Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

By the wording of your question, you have identified the unpardonable sin. 

Yes, God does forgive all the sins of those who confess them and seek the forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus obtained for us by dying to pay the penalty for our sins, and then rising again. But that is the only means that God has provided whereby our sin can be forgiven. If we fail to seek the forgiveness that God offers only in Christ, then there is no other way in which we can be forgiven. 

This is the sin that Jesus was referring to in Matthew 12:31 as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in that it constitutes the final rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness to us of Jesus' identity as the Son of God. 

In my opinion, the "sin that leads to death" to which John is referring is not this final rejection or refusal to accept Christ, but is part of the discipline that God imposes on believers who (although they have been saved) continue to commit willful, continuous, unrepentant sin that they do not confess to God, and for which they do not seek His forgiveness. In severe cases, this may even involve the person's temporal death.

(Paul made reference to this in 1 Corinthians 11:28-32, when he spoke of some people dying as a judgment from God against the manner in which they had abused the Lord's Supper. Those people were still saved, but their sin was so severe that they were disciplined for it at the cost of their temporal lives.)

March 12 2016 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

In Matthew 12:31, 32, Jesus gives a solemn warning about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, or the unpardonable sin. 

In Greek, the word is blasphemos, means to vilify, to speak without reverence, to defame, to rail upon, to speak evil, to hurt or blast the reputation, nature or works of God. Additionally, in John 10:33, we read that some leaders in Israel were trying to stone Jesus. These men accused Jesus of blasphemy when He claimed equality with God and the right to forgive sin. Of course, they would have been correct if Jesus were not God.

But blasphemy itself is not the unpardonable sin (1 Tim 1:13). We know Paul will be in heaven even though he was a blasphemer. God’s grace forgives even blasphemy. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit however, is unforgivable and here is why: The Holy Spirit does three things: First, He teaches us the things we need to know for our salvation (John 14:26). Second, the Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Third, the Holy Spirit convict of sin (John 16:7, 8). Thus, as long as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us, to guide us, and to convict us, we could never be guilty of committing the unpardonable sin. 

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the constant resisting of the drawing love of God’s Spirit, so much so that you lose the capacity to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice. The conscience becomes seared (1 Tim 4:2). This deadly blasphemy is also called “grieving away” the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to “Grieve not the Holy Spirit, wherewith you are sealed,” meaning we can permanently grieve Him away (Ephesians 4:30).

Eventually, a person loses the capacity to repent, and therefore cannot be saved. It is for this sin that a person cannot be forgiven, because they have rejected the Spirit that convicts of sin (John 16:8). So if someone still feel convicted of sin and have the desire to repent, then most likely did not committed the unpardonable sin.

March 18 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

d l Supporter

Many times the Bible says God helps them with their unbelief. Unbelieving in what God did for us is why one must be born again (John 3:5). Unbelieving is sinful. Only sin keeps us out of Heaven. John 3:5 says we must be born again, this comes from believing.

January 08 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report