What is the Unpardonable Sin?

“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 

“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28-29).

Grace and peace, Saints.

Most of us in the Body of Christ are familiar with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—the “unpardonable sin”—so called because Jesus said that a man guilty of this sin would not be forgiven, though he be forgiven every other sin, including blaspheming the name of Christ (Mark 3:28-29).  Many however, are unclear about what actually constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and this has led to a bevy of opinions on the matter. 

Some, for instance, believe that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is when a Christian knowingly sins, while others believe blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unconfessed sin. But 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, Jesus is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”  Jesus said that all sins would be forgiven.  Many have sinned with complete malice of forethought and God still forgave them.  Clearly then, this is not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

With respect to unconfessed sin, God is merciful (Exodus 34:6).  If He knows that our will is to do His will, he will not hold unconfessed sin against us.  And if there is some sin that God really wants us to confess, God will chastise us to get our attention or the Holy Ghost will bring unconfessed sin to our remembrance, so we will confess it.  Unconfessed sin then, is not blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. 

J. Vernon McGee, in the book, Marching Through Mark, a commentary on the Gospel of Mark, has this to say:

“Since Jesus is not here today casting out demons, it is impossible to commit this sin.  Jesus died for all sin.  No overt act of sin is unpardonable.  There is no remedy for unbelief. It is not an act, but a state, or condition” (p. 17).

This is not a true statement.  Jesus is not here today casting out demons, but the Holy Spirit is still here today casting out demons, in the name of Jesus.  And the blasphemy is against Him, not Jesus.  It is indeed possible to blaspheme the Holy Ghost, but a true born-again Christian would never blaspheme God, even unintentionally.  So, only an unsaved person can or would blaspheme against the Holy Ghost.  Therefore, if you are a true Christian, you needn’t worry.  (I’ll tell you why later.) 

Incidentally, J. Vernon McGee, in saying that “no overt act of sin is unpardonable,” is calling Jesus Christ a liar.  He is treading on very thin ice.

To understand the nature of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, let us refer to Jesus’ discourse in Mark Chapter 3, in particular the verse which precipitated Jesus’ warning about blaspheming the Holy Ghost.  A clue to the nature of the unpardonable sin can be found by looking at to whom Jesus was speaking.

“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils” (v. 22).

Jesus was talking to the scribes.  The scribes were a very learned group of men who were considered experts on the Law and were usually in the company of the Pharisees.   Jesus never had anything commendable to say about either group, as Matthew Chapter 23 illustrates in dramatic fashion:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (v.v. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 28.)

Wow.  Seven times Jesus says, “Woe unto you!” and calls these men hypocrites.  He also calls them “blind,” “fools,” “serpents,” and “vipers.”  Those who insist that Jesus was only love should be paying close attention.

Now, Webster’s defines a hypocrite as,

 “1.  A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion.

“2. A person who acts contrary to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”

Beginning with verse 12, Jesus launches a scathing verbal assault on the scribes and the Pharisees that leaves no doubt about why He calls them hypocrites.  For the purposes of this essay, I would like to concentrate on verse 12.  Jesus says:

 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” 

What does Jesus mean by this statement?  Jesus uses the metaphor of a door to illustrate how the Pharisees actually kept some men from going to heaven, by shutting the door to salvation and not letting anyone in.  This would suggest that they held the key.

This is consistent with Luke 11:52:

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” 

So, the scribes and Pharisees held the key of knowledge and denied others access to that knowledge.  A clue to the specific knowledge they withheld from men can be found in the second definition of a hypocrite, which is “a person who acts contrary to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”

To see how this definition applies to the scribes, recall that they said that Jesus “hath Beelzebub” and by him cast out devils.  Beelzebub is another name for Satan.  They were saying that Jesus was possessed.  To say that Jesus was possessed was to call Him a sinner. And to call Him a sinner was to say that He was not the Messiah, the Son of God.

For the Pharisees to “act contrary to [their] stated beliefs or feelings,” they would have to secretly believe that Jesus really was the Messiah, but publicly proclaim that He was not.  And this is exactly the case. 

In Matthew 22:16 the Pharisees say to Jesus,

 “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth.”

In Luke 20:21, the chief priests and scribes say to Jesus,

“Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly…[and] teachest the way of God truly.” 

In John 3:2, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, tells Jesus,

 “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God.” 

Did you see that?  They knew!  They knew that Jesus was sent from God and was no devil. Yet, they not only denied that he was the Christ, but they also accused Him of of being the devil.  But as we have just seen, they knew full well that Jesus Christ was God Almighty.

Further proof of this can be found in the same discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees that we discussed earlier in the book of Luke, which dialogue continues in Chapter 12. After telling them that they “have taken away the key of knowledge,”  He says this to His disciples:

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

“Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:1b-3).

