Max Lucado says that one of the most difficult truths he has had to come to grips with is that God's grace is big enough to extend to someone like Jeffery Dahmer. If you recall, Dahmer was the young murderer in Milwaukee a few years ago who cut up the bodies of his victims. While in prison, Dahmer made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Lucado knew that the Bible teaches that all who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have their sins forgiven, but did that include someone like Jeffery Dahmer? Could God really forgive a man who has committed such horrific crimes? Eventually, Lucado realized that the forgiveness of Jeffery Dahmer, and people like him, is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. Jesus Christ has come to earth to bring forgiveness, not to good people, but to sinners. Through his life, death and resurrection He has made it possible for all who put their trust in Him to experience free and full forgiveness, no matter who they are, no matter what they have done. That is the great news, the Gospel, that we proclaim and teach in this church week after week. Even someone who butchers a fellow human being has not committed a sin which God cannot forgive.
That is why our text today seems so strange. Our journey through Matthew brings us to a very tough passage. Listen to Jesus' words in Matthew 12:31,32 "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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." Wow! "Every sin will be forgiven, except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven...anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." This is often called the "unforgivable sin." A few years ago there was a fellow who would come into my office about once a week and frantically say, "Pastor Dan, I think I've blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. What can I do?" I would usually say, "Nothing if you really have done that." But I then would go on to explain why I was fairly certain he had not committed this unforgivable sin. Now, I got a little frustrated after answering that question for about the 28th time, but it was certainly good that this man took very seriously what Jesus said. Many folks, including some of us in this room, try to ignore verses like this. We know the Bible teaches that God will forgive our sins through Christ, so we try not to think about what seem like glitches in Scripture which cast a shadow on that truth.
But it is important for us to understand what Jesus means when He says blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin. Why? Well, maybe one of our children, maybe another family member or friend, or maybe even we ourselves will read these verses someday and start to wonder: Is this something I have done? That question can bring a lot of pain and anguish to a soul. We will be able to help a person struggling with this question if we can explain what Jesus means. But, our goal in studying this text is not only to avoid misunderstandings it may cause. I also believe these verses give us a deeper and clearer view of what it really means to be a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ. So, let's pray the Lord would give us understanding as we look at this very difficult, but important, text.
Now, let me warn you, this really is not an easy or fun sermon. You may want to tighten your thinking cap a bit because, though I will try to be clear, the truth taught in these verses is somewhat complex. This sermon will also be different from most because there will not be many stories or illustrations. I could not come up with any jokes or even football analogies which go along with the unforgivable sin. I can't figure out a way to claim that cheering for the Vikings instead of the Packers is a sin, much less the unforgivable sin. So, no easy or fun stuff, but important, so stick with me. Let me read Jesus' Words again. 12:31,32 "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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." The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is extreme slander, which Jesus equates with "speaking against." The Jews saw blasphemy against God as a very grave sin, one which deserved the death penalty. But, why would blasphemy against the Son of Man, the Messiah, Jesus Himself, be forgivable, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not? If anything, it would seem it should be the other way around. And how can there be an unforgivable sin, when both the Old Testament and the New Testament put such great emphasis on God's amazing grace and His forgiveness? Let me mention three explanations of this text which have been given which are really misunderstandings of what this sin is.
#1) One which was especially common in previous centuries is that blasphemy against the Son of Man is rejection of Him by nonbelievers, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is committed by a Christian. In other words, when a person becomes a Christian, any sin he has committed is forgiven. But, if a Christian falls into apostasy, chooses to turn against the Christian faith, then there can be no forgiveness. I recently talked to a woman who had been married to a pastor of an evangelical church. The man had an affair, divorced his wife, and told her he wanted nothing more to do with Christianity. So in this view, that would be the unforgivable sin. Not the adultery, or divorce, but rather saying, "Hey, I don't believe this stuff anymore, I don't want to be a Christian, I want nothing to do with it." Now, I'll come back to this situation later, but Jesus is certainly not saying that the unforgivable sin is something that only a Christian can commit. The context makes it clear that He is warning the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders, that they are in danger of committing this sin. They are clearly not Christian believers. To say that the unforgivable sin is something that only a Christian can commit is really twisting and misusing Jesus' Words.
