through the Holy Spirit) he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
And, John 14:
10 Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I am speaking to you I am speaking not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
And John 5:
36 But I have greater witness than that of John:
for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Jesus' works and words were given Him from the Father by the Holy Spirit. To reject as from God those word and works that the Holy Spirit was supplying and using to testify that Jesus is the Christ and bring people to faith in Christ, is the unforgivable sin. No one who does that can be in the faith and dwelling in God's Kingdom. Rejecting the Holy Spirit's witness via Jesus' words and miracles can be expressed in protesting " These works are being done by the Devil." But there are any number of responses that are also possible that dismiss the Holy Spirit's conviction in favour of the status quo.
"It's sleight of hand."
"It's a scam to get your tithes."
"It's hypnotism."
"It's just clever salesmanship."
"It's emotional manipulation."
But the single root
unforgivable sin beneath them all is
unbelief, trusting in things other than Jesus once the Holy Spirit has made Jesus' reality obvious to a soul through words and deeds.