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Most Christians have wondered at some point in their life if they have committed the unpardonable sin. I have personally talked with Christians who got a divorce, or got an abortion, or committed adultery, and thought they had committed the unpardonable sin. Others think that suicide is the unpardonable sin. If a person commits suicide, then they are going to hell. Then I have talked with some who believe that the unpardonable sin is rejecting God. If you are a Christian, and you go back to living like you aren’t a Christian, or if you curse Jesus, or deny that you ever knew Him, then this is the unpardonable sin.
All Christians can Commit All Sins
But did you know that there are people in the Bible who have committed one or all of these sins whom we all expect to see in heaven? Let me show you. Divorce first. Did you know that God is a divorced person, and we certainly all expect to see Him in heaven. We read in Jeremiah 3:8 that God divorced Israel.
What about abortion? They didn’t really have abortion back then the way we do now. But if you believe, as I do, that abortion is taking the life of another human being, then we can call abortion the murder of babies. Abortion is infanticide. We know from Ezekiel 16:21 that many of the Israelites did this as a form of idol worship. They offered their children to false idols as human sacrifices. While not all Israelites were saved, some of those who did this will probably still be in heaven.
Then there is adultery. David, the man after God’s own heart committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:4), as did many of the other kings and rulers of Israel. Paul sometimes writes about adultery among church members who will make it to heaven, but will lose their inheritance and reward there. Suicide is talked about too. Samson (Jdg. 16:29-30) committed suicide, and we believe he will be in heaven. King Saul also committed suicide (1 Sam. 31:4-5); 1 Chr. 10:4-5), and he will be in heaven as well. The most famous example of someone who rejected and denied Christ is Peter. He even used profanity and curses in denying any connection to Jesus Christ. Yet we know that he was forgiven and will be in heaven.
In fact, there are a whole host of other sins mentioned in the Bible that true believers have committed yet will still be in heaven. The Bible talks about believers who commit idolatry (1 King 11:1-10). Others who believe only for a while (Luke 8:13) and then fall away. We read of some who do not continue in the Word of Christ (John 8:31), do not abide in Christ (John 15:1-8), become disqualified in the race of the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:24-27), resist God’s correction up to the point of physical death (1 Cor. 11:30-32).
Others stray from the faith (1 Tim. 1:5-6), shipwreck their faith (1 Tim. 1:18-20), fall away from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1-3), deny the faith (1 Tim. 5:8), cast off initial faith to follow Satan (1 Tim. 5:12-15), stray from the faith by loving money (1 Tim. 6:9-10), stray from the faith by teaching false doctrine (1 Tim. 6:20-21) and deny Christ and live faithless lives (2 Tim. 2:11-13). We have the examples of people in the Bible who murdered and committed adultery, and yet were said to be saved (Jacob’s sons). Other men, like Solomon, Amaziah and Uzziah will most likely be in heaven, but did not live very faithfully to God during their lives. Some of them committed adultery, had multiple wives, committed murder, and fell into idolatry.
Then there is the righteous man who commits unrighteousness and dies as a result of it in Ezekiel 18, and the man in 1 Corinthians 5 who was involved in an incestuous relationship with his mother in law. Lot who committed incest with his daughters. Ananais and Sapphira in Acts 5 and so many other examples in Scripture of genuine believers who fell away. The point of all of this is to show that the grace of God runs deeper and wider than most of us will ever know. The ocean of God’s grace never runs dry. The limits of God’s grace never are reached.
A Sin that God Does not Forgive?
And yet we come to a troubling passage in Matthew 12:31-32 which indicates that there is a sin which the grace of God does not extend to. This passage is often pointed to as proof that we can lose our salvation. The sin mentioned in this passage is often referred to as the unpardonable or unforgivable sin. It is said that if you commit this sin, then no matter what happens afterward, you will not make it to heaven. There may be some truth to some of this, but the only way to see is to look carefully at the text. Let’s begin with verse 31.
12:31 Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
We learn in verse 31 that every sin will be forgiven, except one – the blasphemy against the Spirit. Let’s look first at this concept that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men. We know what sin is. It is when we do something contrary to God’s character or will. When God tells us what He wants us to do, and we don’t do it, we sin. James puts it this way, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do, and doesn’t do it, sins.” Blasphemy is similar. The most basic definition of blasphemy is to speak evil or injuriously about God. So blasphemy is a sin of the tongue. A sin that uses words and thoughts rather than actions. So right away, all of this sins listed above that involve actions are not what Jesus is talking about. In fact, the only sin mentioned above that involves actions and thoughts is the sin of denying Christ and speaking against Him. So blasphemy against Christ is to speak evil or injuriously about Him. But jump ahead to verse 32. Look what Jesus says there. He says that speaking against the Son of Man will be forgiven.
So all of the possible sins we began with are now seen to be forgivable. Divorce, adultery, abortion, suicide all fall under the category of “every sin” and these will be forgiven. Blasphemies will also be forgiven, even those spoken against Jesus Christ. Only the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Notice in verse 31 that when Jesus talks about forgiveness, he talks about it in a future tense. The fact that this is in the future tense tells us something very important about the state of these people Jesus has in mind. They are currently unforgiven. They have not yet been forgiven. If Jesus were talking about you or I, he would have said, “Every sin and blasphemy has been forgiven.” But Jesus doesn’t say this. He says, “will be forgiven” which means the people he has in mind are not yet forgiven. They are unsaved.
