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Question: Have I committed the unforgivable sin?
Answer: Hi, this is Pastor Tim from Open the Bible. Pastor Colin asked me to thank you for your good question and respond to you.
I want you to know that we’ve received this question a number of times over the years. It’s clearly something that many people, including Christians, struggle with.
I’m going to assume that the reason you’re asking this question is because of Jesus’ words: “I tell you the truth. All sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:28-29).
Notice, there is a positive and a negative in what Jesus says. First, the positive.
Jesus Is Ready to Forgive
Jesus is telling us that he is ready to forgive any sin that you have committed if you will come to him today.
He is ready to forgive our lies, thefts, sins of thought and speech, open sins and secret sins, sins from long ago, and sins repeated many times.
Notice, he is ready to forgive all blasphemies. That certainly includes blasphemous words, blasphemous thoughts, and blasphemous deeds. And Jesus gives us his word: “I tell you the truth!”
All the sins and blasphemies of men and women will be forgiven. That means the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cover every sin, including yours!
Take this promise from Jesus and believe it. Come to him on the basis of his word. Tell him about your sins. Name them. Confess them, and find peace with God through the blood of Christ today.
Now, to the negative, the warning.
Jesus Will Not Forgive Those Who Reject Him
As I said, many believers worry that they may have committed this sin. But, be encouraged, if you are at all worried that you might have committed this sin, you can be quite certain that you haven’t.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? It’s to do what the teachers of the law were in danger of doing. What did they do? They saw the work of Christ and concluded that he was in league with the devil.
The sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of continuing to reject Jesus Christ and his work.
Why is it called “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?” Because the Spirit came upon Jesus at his baptism, and from that moment on, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is the ministry of Jesus.
Notice, Jesus does not say that the teachers of the law had committed this sin, but that they were close to it. That’s why he gives them this warning. These men are educated rebels. They could pass a Bible exam. They could write first-class papers in Bible school. Their knowledge was impressive, but they refused to submit to the authority of Christ.
There is a hardness of heart that can come to the most studious people.
A Promise and a Warning
God stands ready to forgive any sin through his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for you. That’s the promise.
But if you go on refusing this Christ there is no other way in which you can be forgiven. That’s the warning.
I hope and pray that God will help you apply this to your life, and that you will find real encouragement and comfort in God’s Word.
Pastor Tim
Tim Augustyn
Pastor of Ministry Resources
Tim serves as the resident pastor, writer, and editor of Open the Bible. He was born and raised in northern Wisconsin, came to faith in his 20's while working in the business world, and received a Master's in Divinity from Trinity International University. He is author of the children’s book Man on the Run, and co-author of The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional with Colin Smith. Tim lives in Arlington Heights, IL with his wife Janna, and they have four grown children.
