By Shenalyn Page
Is there really a sin that God cannot—or will not—forgive?
According to Jesus, there is! “Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31, 32 NKJV). (See also Mark 3:28–30.)
Jesus’ words here to His followers have frightened a lot of people—maybe even you! After all, nobody wants to commit a sin that is unforgivable! And if you love Jesus and want to be with Him, you certainly don’t want to go down a path that will obliterate all hopes of heaven. Right?
So let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ warning to determine what it really means.
The Unpardonable Sin
The unpardonable sin is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” What does that mean?
The term blasphemy includes the sin of speaking evil of God and His work for our salvation (Revelation 16:9; Acts 26:11). It’s basically putting God down. Blasphemy also includes claiming to be God or to stand in His place (Mark 2:7). These are obvious examples of wrongdoing. But such blasphemy can be forgiven. Remember, Jesus said, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.” God is gracious and ready to forgive us!
Yet Jesus says that “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is unforgivable. Why? To understand that, we need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Before Jesus’ death, He told His disciples that it would be better for them if He left because then the “Helper” could come and be with them (John 15:26, 27). This “Helper” is the Holy Spirit. His job is to assist us in our spiritual journey.
The Holy Spirit has three main functions:
1. Teach us the things we need to know for our salvation (John 14:26).
2. Guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
3. To convict us of sin (John 16:7, 8).
The Holy Spirit is God’s voice to our hearts. If we listen to His Spirit, we will become more like Jesus. If we don’t, we are walking a risky road—one that could eventually lead us to commit the unpardonable sin.
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit Defined
Simply put, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means to continually and totally resist God’s love, mercy, and grace in one’s life.
It is the result of ignoring the Holy Spirit for so long that we lose the capacity to even hear His voice. Our consciences become seared (1 Timothy 4:2), and we eventually lose all ability to repent, which means to turn away from sin.
When that happens, we can no longer be saved—because we don’t want to be saved. We have been shown the light of truth, and we have fully turned from it. This persistent, final rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work is the sin that God cannot forgive.
A Shaggy Dog and the Holy Spirit
Chester was a shaggy, black and brown mutt with a happy face and a sweet personality. But he had two major faults: He loved to wander, and he didn’t obey when called.
We called him, but he ignored us. We leashed him in the yard, but he whined and complained. We installed an electric fence, but he would jump through it, yelp, and just keep running.
One day, Chester took off—and was hit by a car and killed. We were all heartbroken.
Why did Chester die? Was it because we didn’t love him? Or didn’t try to keep him safe? Or didn’t warn him? No. It was because he wouldn’t listen to the people who loved him—even though we cared for him and fed him daily.
The same is true for us. The Holy Spirit is God’s voice calling to us. His voice is like that leash keeping us from hurting ourselves. It can be like an electric fence trying to keep us safe from temptation and sin. But when we ignore that voice and run through the fence line, knowingly and willingly sinning, we will eventually come to a place where we can no longer hear His loving voice.
God cannot save us from our rejection of Him. He honors our choice and gives us up “to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts.” (See Romans 1:18–32.)
Have I Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
Probably not.
If you are reading this hoping you haven’t committed the unpardonable sin, it means the Holy Spirit is still speaking to your heart. If you don’t want to let God down, if you want to follow Him, if you want to be free from sin, then you have not blasphemed away the Holy Spirit.
You are still listening to the Holy Spirit and responding to God’s love.
God is calling you today. He loves you, and He is doing everything He can to save you. Will you pay attention? “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart” (Psalm 95:7, 8).
Related Articles:
• Can a Person Who Commits Suicide Be Saved?
• What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
• How Do I Know I Haven’t Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
• The Unpardonable Sin
Related Sermon:
• What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
Free Online Book:
• Beyond Mercy: What Is the Unpardonable Sin?