The second view says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing miracles the Spirit has done to Satan. Some claim this means that a person who says charismatic Christians are filled with the devil when they speak in tongues has committed the unforgivable sin. Others say no, blasphemy against the Spirit could only occur in the 1st Century, during the time of Jesus and the apostles, when the Holy Spirit performed great miracles which could be clearly recognized as the work of the Spirit. Both of these positions ignore the fact that Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:21-23 that miracles don't necessarily reveal the Spirit's presence and power. There can be miracles where the Spirit is not present, and the Spirit can be present without any miraculous signs. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit indeed involves rejecting His work, but equating His work with miracles confuses the issue.
The third view, which is one I hear frequently, is that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is merely rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior. The sin of not believing in Christ is thus the unpardonable sin. This answer hits the nail, but certainly not on the head. If that is all Jesus meant, He could certainly have said so, but He didn't. Those of us who believe the Bible is God's Word, need to treat Scripture a little more seriously than simply interpreting every verse to mean what we want it to mean. If we don't, we are going to miss out on some of the things God has to say to us through His Word.
So, what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, this sin which will not be forgiven? We need to make sure we read these verses in their context. The Pharisees were attributing the work the Spirit was doing to Satan. They were doing so not out of ignorance, or even unbelief, but were, as one Bible commentary says, "consciously disputing the indisputable." Deep inside they knew Jesus was the Messiah, but they refused to admit it. So my definition of the unforgivable sin is this: A deliberate rejection of Christianity when you know it is true. When Jesus refers to "speaking against the Son of Man," he is talking about people who reject the Gospel. It is a sin to do that, but that is a sin which is forgiven when one repents. The apostle Paul is a clear example of someone who a few years earlier, when he was called Saul, refused to believe the truth about Jesus. When he realized he was wrong, however, he repented and was forgiven. Paul's goal at one time was to kill Christians. His attitude and actions were as anti-Christian as one could get. Yet, Paul never committed the unforgivable sin.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit also involves a rejection of the truth of the Gospel. There is no difference between speaking against Jesus and the Holy Spirit at this point. But, blasphemy against the Spirit also includes a full awareness that that is exactly what one is doing. Paul persecuted the church out of ignorance, and God forgave him. The Pharisees deliberately rejected the work of the Spirit, even though they knew there was no other explanation for what Jesus had done. That is the unforgivable sin, a sin for which there is no forgiveness, "either in this age or the age to come" which is a dramatic way of saying "never."
So, are there people today who commit the unforgivable sin? I'm afraid so. Who are they? Well, I can't give you any names, but there are three things about these people which I can tell you. They are people who are familiar with Christianity and the Gospel, but who have never truly received Jesus Christ as Savior, and who now want nothing to do with Christianity. #1) They are familiar with Christianity because blasphemy of the Holy Spirit involves a deliberate rejection of what one knows to be true. You cannot know something is true unless you know what it is. This familiarity with Christianity can come from going to church, reading the Bible, or listening to Billy Graham on TV, but somehow the person knows what Christianity is, knows that the facts of the Gospel are true, but for whatever reason -- maybe lust, selfishness, or pride --chooses to reject that message. #2) Those who commit the unforgivable sin have never truly received Christ as Savior. If they had, their past, present and future sins would have been forgiven. Those who believe in Jesus Christ believe not just with their heads but also with their hearts, and as a result receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ as their own. Jesus' perfect score is marked beside their name. For the Christian, the promise of 1 John 1:9 has no exceptions. If we confess our sin, no matter what that sin is, the Lord promises to forgive and cleanse us. #3) Those who are guilty of blasphemy against the Spirit want nothing to do with Christianity because they have totally and finally rejected the truth. Someone who is trying to straddle the fence, who one day professes loyalty to Christ but the next day scoffs at those who are Christians, is no doubt committing sin, but it is not the unforgivable sin. The blasphemy against the Spirit involves a total rejection of His work.
Now, I want to try putting the pieces together. How does what I have said about the unforgivable sin fit, and what are the implications for us? #1) There are other Scripture passages which I believe describe those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit and commit the unforgivable sin. One is 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. John is describing individuals who participated in the church, apparently claimed to be Christians, but were not really believers --- "they did not really belong to us." Now they have left the church and want nothing to do with Christianity. I don't think John expects them to return. In Verse 18, he refers to them as anti-Christs, which is not a nice label. Another passage which I think is talking about the same thing is Hebrews 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Let me read those verses fromThe Message version. "Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven, and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once they have personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us, if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well they cannot start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible." That sounds like the unforgivable sin. This passage doesn't make sense at all if it is talking about people who are really Christians. But if it is talking about people like the Pharisees who knew Christianity is true, but instead of receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, deliberately rejected Him, then it is very clear.
