Is there an unforgivable sin?
Various sins have been put forward throughout the years. Three sins that people sometimes reference are adultery, murder, and suicide.
Maybe you’ve heard of the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It’s sometimes called the unpardonable sin or the unforgivable sin.
Perhaps you’ve wondered, can a Christian commit this sin? Or, more personally, maybe you’re asking, have I committed this sin?
This is one example of the importance of preaching through books of the Bible. This is a typical text a pastor would pick out and preach. However, we want to understand all of God’s Word. We need to understand the hard passages.
Some Context from Mark 2-3:
- Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders is growing but the crowd loves him (Mark 2:1-3:12, 20).
- Jesus has just called 12 disciples to be with him, that he might train them to be sent out for ministry (Mark 3:13-19).
- Jesus’ family thinks he’s crazy and they have come to take him back to Nazareth before he shames the family name (Mark 3:20-21).
Sermon Text: Mark 3:22-30
When we read this text, the verse that probably jumps out to you is v. 29, which says, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”
So, what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and who is guilty of it? If there is a sin that cannot be forgiven, then we need to identify it and avoid it.
What is blasphemy? Blasphemy is defiant irreverence toward God. It is a desecration of God’s character. Jesus said in Matt 6:9, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Blasphemy is the opposite. Blasphemy may involve insulting God, mocking him, or dishonoring him.[1]R.C. Sproul, Mark, 62.
If this is what is meant by blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then we are all guilty. However, the unforgivable sin is not just any kind of blasphemy, as we will see.
There are three turns in the text. In v. 22, we see the scribes’ accusation against Jesus. In vv. 23-27, we see Jesus’ answer. And finally, in vv. 28-30 we see Jesus’ warning to the scribes and others who are listening.
First, we see the scribes’ accusation against Jesus.
The scribes make an accusation against Jesus (22)
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”
As we’ve seen so far in Mark, Jesus has been proclaiming the gospel, teaching with authority, healing the sick, and casting out demons. In this story, we’re not given much context. Fortunately, Matthew’s account helps us with the historical context:
Matt 12:22-23
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”
So, there was a man who was oppressed. He was blind and mute. Jesus healed him, and “all the people were amazed, and said, ‘Can this be the Son of David?’”
The fame of Jesus has grown and people are beginning to wonder if he could be the Messiah.
So, what happens? Mark says in v. 22 that scribes came from Jerusalem to investigate Jesus. Upon arriving, they declare that Jesus “is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”
Their verdict is that Jesus was demon-possessed and must be silenced.
The scribes did not deny that Jesus was able to perform miracles. They had just witnessed one. However, instead of glorifying God, they attributed his power to Satan.
This is evidence that faith and unbelief are not the result of miracles and proofs. The Pharisees had all the proof you could want and yet they did not have saving faith in Jesus.
The verb in vv. 22 and 30 translated “were saying” is in the imperfect tense. This means that the scribes were consistently trying to destroy Jesus’ reputation. This was not a one-time event.
It is one thing to turn away from Jesus. It is even worse to try to turn others away from him.
These Jewish leaders understood Beelzebul (or Beelzebub) to be the prince of the demons (v. 22). Beelzebul is another name for Satan and Jesus makes this clear in v. 23.
So, the scribes declare that Jesus is demon-possessed and that he is working by the power of the prince of demons. Of course, this was the exact opposite of reality. We know from Scripture that Jesus, rather than being demon-possessed, was Holy Spirit-empowered.
Matt 4:1 – Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit…
Luke 4:1 – And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit…
Luke 4:14 – And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…
Luke 4:18 – Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me…”
In Acts 10:38, Peter said “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
The scribes had rejected Jesus as the Messiah despite his gracious and loving works that he poured out onto those who needed his healing touch.
The scribes had rejected Jesus and the works that he had accomplished.
The key takeaway for us is this – you will not be forgiven if you reject Jesus and his gracious works (v. 22).
