Some people think that they’re are just too sinful to be saved. Believe it, or not, some people – and I haven’t met many – believe they have not sinned at all. And then some are wondering, “Have I committed the unpardonable sin?”
Have I committed the unpardonable sin? The sin that will incur God’s wrath is rejecting Christ. There are reasons why you do not need to worry about the unpardonable sin, yet worry even more about pardonable sins than you currently do.
The unpardonable sin is referred to in Matthew 12.31, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.” The context, however, provides ‘the rest of the story.
No More Jesus; No more Matthew 12.31?
The context of Matthew 12.22-37 tells the real story. At the very least, we see Jesus showing the power and superiority of His kingdom set over and against Satan and his kingdom. Pick your side. You cannot choose to be neutral. If you do not choose Christ, make no mistake, the default position is to side with the enemy (Matthew 12.30).
Jesus proved this point by healing the demon-possessed man (Matthew 12.22). The Pharisees, however, go on to accuse Jesus of doing Satan’s work. The miracle, the power, the healing, are all satanic work, according to the Pharisees. This is, specifically, the unpardonable sin. As Tim Challies aptly says,
The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit involves ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit, accomplished through Jesus Christ to Satan. You get that? It’s saying, the Holy Spirit has done this work, He’s done it through Jesus Christ, yet I’m saying it was Satan who did all of that work. So, to commit that sin, you have to know that Jesus Christ is God and then despite that, ascribe the Spirit’s work through him to the devil. That is a serious, serious offense.
Tim Challies
I’m not sure I agree that the Pharisees understood Jesus was God, but, I agree with his point: The Pharisees knew Jesus was doing the work of God, yet they refused to submit, thereby attributed the work of Christ to Satan.
This is why I do not believe that you can commit the unpardonable sin anymore – in the same way. Jesus’ physical manifestation is no longer with us. Having said that, however, does not mean we cannot commit our contemporary version of the same sin.
8 Questions to ask yourself
The author of Hebrews is clear that there is a sin that will not be forgiven. This sin is directly related to the same sin of the Pharisees – refusing to submit to Jesus Christ. Satan, the deceiver, spends all his efforts trying to keep the fantasy alive – that his kingdom will win. To accomplish this false reality, people buy into 8 different lies, among many more.
#1 You can continue willful sinning
Satan would have you to believe that God will forgive sin, without changing you. God is changing His children to look more like Christ (Romans 8.29). God disciplines His children that they may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12.10). God does not save us and leave us in our sin, and if you cannot see certain sins in your rear view mirror, it should concern you.
Did that last sentence concern you? Were you left saying, “But I AM concerned!” If so, take heart. This is not the attitude of one who is willfully sinning against God. One who is willfully sinning is not worried about violating a holy God; he is actively participating in denying the authority and rulership of Christ over his life.
#2 You can say you are a good person
Obviously, this takes defining. Let’s restrict ourselves to the biblical theme of justification. In terms of salvation, no man is a good person, and no man will be saved by is own good works (Romans 3).
Today’s ideology purports that men are basically good; this sentiment is ubiquitous. Trying to get someone to understand Jeremiah 17.9 – that he is desperately wicked – is a most futile undertaking. However, all things are possible with God (Matthew 19.26).
#3 Your sin is not so bad
This goes hand-in-hand with #2. The scale is a moving scale, and the one setting the standard is one’s self. Satan deceived Eve into believing that she could decide for herself (Genesis 3.4-5). Man’s biggest problem is autonomy (self law). He wants to be a law unto himself. He wants to be the one who declares what is sinful, and what is an appropriate punishment.
Again, this thinking is ubiquitous in our age – that God’s punishments are inordinately harsh. Once, the idea that we can decide, instead of God deciding, takes root, then it matters not what standard anyone chooses; We have banished ourselves into post-modernity.
#4 You can live for something other than Jesus Christ
Mark 8.36-37 emphasizes this point. God makes New Covenant Christians want to obey Him (Ezekiel 36.26). And we are thankful for that. He calls us to seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6.33). Our highest priority is to please Him (2 Corinthians 5.9).
However, the closer we get to Christ, the more we realize how sinful we are. New layers of sin, of wrong thinking, of evil motives, are discovered and need repented of. This we do on a regular basis, as we trust that God’s grace is greater than our sin (Romans 5.20).
#5 You compare yourself against people worse than yourself
Since we have justified our ability to be our own standard, instead of the Bible, we typically pick other sinful people to measure ourselves against. Why, though, do we pick humanity’s worst as our reference point? This is almost comical. “At least I’m not like Charles Manson.” This is not really a good argument. Fungus is no more allowed in the operating room than manure.
Comparing ourselves with other sinful mankind is nothing new (2 Corinthians 10.12). Many already experience the pain of this lie when they “try to keep up with the Jones.” To let this sinful habit continue steals joy, creates Pharisees, and perpetuates hypocrisy.
#6 You see Jesus as a good person
Limiting Christ to merely a good person is a wicked sin, not a mere oversight. History’s fulcrum is the glory of Jesus Christ, upon which everything hinges (Philippians 2.10-11). It is common, in our politically correct world, to hear people speak of Jesus’ nature as being a good prophet, a good person, a good example. This mentality is expressly wicked in the Father’s eyes. Either Christ was perfect God in the flesh, or nothing else makes sense.
#7 You see the God of the Old Testament as different than the God of the New Testament
If you can relegate the God of the Old Testament, to a “has-been,” then you can assign the God of the New Testament to a different, more palatable, yet limited category: Grace. Of coarse this concept would be a tempting offer, once again releasing us from the consequences of our sin. It is just not true, however.
The Bible is clear, from cover to cover, that God is unchanging (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17).
#8 You can readily dismiss the finality of death
Ipods, movies, alcohol, and vices untold, all have the effect of anesthetizing our minds, keeping us entertained and amused [“to not think”]. But a funeral snaps us back into reality; a disease brings our helplessness to the surface; a tragedy reminds us that we cannot control the unknown. And yet, there is ever a remedy in the temporal, and an escape from the inevitable…
Summary
Can you commit the unpardonable sin? Not in the same sense that the Pharisees of Jesus day did. They saw Christ do the miraculous, they knew the power of His activity, yet, they stared into the face of God and said, “You are of the Devil.” This is not something I would recommend. Jesus is no longer physically present before us, but He reigns none-the-less. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16.8), and their need to repent and believe in Christ (Mark 1.15). One who refuses to do so, is one who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For more in depth analysis, see pastor Rob’s sermon: Hebrews 10.26-31
Do not allow those things which would enhance your self-esteem, redirect your contemplation, bring ease to your conscience, to keep you from facing the biggest truth that Scripture presents.