MATTHEW 12:22–32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men”
(Matt. 12:31).
Nothing strikes fear in the heart of a Christian like the passage from Matthew 12 that speaks of the unforgivable sin. Adulterers, fornicators, drunks, murderers run to the pastor’s office terrified that they have finally crossed the line, that they have committed the unforgivable sin. While this sin is certainly terrifying, there would be a lot less anxiety in the church if we understood more clearly what the unforgivable sin actually is.
We do not want to presume to get a complete handle on a subject that has been so hotly debated throughout the centuries in a brief study, but we hope to shed some light by being faithful to the context and to other passages that refer to this kind of sin. Obviously, we do not have the space to treat this subject exhaustively, so we will simply highlight the main characteristics of this sin as Jesus declared it.
First, it is blasphemy. Blasphemy is a verbal hostility directed against God Himself. It is not murder, unfaithfulness, adultery, or anything of the like. It is specifically blasphemy.
Second, it is not just any blasphemy. Many blasphemies are forgiven, i.e. taking the Lord’s name in vain. But this is blasphemy with knowledge of the truth. Hebrews 6 and 10 shed some light on this point. These passages talk about someone who has been enlightened to the truth but has rejected it. Here you must understand that a person can know the truth and not necessarily be regenerate. Therefore, someone who knows the truth of Christ (in an unregenerative sense) but calls Him a devil, has committed the kind of blasphemy described in Matthew 12.
Third, it is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit bears witness to Christ. Hebrews 10 brings this together. If you know Christ to be truly God but still call Him a devil, you are not only blaspheming the Son of God, but you are calling the Holy Spirit, who has enlightened you to the truth, a liar.
Fourth, every Christian sins after he knows the truth, but the person who knows the truth about Christ, but still blasphemes Him, publicly and verbally attributing His works to Satan with outright malice, has committed the unforgivable sin.
CORAM DEO
1 Chronicles 26–27
John 11:18–46
Read today’s passages listed below. Who did Jesus warn? According to the text, would someone know if they had done it? Are those in danger of committing the unpardonable sin within the visible church? Can a person have biblical knowledge and yet not be saved? What are the implications of this fact for the church?
For further study: Mark 3:28–30 • Heb. 6:4–8; 10:26–31 • 1 John 5:14–17
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