Many Christians ask what is the unforgivable sin. Have I committed it?
They are worried and anxious.
There is no reason to worry. If a person is worried about this, he/she hasn’t committed the unforgivable sin.
To be sure of this, let’s see what the Bible says about the unpardonable sin.
Contents
What is the unforgivable sin in the Bible?
The unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is mentioned in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30 and Luke 12:10.
From these passages, you can conclude that there are two types of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Both reveal a hardened state of heart against the Holy Spirit.
The first type is a specific situation where the Pharisees see and hear Jesus alive, casting out a demon from a person, and instead of admitting the act is from the Holy Spirit, they attribute it to Satan.
In His parables following the Pharisee’s claim, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons,” Jesus explains why their claim would be an unforgivable sin.
Jesus explains that if Satan casts out demons, his kingdom is divided. It is not logical for him to do so.
More importantly, the Pharisees were casting out demons and claimed to do it in the Holy Spirit. Still, they insist that when Jesus does it, it is done with an unclean spirit.
They are insulting the Holy Spirit by calling Him Satan and revealing the hardened state of their heart.
And then Jesus warns them.
“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 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 that which is to come.”
Note that it is not only because they said Jesus had an unclean spirit. The Jews said, at least on two occasions, that Jesus had a demon (John 7:20, 8:48), and He didn’t warn them of the unforgivable sin.
The warning came specifically from claiming that Jesus casts demons in Satan’s power.
This type of blasphemy against the Spirit is not possible anymore. We can’t see Jesus performing demon casting anymore.
The Pharisees’ claim reveals their evil heart. If they continue, even after Jesus’ explanation and warning, to claim that He casts out demons in Satan’s power, they are committing eternal sin.
It would be clear they are beyond saving.
Therefore, the unpardonable sin is a hardened heart against the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth about God and sin in one’s life. If one continues to resist the Spirit’s revelation throughout one’s life, it won’t be forgiven even in the age to come.
Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit an eternal sin?
The Holy Spirit reveals the Son to humans (John 16:8-11, John 16:14). He brings people to the Son, who then unifies them with the Father.
The Son is the only Savior humans have (Acts 4:8-12). You can’t confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin and shows you that Jesus is the Lord. Denying the Spirit’s revelation about the Son leaves you without a savior and, thus, leaves you in eternal sin.
Luke 12:8-10 links the unforgivable sin to one’s confession of Christ before men and how that leads to eternal damnation. If you confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you have accepted the Spirit’s revelation about the Son. Suppose you won’t confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior during your life. In that case, you speak against the Holy Spirit and commit the unpardonable sin.
Luke 12:8-10
8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels. 10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Why isn’t blasphemy against the Son of Man an unforgivable sin?
The term “son of man” refers to a human. When Jesus says that blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, He means that because He looks like an ordinary Jewish man, it’s understandable that the audience would doubt Him. But when they see works done in the Holy Spirit and insult the Spirit by calling Him Satan, that’s where they are crossing the line.
It is unclear if Jesus tells the Pharisees they have already committed the unforgivable sin or warns them that they are very close to it. If they continue claiming that Jesus casts out demons in Satan’s power after Jesus warns them, then most definitely, they are committing the unpardonable sin.
Have I committed the unforgivable sin?
If you are asking this question as a Christian, you have not committed the unpardonable sin. The person who has committed or is on his way to crossing the line is a person who wouldn’t care if he had committed the unpardonable sin.
The unforgivable sin is not something you do accidentally, nor is it a one-time sinful act. It is a state of the heart, and if you are concerned about your heart’s state, then you haven’t committed the unpardonable sin.
Read more: Is Holy Spirit really God?