The Unforgivable Sin

You have probably heard that there was such a thing as an unforgivable sin, but what exactly that means, is less clear to most believers. I don't know where I got the idea, but for years I thought the "unpardonable sin" was suicide because a dead person can not ask forgiveness. You may have heard or held other ideas without any rational backing. But what Jesus is saying is that "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is the sin which cannot be forgiven. This does not refer to an isolated act or utterance, despite the wording in Matthew that reads "anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit..." Rather, the unforgivable sin refers to a pervasive attitude of the heart- one characterized by rebellion and hatred toward God, and specifically the Holy Spirit which is His agent for bringing conviction and salvation to the human heart. Just a few verses after Matthew wrote about people "speaking against the Holy Spirit" he stated that "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks'. Meaning that the words themselves were born out of a deeper resentment. It is this rebellion, when allowed to take root in the human heart, that eventually renders that heart so hardened that repentance is impossible. Therefore, in a nutshell, the unforgivable sin is unbelief, or rejection of the Holy Spirit's invitation to belief.

Can a Christian commit the "unforgivable sin"? I actually read several commentaries on this, all of which agreed that Christians, who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, are incapable of blaspheming Him. They may grieve the Holy Spirit due to willful sin or apathy, but a true Christian cannot renounce the Spirit. Most commentators also pointed out that any concern over whether or not the "unforgivable sin" had been committed is a good indication that it had not, for a heart concerned about offending God is not one that hates Him.

Tomorrow's reading: Matt. 13:10-52, 8:23-27; Luke 8:9-25; Mark 4:21-41