Now, this statement of Jesus about things spoken in darkness being proclaimed upon the housetops is often taken to mean that the things we say in this life in secret, Jesus will reveal at the Judgment.  Though this is true, this is not the context in which Jesus makes this statement.  

Jesus said that the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy.  Recall that hypocrisy means to believe one thing, but to declare another.  Now we have already seen that the scribes and Pharisees believed that Jesus was sent from God, yet they denied Him before men.  Jesus knew what they really believed and that is why he called them hypocrites and said that what they said in secret would be declared in public.  Their secret dialogue, to which Jesus referred, is recorded in John Chapter 11:

“Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

“If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation” (John 11:47-48).

These men weren’t really concerned for their nation.  It was the loss of their positions of power and influence that concerned them.  They knew that if all the people believed on Jesus, there would be no place for them.  It’s clear that they knew Jesus was the Messiah.  But they also knew that, in Jesus’ theology, they had no place, and they had become very accustomed to a favored position in the life of the average Jew.

Jesus was a threat.  And he had to be discredited.

That is why Jesus called them hypocrites.  Not only because their shows of piety were a sham, but because they knew He was the Messiah, the Holy One of God.  But because they feared the loss of their prestige, they denied Him publicly.  Jesus’ words in Luke 12:8-9, spoken immediately following his admonition regarding “the leaven of the Pharisees,” adds strength to this argument:

“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

“But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” 

These men knew that Jesus was the Messiah, yet they denied Him.  How did they know?  The Holy Spirit told them. 

In John 16:8, Jesus tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, He would “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”  The Holy Spirit gives Himself to whomever He will.  It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin.  And when we respond to that conviction, we repent and are converted.

But a person can also resist the Holy Spirit by not yielding to Him.  Rather than submit when he is convicted of sin, he hardens his heart.   Paul talks about this in 2 Timothy Chapter 3.  Speaking of the false teachers, Paul says:

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (v. 8). 

“Jannes and Jambres” is a reference to the book of Exodus.  They were Pharaoh’s magicians who hardened his heart against God by duplicating all of Moses’ plagues: all, that is, except one: the plague of the lice. 

This is very important, because it demonstrates that there are those who know God is real, but choose not to worship Him.  Let us listen to the Bible:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice.

“And they did so…and it became lice in man, and in beast…” 

“And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not… 

“Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God… 

“[But] Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them…” (Exodus 8:16-19).

Did you see that?  Pharaoh realized that God was more powerful than his magicians, but rather than submit to God, he hardened his heart.  So did the magicians.  Paul is saying that men of this sort know that God is real because they have seen what He can do, but they choose to harden their hearts and resist Him.

In the book of Acts, Stephen, when brought before the Jewish council on sedition charges, tells them:

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised of hearts and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (7:51).

Again, these men knew that Jesus is the Christ, but they willfully resist the Holy Spirit, and deny Him. 

These men not only resist the Holy Spirit by denying the truth of Jesus, but they also withhold this truth from others.  Romans Chapter 1 illustrates this perfectly: 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:18-21).

Did you get that?  God has shown these men the truth of Himself, but rather than share that truth, they withhold it from the people.  They harden their hearts against God.

Why do they withhold the truth?  Because the truth is freedom.  Jesus said that those who sought after the truth would find it in Him.  And that truth would make them free (John 8:32).  The Jewish religious machine wanted to keep the people ignorant and in bondage. So, although they knew that Jesus was the Christ, they denied Him publicly.  They were hypocrites.

Hypocrisy is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: not the hypocrisy of “putting on a false appearance of virtue or religion,” as many are guilty of this, but the sin of “acting contrary to ones stated beliefs.”  This is important because the scribes and Pharisees were not only priests, but teachers.  They wielded tremendous influence and their word was law. Had these men proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, everyone would have followed Him.  But because they denied Him, many of the people denied Him also.  And they not only denied Him, but they taught others to do the same.  

This is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost: to proclaim and to teach something contrary to the truth that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you.  That truth is that Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).”  It is blasphemy, because one who is guilty of this is calling the Holy Spirit a liar.  And the Holy Spirit is God.

This is why a true Christian can never commit the unpardonable sin.  No true believer would deny that Jesus is the Christ: the Son of the Living God.  And he certainly wouldn’t teach it.

The unpardonable sin is committed, for the most part, by those who have been entrusted with the souls of men to turn them to righteousness.  They are supposed to teach and preach the Word of God, but instead they teach damnable heresies.

These include preachers like T.D. Jakes, Joel Olsteen, and Billy Graham, all  of whom say that there are many ways to heaven.  They blaspheme the Holy Spirit, because they know that is a lie.  These shall have their part in the Lake of Fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone. 

I love what Jude has to say about such men:

“Woe unto them!” (v. 11). 

Isn’t that just like his Big Brother? 

The companion audio podcast to this teaching is available for free at the iTunes Store.  You can get it by clicking here.

For your convenience, it is also provided below.

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Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

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