94. The unpardonable sin.

"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks 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 the age to come." (Matthew 12:31-32) This passage has been misunderstood by some believers and they have been distraught because they fear that they may have accidentally committed this unpardonable sin! If we are still professing our faith in Christ, then it is improbable that we have committed this unpardonable sin ! For if we had committed this sin, the Spirit would have left us and we would have fallen away from faith. 'Therefore I tell you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.' (1 Corinthians 12:3) Hence, only a believer who has fallen away from faith is capable of committing this unpardonable sin. 'It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace' (Hebrews 6:4-6) and 'has insulted the Spirit of grace.' (Hebrews 10:29) Believers are more likely to fall from grace than from faith. But if they do fall away from faith, then it would be impossible to bring them back to faith without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whom they have grieved. Even an unbeliever is not capable of committing this unpardonable sin because he cannot blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, without first having known the truth. Or else, Paul would have been charged with this unpardonable sin for railing against the Church! But he says: 'Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.' (Galatians 1:13) That couldn't be said of the Pharisees who actually witnessed the ministry of Christ. They were without excuse because the truth was in plain sight for them to see but they pretended not to have seen it, for fear of losing their position and authority. Therefore, the Pharisees were critical of the power that was at work in the ministry of Jesus and commented: "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." (Matthew 12:24) In saying so, they were in the danger of committing the unpardonable sin of railing against the Holy Spirit. We who are critical of other ministries, when we know it is the Holy Spirit who is at work, better beware, because we too are in the danger of committing this unpardonable sin! It could be an indication of our own fallen state, whether from grace or faith. This sin of blasphemy by fallen believers is more grievous and unpardonable than the sin of unbelievers who refuse to believe in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, because afterall, their sin is always pardonable, once they turn to God. No wonder that the sin of fallen angels is more grievous and unpardonable than the sin of mankind who refuse to believe in God, because afterall their sin is always pardonable, once they turn to God. Amen.