The Unforgivable Sin

Day 18: Matthew 12:22-45

“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 ESV

This has to be one of the most debated sayings of Jesus that we see in the four biographies of His life in the New Testament. As a kid, I remember having extreme anxiety about this at night. I would think, "What if I accidentally blaspheme the Holy Spirit and go to hell?” I mean, some wild thoughts passed through my mind.

Rest assured, this is not what Jesus was communicating. This is no accidental act. It is an intentional refusal of God's presence, His breath (Holy Spirit translates literally as Holy Breath).

So, when does someone reach the point of no return, the moment they will not turn back to Jesus? That's the thing; we don't know.

What can we do? We can wake up every morning and literally say out loud, "Holy Spirit, have your way in me. Create in me a new heart. Renew a steadfast spirit in me." This isn't so much about the overwhelming thought of your entire life as it is about all the individual days that will fill your time on earth.

The following from Blomberg's commentary is especially helpful as we close, along with a quote from the Apostle Paul:

"If one rejects the Spirit of God in Jesus, there is no one else in all the cosmos who can provide salvation. But we dare never label anyone as having committed this sin. Only God knows human hearts, and we would often make the wrong guess. Moreover, professing believers who fear they have committed the unforgivable sin demonstrate a concern for their spiritual welfare which by definition proves they have not committed it." - Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 204)

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25