Unforgivable sin? Everyone is scared to death of it, and we should be. What is it? The Bible mentions 1. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, 2. Apostasy, 3. UnRepentance, and 4. Mark of the beast.
Before we start to panic, let's run to Jesus whose blood saves us from all sin.
Recently, I came across a Reddit article about the 3 unforgivable sins. Really? I thought there was only one!
Unforgivable sin #1
Jesus defines it simply as "blasphemy" against the Holy Ghost. Everyone in Jesus' world knew what that word meant. Today we are not so sure. The basic meaning is to show contempt or irreverence to God.
Jesus said this just after He had cast a devil out of a blind, deaf, and dumb man in the power of the Holy Ghost and the Pharisees said He did this through the power of the devil (Matthew 12:24)
The Reddit commentator thinks this unforgivable sin could not be committed today because Jesus is no longer on earth, but the Holy Ghost is still here!
We grew up Pentecostal and were constantly mocked as “holy rollers.” Now this was certainly not righteous but did not rise to the level of blasphemy. And it was not the Holy Ghost being mocked but us, the ones who believed in Him.
When I was 16, I went to a Christian high school where people in authority told me that speaking in tongues was “of the devil.” My mind instantly leaped to this text. The relevant part here is that spiritual leaders attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil.
Jesus was doing miracles, healing withered hands, casting out a devil who had made a man deaf and mute, and restoring his faculties. And this the Pharisees said was done “by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”
Why would anyone say such a thing? The natural response, the human response, and the response of the common people to Jesus’ miracles were rejoicing and encouragement. But before they said this, the Pharisees “held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”
This is why they committed the unforgivable sin; their hearts were filled with hatred spawned by jealousy and fear of losing their position of power. Jesus knew this and saw into their hearts in a way we cannot.
He rebuked them:
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
The unforgivable sin is serious stuff, and we want to keep far from it.
Jesus gives us 3 ways to keep our hearts.
1. Remember that our words are important and have a spiritual impact on good or evil.
2. We know people by their fruit, whether it is good or bad. This fruit can be the list works of the flesh that St. Paul* lists in Galatians 5:
* indicates that person is in my book SPIRITUAL LIVES
He does not use the word “unforgivable” but gives an equivalent warning: they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:21
Opposite these signs of “unforgivable” sin, the Apostle gives explains the fruit of the Holy Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance – Galatians 5:22-23
3. Do not look to Pharisees for guidance. Go to Jesus and become a part of His family:
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. – Jesus in Matthew 12:49-50
Unforgivable sin #2
The Reddit article lists a second sin that cannot be forgiven calling it Apostasy, a willful defection from the faith. Reddit cites the Epistle to the Hebrews 6:4–6 as its authority.
Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate* (331-366) comes at once to mind, who hated Christianity so much he tried to rebuild the Jewish Temple. He was thwarted in this "when fearful balls of fire, breaking out near the foundations, continued their attacks, till the workmen, after repeated scorchings, could approach no more: and he gave up the attempt."
Charles Templeton was a leading evangelist, an associate of Billy Graham*, and founder of Youth for Christ who became an atheist after attending Princeton Seminary. He explained his decision to Billy Graham:
‘But, Billy, it’s simply not possible any longer to believe, for instance, the biblical account of creation. The world was not created over a period of days a few thousand years ago; it has evolved over millions of years. It’s not a matter of speculation; it’s a demonstrable fact.’
Of course, the real reason is that he never knew Jesus! And this, I think, lies at the bottom of every “apostasy,” not knowing the Lord.
Or as reformed theology would say of these apostates, they were never truly saved.
Unforgivable sin #3
The Reddit article calls “receiving the mark of the beast” (Revelation 19:20), another unforgivable event, not as much a sin itself but the result of sin. The editor dismisses it as clearly not “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” which it is not. It is a future event occuring when Jesus comes to destroy those who have signed up with His enemies and casts them into Hell.
Unforgivable sin #4
The Apostle John* tells us "There is a sin unto death," 1 John 5:16: but to call it "unforgivable" would be wrong. The Apostle here is speaking of sins that lead directly to physical death, like that of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-10. The point made here, and reinforced later by St. Paul*, is that there are dire consequences for sin that do not result in damnation.
There was such a sin in the church at Corinth. The sinner here was having an incestual relationship with his stepmother and was excommunicated from the church, but the purpose was not to damn him but call him to repentance. The Apostle Paul gave this command: you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 5:5
A final comment on the unforgivable sin
We all need to keep our hearts so that we come nowhere near blaspheming the Holy Ghost. We need not fear if we stay close to Jesus. Perhaps a few will be denied forgiveness for these unforgivable sins.
But in another sense, millions of souls will perish for sins not in themselves unforgivable, but because the sinner has not brought them to the Forgiver!
If any of you are in this group, please pray this prayer that Jesus Himself has blessed: God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13
How To Keep Your Heart 3 Ways
1. Live in the Bible. Every Christian needs to read the Word of God devotionally, every day. Every Christian needs to read the Bible through every year. This keeps us connected to Jesus and in touch with His will. As we read, we interact with the Holy Ghost, and He gives us that living water that flows through us to keep our souls and to bless others.
2. Be filled with the Holy Ghost: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? – Luke 11:13
3. Obey every Word Jesus has given: Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. – John 14:23
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