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
This is comforting because it tells us that the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit must be something that only unsaved people can commit. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have already received the total forgiveness of your sins in Christ, and this verse isn’t even talking about you. It is only talking about those for whom forgiveness is still a future possibility. Jesus says that if, before their sins are forgiven, they commit a certain sin called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, that sin will not ever be forgiven them. So what is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Verse 32 helps us answer this question.
12:32 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.
The sin that will not ever be forgiven is not speaking against Jesus Christ, but speaking against the Holy Spirit. What is that?
There are at least four different theories on what this sin is.
1. Israel’s Rejection of the Messiah
The first theory is that this sin is Israel’s national rejection of the Messiah. This theory has a lot going for it, because right in the previous context, the Pharisees claim that Jesus is performing miracles by the power of Satan (12:24). In the context following verses 31-32, Jesus calls that generation an “evil generation” which deserved condemnation for rejecting the Messiah (12:39-42). These Jews are rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, and so maybe that is what this sin is. If so, then that means that nobody can commit the sin except for the Jewish people living at the time of Christ. According to this theory, since we are not Jewish and we are not living at the time of Christ, we cannot commit this sin. This theory, by the way, is the one I was taught in Bible school. It is also held by such people as Warren Wiersbe and John MacArthur.
Though this theory has a lot going for it, I don’t hold to it because it seems this warning applies to “anyone,” not just Jewish people at the time of Christ. Furthermore, although the context does help us understand the unforgivable sin, it has to be something beyond rejection of the Messiah and speaking against the Messiah, because Jesus says that these things will be forgiven men, but not speaking against the Holy Spirit. So the unforgivable sin is not Israel’s national rejection of the Messiah.
2. Christ in League with Satan
The second theory, is that it is accusing Christ of Satanic allegiance. A twist on this theory is that this sin is committed when people attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. One man writes: “When we write off supernatural healings, prophetic utterances, the gift of tongues, etc. as coming from the devil, we are denying the power of the Holy Spirit. We are being disrespectful to the Holy Spirit. We are committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!”
Of course, in some charismatic circles, their behavior goes way beyond healing and prophecy and speaking in tongues. Sometimes it gets into Holy Laughter, barking like dogs and braying like donkeys, getting slain in the Spirit, rolling in the isles and having your tooth fillings changed to gold. Certain Christian leaders have said that these are counterfeit miracles from the devil. In response, certain charismatic leaders have said that such statements are blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Years ago, when the holy laughter phenomenon began to spread out from Toronto into other churches around the world, there were many who were saying that this experience was not of the Holy Spirit, but was of Satan. Those who were involved in the Toronto Blessing phenomenon claimed that such statements were blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They claimed that if God was doing something through the Holy Spirit, and other people said that these things were from the devil, then that is the unforgivable sin. They get this idea because in context, Jesus is performing miracles and casting out demons, and the Pharisees say that He does this by Beelzebub. Jesus then accuses them of having coming close to committing the unforgivable sin, if having not already committed it.
But I don’t think this is the best interpretation of the passage. Scripture is very clear that not everything that appears spiritual is from the Holy Spirit. Satan can and does counterfeit the works of God. So we are supposed to test the spirits and see if they are from God. If we are convinced a certain activity is not from God, but is a counterfeit deception from the devil, it is our obligation to denounce it. And we shouldn’t have to worry that we might be committing the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit by denouncing something that is actually from God.
There are even such ecstatic experiences cropping up in Catholic, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness churches, as well as in pagan, animistic cults. We wouldn’t want to say these are from the Holy Spirit, and if the second theory is true, we cannot say they are from the devil, just in case God really is working in these false religious churches. The point is that this second theory becomes impossible to practically live out, because there would be no way to tell people what is right and what is wrong. So this second theory has very weak evidence in context, and especially in light of the rest of the Bible.
3. Failure to Believe in Jesus
The third interpretation is one that I held for a few years, and it is the idea that the unforgivable sin is simply a failure to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Someone who does not believe the gospel will of course not be forgiven in their unbelief. If they continue in their unbelief until death, then they will never be forgiven. This is the view of Charles Stanley and many others. As I said, I held to this view for several years, and it has a lot going for it. The reason I eventually rejected it, is that the warning here by Christ seems more serious than this. Jesus indicates that this sin cannot be forgiven, whereas unbelief can be. And if this sin is unbelief, why not just call it unbelief?
4. Consistent and Willful Rejection of the Spirit’s Testimony about Jesus
The fourth view is the one that makes the most sense. It is kind of a mixture of all three previous views. It keeps the strengths of these other views, and avoids their weaknesses. The fourth view is that the unforgivable sin is a willful and slanderous rejection of the Holy Spirit’s testimony about Christ. One reason I eventually came to this conclusion is through a deeper understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit among unbelievers. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world convicting them of sin, of their need for righteousness, and the coming judgment (John 16:7-11). He also helps draw and woo people to Jesus Christ.
If a person is being convinced by the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Messiah and should be trusted for eternal life, and that person lashes out verbally at the Holy Spirit by saying something about how Jesus is of the devil, or the accuses the Holy Spirit of being Satanic, this is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is different than simple resistance of the Holy Spirit. When non-Christians resist the Holy Spirit, they are trying not to hear what the Holy Spirit is telling them. They try to drown out His still small voice with constant music and recreation and entertainment and sex and alcohol and drugs. They listen to people who tell them they are “pretty good” people. It appears that every non-Christian is in a state of resistance to the Holy Spirit.
What Happens When Someone Commits this Sin?
