The Unpardonable Sin In The Bible
Matthew 12:31-32
The Unpardonable Sin
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. 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.
Can The Unforgivable Sin Be Committed Today
Are you worried you committed a great sin against God? If you are, then its a pretty good indication you havent committed the Unforgivable Sin, because people who have committed the Unforgivable Sin usually dont care if they are doing so. It doesnt even cross their mind.
It didnt cross Sauls mind either. But God still loved him enough to change his life one day on the road to Damascus.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lords disciples, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 So he said, Who are you, Lord? He replied, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting!
So if you or a loved one has been living in a way thats unpleasing to God, take heart. He loves you. And he loves the sinner. Even the one who is blaspheming him. He is always faithful to forgive. And he is always ready to find them like the shepherd who will leave the Ninety-Nine sheep to find the one thats lost.
Even in his worst sin, Saul -whom we also know as Paul- was loved by God, and Jesus Christ himself found him just as the shepherd would.
Is Anyone Unforgivable Today
When Jesus addresses the scribes in his day, it is on the brink of a seismic redemptive-historical change that comes with his life and ministry. So in what sense might his warning to the scribes about blasphemy against the Spirit be uniquely for Jesuss day, on the cusp of the old covenant being fulfilled and a new covenant being inaugurated? Should these words fall in the same way on our ears twenty centuries later?
When we turn forward in the story to Acts and the Epistles, we dont find anything called blasphemy against the Spirit. Which signals our need for exercising care in applying this precise term today. However, we do find a concept similar to unforgivable sin, even if the terms are not exactly the same. The essence of Jesuss warning to the scribes in his day lands on us in some form, even if not in the precise way it did originally for the scribes.
For Christians today, we need not fear a specific moment of sin, but a kind of hardness of heart that would see Jesus as true and yet walk away with a kind of hardness of heart incapable of repenting. Again, its not that forgiveness isnt granted, but that its not sought. The heart has become so recalcitrant, and at such odds with Gods Spirit, that its become incapable of true repentance.
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What Is The Unforgivable Sin Bible Verse
Several passages in the New Testament are frequently interpreted as referring to the unforgivable sin: Matthew 12:30-32: Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, any sin and blasphemy can be forgiven. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
What Is The Unpardonable Sin In The Bible
by Paul Chapman | Aug 11, 2021 | Holy Spirit, Salvation, sin, Teaching |
There is one sin for which there is no forgiveness. Learn what the unpardonable sin is and how to keep from committing it.
There is a lot of confusion over the doctrine of the unpardonable sin. Some define it erroneously identifying people who cannot get saved. Others fear that they have committed it and are eternally damned.
We know that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay for our sin. But is there a sin that God will not forgive under any circumstances?
Lets investigate the Scriptures to find out what the Bible really teaches about the unpardonable sin.
The unpardonable sin is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Matthew 12:3132
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
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Does The Bible Say Jesus Died For Our Sins
In Marks Gospel, Jesus states -during his ministry, in Mark, Chapter 10 that he, the son of man, came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. And in these sermons, they talk about the death of Jesus, but they never mention that Jesuss death is an atonement for sin.
How Did The Pharisees Commit The Unpardonable Sin
This passage is the response from Jesus to the Pharisees accusation that He was casting out demons by the power of the ruler of demons. The Pharisees knew better and because they knew better they knew that they were blaspheming. They were more concerned about their own power and influence over people than they were about pleasing God.
This gives us our first clue about what Jesus was talking about here. People who are concerned that they have committed the unpardonable sin are worried that they did something that was displeasing to God. This indicates that they obviously have not committed that sin. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people of sin. If He had been blasphemed, then they would not be worried because they would not be convicted.
The second clue we get here is the fact that the Pharisees knew what they were doing. They knew that He was a teacher from God who was empowered by God.
John 3:1-2
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.
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Favorite Books Of 2021
I love to read. Its partly why Im an academic today. What could be better than reading, writing, teaching, and learning every day? Reading books awakens me: to truth, goodness, and beauty. I try, each year, to read broadly. This year, I managed to read 47 books. Ive been recording every book read in a book log for over 10 years now. Whenever I finish a book, I list the date finished, the title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book. As has become my custom, I offer to you my favorite reads of the past year in philosophy, apologetics and theology, fiction, and non-fiction.
How Are We Redeemed
So how are we redeemed? The Scripture tells us in Eph. 1:5-7:
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace NIV
Through repentance of our sins and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have redemption through His blood. When this occurs, we receive the Holy Spirit, which enables us to walk in the righteousness of God. Acts 2:38 reads, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.NIV
There is no greater gift, for we are powerless against the enemy that leads us into sin without the Holy Spirit.
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View 2 Assert What Is False About The Spirit
Most of the early church fathers who address the unpardonable sin take this view. For example, Cyril of Jerusalem asserts, A man must often fear to say, either from ignorance or assumed reverence, what is improper about the Holy Spirit, and thereby come under this condemnation .
This view is unlikely because it is describes the sin too generally. Many non-Christians have expressed false beliefs about the Spirit but later have become Christians and believed correctly about the Spirit. And many Christians have expressed false beliefs about the Spirit but later corrected those beliefs as they matured in understanding what the Bible reveals about the Spirit. For example, a Christian may realize that it is wrong to refer to the Holy Spirit as it since he is a person.
The Unpardonable Sin Is Not The Sin Unto Death Mentioned In 1 John : 16
1 John 5:1617
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
This sin is committed by a brother in Christ. It is a decision to keep sinning in which God calls His child home after attempts of chastisement have failed. It is the final sin to which God says, Enough! If you wont live for me on Earth, I will take you to Heaven now rather than allow you to bring continual reproach upon My name.
