Questions & Answers
UNPARDONABLE SIN
QUESTION: What is the unpardonable sin and how do you commit it?
ANSWER: The “unpardonable sin”, as it has come to be known in Christianity , is found in Mark 3.28-29, Luke 12.10 and Matthew 12.21-32: Jesus said, “ Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
It is important to know that Jesus was primarily addressing the Pharisees and religious leaders when He made this statement. The point being addressed was that if anyone, with the evidence of the Lord’s power before his eyes, declared it to be satanic, exhibited a condition of heart beyond divine illumination and therefore hopeless. As to the Son of Man (Jesus) in His state of being in human form, there might be misunderstanding, but not so with the Holy Spirit’s power demonstrated.
One commentary has noted: “The Pharisees had long observed the sinless Jesus Christ. They observed him doing undeniable and powerful miracles which were, at the very least, clear evidence of power supplied by God. These impressive miracles were freely given in pure kindness and love to release people from obvious suffering and the oppression of horrible evil. However, the Pharisees had so firmly set their hearts against accepting Jesus as the Messiah that they rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence the crowds. They publicly credited the most ultimately evil being in the universe with these precious, godly miracles. In other words, they called the precious and Holy Spirit of God, the unclean spirit of satan. In effect, they charged Jesus Christ with sorcery; one who is in league with satan. These charges are not only appalling and extremely serious, but clearly absurd. As Jesus immediately responded,
"How can satan cast out satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house" (Mark 3.23-27; also see Luke 11.14-23).
Note that… "Jesus does not deny the existence of other exorcists here. [See: Matthew 7.22-23] …Exorcists often invoked a higher spirit to get rid of a lower one. …But a demon's retreat that meanwhile drew attention to another of satan's servants would only be a strategic retreat; such possible activity contrasts with the wholesale exorcizing of the masses that Jesus undertakes, which clearly signifies a defeat of satan [Matthew 12.29, 4.24, 8.16; Mark 1.34, 39, 5.12, 15; Luke 1.9] …the parable about tying up a protective householder means that Jesus had defeated Satan and could therefore plunder his possessions--free the demon-possessed" [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), pp. 143, 80.].
"The unforgivable sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit has been interpreted in various ways, but the true meaning cannot contradict other Scripture. It is unequivocally clear that the one unforgivable sin is permanently rejecting Christ (John 3.18, 3.36). Thus, speaking against the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting Christ with such finality that no future repentance is possible. 'My spirit shall not always strive with man,' God said long ago (Genesis 6.3).” (Dr. Henry Morris)
If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind.
If one is wondering if they have committed the unpardonable sin, the very fact that they are concerned if they may have committed this sin is proof that they have not.
QUESTION: What is the unpardonable sin and how do you commit it?
ANSWER: The “unpardonable sin”, as it has come to be known in Christianity , is found in Mark 3.28-29, Luke 12.10 and Matthew 12.21-32: Jesus said, “ Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
It is important to know that Jesus was primarily addressing the Pharisees and religious leaders when He made this statement. The point being addressed was that if anyone, with the evidence of the Lord’s power before his eyes, declared it to be satanic, exhibited a condition of heart beyond divine illumination and therefore hopeless. As to the Son of Man (Jesus) in His state of being in human form, there might be misunderstanding, but not so with the Holy Spirit’s power demonstrated.
One commentary has noted: “The Pharisees had long observed the sinless Jesus Christ. They observed him doing undeniable and powerful miracles which were, at the very least, clear evidence of power supplied by God. These impressive miracles were freely given in pure kindness and love to release people from obvious suffering and the oppression of horrible evil. However, the Pharisees had so firmly set their hearts against accepting Jesus as the Messiah that they rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence the crowds. They publicly credited the most ultimately evil being in the universe with these precious, godly miracles. In other words, they called the precious and Holy Spirit of God, the unclean spirit of satan. In effect, they charged Jesus Christ with sorcery; one who is in league with satan. These charges are not only appalling and extremely serious, but clearly absurd. As Jesus immediately responded,
"How can satan cast out satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house" (Mark 3.23-27; also see Luke 11.14-23).
Note that… "Jesus does not deny the existence of other exorcists here. [See: Matthew 7.22-23] …Exorcists often invoked a higher spirit to get rid of a lower one. …But a demon's retreat that meanwhile drew attention to another of satan's servants would only be a strategic retreat; such possible activity contrasts with the wholesale exorcizing of the masses that Jesus undertakes, which clearly signifies a defeat of satan [Matthew 12.29, 4.24, 8.16; Mark 1.34, 39, 5.12, 15; Luke 1.9] …the parable about tying up a protective householder means that Jesus had defeated Satan and could therefore plunder his possessions--free the demon-possessed" [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), pp. 143, 80.].
"The unforgivable sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit has been interpreted in various ways, but the true meaning cannot contradict other Scripture. It is unequivocally clear that the one unforgivable sin is permanently rejecting Christ (John 3.18, 3.36). Thus, speaking against the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting Christ with such finality that no future repentance is possible. 'My spirit shall not always strive with man,' God said long ago (Genesis 6.3).” (Dr. Henry Morris)
If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind.
If one is wondering if they have committed the unpardonable sin, the very fact that they are concerned if they may have committed this sin is proof that they have not.
