Is there an Unforgivable Sin?
What is the Unpardonable Sin?
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world , neither in the world to come.” Matthew 12:31-32
Men who love the Lord and who have studied God’s Word in-depth sometimes have different opinions as to what Jesus meant when he talked here about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (“the unpardonable sin” as it has often been called).
But before we look at these opinions, let me point out that a saved person need never fear that he will commit “the unpardonable sin.” Why? Because a saved person cannot commit it. The “the unpardonable sin” Jesus spoke about here was either a sin that could only be committed when Jesus Christ was walking this earth in his physical body performing miracles and preaching oral sermons or it is the sin of deliberately rejecting Christ’s salvation.
Unscriptural Opinions
Some people have incorrectly thought that the unpardonable sin can be committed by any unbeliever today and occurs when a sinner rejects the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit once too often. At this point, the Holy Spirit forever ceases to deal with the sinner and he is hopelessly condemned, with no chance of salvation, however he may later desire it. Genesis 6:3 is sometimes offered in support of this theory. However, an examination of the passage shows this meaning is taken completely out of its context. In reality there is no scriptural basis for this theory (WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE, p. 724).
If an unsaved person were worried about whether or not he had committed this sin, it would be safe to say he had not. Why? Because if indeed he had committed this sin the Holy Spirit would have given him up and would no longer be convicting his heart, in which case this person would not care whether or not he had committed the unpardonable sin.
Scriptural Opinions
It Cannot Be Committed Today
As seen in the following comments from his book WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE, Dr. Harold Willmington believes “the unpardonable sin” cannot be committed today. In regard to Matthew 12:31-32, he says, “the sin was dispensational in nature… it was the sin of ascribing to Satan the earthly miracles performed by our Savior and therefore cannot be committed today. This theory is generally held by the majority of Bible students and the passage context would seem to support its accuracy. (See Matthew 12:22-24) (WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE, p. 724).
What is the nature of the un-pardonable sin? Taken in its proper context it involves crediting the works Christ performed through the Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry to the Devil. Here [in Matthew 12] the wicked Pharisees had actually seen the Savior’s mighty works with their own eyes and had heard His marvelous words with their own ears. After experiencing this dazzling display of deity, what was their reaction? They claimed both He and his ministry were from Hell! To sin against such light was un-pardonable. What more could God Himself do to convince them?
Can the unpardonable sin be committed today? Taking into consideration what has already been said, it cannot. Christ is no longer walking this earth in His physical body performing miracles and preaching oral sermons (WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE, pp. 310-311).
It Can Be Committed By Unbelievers Today
However, in regard to this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost other scholars say, “This sin is that of deliberate rejection of Christ and his salvation. It is the ultimate sin that by its very nature puts man beyond the opportunity of salvation. The reason for this is that it is the Holy Spirit who brings the offer of salvation to the heart of man. To reject Him is to act presumptuously and thus to ‘blaspheme’ God. Those who reject His offer of salvation are in reality blaspheming the very nature of God Himself and the genuineness of His grace” (LIBERTY BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol. II, p. 46).
Summary
There are some things in God’s Word which He simply did not choose to clearly define. There are things which we will not understand completely until we come face to face with Jesus. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, “the unpardonable sin” as it is often called, is one of these things.
Obviously, however, a saved person need never fear that he will commit this tragic sin. The unsaved person, on the other hand, can be sure that unless he accepts Christ’s offer of salvation before he is called out of this world, he will have committed a sin that cannot be pardoned once he enters Hell to spend eternity.
