Matthew 12:31-32; 1 John 5:16-18

INTRODUCTION: "I can't become a Christian, I've committed the unpardonable sin!" How many times have preachers heard this from those whom they have encouraged to obey the gospel! Many have, over the years, thought that they have committed such a sin, in spite of what the Bible plainly declares that the blood of Christ can forgive all sin. This comes by a misunderstanding of a handful of Bible passages. Let's take a look at the "unpardonable" sin.

BODY

I. THERE ARE SOME PRINCIPLES FROM THE WORD OF GOD THAT WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?

A. God wants everyone to be saved.

1. 1 Timothy 2:3_4_ " For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, {4} who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2. 2 Peter 3:9_ " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

B. God has given mankind a freewill, which we can either obey or disobey God.

1. Deuteronomy 30:19_20_ " "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; {20} "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of
your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
2. Matthew 11:28_ " "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

C. There is not any specific sin we can mention that the blood of Jesus cannot forgive, if we obey the gospel.

1. 1 Corinthians 6:9_11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were
washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
2. 1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A. What does the term "blasphemy" mean?

1. Comes from two words. It comes from blapto, which means to hurt, along with phemi, which means, to speak. It means literally to hurt by speaking.

a. Thayer defines the word as, "Railing, reviling...a. slander, detraction, speech injurious to another's good name."

2. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would then mean to speak evil against the Holy Spirit.

B. What is the context of the passage?

1. Jesus entered into a city and, coming upon a man with a withered hand, is questioned as to whether it is right to heal a man on the Sabbath. (Verses 9-10)

2. Jesus demonstrates that he is divine by healing the man with the withered hand. (Verses 11-14)

3. The Scribes and Pharisees refuse to believe, attributing his work to the work of the Devil. They had not only denied Jesus, but denied the work of the Holy Spirit that worked in the healing of the man. (Verse 24)

4. It was in this context that Jesus stated that all sins against the Father and the Son would be forgiven, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven.

C. What then, is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

1. The ones who committed this sin were those who were so hardened in heart that they would not believe the evidence that was clearly presented by the Holy Spirit. 

2. Why could there be no forgiveness? If they had rejected the Father's message promising the Son, and even when He spoke at the baptism of Jesus, etc. If they had rejected the words of Jesus they would still have another opportunity to be in fellowship with God. But if they rejected the Holy Spirit's words (inspiration, i.e. the word of God) and actions (the miracles of Jesus and his disciples) there would be no opportunity at forgiveness.

a. John 12:48-49

3. What is the condition of a person who commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? They have hardened their hear so much that they will not accept the clear evidence given by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate that Jesus is the messiah. They are so calloused to the truth that they can look it in the eye and say speak profane words against God's Spirit. It is not pardonable because there is nothing else that God will furnish to convict them of their sins and they will not repent at the Holy Spirit's teachings. In short, if a person is concerned about committing the unpardonable sin it is a sure bet that they have not!

a. This kind of individual is rotten to the core! See verses 33-34.

b. This does not necessarily mean that there is no hope of forgiveness if the person repents. It reflects the current hardened condition of those who hated Jesus.

III. WHAT DOES JOHN TEACH IN 1 JOHN 5:16-18?
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

A. What is John saying, literally?

1. He is saying that there is a type of sin which a brother commits that Christians are told to pray for. He says that they
prayer will be effective in saying from sin. This is spoken of as a "sin not leading to death."

2. But he says there is a category of sin that a brother commits which we are commanded to not pray for. The is spoken of as a sin "leading to death."

B. What category of sins is John referring to in the passage?

1. What kind of sins are forgiven?

a. We have already noted a long list of sins that cover the who gamut of unrighteousness that had been forgiven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). We can add that the blood of Jesus cleansed those on the day of Pentecost, even though they were responsible for the death of Jesus (Acts 2:23). Paul described himself as a blasphemer and a persecutor of Christians (1 Timothy 1:13) but was still forgiven.

b. 1 John 1:7_9 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Because all sin that is cleansed by the blood of Jesus by obedience to the gospel on the part of alien sinners and repentance and confession of sins by erring Christians, then it becomes obvious that sins "leading to death" would be those which were never repented of and confessed.

CONCLUSION: There is no sin in your life that can't be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. The "only" thing we need to worry about is hardening your heart and causing you to not want to repent!