After Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, some of the Pharisees questioned how He did it. Instead of marveling at His power, they sought to deny it. They accused Him of working with the enemy to defeat his strongholds. The reasoning was a desperate attempt to justify why they couldn’t accomplish it themselves and to create suspicion about Jesus in the crowd’s minds.
As Jesus explained the ludicrous nature of their line of thinking, He followed it up by speaking some of the most confusing words that have caused panic in the hearts of many.
30 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.31 Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever 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 one to come.
Matthew 12:30-32
Many church-going folks have read that line or heard someone reference that verse and wondered if they had committed the unforgivable sin.
What is it? It’s important to know what it is and not do it.
Jesus said that forgiveness was available for every type of sin but one. The gospel is good news if there is not a momentary sin that is so heinous that it is beyond forgiveness. Blasphemy is defiant irreverence, and yet even it can be forgiven. You can speak sacrilegious things and do wicked deeds, but the gospel is so great that you can be redeemed. You cannot sin more than grace can address.
So, why is speaking against the Holy Spirit unforgivable, and how can we avoid it? Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit rejects His call when the gospel message has been proclaimed to you.
The unpardonable sin is defiantly and ultimately refusing to accept the Holy Spirit’s declaration that Jesus is Lord.
You are declining the only way to salvation. That’s why it is the only sin that can’t be forgiven; you declare His forgiveness unnecessary and undesired. A drowning person who refuses a liferaft is like the individual who spurns the gospel message proclaimed.
In this account, these Pharisees were doing just that. They refused to believe that Jesus was Lord. While they had each sinned many times, if this sin remained, it would be unforgivable since they denied the saving message that could counteract it.
Have you committed the unforgivable sin? It most likely proves that you aren’t transgressing this way if you are concerned about it.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