But from this condition of resisting the Spirit, one of three things will happen. First, the person may stop resisting, and submit to what the Holy Spirit is saying, and so, having understood that they are a sinner and in need of salvation because judgment is coming, they will believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life. They are now and forevermore a Christian.
Second, the non-Christian may continue to resist throughout his or her life, and will die in a state of resistance and go to eternal punishment. They never believed, and so do not receive the benefits of salvation.
Thirdly, a person may get tired of always resisting, and may lash out in anger and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit for what He is trying to tell them. This person knowingly and maliciously rejects and slanders the Holy Spirit for His efforts to bring them to salvation. This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The result is that the Holy Spirit stops trying to convict them. They have once and for all chosen their path of rebellion. The Holy Spirit will no longer convict them of their sin, of the offer of salvation, or of impending judgment. Such people have demanded to be left alone, and their request will be honored.
You see how this is a combination of the three first theories. The first theory was that the Jewish people had rejected the Messiah. People in our day who commit this sin also reject the Messiah, but it is more than that. The second theory is that this sin is when people attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. This happens when people say that the conviction of sin and the convincing of a need for Jesus Christ is of the devil, but again, the sin is more than that. The third theory was that this sin is nothing more than unbelief. And it is unbelief, but willful, hardened, blasphemous, and verbal rejection of Jesus Christ and especially the work that the Holy Spirit is trying to do in that person’s life.
When an unbeliever lashes out in this way, this reveals a heart hardened beyond hope of forgiveness. They will never be forgiven because there is nothing left for the Holy Spirit to appeal to. The Holy Spirit stops attempting to draw, convict and convince such people. And without the Holy Spirit’s work in this way, no person will ever be saved.
Have you Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
So, how do you know if you, or a friend, or relative, have committed this sin? If you have believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life, then you are saved, and it is no longer possible for you to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Since you have believed in Jesus for eternal life, the Holy Spirit has stopped working upon you as He does with non-Christians, and is now indwelling within you to mold you, shape you and form you into Christlikeness. Due to this, a Christian can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, but cannot blaspheme the Spirit in the way Christ talks about here. So if you are a believer, don’t worry about committing the unpardonable sin. The chance to commit it is forever in your past.
If, however, you are not a Christian, and are worrying about whether you have committed this sin, be encouraged. Nobody who commits the blasphemy against the Spirit wonders if they have. They don’t care about such things anymore. The unbeliever who commits this sin has become so morally and spiritually blind that their heart is hardened to the point that they no longer care about spiritual things and will never believe in Jesus.
But nevertheless, some people are afraid they have. To them, I would simply say, “Worrying about it pretty much proves that you haven’t. So in order to make sure you never will be able to, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Whatever sin you may have committed, you are still being convicted by it, which is good. God’s grace will cover over that sin, and all other sins if you will just believe in Jesus for eternal life.”
During World War II, a United States battleship, aircraft carrier, and several other smaller boats were patrolling the waters of the Northern Atlantic in search of German U-boats. One evening, several pilots took off from the carrier and were told to be back by a certain hour. But the leader of the squadron of four planes purposefully stayed out longer, feeling with just a little more time, he could find the enemy and secure an impressive hit. As the sun set, a German armada entered the area. The American fleet was in trouble for now they were outgunned, outmanned, and outnumbered. Unbeknownst to the pilots, radio silence was ordered between the ships in the water and the aircraft still in flight. At this point, as their fuel was getting dangerously low, the pilots radioed to the American ships, but there was no reply. Again and again the plots cried, “Turn on the lights! Turn on the landing lights!” But the lights didn’t go on, for do have done so would have jeopardized the lives of thousands of men. Thus, the story is recorded how the men on that aircraft stood by in horror as they watched four American planes crash into the icy waters of the Atlantic.
It’s not a story with a good ending. But neither is committing the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. God wants all men to be saved, and through the Holy Spirit draws all men to Jesus Christ. The light shines in their lives and grace woos them to Jesus. But there may come a time when the Lord, the Commander in Chief, will order radio silence because of blatant rejection of His Holy Spirit. In Jeremiah 7:16, God says to Jeremiah, “Don’t pray any longer for these people.” They had repeatedly rejected God’s offer, and so eventually God stopped making the offer. A person doesn’t have forever to make a decision about Jesus Christ. There is a point in time where the lights may go off, and the radio may be silenced, and where all the person can do is fly in circles until they run out of gas and crash.
The difference between this illustration and those who commit the unpardonable sin, is that people who do blaspheme the Holy Spirit have so hardened their hearts that they do not realize the condition they are in, nor do they care. They are not crying out to God for light or help or salvation. They just live their lives without a thought for God or a care in the world for spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit has ceased to work on their hearts and they are completely given over to the darkness of their hearts and the spiritual blindness of their eyes.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a serious sin that only unbelievers can commit, and even then, only when they have resisted the Holy Spirit for many years and have come to the point that they so completely reject what He is trying to do in their life, that they openly and verbally denounce Him and Jesus Christ and the feelings of sin and guilt in their own lives as the work of Satan in their lives.
I am not sure if we can ever know if a person has committed this sin or not in their lives, but one thing we can know – if we have believed in Jesus for eternal life, we have already responded positively to the Holy Spirit’s work in our life, and so the opportunity to commit the unforgivable sin is past. It is not a sin a Christian can commit. At the same time, if an unbeliever fears they have committed this sin, chances are they have not, because someone who has committed it would have such a hard heart that such thoughts would not even enter their mind. Bob Wilkin writes: “If you’re afraid you’ve committed the unpardonable sin, stop worrying. Jesus is not a liar! If you believe in Him for eternal life, then you’ve got it. It’s that simple. He guarantees it.” (See also the article by Charlie Bing.)
