What Is the Unforgivable Sin

So far in Unit 3, we have covered what it means to be born again. We have explained why Christians still struggle with sin. We even explored the possibility of losing salvation. We also just finished explaining how even someone who has fallen from grace can come back to God.

But is there anything that God simply finds to be an unforgivable sin? Didn’t Jesus speak of one sin that someone could never be forgiven of? Many people call it the unpardonable sin. Others call it the unforgivable sin. But what is this unforgivable sin and why is it so unforgivable?

What Is the Unforgivable Sin

According to Mark 3:29 he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness. It sounds very simple, doesn’t it? The word blaspheme means “to speak irreverently” about someone. But, is it really as simple as that? Does that really mean you can not be forgiven if you have ever spoken against the Holy Ghost?

Despite what it seems like at first glance the truth isn’t quite so harsh. But, in order to really understand this, we need to have some foundational understandings in place. Specifically, we need to understand what the Bible really says about the Trinity.

Without fully understanding this basic and foundational truth you will not be able to grasp what I am about to show you. This is why we are going through the basics of Christianity, one step at a time. So, if you are not quite sure how to understand that subject I suggest that you go and read What Is the Trinity.

I will assume you have a basic understanding of that as we move forward.

What Does Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit Mean

A common belief among theologians is that to blaspheme the Holy Ghost is to attribute the works of God to Satan. Jesus was casting out devils and some people said that Jesus was casting out devils by the power of the devil himself. This leads some to believe the statement Jesus made about blaspheme was to address the accusation and give warning against it.

In fact, one verse seems to be very blunt that this is indeed what Jesus considers to be blasphemy against the Holy Ghost:

It certainly looks like Jesus is telling them they have blasphemed against the Holy Ghost and that they can now never be forgiven. It seems like Jesus is simply responding to the accusations being cast against Him. Case closed, right?

No, not so fast!

Both of those statements are entirely wrong! We need to have a closer look at these scriptures and put them into context with the rest of the Bible.

Mark 3:30 does say Jesus spoke because they said He had an unclean spirit. This is not in question. But is He actually just addressing this accusation or something deeper? Were they really unforgivable because they spoke wrongly about the Holy Ghost? Why would people be forgiven of speaking against the Father and Son but not the Holy Ghost? Weren’t they speaking about the Son and not the Holy Ghost anyway?

Obviously we now have more questions than we have answers. So lets go searching the scriptures!

Let’s take a look at this event in the book of Matthew:

Take special note here that Jesus is talking specifically about divided kingdoms. He isn’t worried about their specific words. He is confronting what their words imply. The implication has something to do with a divided kingdom.

When you see the word “wherefore” in verse 31 means whatever was said before was the reason for what would be said next. It’s like saying “because of that” and then telling someone what the result would be.

What did Jesus say before He said “wherefore”? In Matthew 12:25, Jesus declared, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.” Then, in verse 26, He continued that thought: “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”

After this, Jesus explained that He was not part of Satan’s kingdom at all, but rather from the kingdom of God (verses 27–30). In saying this, He was making two points clear: a kingdom cannot be divided and still stand, and He Himself belongs to the kingdom of God.

He then says, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” It is immediately after this sentence that Jesus says “Wherefore.” The theme of this entire passage is this:

A kingdom divided can not stand, and if you are not for me then you are against me. “Wherefore” (because of that), a person can be forgiven if they speak against me, but they can not be forgiven if they speak against the Holy Ghost.

Why? Because Jesus and the Holy Ghost are not divided.

Jesus wasn’t telling them the problem was simply their words. He was telling them their problem was not being able to accept God for who He is, all of Him. You can not claim Jesus without also claiming the Holy Ghost and the Father. That is what He was really telling them had no forgiveness.

To make that even more clear, Jesus finishes His statement by saying this:

Jesus is saying you can’t have it both ways. Either you are all in, or you are all out. Either you accept the Holy Ghost, Son, and Father or you deny them all, because all three are parts of the same one God.

If they were to deny Jesus but accept the Father and Holy Ghost they would still not have forgiveness. If they were to deny the Father but accept the Son and Holy Ghost they would still have no forgiveness. If they accept any part of God but deny part of Him then they can not be forgiven. Because God is not divided.

Simply put, if you reject the Holy Ghost you reject forgiveness, because you are rejecting God Himself.

Does Never Mean Never

We tend to see this as an absolute statement. And in truth it is! Never means never. But the question is what kind of never is He talking about? Never ever? Or never as long as?

If I tell you a person that isn’t studying will never graduate school am I telling you that they will never ever graduate? Or am I telling you that as long as they don’t study they will never graduate?

That person can start to study today and graduate tomorrow! Never doesn’t always mean under no circumstance. Sometimes it means never as long as.

That’s exactly what Jesus is saying here. When He says someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit “hath never forgiveness,” He is talking about their present condition — the state they are in right now as long as they are rejecting God.

Jesus is making it clear: there is no way to receive forgiveness apart from accepting God for who He is — not now, not in the future, not ever.

But here’s the important part: if a person repents they are no longer in that present condition. Just like the student who starts studying, they can turn it around.

This entire subject is about knowing who God is. That’s why Jesus didn’t just say that a person never has forgiveness if they blaspheme the Holy Spirit. He also said they would be forgiven for all other manner of blasphemy against God.

Because it isn’t really about blasphemy at all. It’s about accepting God as God. Jesus used the Spirit as an example because they were attacking the works of the Spirit in that moment. They were rejecting God.

But if they accepted the Spirit while rejecting Jesus He could have said the same thing in reverse. If they blaspheme against the Father and the Spirit it shall be forgiven them but if they blaspheme the Son they will not be forgiven. Again, because you can’t accept part of God and not all of Him.

The Sin That Leads to Death

These passages also tie into this question: What is the sin that John speaks of? What sin leads to death, and what sin does not? He answers in the next verse:

If you remember from Unit 3:11, we explained why Christians still commit sin. In short, it is because their flesh sins, not their soul. All sins of the flesh are unrighteous, but none of them can cause the born-again soul to die apart from God.

The one sin that causes a Christian to lose salvation is turning away from the faith into unbelief. This is the sin unto death. It cannot be forgiven, just as blasphemy of the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven, because it rejects the One offering forgiveness.

Again, the situation refers to a person who is in a current state of unbelief. That person is not forgiven now, nor will they ever be, as long as they remain in that state. But if they repent, they can still be saved!

Lets sum it up: This sin is not about attributing the works of God to Satan. It is not about saying things against the Spirit. It’s not even unforgivable. It’s about trying to claim God while denying God at the same time.

In short, there is no unforgivable sin. But there is no forgiveness without fully accepting God as the forgiver.

If you are afraid that you may have committed the unforgivable sin I want you to know that there is hope for even you. God is not willing that any should perish. That includes people that have spoken against Him in the past. Don’t be afraid.

In the next few studies we are going to learn about our enemy and his tricks. He doesn’t have any new ones.

Unit 3:15 – The Devices of Satan OR

Return To Christianity 101 Unit 3 – Repentance and Salvation