In the Bible, Jesus warns us in the gospels about a sin that cannot be forgiven. We call it the unpardonable or unforgivable sin. Jesus calls it the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Many people worry they may have committed it. What is it? Explore this page to find out.
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Perhaps one of the more frightening things that came from the lips of Jesus Christ is his comment on what has become known as the “unpardonable sin.”
As Jesus declares, there is indeed one sin that cannot be forgiven. “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31 NIV).
Lurking in the back of many sensitive minds is the fear that perhaps they have committed this “unforgiveable sin.” However, it’s important to understand the context in which Jesus makes this startling statement.
Prior to making this statement, Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand. Because Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath—the Jewish day of rest where they were prohibited from working—the Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees) confronted Jesus. How dare he do a work like this on the Sabbath?
It was at this point that the Pharisees determined they would find a way to kill Jesus because he appeared to disregard one of their most sacred laws (Matthew 12:14).
A little later, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, and while we aren’t specifically told in the passage, it was most likely on the same Sabbath day. The Pharisees, filled with hatred in their hearts for Jesus, claimed that Jesus performed this miracle by the power of Beelzebul, a common Hebrew name for Satan, or the devil (Matthew 12:24).
Jesus then pointed out to the Pharisees how foolish their idea was. If Satan was in the business of driving out demons, then Satan’s kingdom was “divided against itself” (v.25 NIV).
But what the Pharisees had done in light of Jesus’ great miracle of healing was far worse than simple foolishness. They had seen God’s power with their own eyes. Yet, instead of embracing Jesus as God’s anointed one, they claimed Jesus was a fraud—worse yet, on the side of the devil himself.
Jesus, though, declared that this miracle was performed by the power of the Holy Spirit. “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (v.28).
Now we begin to see why Jesus speaks about an unforgivable sin against the Spirit. Jesus addresses the crowd and tells them that they have a choice to make. Are they in agreement with the Pharisees or with him? They cannot remain neutral. “Whoever is not with me is against me,” (v.30) he says. Then comes Jesus’ comment about blasphemy against the Spirit.
So have you committed this sin today? Because the historical circumstances are now different, this sin cannot be reproduced in the exact same way. But we are warned in Hebrews 10:29 that the heart attitude is still possible: a heart that finally, willfully rejects Jesus Christ, even though the Holy Spirit has helped them understand that he is God come to deliver them from their sins, and has proven God’s power to them.
When this point is reached—someone knows the truth about Jesus Christ and rejects him, or worse yet, says he’s of the devil—is not within the sphere of human knowledge. Only God knows each individual heart with certainty.
It is safe to say, though, that if a person is worried about having possibly committed this sin, that person has most definitely not committed it, because were you to outright blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you would not be concerned that you had done so.
by Bibles.net
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
“Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
whoever comes to me
I will never cast out.
As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
If you truly repent
and realize the enormity of your sin and cast yourself upon the boundless love and mercy and grace of God, you can be forgiven and
I assure you of pardon.
Every sinner is already condemned. The only way that verdict can be reversed and the slate cleaned and the sinner forgiven is by believing in the unique Son of God, the only way.
So it’s important to remember this: what damns people to hell in the end is not because of some divine decree made by God…What damns people to hell is not because of some deficient provision in the sacrifice of Christ. What damns people to hell is not because they sin and because they break God’s Law. What damns people to hell is because they do not believe in Jesus Christ.
That’s the issue.
So when you talk to people, I think it’s sometimes okay to say, “You know, you’re a lawbreaker, you’ve broken this law, broken that law, broken the Ten Commandments, fine. That’s all forgivable.”
Sooner or later in the conversation, and may I suggest sooner rather than later, you need to address people about what they think concerning Jesus Christ and cut to the chase and say, “If you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Redeemer, and Savior, and Lord, you will die in your sins and go to hell. That is the one unforgivable sin.”
