The Synoptic Gospels mention a sin that can’t be forgiven. This dangerous prospect has sometimes caused concern for believers. The Scripture passages present a variety of challenges and the context along with consistency with the rest of the New Testament teaching must be considered carefully. Initially we must define what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means. To do that, let’s review the Scriptures in question:
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. “
Matthew 12:31-32
“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.”
Mark 3:28-29
“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.”
Luke 12:10
Blasphemy is a lack of reverence for a deity. It’s interesting to note that the Apostle Paul admitted he was a blasphemer when he was formerly a teacher of the law and known as Saul. Yet when enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he believed the truth about Jesus. He did not persist in his unbelief. He believed and grew in his faith and went from being the worst of sinners to a great missionary for Christ.
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor [of Christians] and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:13-16
The unforgivable sin referred to in the Gospels is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. It should be comforting to Christians that this is a distinct sin that can only be committed by unbelievers. From the various narratives, it appears to be a sin that is the result of a pattern or habitual rejection of the truth as opposed to a one-time mistake. It is a sin that stems from an informed unbeliever, not an uninformed or ignorant one. Note that Jesus did not say these Pharisees actually committed this sin, he merely warned them that they were dangerously close to the point of no return. However, there was hope for them yet. The fullest context is recorded in Matthew 12 and it’s comforting to note the grace conveyed throughout the narrative, especially verses 20, 33, 37 and 50.
Many believers fail to believe the truth about Christ at the first hearing of it. However, nobody believes without the prompting, illumination and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Believers, by the very fact that they do believe, have been saved and are eternally protected by the Father and the Son (John 10:25-30), and are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).
One ministry of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten unbelievers to the truth about Jesus and his mission to be Savior of the world. Jesus presented himself as the Messiah but the Jews rejected him. Today, because of his death, burial and resurrection, we know him as the Savior of the world. We understand Scripture and have faith in Christ because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He reveals these truths in a variety of ways such as demonstrations of power through miracles, opening their hearts and minds, and convicting unbelievers of sin and the need for righteousness. It is apparent from the explanation by Jesus that the Holy Spirit had enlightened these teachers of the law to the truth about Jesus by the miracles he performed but they refused to believe. Instead, they knowingly lied and said that Jesus performed this miracle by the power of Beelzebul (literally, prince of the demons, i.e. Satan). “And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons’ (Mark 3:22).” If we were to trace the teachers of the law throughout the Gospels, we would observe their growing fear that Jesus was gaining popularity among the people. They were jealous and afraid. Out of these powerful emotions, they chose to lie instead of acknowledge that Jesus really was the Christ. They refused to believe. They hardened their hearts to the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. This willful stubbornness culminated in the false accusation that the miracle which Christ performed was powered by Satan rather than the Holy Spirit.
The Sin that Leads to Death
The Apostle John affirmed the idea that to harden your heart in unbelief is a fatal mistake. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to believe, if you refuse and fail to repent, you are on your way to a sin that leads to condemnation and eternal death.
“Whoever believes in him [Christ] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
John 3:18
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
1 John 5:16-17
[Jesus speaking to his disciples the night before his crucifixion] “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate [the Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
John 16:7-15
Apostasy
Apostasy is another way to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Apostasy is to know and understand the truth about Christ and salvation and to willingly reject that truth for something else. The writer of Hebrews warned about this type of blasphemy against the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”
Hebrews 6:4-8
In summary, we can observe that the unforgivable sin at its core is a willful rejection of the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. It is consistent with John’s teaching about a sin that leads to death. The Hebrews passage speaks of the apostasy of those who have shared in the light of the Holy Spirit only to fall away and end up doomed. The Apostle Paul wrote about unbelievers who know and understand the truth about God and refused to believe and repent saying “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:32).”
Persistent unbelief of the truth presented by the Holy Spirit will result in eternal death. Belief in the Gospel will result in eternal life. God is Just. He will not condemn people without first sending the Holy Spirit to enlighten them to the path of righteousness made possible by the finished work of Christ on the cross. If this divine truth is rejected by unbelievers, their hearts become hardened and they will face condemnation. By their continued rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit, they will be guilty of an eternal sin. However, it is never too late to repent and be renewed. God’s grace is infinite and no-one who responds positively to the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit will be condemned – remember Paul who was the worst of sinners! Because of God’s mercy unbelievers who repent are born again, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit to testify to the grace of God for all eternity. Thanks be to God.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Titus 3:3-8
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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