I have sought after God but He has soundly rejected me. I am legally changing my first name to Reprobate…I am morally disciplined but I am pre-determined for damnation. Why i don’t know. it’s very discouraging. I didn’t seek god my own way but his, via accepting jesus into my life. i’ve tried my best to follow his will but i am going to hell…god does not accept everyone and I am proof of that. I am Reprobate C. i “knocked on the door” so many times i work for a christian organization and i am damned to hell.
RC,
Why do you think you are damned to hell? As long as you are alive, the offer of eternal life is available to you.
But notice that eternal life is given freely to all who believe in Jesus for it. We do not receive it by asking Jesus into our life, submitting ourselves to Him, or trying to follow His will. These will always lead to one things – a certainty that we are damned.
Christians still sin RC. Christ understood that and it is his purpose to reconcile his followers with the Father when they stand before judgement. Becoming a Christian doesn’t transcend you from the lusts and passions you had before, it merely means that Christ’s sacrifice was yours and those sins are attoned. If you feel convicted about sinning after conversion that is evidence of the Holy Spirit in your heart trying to make you a better man.
like… except the phrase that says, God is a divorced person… God is consistent. He will not say one thing and do another… In Malachi, God said, “I hate divorce”.
Yes, God does say that in Malachi. But He also says in Jeremiah 3:8 that he has divorced Israel. He gave her a certificate of divorce. How do you understand that verse?
An alternate translation of the passage in Malachi is, “I hate the putting [sending] away.” This referred to the practice of isolating and cutting off their wives, preventing them from having sons to look after them and not giving them a bill of divorce so that they could seek sustainance from someone else.
Katherine,
Interesting. I admit I had never looked it up. I will have to do this. Thank you very much for the tip!
Jeremy, you stated that the fourth view “that the unforgivable sin is a willful and slanderous rejection of the Holy Spirit’s testimony about Christ” is the correct understanding. The problem is that most people who continue to reject the Holy Spirit’s testimony about Christ and die in their sins do not actually “blasphemy” the Holy Spirit verbally. This fourth view does not meet the definition of “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” and therefore is not the correct understanding.
Rather I would maintain that the first view, “Israel’s Rejection of the Messiah” is the correct view. Specifically it was the blasphemy of the Jewish religious leaders saying that Jesus was doing miracles by the power of the devil which was obviously the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to which Jesus was referring. Here is some excerpted exposition in the subject by the great Messianic Jewish scholar Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum:
The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: Matthew 12:30 37
“Yeshua then laid a charge against the Pharisees: they were guilty of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”
a. The Characteristics of the Sin
This sin has three characteristics. First, this sin was specifically directed against the Holy Spirit.
The second characteristic is that this sin was determined by a special situation, showing the extreme wickedness of the Pharisees who were really the ones who sided with Satan. The special situation was that this sin was committed while Yeshua was present on earth, and while He was offering Himself to Israel as their Messiah. This sin requires the visible, physical presence of the Messiah, offering to Israel the Kingdom of the Jewish prophets. Throughout this passage, there is an emphasis upon this generation. The emphasis is that this generation was uniquely guilty of this sin.
And the third characteristic of this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is that it is eternally damning. There is no forgiveness. It is the unpardonable sin.
b. The Nature and Content of the Sin
With these characteristics in mind, what exactly is the nature and content of the unpardonable sin or the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? First, IT IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL SIN, but a national sin. It was committed by the Jewish generation of Jesus’ day and cannot be applied to subsequent Jewish generations. Secondly, the content of the unpardonable sin is the national rejection by Israel of the Messiahship of Yeshua while He was present, on the grounds of being demon possessed.
There are five key ramifications that should be noted concerning the nature and content of this sin. First, this generation, the generation of Jesus’ day, was guilty of the unpardonable sin.
The second ramification is that the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was the national rejection by Israel of His Messiahship while He was present, on the grounds of being demon possessed.
The third ramification is that it was a national sin committed by the Jewish generation of Yeshua’s day.
The fourth ramification is that it was not an individual sin of that day, nor is it a sin anyone can commit today. On this point the Bible is very clear: no matter what sin anyone commits, then or now, every sin is forgivable to that individual who will come to God through the Messiah. But for the nation of that generation, as a nation, it was unpardonable.
And the fifth ramification is that it was unforgivable and judgment was set against that generation. Judgment came in A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and with the world wide dispersion of the Jewish people.
c. The Results of the Sin
There were two results of this unpardonable sin. First, the offer of the Messianic Kingdom was withdrawn. It would not be set up in their day, but will be re offered to a future Jewish generation that will accept it. And secondly, the A.D. 70 judgment was certain and nothing could alter it.
Terry, that is a good alternate view and I held it for many years. I highly respect Dr. Fruchtenbaum, and would not argue with him! There are a few other reasons I hold to the view I do now, the primary reason being that if Fruchtenbaum is right, it does not appear that anyone is able to commit this sin today. I suppose that could be a good thing, but the passage in Matthew seems to indicate that people of other generations would also be able to commit it.
