“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Matthew 12:31–32
Through the Bible: Matthew 12; Mark 3; Luke 6
Jesus said some hard things. He said a lot of things that confuse us and are difficult to understand. But few stop us in our tracks like Matthew 12:31-32. Wait— there’s an unforgivable sin? What is it? Have I committed it? What if I commit it in the future? Tell me more about this “one-strike-and-you’re-out” sin!
The Context
To understand, look at the scene. Jesus had just healed a demon-possessed man—blind and mute. The crowd wondered if He could be the Son of David, the promised Messiah. But the Pharisees, unwilling to admit what they saw, accused Him of working by Satan’s power:
“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” (Matthew 12:24)
They saw the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus and called it the work of evil. That’s what Jesus meant by “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”
The Concept
The word blasphemy means to slander or speak evil against something sacred. This wasn’t a careless word or a flash of anger. It was a deliberate, settled rejection of the Spirit’s witness to who Jesus is.
Throughout Scripture, the Spirit’s work is to bear witness to Christ, to convict hearts of sin, and to draw people toward repentance. When that witness is rejected, the very means of forgiveness is refused.
The Condemnation
The sin is “unforgivable” not because God’s grace has limits, but because repentance becomes impossible for those who insist that the Spirit’s light is darkness. When a heart continually resists the Spirit’s conviction, nothing is left that can awaken it.
C.S. Lewis described it this way:
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”
The unforgivable sin belongs to that second group—those who repeatedly and ultimately say “no” to the Spirit’s “yes.”
The Comfort
If you’ve ever worried that you might have committed the unforgivable sin, take heart—you haven’t. The Pharisees weren’t anxious about grieving the Spirit; they were mocking Him. A heart still tender enough to care about sin is not the heart Jesus warns against.
The very fact that you’re concerned shows that the Spirit is still at work in you, still calling you home.
The Call
Rather than fear what can’t be forgiven, thank God for the grace that can. Every sin, every blasphemy, every failure can be washed away—if you will let the Spirit lead you to Jesus.
He still forgives. He still restores. He still calls.
Other Day 282 Posts:
This blog will always be a free resource for anyone who wants to grow in their love for God’s Word. If it has blessed you and you would like to support the ministry of 66in52, please consider a one time or recurring donation. Thank you!
Leave a ReplyCancel reply