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Unforgivable Sin: How To Keep Your Heart 3 Ways
Recently, I came across a Reddit article about the 3 unforgivable sins. Really? I thought there was only one!
Unforgivable sin #1
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. Matthew 12:31-32
This is a powerful statement that does not need much explaining. In Jesus’ day and in fact, until recently everyone knew what “blasphemy” means:
Definition of blasphemy
1a: the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God …. accused of blasphemy
b: the act of claiming the attributes of a deity ….for a mere man to suggest that he was … divine could only be viewed … as blasphemy— John Bright †1889
2: irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable
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!
But it can be and is. 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.
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 leapt 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 was 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.
But Jesus gave us a way to tell whether such miracles or good or evil:
the tree is known by his fruit.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:35-37
The unforgivable sin is serious stuff, and we want to keep far from it. Jesus gives us 3 ways to keep our hearts.
Remember that our words are important and have a spiritual impact on good or evil.
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:
* indicates that person is in my book SPIRITUAL LIVES
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
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
Do not look to Pharisees for guidance. Go to Jesus and become a part of His family:
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. – Matthew 12:49-50
Unforgivable sin #2
This is the second sin the Reddit article lists, calling it Apostasy, a willful defection from the faith.
Hebrews 6:4–6: “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt.”
Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate* (331-366) comes at once to mind, who hated Christianity so much he tried to rebuild the Jewish Temple.
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, they were never truly saved.
Unforgivable sin #3
The 3rd sin mentioned in the Reddit article is “receiving the mark of the beast” (Revelation 19:20), 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.
Instead, I am listing as #3 a sin cited in Wikipedia in an entry on Eternal Sin:
In Christian hamartiology, eternal sins, unforgivable sins, unpardonable sins, or ultimate sins are sins that God will not forgive.
Hebrews 10:26–31: “For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?
For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Here there is a fearful warning about sin after salvation but not a clear statement that it is unforgivable.
Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son illustrates the principle of restoration of a son after egregious sin. In the same vein is the sin below:
Unforgivable sin #4
“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.” 1 John 5:16:
The Apostle John* 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:
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
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.
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 right now 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 from 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.
He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. – John 14:23-24
NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF JESUS
O pilgrim bound for the heav’nly land,
Never lose sight of Jesus!
He’ll lead you gently with loving hand;
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Refrain:
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Day and night He will lead you right;
Never lose sight of Jesus!
When you are tempted to go astray,
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Press onward, upward the narrow way;
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Tho’ dark the pathway may seem ahead,
Never lose sight of Jesus!
“Lo, I am with you,” His Word hath said:
Never lose sight of Jesus!
When death is knocking outside the door,
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Till safe with Him on the golden shore;
Never lose sight of Jesus!
Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1895
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
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