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Matthew 12:22–32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men” (Matt. 12:31).
As we conclude our brief study on the believer’s eternal security, we must look at two difficult passages of Scripture: Jesus’ teaching on the “unpardonable sin” and the discussion in Hebrews 6 of Christians apparently abandoning the faith. These subjects often cause major struggles for Christians seeking assurance about their eternal security.
The unpardonable sin, according to Jesus, is “ ‘blasphemy against the Spirit.’ ” This sin, He says, will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come. Does that mean a Christian committing this sin will lose his or her salvation? To answer, we must examine the context of Jesus’ words. The incident that prompts Him to speak of blasphemy against the Spirit begins when He heals a man who is demon-possessed, blind, and mute. That sparks speculation about Jesus’ identity. The crowds wonder whether Jesus could be the long-expected Messiah. But the Jewish rulers, the Pharisees, have a different opinion: “ ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’ ” Jesus reads their thoughts, however, and declares that He casts out demons not by Satan but by the Holy Spirit.
The sin of blasphemy involves speaking against God. Speaking against God the Son can be forgiven, Jesus says—but not speaking against the God the Spirit. The Pharisees are perilously close to committing this sin by attributing the Spirit’s work to Satan. This is an evil thing because the Spirit is fulfilling His role of revealing Jesus as the Savior and enlightening the minds of unbelievers. The Pharisees are about to speak against the very power that makes salvation possible.
The Pharisees apparently never quite cross the line. Jesus prays for them on the cross, saying, “ ‘They do not know what they do’ ” (Luke 23:34b). There seems to have been hope for them still, for if they had been brought to knowledge of Jesus’ identity by the Spirit’s work and still had rejected Him, they would have been doomed.
We can take comfort in knowing that if we have been saved, we have not and cannot commit this sin. The Spirit has opened our eyes and has led us to accept the Gospel offer. We did not willfully refuse to humble ourselves when we were shown that Jesus is the Savior. And with the Spirit working in us, we will not now reject Him. The unpardonable sin is real and terrifying, but it is no danger for Christians.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Have you ever struggled with fears that you had committed or would commit the unpardonable sin? Has today’s study helped set your mind at ease? If you know of fellow believers who live in fear of committing this sin, share today’s study with them. Also, pray for all believers, that they would be assured of their eternal security.
for further study
- Hebrews 10:26–29
- 1 John 5:16–17