Friends, there is an important teaching in the New Testament that is sometimes forgotten which we need to remember: Not all who claim to be Christians, really are. Those who turn away from Christ and never return will experience God's wrath, but there is no reason to believe that these people were ever really Christians. A person can grasp a lot of Christian truth, can taste a lot of the Christian life, can talk and act like a Christian for awhile and still not be a genuine believer in Jesus. Someone can even make a public profession of faith in Christ and still not be a Christian. As someone said, "Not all who profess Christ really possess Christ." Remember what the Billy Graham Association says. They estimate that 10% of the people who respond to the invitation Dr. Graham gives at each meeting really become a Christian at that time. Many of the folks are already believers who go forward because they desire some spiritual encouragement, and many of the folks go forward for a lot of different reasons, but really don't put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Let's go back to the pastor who had an affair, divorced his wife and now wants nothing to do with Christianity. I have some friends, they sometimes call themselves Arminians, who would say, "Dan, that man was a Christian, but now he is not a Christian anymore. He has lost his salvation." They would, however, be very uncomfortable with the idea he could never get it back. I have other friends who would say, "Dan, what that man is doing is wrong, but remember we are saved by grace, not by our works. He will still be in heaven because he is a Christian, though he certainly will not receive any rewards." I would maintain both groups are wrong. If that man never repents, never comes back to Christ, it will show that he never was truly a Christian in the first place. Oh, I'm sure he knows a lot about the Bible, I'm sure in his head he once believed and maybe still believes it is true, but as John says, his going out shows that he was never really one of us. His rejection of Christ shows he was never born again, was never given life by God's Spirit, and thus will never experience the eternal life that God promises all those who trust in Jesus. If this man does repent someday, I believe God will forgive him. But, if this man doesn't come back to Christ, I think it is probable that, like the Pharisees, he has committed the unforgivable sin.
I hope you are following what I have said. Let me make a quick summary which I hope will make things even more clear: #1) Someone who is a believer in Jesus Christ has not committed the unforgivable sin. There are some folks, like the man who would come to my office, who are following Christ but who lose a lot of sleep because they are worried they might have blasphemed the Holy Spirit at some point and are afraid, that when they die, they will wake up not in heaven, but in hell. If you are in that boat, don't worry. No matter what you did or said before you became a Christian, no matter what you did or said after you became a Christian, if today you are trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you clearly have not committed the unforgivable sin. Don't sweat. You have not done so.
In fact, I would even go a step further: #2) If you are worried that you may have committed the unforgivable sin, you probably have not. Those who have rejected Christ in this way seldom have any concern for their soul. Their philosophy is "eat, drink and be merry" and one day die. If you desire to know God and spend eternity with Him in heaven, it means the Holy Spirit is at work in your life and God has not given up on you. If that is the case, God will certainly forgive any and all sins you have done, if you will only turn to Him.
#3) When someone repents of their sin, it proves they have not committed the unforgivable sin. By looking at Matthew 12:31,32 and Hebrews 6:4-6, we see that the problem with someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is not only that they will not be forgiven, but also that they will not repent. Thus, I believe that anyone who truly repents of their sin, no matter what it is, will be forgiven. Of course, true repentance is more than feeling bad about your sin, or feeling bad you got caught. It involves a genuine sorrow before God which leads to a desire to change. But God will forgive all who repent of their sin.
That brings us to an obvious conclusion. If you are not certain that your sins have been forgiven, what you need to do is turn to Jesus Christ today. As He enables you, you need to stop depending on yourself, stop thinking you are good enough the way you are, and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you really do that, I can assure you that every sin you have ever committed will be forgiven because of Jesus Christ's death on the cross in our place and because of God's amazing grace. All who turn to Jesus Christ will find free and full forgiveness for all their sins.
-------------------------------------------------------
Go to www.life.1stbaptist.org/sermons.htm for Pastor Dan's full text Bible based sermon site
