THE UNPARDONABLE SIN / ETERNAL SIN

Matthew 12:31
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
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.

Mark 3:28
Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,
Mark 3:29
but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Luke 12:10
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

The text above is very clear that while all kinds of sins can be forgiven, except one. All kinds of sin you can imagine are forgivable, except one. Even sins committed intentionally can be forgiven, see this article, https://reikesis.com/2020/05/17/keep-me-from-willful-deliberate-intentional-sins/. Sometimes we think that deliberate intentional sins cannot be forgiven, but they are forgivable, except the sin mentioned above. We may consider murder the worst sin, but it is forgivable, except the sin mentioned above. Even crimes against humanity, mass murders, atrocities are forgivable, except the sin mentioned above. If all sins can be forgiven except the one mentioned above, we all get concerned, which is this unpardonable sin? The unforgivable sin?

The Bible calls this sin, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is speaking in a manner that shows irreverence and disrespect to God. That statement immediately gives the Holy Spirit the total status of God and helps answer some of the questions that are sometimes raised on the trinity and whether the Holy Spirit is God. There is no blasphemy against angels or other creatures. Blasphemy can only be against God. Therefore the sin that can’t be forgiven is an offence against God the Holy Spirit. But which offence is this? Which is this particular unpardonable sin?

The next line makes it clearer that it is about the Holy Spirit particularly. The text tells us that the same offence against the Son of Man or God the Son is forgivable. That means to understand this sin that is unpardonable, we must understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our human lives. If it was just about blasphemy against God, then it would apply to God the Father and God the Son. But since it is only focused on God the Holy Spirit, it means, it is something to do with what the Holy Spirit does in our salvation.

John 16:8
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
John 16:9
about sin, because people do not believe in me;
John 16:10
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
John 16:11
and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

The role of the Holy Spirit in our salvation is to convince us that we are guilty of sin and we need above all else forgiveness and salvation. The Holy Spirit is in all our lives, believers and unbelievers. The Holy Spirit is busy convincing us that we are sinners and we need to repent. The Holy Spirit warns us that we need the righteousness of Jesus. The Holy Spirit warns us that judgment is coming and without forgiveness we will be condemned to eternal death. If we refuse to repent we are rejecting the pleading of the Holy Spirit. If we refuse to repent any sin that the Holy Spirit is pointing to us we are defying the Holy Spirit and claiming we are not sinners. How can you be forgiven if you don’t confess and repent your sins? The unrepented sin is the unpardonable sin!

Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Holy Spirit will not contend with us forever. The contention is that He tells us we are sinners but we refuse to repent. He will not contend with us forever. A time is coming when it will be too late to repent and God by the following words will close the opportunity for repentance forever.

Revelation 22:11
Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Refusal to repent any sin, big or small is the unpardonable sin. Refusal to repent any sin is a direct affront to God the Holy Spirit Who has told us we are sinners. That affront is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Refusal to repent is declaring that the Holy Spirit lied by calling you a sinner. Calling God a liar is blasphemy. Refusal to repent is calling God a liar and is therefore blasphemy.

1 John 1:8
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Refusal to repent is blasphemy. Refusal to repent is calling God a liar. Refusal to Repent is saying God the Holy Spirit a liar. Refusal to repent is refusing forgiveness and therefore refusing eternal life. The unpardonable sin is not a particular sin, it is any sin that we refuse to repent.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God has promised to forgive any and all sins that we commit, on condition that we confess and repent that sin. Confession is acknowledging that we are wrong and we are sinners. Repentance is actively putting measures to ensure that we don’t sin again. Confession is not enough, it must be accompanied by repentance. The Holy Spirit enables any sinner who confesses to repent.

Therefore if the condition for pardon or forgiveness is confession and repentance, then it is right to conclude that, the unpardonable sin, is the sin we refuse to confess and repent. Any sin however small becomes unpardonable when we refuse to confess it and repent it.

The unpardonable sin is also called the eternal sin. It is eternal because God can’t force confession and repentance. It will remain forever unconfessed and unrepented. Since we are mortal, if we die before confessing, that will be an eternal sin, since the one who was to confess and repent, no longer has a chance to do so.

Now that you know the unpardonable sin, the eternal sin, make it a habit to regularly study the Bible and pray. During every prayer, confess your sins. Sins you know and sins you don’t know. Sins you have repeated and sins you are committing for the first time. After confessing, put measures in place to ensure you don’t sin again. God is faithful and He will forgive you and you wont have to be guilty of the unpardonable or eternal sin.