The Unpardonable Sin

In Matthew 12:31-32 we read about “The Unpardonable Sin”. Many Christians wonder what this sin is and wonder if they have committed it. Let’s explore these passages and see what we can learn.

Matthew 12:31 – “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”

First we learn that God can forgive every sin. 1 John 1:9 confirms this “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Then we discover that “blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” The Spirit reveals the gospel to us (1 Peter 1:12). The gospel is the truth that Jesus paid for our sins and that He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6). In other words, the gospel is God’s offer of forgiveness for our sins. Blasphemy against the Spirit occurs when someone rejects the gospel.

That brings us to Matthew 12:32:

“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.”

It’s one thing to speak out against Jesus because you don’t understand who He is. Before he understood the truth, Paul acted in “ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:12-14).

But to speak out against Jesus after a person understands who He is means that the clearer the truth becomes the more he hates it and turns away from it.

Simply put, the only sin God can’t forgive is the sin of not asking for forgiveness. And since a Christian is someone who has accepted the gospel message he or she cannot commit the Unpardonable Sin.