For the past 3 months i have and still feel Guilty, i have been under attacks from satan that started back in september 2011. voices keep saying holy spirit is Demonic. and then says i am Demonic and i am going to Hell. when this first happened i screamed out loud and started weeping. wailing and crying… then before the voices it was unwanted thoughts saying the samething.
i am still afraid i have ‘committed this sin’ because i allowed this to happen. i am still afraid. and i did stop going to church and stop reading my bible. then i recently started reading the word. and the voices came back. and i know Now it is satan trying to get me to fall away.
this has caused me great stress and depression. can somebody please reply to me?
Carl,
You might be dealing with some depression, and if possible, I would recommend you go talk to a professional counselor. Be very careful about going to a pastor, because depending on where you go, they may say you have committed the sin, or are possessed by a demon, or some other such nonsense.
In fact, it sounds like maybe you have already become the victim of some very bad teaching about sin, Satan, and God’s grace.
So let’s start at the very beginning.
The first thing is to make sure you have the gift of eternal life, and everything which comes with this, including the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The gift of eternal life is not earned or worked for. There is nothing you must DO to get it, but simply receive it by believing in Jesus for it. Do you believe this? Do you believe that you have eternal life because Jesus has given it to you? If you have a Bible nearby, find and read John 3:16, 5:24, and 6:47 and then let me know what you understand these verses to be saying.
what do you believe? i just dont know anymore
Carl,
God will not abandon you. Try reading those 3 verses I mentioned, and then talk to God openly and honestly about your struggles, doubts, and fears.
do you believe i blasphemed the holy spirit
Carl,
These are some very difficult questions and there is not a simple yes or no answer. Nothing that you have written so far would lead m eto believe that you have committed the unpardonable sin. In fact, it is my belief that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is to die having resisted the work of the Holy Spirit your whole life. In the unbeliever, the Holy Spirit’s job is to convict us of our sinfulness and our need for Christ’s work on our behalf. I believe that the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit is in essence ignoring or refusing to accept His work in our lives.
If you have accepted Christ’s offer of salvation, you cannot commit the unpardonable sin. If you have not, you may be saved as long as you live (John 11:26). If you have believed in the person and work of Christ for your eternal destiny, then there is no longer any question of unpardonable sin.
I hope this is helpful to you. I will pray that God quiets the voice of the enemy so you can more clearly hear the calling of the Holy Spirit.
God Bless,
FedEx,
President,
Men of Praise Motorcycle Ministry.
Carl,
I could not answer better than FedExMOP, and I agree with what he wrote.
God wants to love you and be with you for eternity! No matter what!
Paul the apostle was a pharisee right? Yes and a zealous and committed one at that. Can we presume that Paul was one of those Jesus was speaking to about this sin? Not sure what this means but it is just a thought.
Enjoyed your message. The Gospel of Grace and mercy endures all of our doubts and failings.
In Christ
Mark
Mark,
It is very possible. There is some indication in 1 Corinthians (or is it Galatians?) that Paul may have even been a member of the Sanhedrin as well. We cannot be too dogmatic about it, since the Scriptures are not crystal clear one way or the other, but it is is interesting to consider.
Mark 3.28-29
28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter;”
29 ”but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (NASB)
Every orthodox theologian worth their salt will quot the above verse to prove Biblical Universal Reconciliation false. They usually claim that Universalists state that there is no such thing as an unforgiveable sin. Because, all people who have ever lived will ultimately be reconciled to God; All people who have ever lived must thus be forgiven. But, they point out that verses in Matthew and Mark state that there is a sin that will never be forgiven – it is an eternal sin. Therefore, Universalism is a false salvation theology.
This is a straw-man argument. Because, Universalists do not say that there is not taught here an unforgiveable sin, or more literally an ”un-pardoned” sin. The above passage actually is very clear that there was a sin that was un-pardonable – but, Universalists teach that it was only an un-pardonable sin for a certain period of time. Actually, most of orthodoxy also teaches that it was only applicable to the days of Christ. Thus, the anti-Universalists present a false premise only to end with a false conclusion, though the logic is sound.
WHAT DO THESE VERSES SAY?
Now, what do these verses in Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-29 really say? Christ, in the first place, positively affirms that “all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men.” That is, ”the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:” And,”whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him.” But, it is also positively declared by him, who cannot lie, that ”whosoever speaketh or blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” And, that this particular sin ”shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.”
WHAT DO THESE VERSES MEAN?
Now, just because a sin is not pardoned by Christ in no way disproves universal reconciliation. If we look a little deeper from the shallowness we are steeped in, we might see that this non-pardoning is for an age and for another age that follows. And that this restraint on forgiveness does not go beyond these two ages, for we are very familiar with the expression ”in this world or the world to come.” The second ”world” is not in the plural. Thus, we see only two worlds or ages.
Conservative traditionalists love to use the NASB and other similar translations to support their cause for eternal damnation. Yet, coincidentally, in translating their versions they just happen to leave out certain words which are in the Greek. They even add word not in the Greek that change the meaning of the verse sometimes to mean the very opposite! Let us really look at the Greek texts of these two passages and see what has been left out or changed by the translators, plus see whether we can correct any mistakes, if any. Let us read the passages in the Greek and see what results in a proper ”literal” translation.
