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The Unpardonable Sin?
by Scott R. Bayles, preacher
Church of Christ
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"What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?"
This is certainly a question that people ask on a regular basis. What they mean is: Can a person sin so badly that God would never forgive him? Can a man become such a murderer, drunkard, pervert, liar, etc. that he is beyond the grace of God? There are many people who seem to be almost tormented by the idea that maybe they have committed this sin against the Holy Spirit: the unpardonable sin.
There even may be some here this evening who think that they have committed a sin that was so bad and so heinous that they cannot receive forgiveness. Throughout the New Testament there are several scattered references to this unforgivable sin, which seems to be cloaked in ambiguity. However, we can find one occasion in which our Lord spoke directly about this question (and two other parallel accounts of His comments). Let me invite you to read Matthew 12:22-32 with me, and perhaps discover the truth behind the "unpardonable sin."
Matthew 12:22-32 (ESV)
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. [23] And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" [24] But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."
[25] Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. [26] And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? [27] And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. [28] But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [29] Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. [30] Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
[31] Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. [32] 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.
Although many Christians have struggled over Jesus’ words in this passage, the Holy Spirit does provide us with all the information we need to fully understand this unpardonable sin. In order to fully grasp the meaning of Jesus’ comments, however, we need to see these events in their complete context -- a context which begins with...
I. AN AWESOME MIRACLE:
Look, again, at verse twenty-two [22]: Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. [23] And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"
Jesus’ usual practice was to go out early to an isolated place to pray. At the beginning of this busy day, Christ was returning to the place He was staying, perhaps to eat breakfast. When He arrived, the house was packed with people eager to listen or to be healed. The Bible says, "He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal" (Mark 3:20). Undisturbed, Jesus began to help them.
One specific miracle is reported, a triple miracle of restoring sanity, sight, and speech: Jesus cast a demon out of a man who was blind and unable to speak. By the way, the inability to speak usually indicated an inability to hear, so this may have been a quadruple miracle! But in either case, it was astounding: "all the people were amazed."
Now, we hear about "miracles" being performed by faith healers and such, every so often. But, those so-called miracles always seem take place "over yonder." Someone might say, "I know of a man who got healed over there in India." Or, "There was a guy who got raised from the dead on a crusade in the far-country of Afghanistan." But that’s not the kind of miracle that Jesus performed, is it!? No, when Jesus healed a person, it was right there in public -- right where everyone and his brother could see it!
There was no denying the miracles that Jesus performed. They were so powerful and so in-your-face, that you were almost forced to believe in Him. The multitude was so amazed that they began asking, "Can this be the Son of David?" The term "Son of David" was a Messianic title. These people were beginning to realize that this Jesus, was the Son of God.
While Jesus was teaching and healing, the Pharisees and Scribes were present as usual. Some had even come from Jerusalem to harass Him. The admission of the crowd that He might be the "Son of David" apparently intensified their hatred. They soon launched a new attack, which was...
II. A BASELESS ACCUSATION:
Please notice verse twenty-four [24] with me: But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."
It’s important to notice, here, that the Pharisees did not question the fact that a miracle had taken place. They did not dispute, the way many people today would, that a miracle had occurred. But did that mean they would accept Jesus as the Messiah? Not at all! Unable to deny that Christ was performing miracles, they accused Him of being in league with Satan. They said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul" (Mark 3:22). Beelzebul, or Beelzebub, was the name of a pagan god, and was often used by the Jews to refer to Satan. Literally, the name means "the Lord of the flies" (Roper 314).
Despite all the evidence staring them in the face, the Pharisees absolutely refused to accept Jesus as the Son of God! They were so blinded by their own hatred and desire to poison the multitudes against Christ, that they could not see the absurdity of their own accusation. It is a sad, and yet all too common, occurrence when a person recognizes the truth, yet refuses to accept it. Even though they were circulating this absurd suggestion through the outskirts of the crowd, Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and saying. And so, He responds to them with...
III. AN IRREFUTABLE ANSWER:
Jesus answered their accusation with three arguments. Mark calls these parables. The Lord first said that their accusation was illogical: [25] "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. [26] And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" Jesus used outstanding, irrefutable logic against them: Why would Satan cast out one of his own demons? That doesn’t make sense! It’s not logical.
Second, He said that their accusation was inconsistent: [27] "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?" Jesus is referring here to certain Jews who practiced exorcism, apparently sometimes successfully (Acts 19:13). The Pharisees believed that their own disciples were able to cast out demons, but they did not believe that their follower did so by the power of Satan -- which is inconsistent. Any accusation leveled against Christ could and should have been leveled against their own country men.
Finally, Jesus said their accusation was impossible: [29] "Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?" In order to bind the "strong man" (that is, Satan), Jesus would have to be stronger than Satan. If Jesus received His power from Satan, then He couldn’t possibly be stronger than Satan.
