Before continuing with the article below, please take the following test to find your innocence or guilt:
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TEST FOR THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN:
Are you dead, having denied God and died unrepentant of a life of sins? Yes or No?
If you answered, “Yes”, you have indeed committed the unforgivable sin. This sin also known as the sin unto death and blasphemy of the holy spirit is 100% the affliction of the dead.
If you answered, “No”, you still have time to commit the unforgivable sin. However, you have not done so to date.
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Many people have been concerned they have committed unforgivable sin. Some would call this blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Others would call it the sin unto death. unforgivable sin is something that must be examined closely to allay fear. Unforgivable sin most certainly does deal with the Holy Spirit, but it is not as simple as using a curse word as some fear.
At the core of the discussion is whether or not God is willing to forgive the sins of man. God wishes that none perish (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9). He has set requirements to accept his free offer of forgiveness and that includes repentance – changing your life to one of obeying Him (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Luke 24:45-47). The apostle John stated the following:
1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
John’s inspired words make it clear, through Christ “all” sin is forgiven. Important to note, there is a requirement. The individual must walk in the light, that is, he must be obedient to God’s will, which includes repentance.
So if God is willing to forgive all sins, where does the idea of unforgivable sin come into play and how does it relate to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and committing sin unto death?
In the context of Matthew 12:30-32 and Mark 3:28-29, Jesus is faced with Pharisees (Jewish leaders) who acknowledge Jesus was performing wonders, signs, and miracles, but said He was doing it by the power of demons. They were denying He was doing it by the Spirit and power of God. Jesus then told them: “any sin or blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven”. To many, this sounds like a total contradiction. How can verses say all will be forgiven, but one won’t?
Disconnect occurs by not understanding the term “Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is first: the ultimate refusal to accept the miracles by the power of the Spirit. If men could not be convinced by these miraculous occurrences, nothing would convict them. Hebrews 6:4-6 similarly speaks of individuals who had believed and had been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, but then turned back to the things of the world. These too were guilty of blaspheming the Spirit with their actions. It is said it would be impossible for them to come to repentance. Thus, if the men would not come to repentance because they would not be convicted by the miraculous, they were choosing not to be forgiven by God.
Consider now those who will not change their actions, who will not repent of them:
Hebrews 10:26-27 – For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.
The knowledge of the Truth, the word of God (John 17:17), is the spirit (2 Peter 1:21, I John 5:7). If the Spirit is rejected, there is no forgiveness. So there is not just a single sin leading to unforgiveness. First, rejecting the miracles of the Spirit and second, rejecting the truth of the Spirit, can be classified singularly as blaspheming Him. All deeds willfully practiced against the truth without repentance are unforgiven.
Now the following:
1 John 5:16-17 – If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
The idea from this verse in the context of believing on and obeying God (having the truth in you) is pray for Christians who are struggling with sin. The prayers will aid the individual in his struggle and through repentance before he dies he will be forgiven. However, when the individual willingly defies God by sin to his death, there is no more hope. Do not pray for that individual. For information on the topic of praying for the dead please see: http://www.thatchristianwebsite.com/articles/secondchanceforthedead.html .
Today, the unforgivable sin, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, sin to death, is when a man rejects God and therefore, His Word to the point of his death. Today, while a man lives, he can change. He can repent. He can do what is right. The scriptures are the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit leading to life. If man will simply follow the requirements set by God, repent, and obey, he will be forgiven.