Mark 3.28-29 (LITERAL TRANSLATION)
amEn legO humin hoti panta aphethEsetai ta hamartEmata tois huiois tOn
Amen, I am saying to you that ALL shall be pardoned THE penalties of sins the SONS of the
Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of
anthropon kai blasphEmiai osas an blasphEmEsOsin hos de an
humans and blasphemies as much as ever they should be blaspheming who YET EVER
men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that
blasphEmEsE eis to pneuma to hagion ouk echei aphesin eis ton aiOna
should be blaspheming into the spirit the Holy not is-having pardon into the EON(Age)
shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness x x x
all enochos estin aiOniou kriseOs (Greek)
but liable is of-eonian judging (Lit. Ver.)
but is in danger of eternal damnation. (AV)
Verses 28 and 29 present a contrast between all sins being forgiven and one sin that will not be pardoned. This sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, that is, that Jesus did His miracles by the power of the devil. Verse 29 shows that there is an exception to all sins being forgiven by using the word ”but” (Greek ”de”). This word qualifies that there is an exception to the first statement. Now, the verses do not say that ”all sins are forgiveable”, [i.e. ''ALL sins shall be forgiven'' (AV)] but rather, it says that ”ALL [humans] shall be pardoned THE penalties of sins” [i.e. ''that ALL shall be pardoned THE penalties of sins the SONS of the humans'' (CLV)]. If one uses the erred Authorized translation we ‘hear’ a slight contradiction. One minute ALL SINS are forgiveable, then one that is not. What is said here is ALL humans can be forgiven all sins but one!
Yes, this one sin will not be pardoned. Now, how may Universalists explain this? It shall be seen that this one sin, which is not to be pardoned does not in any way undo God’s will in reconciling all mankind. Notice that in the above translation certain words are left untranslated, and for good reasons too. Look at the untranslated ” x x x ” empty space in the follow study below.
Many translators make the Matthew 12:32 parallel passage to Mark say, that this sin against the Holy Ghost, ”shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.” But, this is a very poor if not deceptive translation.
Here we have the Greek word ”aioni” translated ”WORLD”, an English word that should be used for the Greek word Kosmon (‘system’). Yet, Limitarians prefer to flop words and meanings around to avoid confessing to ”aioni” meaning AGE in every context it is found. How can the adjective ”aioni” mean ”eternal” in one passage, but then also mean the noun ”world” in another? It can only do this out of a newspeak lexicon. Let us look at the Matthew passage.
Another superimposition is found stuffed over the word ”mellonti”, a Greek word meaning ”impending” or ”being about to”. Yes, the verse alludes to a second aioni, like the first one, but does need to mention it. It is implied. It’s like saying: ”this aioni and the about to be.” The AV shows us that the translators did consider the word ‘aioni’ to be a noun or a ”thing” that had a limited size. It seems that they did not want to carry this idea of the noun designating a ‘thing” that would have a limited time amount. That would contradict their usage of ”forever” or ”ever”, & etc.
Matthew 12:32 (LITERAL TRANSLATION)
ouk aphethEsetai autO oute en toutO tO aiOni oute en tO [ mellonti (GREEK) [''mellonti'' also can mean ''to-being-about'' or ''being-about-to'']
NOT it shall be being pardoned him, neither in this the EON/age or in the one-impending (LIT)
shall not be pardoned him, neither in this AGE nor in the which is impending.’(CLV)
it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come. (AV)
TO WHAT EXTENT THIS APPLIES
In Mark it is said of him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, that he “hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Now, says Mr. Guild, ”there is no language here expressed that alludes to eternity. It is simply signified, that such an one would not be likely to receive forgiveness or amendment in that age; consequently would be in danger of the judgment or condemnation coming upon them.” They actually were in danger of (aiOniou kriseOs) ”age-lasting judgment”, which was certain to overtake them.
Matthew says that such a person shall not be forgiven in ”this world or the world to come.” The words used here are ( aiOni oute en tO mellonti ) ”EON/age nor in the one-impending.” Rather, what Matthew is really saying is ”neither in this age nor in the age to come”; that is, according Mr. Guild, ” ‘neither in this age when the law of Moses subsists, nor in that also when the kingdom of heaven, which is at hand, shall succeed to it.’ This is a strong way of expressing how difficult a thing it was for such a Jewish sinner to obtain pardon. Christ does not say to him that blasphemes and then repents, but only to those that blaspheme; and, therefore, he means those that continue in their blasphemy, for with God there is no sin that is un-pardonable. This “age” (aioni) was the Jewish dispensation at that time and that which was to come meant the Christian, which was going to be established. Christ meant neither in this ‘dispensation, viz., the Jewish, nor in that which is to come, viz., the Christian.’ ”
COMPARISON OF MATTHEW WITH MARK’S PASSAGE
ouk echei aphesin eis ton aiOna
not is-having pardon into the EON (Age) = makes too much sense; contradicts tradition.
hath never forgiveness x x x = no one will believe; we’ve created the Cassandra Complex.
hath not forgiveness for the world?) = does not make sense
hath not forgiveness for THIS world?) = does not make sense
hath never forgiveness, for this eternal) = does not make sense
hath never forgiveness for x ever) = awkward, but could work. But one would have to remove ”ton” the definite grammatical article THE and change
”aioni” from a noun into an adjective.
Theologians my speculate as to what “ages” are being referred to, whether they be a reference to this material world or to the post mortem world after physical death. But, no matter which position is taken or argued for, there is surly this second ”impending” age mentioned. For, ”Aioni” is a Greek term referring to ”an Age-period” and not to some eternity. It does not mean forever, ever, eternal, everlasting, world, or never-ending. How foolish to think that ”aioni” means eternal, for if this were true, we should have the verse say: ”shall not be pardoned him, neither in this ETERNAL not in the ETERNAL which is impending.” Therefore, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will be forgiven after the second AGE (EON) mentioned. We state that Mark 3:29 must be interpreted in light of the proper translation of Matt. 12:32.
