Have I Committed the Unforgivable Sin?

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The Unforgieable Sin

There seems to be a great concern among some that they have committed the unforgivable sin and are hopelessly doomed to spend eternity in hell for committing one sin. Well thankfully, Jesus addresses the “unforgivable sin” in today’s Bible reading*.

As we look at this sin which can never be forgiven, let’s look at what Jesus actually says, and let’s look at the immediate context.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” Mark 3:28–29 (CSB)

So what is blasphemy?

Blasphemy means “to speak against someone in such a way as to harm or injure his or her reputation (occurring in relation to persons as well as to divine beings)—‘to revile, to defame, to blaspheme, reviling”[1] To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to slander Him.

Now, look at the context:

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.” Mark 3:22 (CSB)

From the definition and the context, we can conclude that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to see God’s works occurring before one’s eyes and speak against God in such a way that attributes the works of God to the devil himself.

Application

Have you ever committed the unforgivable sin? Have you sinned so greatly that God will never forgive you? Look at what Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.” Mark 3:28 (CSB)

Jesus says that God is able to forgive all kinds of sins of all kinds of people. He can and will forgive all of all. Except for one sin: attributing the works of God to the devil. Have you ever done that? Have you ever seen Jesus do the works of God and say, “No, the devil did that!”

It’s important to note something Jesus says just a few chapters later. “

For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. Mark 7:21–22 (CSB)

In other words, our lips give away the inclinations of our hearts. An unbelieving heart will speak of its unbelief. And an unbelieving heart will speak against the works of God in such a way that attributes God’s works to the devil.

So have you committed the unforgivable sin? Are you unforgivable? Are you beyond God’s redemption?

The fact that you are concerned enough to ask the question speaks of a heart inclined to believe. An unbelieving heart wouldn’t even care if it had done something so heinous that it couldn’t be forgiven.

So take heart! If you’re concerned that you can’t be forgiven for something, that’s the work of God in your heart to redeem you, not to reject you!

[1] Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains 1996: 433. Print.

* Today we are reading Mark 3.

This devotional was originally published on January 3, 2020.

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