The Unforgivable Sin

When Christians are asked about their greatest fear regarding their Christian walk, some reply they are afraid of committing the “unforgivable sin;” perhaps this fear is held by those who want to walk as close to line of sin as possible, but it even haunts many somber believers. First, this feared sin is more complicated than just saying some words. Perhaps, just saying the feared words that bring supposed blasphemy to the Holy Spirit is not as devastating as believed.  True, the mouth speaks from the heart, but at times, many people say words without previous thought and those words may not actually reflect their genuine beliefs. Most times, this stated fear is unfounded. Correctly understood, this sin involves premeditated blasphemy of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. It is rejecting, defaming, or opposing God, perhaps even attributing the works of God to Satan. Jesus Himself said, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” – Matt. 12:32 (ESV); in the original language, these are active, intense warnings about continually speaking against those in the Trinity; the other apostles echo this opinion, Mk. 3:23-29; Lk. 12:10. Most Jews in Jesus’ time, understood that even speaking the name of God was disrespectful and could be considered “blasphemy,” which was a religious capital offense. Stephen’s strong words and subsequent stoning, reveal that a person could be killed for this misunderstood infraction without fear from the Roman reprisal, (Acts 7:54ff). The seriousness of this offense can also be found when Jesus’ opponents attempted to dismiss His actions by accusing Him of blasphemy or attributing His power to Satan. This action is recurring in Mk. 2:7; Lk. 5:21; Jn. 10:33. Even during His trial, the issue of blasphemy was used for justification for His death, “Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy,” Matt. 26:65 (ESV), cf. also Mk. 14:64.
Certainly, we should always use the name of the Lord respectfully. But, is limited poor or unthoughtful use a designation for eternal damnation?
By careful study, the deduction becomes clear that the “unforgivable sin,” is not a one-time utterance, it is rather an ongoing practice, likely developed over some period of time culminating in the person turning their back on God’s desires, His importance, or even His existence. The Greek word “blasphemia,” means “vilification (especially against God): - blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.” The sin labeled “blasphemy”, refers to speaking wickedly about God over a period of time; an active and ongoing opposition to His desires.
God’s grace is immense, but if a person does not believe God exists, His grace has no real personal meaning to them. If a person has questions about Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit can provide a clearer understanding, confessed mistakes can be forgiven. If, however, the person rejects the Holy Spirit, they have rejected God and His supremacy. When this occurs, there is no desire for salvation and nothing remaining to provide the needed guidance to accept Jesus and participate in His ultimate sacrifice. God will always forgive a person’s confessed sins if the person believes in Him and their intention is to follow the guidance given by the Holy Spirit, but if they consistently deny His existence, there are no other solutions for salvation.
A person who accepts Christ as God’s Son has accepted the very opposite of a statement for rejecting any part of what can be described as a Trinity. Furthermore, if a person is concerned about committing the sin of blasphemy, they have moved beyond the general position of completely rejecting God or attributing His actions to Satan; these are not people who should be concerned about committing this heinous sin.
We must understand that when Jesus returned to heaven, He left the Holy Spirit as our internal guide, one who will not command us, but will provide reminders to guide us along our unique individual spiritual journey, called sanctification. At the beginning of this journey, scripture describes sanctification as a statement of position or status, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” – Rom. 6:6 (ESV), cf. also, 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor 5:17; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 10:10. God’s grace provides this initially granted status; following this, the practical realization is that people will continue to sin at some level. The next part of sanctification becomes a process wherein each Christian should continue to grow and replace sinful practices with holy practices. Paul said, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” – Rom. 6:17-18 (ESV), cf. Romans 12:1-2; Gal. 2:20; 1 Thess. 4:3; 2 Pet. 3:18.
This guidance describes a “growing” process (2 Pet. 3:18), not an immediate judgment of further sinful acts. All their sins are continually forgiven (1 Jn. 1:7), because they have accepted God’s offered grace and are in covenant with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.