Apparently, there has been some fiddling with the Greek between these two passages. The translators for Mark totally leave out ”into (for) the EON”, because it is almost impossible to use any other word other than AGE. Notice that the Concordant Literal New Testament above gives what the translators left out, from the Greek . . . “is having no pardon for the eon.” Yet, very reputable scholars do not translate these words! Notice the majority of Bibles in use today are done by Eternal Tormentists. Notice also that in all these cases these Greek words are not translated!
TO WHOM IT APPLIES
We will now inquire, upon the admission that the above texts teach the doctrine of endless misery, how many persons can possibly be exposed to that state. For, the subject of the “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” is often brought up as an indisputable objection to the doctrine of universal reconciliation. A full commentary by Mr. E. E. Guild explains the extent of the application of this postponed forgiveness.
”Among all the sins and blasphemies ever perpetrated on earth, or any which may be committed in all coming time, there is but one solitary exception; viz., the sin against the Holy Ghost. Reader, how many do you suppose have committed this sin? When this question is settled, we have data from which to determine, at the least, how many will eventually suffer endless misery. What shall we do with all the wicked rebels, from Cain down to the period of our Saviour? For the Holy Ghost was not presented, either for man to receive or reject, until the day of miracles by Christ. And what shall we do with all the wicked unbelievers, drunkards, murderers and revelers, from Christ’s day down to the present period? And how shall we dispose of all the blasphemous infidels and atheists, from the beginning of the world until now? For all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men, with one exception. Upon the premises we have admitted the only result is this: none ever were, or ever can be, sent to hell, save those very few of the Jews who stood by, saw Christ work miracles and accused him of doing the same by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. It is not possible to involve any others, for all, excepting those, “shall be forgiven.” In Mark 3:22, it is said, “And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils.” The sole foundation and only reason why our Saviour made the expression, “he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness,” is based in this verse and in the expression, ” by the prince of devils casteth he out devils.” As evidence of this, observe the 30th verse; after having stated the result of their expression (which was sin against the Holy Ghost), he adds, “Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” This solves the problem why the expression, “sin against the Holy Ghost,” was made at all; and necessarily confines that sin to the very few who had the privilege of seeing him perform those miracles by the power of God, and at the same time attributed it to the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. This is the only conclusion to which we possibly can arrive. Hence, upon the admission of the common opinion of this subject, it proves too much for those who adopt it. It would reduce their hell to a mere speck, and its inmates to a simple unit. It would also overstock heaven with millions upon millions of those which they had falsely supposed committed this un-pardonable sin.
Mr. Guild continues to say that, ”When our Lord says that such a sin has no forgiveness, he is to be understood that the body shall be destroyed, as under the Jewish dispensation; while mercy may still be extended to the soul. Notice that Christ prays that they all be forgiven for they knew not what they were doing. The punishment of presumptuous sins under the Jewish law, to which our Lord evidently alludes, certainly did not extend to the damnation of the soul, though the body was destroyed; therefore though there was no such forgiveness to be extended to this crime as to absolve the man from the punishment of temporal death, yet, on repentance, mercy might be extended to the soul, and every sin may be repented of under the Gospel dispensation.”
Mr. Guild concludes with: ”The fact is this, their blasphemy was a slanderous reproach against Christ and the power by which he cast out demons (cured diseases); and the nature of this crime was so malignant, that justly they deserved strict condemnation, either under the administration of that age or the next one to come, the Gospel Age. Such was the infamy of their hearts, that they were actually in danger of remaining unmoved, and consequently of suffering the common calamity of their age and nation, as a just retribution of their slanderous and malignant conduct. No intimations are here or anywhere else given, that God will ”eternally” cast off or damn any one. Neither is there such a sentence as ” the finally impenitent” in all the word of God.” [E. E. GUILD. ''The Universalist's Book Of Reference''. 1901]
CONCLUSIONS:
These passages do teach that there was an unforgiveable sin in the time of Christ and this Universalists do not deny. But, the passages do not nullify God’s plan of universal reconciliation of all mankind as the Traditionalists suppose. The passages have been incorrectly translated and do very clearly foster a false view of the scope and extent of this un-forgiveness. The proof lies in the hap-hazard usage and interchangeability of the words ”eternal” and ”world”, an obvious blunder of changing nouns into adjectives or using the wrong noun. Last of all, the verses do not speak to nor do they apply to present day human beings, as most agree humanity is under the dispensation of grace and thus, there are no sins that are unforgiveable. Christ died for the SIN of the world, and after he died ALL sins are covered under this atonement through repentance. Yet, before His crucification one may rightly agree with our Lord that, ”he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost is not having pardon in this Age, nor into the Impending Age, but is liable of Age-lasting judgment.”
I need help. I have been a Christian but all of the sudden I doubt and revbel ga st god in my mind. I have had the un
Dylan,
Missed the rest of your point there…but I get the gist. Look, God loves you more than you will ever know! Doubts are okay, but go to God with them, telling Him about your doubts! He is not scared off by doubt. Tell Him, “God, I believe; help my unbelief.” That is a prayer He loves to hear.