You will not be forgiven if you reject Jesus and his gracious works.
Jesus answers the scribes (23-27)
23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
In v. 23, Jesus gathers the scribes and speaks a parable to them. He asks them a question – “How can Satan cast out Satan?”
Aside from God himself, Satan is likely the most intelligent being in the universe. Satan is too smart to allow division or civil war among his demons. Satan will not do anything that would threaten his power. Satan would never allow any demon to undermine his efforts. Quite simply, Jesus says, “Satan does not cast out Satan.”
Jesus then provides two examples to illustrate his point – a kingdom and a house.
v. 24 – a divided kingdom
We know that Satan is trying to build a kingdom. Satan was not content being an angel in God’s kingdom, so he rebelled and was cast out. Since then, Satan has been attempting to undermine God’s authority and trying to build his own kingdom. For the scribes to suggest that Jesus was fighting on the side of Satan by healing people and releasing those who were demon-possessed was beyond ridiculous. In reality, Jesus was doing just the opposite by releasing people from their demon possession.
1 John 3:8b
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus taught that a divided kingdom cannot stand.
25-27 – a divided house
Just as a divided kingdom cannot stand, a house divided against itself will not stand. Experience tells us this is true. A home where husband and wife are divided on essential issues will not stand. A country with completely opposite political views will not stand. A church that is not unified around biblical truth will not stand.
Jesus says in v. 26 that if Satan is divided, then he is coming to an end.
In v. 27, Jesus likens Satan to a strong man. In the parable, Jesus says that in order to plunder a house, you must first bind the strong man. By way of example, if you come into my house to steal from me or harm my family, you’re not going to deal with Bethany or the kids. You are going to have to go through me.
In the parable, Satan is the strong man, and Jesus is saying that in order to cast out Satan’s demons, one must be stronger than the strong man. Jesus, because he is stronger than Satan, is able to cast out demons and set people free from their possession. This is the point that Jesus is making.
Jesus has come to plunder Satan’s kingdom by rescuing men and women who have been held captive to do his will. Jesus wins the ultimate victory for us by going to the cross and dying for our sins in our place so that we can have peace with God.
The scribes have heard Jesus preach with authority, heal the sick, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons. They have seen Jesus’ miracles. Yet, they, like the people Paul talks about in Romans 1:18, “who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”. The scribes had suppressed the truth about Jesus and His works.
And if you are like these scribes, you will not be forgiven – you will not be forgiven if you willfully suppress the truth about Jesus (vv. 23-27).
You will not be forgiven if you willfully suppress the truth about Jesus.
Jesus issues a warning to those listening (28-30)
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,
By using the word “Truly,” Jesus was announcing that he was about to say something very important. He was giving great emphasis to what he was about to say.[2]R.C. Sproul, Mark, 62
And notice what Jesus says in v. 28. He makes an amazing promise to those listening in v. 28. He says, “Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”
Verse 28 proves that blasphemy is not a onetime sin or a misuse of God’s name. He says that “whatever blasphemies they utter” will be forgiven.
If you want to repent, Jesus will always receive you. Whenever you turn to Christ in repentance, there is always forgiveness. There is no account in Scripture of any who repented and believed and was not forgiven. Not one.
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John 6:37
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
Just as Satan doesn’t cast out his demons, God does not cast out his children who have come to him through Jesus and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
29-30
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
As I mentioned earlier, the scribes were accusing Jesus of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled.
These men are in a state of willful opposition to the power of the Holy Spirit. They had seen what Jesus did and were unwilling to accept that Jesus was God’s Son and empowered and anointed by the Holy Spirit.
So, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit or the unforgivable sin, in its most narrow sense, is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. We clearly see this in v. 30 – “for they [the scribes] were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” Again, when the text says, “they were saying,” this is an ongoing , persistent attitude towards Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They were so hardened that they continually associated Jesus with Satan.
