Matthew 12:30-32 says: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.“
You might have heard people referring to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the unpardonable or unforgivable sin. But what is this sin? Is it possible that you or I may have committed the unforgiveable sin? It is found in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter” (Mark 3:28), but then He gives one exception: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (verse 29).
According to Jesus, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the only sin that will never be forgiven. In his Gospel, Matthew emphasizes the word ‘never’ by adding “either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32). Mark calls it an eternal sin.
What is blasphemy against Holy Spirit?
The blasphemy seen in Matthew 12 and Mark 3 seems to be unique. The guilty party, a group of Pharisees, had witnessed irrefutable evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. They saw Him performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet they claimed that He was possessed by the prince of demons and that He was doing miracles in the power of the devil.
These Pharisees committed the unpardonable sin by accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed, rather than Spirit-filled. They had no excuse for this false accusation. They were not speaking out of ignorance. They knew the Messianic prophecies were being fulfilled in Christ. They saw His amazing works and heard His clear presentation of truth. Yet they deliberately chose to deny the truth and slander the Holy Spirit. They attributed the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. Standing before the Light of the World, they defiantly closed their eyes and rejected Him. Jesus pronounced that sin to be unforgivable. It was unforgiveable because they were so entrenched in their rejection of the Messiah that Jesus knew they would never trust in Him.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as seen in this incident, cannot be duplicated today. Jesus is not physically on earth, so no one can personally see Him perform a miracle and then attribute it to the power to Satan instead of to the Holy Spirit. There is therefore no reason to worry that you might have committed the unforgiveable sin described in these passages.
However:
There is still a sin that cannot be forgiven, it is the sin of continued unbelief. The person who, having heard the Gospel, refuses to repent, cannot be forgiven. The opportunity for faith and repentance, however, remain available for as long as a person is alive. When we die that opportunity dies with us. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world, convicting the unsaved of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). If a person resists that conviction and remains unrepentant, then God will honour their choice to remain outside God’s family in heaven. The Bible is clear: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6), and the object of that faith is Jesus (Acts 16:31). There is no forgiveness for someone who knowingly rejects Jesus and dies without faith in Christ.
God has provided for our salvation in His Son (John 3:16). Forgiveness is found exclusively in Jesus (John 14:6). To reject the only Saviour is to be left with no means of salvation. To reject the only pardon is unpardonable. But there is still time.
Many sincere Christians have feared that they might have committed the unforgiveable sin. Such believers certainly need assurance of their salvation, and they should be directed to the many promises in God’s Word. The fact that they are having these doubts is a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is working in their lives, and they have done no such thing. No matter how sinful your past may be, there is nothing you have done which places you outside of God’s reach. His arm is not too short to save you (Isaiah 59:1). Hebrews 7:25 reminds us: Jesus is able to save completely all those who come to God through Him because He ever-lives to intercede for them.
Take heart, the window of repentance is still open, and God is ready to welcome all who place their faith in Christ.