What Is the Unforgivable Sin?

Last Sunday, we looked at Mark 3:13-45. As part of Jesus’ response to the scribes after they’ve attributed his authority to drive out demons to the activity of Satan, he responds, “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit” (3:28-30). Jesus is not necessarily saying the scribes have committed this sin, but he is saying that there is a sin by which we can be out of forgiveness’ reach. Since we did not address this when we gathered, I want to here answering three questions:

1. What makes the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unique?

2. What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

3. Can I lose my salvation? If salvation comes by the Spirit’s indwelling, regeneration of the heart, and making me a new creation, can all of this be forfeited?

What makes the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unique?

We are told that the children of men will be forgiven for whatever blasphemies they utter. Except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The account in Luke goes even further and records Jesus saying, “...everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (12:10). So you can blasphemy against Jesus, the Father, the church, Scripture--but there is a line that you’ve crossed when you blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

Why is this? It’s important to understand the role of each Person of the Trinity as it relates to salvation. God the Father has planned salvation since before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8, Eph. 1:3-14). In other words, yes, he is sovereign and controls all things. But God uses his sovereignty so that every single moment leading up to the arrival of his Son is exactly what God had planned and now every single moment leading up to the return of his Son is exactly what God had planned. This is called providence. When you open up the first pages of Genesis and read about creation to the final pages in Revelation to how the story of redemption ends, from its conception to consummation, the Father planned it. 

Then, you have the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Word took on flesh to execute the Father’s plan. He fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. He was offered up as a propitiation for our sins. Out of his great love for us and great zeal for his Father’s glory, He drank the cup of divine judgement and wrath our sins merit so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God--no longer as an enemy--but redeemed as his son or daughter. 

Notice the Father’s plan and the Son’s execution is outside of us. The Person of the Trinity who applies the Son’s work to us, the One who personalizes it and makes it effectual, is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s role in our salvation is to convict us of sin and righteousness, grant us repentance, regenerate our hearts, make us beneficiaries of the spiritual blessings found in Christ, and open up the eyes of our heart to see the worthiness of Jesus (John 16:18, Titus 3:4-5, Eph. 1:3-14, Eph. 1:17-18). The Spirit is the One who can awaken us to the wisdom of the Father’s plan and to the beauty of the Son’s love. He’s the One who helps us in our spiritual deadness and commits to changing us into the image of Jesus. So we place ourselves in a very dangerous situation if we begin to reject his work and his help. 

What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Now we haven’t defined what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is yet. As we come to questions like this in Scripture, we would do well to let Scripture interpret Scripture. In other words, are there other verses that can help us rule out what it is not and help us get closer as to what the answer actually is? Let me put a couple in front of us:

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:17)

Notice Esau found no place to repent. Repentance is not just simply regret, though there is godly sorrow involved. It is making a 180. It is changing one’s course. Not just sentimental feelings of sorriness but an altering of one’s actions. Living one way and now deciding to live another. If we repent of our sins, God promises forgiveness. That is amazing hope and good news. But it is possible to dismiss the Spirit’s conviction and correction for so long and so deeply that our hearts become so callous and so hardened that we can no longer be broken over our rebellion against God, we can no longer see the wonders of God’s mercy, and we can no longer feel and fathom the horrors of sin. We are unable to genuinely repent. That is what has happened to Esau. He had tears and distress, but he did not have the ability to make this 180. So before moving on, this verse teaches us that I can be put in a place beyond forgiveness when my heart is in a place beyond repentance. 

How do we get there? Because this will answer what blasphemy against the Spirit is. Let’s look again at Hebrews, this time in 10:26-29:

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a furry of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

There is a human action, a divine emotion, and fearful consequence laid out in these verses. The action is sinning deliberately. The divine emotion is the Spirit’s outrage. And the consequence is a sacrifice of sins that no longer save you; instead, you can expect judgement. 

So when trying to answer this question, we can answer like this: the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a resistance toward the Holy Spirit that is so deliberate and willful and belittling and grievous that He withdraws forever with his convicting power so you are not able to repent, and therefore, not forgiven. 

It is making peace with sin. It is a constant rejection of God that layers the heart with hardness. Like sitting in freshly poured concrete. At some point, the concrete will harden to the point where you are unable to move. Be encouraged: if you are able to genuinely repent today, you have not wandered into this territory. God promises forgiveness. But also be warned: do not presuppose your next act of willful sinning will make repentance possible. 

Can we lose our salvation? 

I’m hoping today that you have a new category of thought regarding the Holy Spirit. Before I introduce this category, let me first answer Question 3. The short and simple answer to this is ‘no.” It is ‘no’ with a footnote. If God has found it pleasing to send his Holy Spirit to indwell our hearts and to be “born again,” this is irreversible. Two great pillars of truth that support this point are these below (there are many more):

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This finished work that God is committed to finishing is our “blamelessness for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10).

“For those he foreknew he also predestined and to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30). This entire chapter in Romans is dedicated to the Spirit’s work. Notice how Paul writes out this verse. He takes what has not yet happened yet, namely our glorification, and speaks of it in the past tense. From Paul’s perspective, there is an unbreakable link to being called and justified and persevering in the faith so that you’re glorified. God will see to this. Salvation cannot be lost. You cannot be unborn spiritually after you have been born again. You cannot be “in Christ” and then out.

But here’s the caveat, and here is an introduction of a new category you might not have in your Christian thought. While it is true that salvation cannot be lost, you can still experience the Holy Spirit’s power and working in your life, around your life, and through your life, and still not be truly born again.  

You may have enjoyed spiritual things and may have experienced mountaintop religious highs and even seen God work mightily through you but not have the Spirit’s indwelling presence. Isn’t this what Jesus speaks about in Matthew 7:22-23? 

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” In essence, Jesus gives us this category of somewhat can experience the Spirit’s activity and yet not be sealed by the Spirit for salvation.

Maybe an illustration will help. This is not my own. It’s actually one the author of Hebrews uses. Imagine two fields. Both drink up the rain. Hebrews compares the rain to the Spirit’s blessings: one who has been enlightened and has tasted in the good word of God and the powers in the age to come, one who has been a “partaker” of the Holy Spirit. And yet, only one field springs up vegetation. The other yields thorns and thistles (Hebrews 6:4-8). Both fields experience the Spirit’s blessings. Only one belongs to the Lord.

In light of this, how then should we live?  These are sobering truths. They’re meant to be stimulants that help us hear God’s voice above the siren’s tunes of sin. Let us evaluate any sin in our lives and repent of them while the Spirit is at work. King’s Hill, there is an incredible promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This promise is good for those who want it and can act on his words. Let’s throw ourselves into his hands and pursue him as our greatest and highest joy today not putting it off for tomorrow when that chance might not be possible. 

If you’re looking for a church to call home, we’d love for you to visit King’s Hill.