There is Eternal Security and ”Assurance of salvation”. The first is a doctrinal statement of fact – something not so much experienced as realized. The second is our emotional feeling or response, depending on situation and mood. No one has 100% assurance all the time, but a THE RULE we can know we are His – even from memory of our being different than when we did not know Him. Doubt is ”an exception to the RULE” and can be looked at as an intrusion into our assurance realm. memory is good at throwing out doubt. One does NOT DOUBT what He does not actually KNOW. Just as one does not really HATE what they do not really love. Love and hate seem to be temporary partners in this fallen state. Even so, assurance and doubt are the Cain & Abel factors in our own internal battle in fighting the good fight of faith. Grace increases even more where doubt and sin raise their ugly heads – an insurance gift from God. Q. A TEST: Can you ”disbelieve” you ever knew God? can you make yourself believe you never had a Mother or Father?
Ross,
That’s right. A lot of people put faith in the emotional side, but it isn’t. It is being certain of a known fact. When you know something, you believe it. Sometimes, we can be persuaded or convinced to believe something against our will even, based on evidence.
QUOTE: ”In fact, it is my belief that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is to die having resisted the work of the Holy Spirit your whole life.” –FedEx
ANSWER: This is pure hog wash.
As long as one is un-believing, they will not enter God’s Kingdom. But God forgives even our un-belief. And no one maintains 100% pure constant knowing belief. What we ARE talking about is someone who is not enlightened (saved) and who cannot believe yet, until God opens his eyes. The Evangel brings ”ability” to hear and listen, but not the action – the Message is just a message, with only enough power to change the hearer from heathen to ”hearer”. From this point, its between them and the Holy Spirit as to whether and when one becomes enlightened. Ultimately, Jesus DRAWS ALL unto Himself, breaks down unbelief, and imparts or ”imputes” this ability to respond to the effective Holy Spirit. In the end, all unbelief breaks down under God influences, so that God may reconcile ALL unto Himself, that He may be ALL in All. Al, shall stand and see Him for who He really is, and their will not be any more desire to resist or disbelieve. PEOPLE ARE NOT cut off eternally when they die in un-belief / non-belief / no-belief / dis-belief. What of those who had no evangel preached to them in THIS LIFE?
Well, THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED TO THE DEAD as well! One the most profound and clear verses substantiating the teaching that human consciousness continues after physical death and that even the dead are still evangelized, is 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 6. Listen to what it says.
””For (into) for this evangel is brought to the dead (those that are below) also,
that they may be judged, indeed, according to men (ones above on earth)
in (that are still in the) flesh, yet should be living according to God, in
spirit.”” – Concordant Literal Translation
So, if the preachers misrepresent or misinform some, as MOST do today, the dead are properly ministered to, until they do understand. ”ALL FLESH shall see the salvation of God.” Ps. 65:2; Luke 3:5-6.
PS. Very little known verses!!! Why the churches do NOT read and teach on such verses????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
TELL ME! Answer contrary to this???
Hosea 13:14
”From the hand of (the) Sheol (HELL, hades) will I ransom them; from death will I redeem them. Where is your plague, O’ Death? Where is your sting, O’ Shaul? Regret shall be concealed from my eyes.”
[''I WILL ransom them from the power of the grave [Hell = Sheol = Hades, 'unseen realm']; I WILL redeem them from death: O’ Death, I WILL be thy [death's] plagues; O’ Grave [SHEOL, Hell], I WILL be thy [death & the grave's] destruction.”
I have been saved my whole life! But when I was taught about the unpardonable sin I still couldn’t resist the temptation to think it! Then a few years later at 25 2 years after I learned about this sin I verbally screamed it out in anger! But still to this day any time I try to live in sin I feel as empty and without life as I could even imagine! And there would be no imagination cuz in sin I feel like I don’t even exsist! It’s a bad feeling I can tell you that! Does this mean the Holy Spirit is still molding me? I mean if I were rejected by God and was is sin I’d feel just fine no matter what the sin right? Plz let me know?
I think we ALL should not worry so much about ”being IN Sin”, because we are gonna sin oftf and on… it would be better to just go about our simple lives, and CONCERN ourselves with stuff that is of God’s minsitry and have FUN doing it. If we spend AL:L our lives fighting SIN all the time, arn’t we wasting GOD’S time? Wasting time we COULD be doing fun stuff, ministry work, occupations, vocations, relationships, etc. And besides, WHERE is GRACE? FORGIVENESS? SELF-FORGIVENESS? LIBERTY IN CHRIST?… Nope!, There is NO SIN so powerful that it could take us away from His atonement work. YES, I believe, all people do have some conscience, but those who don’t seem to KNOW Him yet, really NEVER worry or fret over their salvation. You never question THAT which you don’t know. EXAMPLE: Everyone is born with cancer cells. When we get older, we MAY actually have cancer and not know it – do we worry about the cancer we do NOT KNOW about, yet? No. THEN, one day, the DOC tells us we have cancer. OK, do most people worry about cancer when they are told they have it? YES! Q. Are you atoned for? YES. Do you sometimes worry about it as if it COULD BE a myth? Yes. Everyone still has the flesh, and that flesh still carries ”feelings” of not being saved. Thus, there is a small part of us all that still will contemplate atheism. Just like an atheist will sometimes dabble in religious talk and thoughts. BUT, they do NOT worry about it like we do. They do not worry about NOT KNOWING v. we worry sometimes about BOTH!!!! I hope this helps. YES, YOU’RE A NORMAL CHRISTIAN! LOLOL
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Dillon,
Yes, you are right. If you have believed in Jesus for eternal life, the Holy Spirit is still with you and in you.
I am not sure what you were taught about the unpardonable sin, but from the little you have shared, it sounds like you were taught incorrectly.
You have not been rejected by God. You are fully and freely forgiven. God loves you still.