Scholars are divided on whether or not someone can commit the unforgivable sin in its more narrow sense. I tend to agree that no one can commit this sin today in its more narrow sense.
However, when we examine the motivation behind the actions of the scribe, we see a remarkable display of the hardness of their hearts. They had suppressed the truth about Jesus and his works. They had refused to even consider the possibility of him being the Messiah. These men were so proud that they didn’t think that they needed the forgiveness and grace that Jesus came to offer.
Consider Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. He wanted to rule and enslave the people of Israel and hardened his heart time after time. Eventually, God brought terrible judgment on him and the Egyptians. Pharaoh witnessed God’s power time after time in plague after plague and he still would not repent. The scribes and the Pharisees are like Pharaoh. Jesus gives ample evidence of God’s work through his miracles, but they refuse to believe in and submit to Him.
This is what happens when people willfully suppress the truth about Jesus, reject Jesus, and reject the work of the Holy Spirit. Over time, they become so hardened that they can no longer repent.
When people willfully suppress the truth about Jesus, reject Jesus, and reject the work of the Holy Spirit, over a period of time, they become so hardened that they can no longer repent.
Thus, in the more broad sense, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, or unforgivable sin is having a heart that is so hard that you refuse to let God forgive you. The only unpardonable sin is that you refuse to humble yourself before God and let him pardon you.
I worry that there are many people in churches today that have been in church for years, have heard the gospel, have heard hundreds of sermons, but they continue to reject Jesus. They refuse to submit to his rule and reign in their lives. I’m not saying that these people have committed the unforgivable sin, but if they die without repenting of their sin and trusting in Christ they will not be forgiven.
In vv. 28-30, we see a third truth – You will not be forgiven if you continually reject the work of the Holy Spirit.
You will not be forgiven if you continually reject the work of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
Before I conclude, I want to summarize what I’ve said today.
The unforgivable sin is not a one-time action. Paul called himself a former blasphemer (1 Tim 1:13) and clearly Paul had come to know Christ. He was not beyond Christ’s saving power.
The unforgivable sin in a narrow sense is to attribute Jesus’ work that was empowered by Holy Spirit to that of demons.
In a more general sense, the unforgivable sin is to knowingly, willingly, and persistently reject the truth about Jesus and the grace that he offers even when you are convicted by the Holy Spirit.
You will not be forgiven if you reject Jesus and his gracious works (22).
You will not be forgiven if you willfully suppress the truth about Jesus (23-27).
You will not be forgiven if you continually reject the work of the Holy Spirit (28-30).
Christians cannot commit this sin because a Christian, by definition, has come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If you are worried that you have committed the unforgivable sin, this is evidence that you have not committed it. People that have committed this sin are hardened in their unbelief.
In today’s text, we have seen Jesus give a great warning, but also a great promise.
Remember v. 28 – “Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”
Have you had your sins forgiven by Christ?
Have you repented of your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ, or have you suppressed the truth about Jesus and who he is?
Have you suppressed the truth that you need him?
Do you realize that you are dead in your sins without Christ?
Have you resisted the work of the Holy Spirit?
Have you been convicted of sin but still refused to humble yourself before Jesus?
Run to Christ, confess your sin, and remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
If you still struggle with the fear that you have committed the unforgivable sin, consider this – we should not base our assurance on how we feel. Rather, we are commanded confess our sins to God and let him cleanse us.
One commentator said it this way – “Jesus came to forgive our sins, not leave us in the fear of unforgiven sin.”[3]Robin Sydserff, Teaching Mark: From Text to Message, 183.
Jesus always receive those who come to him in repentance and faith.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This morning, we’ve seen a weighty, weighty text about the unforgivable sin. We’ve also seen a beautiful promise – we can be forgiven of all of our sins if we will turn from our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your heart.
Do not ignore the clear teachings of Scripture.
Do not ignore wise, godly counsel from other believers.
Do not ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Instead respond in joyful obedience to Christ.