The only feasible answer was that Jesus perform His miracles "by the Spirit of God," and that "the kingdom of God" was at hand. However, "knowing their thoughts," Jesus was aware that these Pharisees were still hardened against Him, and that, despite all the evidence and all the arguments, they would never believe! It was at this point that Jesus accused them of committing...
IV. AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN:
Please notice verse thirty-one [31], one more time: "Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. [32] 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."
So, what exactly had these Pharisees done that would cause Jesus to say that they could "not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come?" The word "blaspheme" literally means "to speak against." The scribes and Pharisees were guilt of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" because they were attributing the work of the Spirit to Satan. But is to simply "speak against" the Holy Spirit enough to bring about irrevocable eternal condemnation? Certainly not!
The apostle Paul was, himself, guilty of that sin. He writes, "Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; [14] and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 1:13).
Paul had been guilty of saying the exact same things -- and worse -- as the other Pharisees, before he met the Lord on the road to Damascus. We often hear the name of God or Jesus being used in vain or blasphemous ways, even today. How can God forgive words spoken against His Son, and yet not forgive the words spoken against His Spirit?
Well, obviously there is something deeper implied, than simply speaking against the Spirit; if not then the beloved Apostle Paul would have been lost eternally as well. So what is meant by "blasphemy against the Spirit?" Let’s consider some of the sinners we read about in the New Testament.
The "tax-collectors and sinners" were acknowledge by others and admitted by themselves to be notorious transgressors of God’s Law. Yet, when they came to Jesus in Luke 15:1, they certainly found more than enough grace to forgive their sins.
Take the case of the sinful woman whose reputation (quite literally) followed her in Luke 7:36-50 and the woman who was got caught in bed with a man not her husband in John 8:11. Would God forgive such scandal? Yes! Both found that Jesus had grace enough to cover their fleshly sins.
What about a traitor -- one of the inner circle who forsook the Lord "with his eyes open," even after he had been warned? Peter was all these; he denied his Master three times the night that the "Friend of Sinners" most needed a friend. He cursed and swore that he did not even know the man. Could God forgive such a one? Yes. Jesus forgave Peter and gave him a place of honor as the "key-note speaker" on the Day of Pentecost.
What about murderers? Certainly there is no sin whose than killing another person. And yet, the Apostle Paul, again, had been involved in murder. Even those on whose hands God saw crimson stains that matched His Son’s blood type were told: "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Even murder -- even the murder of Jesus Christ -- could be forgiven.
All of these sins, in fact every sin that a person commits, can be forgiven. But even so, the Pharisees had not done any of these things; so none of these could be the sin against the Spirit. What sin had they committed that meant they could not be forgiven!?
Understand that Jesus did not condemn His enemies because of what they said or because of any single act. Rather, He denounced them for their obstinate hardness of heart. Their words gave evidence of the evil in their hearts. The sin against the Holy Spirit is not a matter of speech; the words spoke are only "fruit" from a sin-filled heart. That is why Jesus states very clearly: [34] "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." How had the scribes and Pharisees reached such a deplorable condition? By constantly and consistently refusing to accept the Spirit-created evidence that proved Jesus to be the Messiah, their hearts had become rock-hard.
What is "blasphemy against the Spirit?" It is the final and complete rejection of Jesus Christ. This sin is a denial of the Spirit’s message and rejection of the Lord’s deity. Jesus made it clear that all sins can be forgiven. Adultery, murder, blasphemy, and other sins can all be forgiven; they are not unpardonable. But God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son. It is the Holy Spirit who bears witness to Christ and convicts the lost sinner.
Conclusion:
Beloved, when it comes right down to it: the only sin for which there is no forgiveness, is the sin for which no forgiveness is wanted. The Pharisees had so hated and hardened their hearts against Jesus, that for them there was no turning back. They witness an Awesome Miracle. They made a Baseless Accusation. They heard an Irrefutable Answer. But they were guilty of an Unforgivable Sin. Salvation is denied them, not because it is not offered, but because they have permanently rejected it.
Sometimes people wonder if they have committed "the sin against the Holy Spirit." A wise old preacher said, "If you’re honestly worried that you’ve committed it, you haven’t." He meant that such concern is evidence that one’s heart is not irreversibly hardened.
Invitation:
The "Good News" that Jesus came to deliver is that forgiveness is available to everyone! The ever-flowing waters of the Well of Life are always available to those who desire to come and to quench their thirst. How we should rejoice that:
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
If there are any sins on your heart today -- if you have been considering obeying the Gospel -- then don’t put it off another minute. Each time you hear the invitation and do not respond, your heart grows a little harder. As long as the Gospel of Jesus has an effect on your heart, there is still hope. Before the years roll passed and your heart grows hard, Jesus invites you to come! Lay your sins at His feet and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. If you’re ready to commit your life to Christ this evening, then come...