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Who Is The Holy Spirit
He is The Creator Spirit, present before the creation of the universe and through his power everything was made in Jesus Christ, by God the Father.
For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is Almighty God..
The Admonition Of The Unpardonable Sin
You can blaspheme Jesus Christ and get saved at a later time. Many have done it through the centuries. However, if you continually blaspheme the Holy Ghost, you will never get saved.
The Holy Spirit brings you to faith in Christ and performs the miracle of the new birth.
Remember the work of the Holy Spirit before salvation from a previous sermon/chapter.
Without these actions, no one can be saved.
If people deny the obvious working of the Holy Spirit, they will reject Christ because they reject the Spirit that is drawing them to Him.
Matthew 12:3132
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Why?
If the fruit is good, so is the root. It is not reasonable to declare that good fruit comes from a rotten root.
Matthew 12:33
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Christ was declaring that His works were good because He was sent from God.
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Is There A Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven
Yes, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is any sin that a person clings to by continually resisting the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that there is not one specific sin that is unforgivable, such as lying, stealing or murder, but rather a perpetual hardening of the heart and willfully sinning against God and man . In Acts 7:51, Stephen says the following to the Pharisees, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, so do you. In a nutshell, the unpardonable sin is any sin that a person doesnt want to give up, confess, or even ask forgiveness for and additionally doesnt want to hear any more about it from the Holy Spirit.
Any sin mankind wants pardon for is forgivable. However, if we turn our backs on the voice of the Holy Spirit we begin to silence His convictions and eventually we cannot hear His convicting power. This effectively blocks the working of God in our lives because we have reached a point where we are unable to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
The Unpardonable Sin Is Not Simply Saying Something Bad About The Holy Spirit
A quick reading of the text could make you believe that if one says even one word against the Holy Spirit, that person could never be saved. Thankfully, a careful study of the text shows that is not the case.
Years ago, there was a pagan trend of people videoing themselves saying something terrible about the Holy Spirit and declaring that they could never be saved because they had blasphemed the Holy Ghost. While this is sad and stupid, it is not the unpardonable sin.
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Have I Committed The Unforgivable Sin
If you sincerely hate your past course of sin and truly want to change, then you have not committed the unforgivable sin. God can forgive even repeated relapses into the same sin as long as your heart has not permanently hardened against him.Isaiah 1:18.
Some people feel that they may have committed an unforgivable sin because they are troubled by nagging feelings of guilt. However, the Bible teaches that we cannot always trust our feelings. God has not authorized us to judge anyoneeven ourselves. He can forgive us even when our own heart still condemns us.1 John 3:19, 20.
Jesus Has Compassion For Human Skepticism
Chrysostom puts his thumb on the issue best.
It is odd that in this passage, Jesus essentially says: âItâs understandable that you would reject me, because I look like any other human being. But you donât have that same excuse when you reject the Spirit, who does not bear the distraction of having a human body.â
It certainly feels strange to us that Jesus would permit his own rejection. But he is making a very generous accommodation for human psychology. Humans are right to be skeptical of things that they donât understand. But the Spirit encounters us in a way that is identifiable as God himselfâit is the direct speaking of God to the human heart. Insofar as we are able to reject Godâs direct encounter with us, we are without hope of forgiveness.
But there is a more basic theological point here.
The more directly God encounters the individual, the more consciously they must reject God and the forgiveness he offers. In other words, what makes the unpardonable sin so unforgivable is that it is the explicit rejection of forgiveness itself. It is unpardonable to the degree that the free offer of pardon on Godâs part is itself insulted and rejected on its very premise on manâs part.
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Examples Of Sins That Can Be Forgiven
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Blasphemy due to ignorance. The apostle Paul had once been a blasphemer, but he later said: I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and with a lack of faith.1 Timothy 1:13.
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Adultery. The Bible mentions some who at one time committed adultery but who changed their conduct and were forgiven by God.1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Knowing The Word Of God Isnt Enough
These scribes had become Jesus-resistant because of the time-lapsed attitudes of their own evil hearts. Its tragic, for these scribes had devoted their lives to copying the Word of God. Note the relationship between the words scribe and scribble. These men had copied and recopied the Old Testament. Every day they copied an ancient Scripture scroll by hand.
They had copied Isaiah 53, about the Suffering Servant. They had copied Psalm 22, about the death of the Messiah. They knew Micah 5 and the prophecy of our Lords birth. Yet their hearts had become so hardened they couldnt receive His grace when it arrived in the person of Jesus.
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The Accusation Of The Boastful Pharisees
The Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Lawyers had aligned themselves against Christ. As the spiritual leaders of Israel, they were trusted to know God and recognize His workings among the people. However, they were so consumed with preserving their own power and systems of religion that they rejected the Son of God without much thought.
In order to convince the people to reject Jesus as the Christ, the spiritual leaders explained away His impressive miracles by attributing them Satan!
Matthew 12:14
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
The Pharisees spent much time and effort to discredit the Lord Jesus Christ. His growing fame made them fear that He would soon take power. Furthermore, Christs open contempt for the religious leaders and His unarguable correction of their teachings infuriated them. They were accustomed to being respected, not chastised.
The religious leaders criticized Christ for every reason imaginable.
- His lack of formal training.
- His humble life.
- His undeniable way with the people.
- His upbringing in Nazareth.
Yet, despite all of these things, no one could deny the mighty miracles Christ performed. Those supernatural feats surely demanded attention! Imagine the gasps of unbelief and excitement as Christ made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. He even raised the dead!
The crowds were beginning to believe that Christ was the Messiah!