I sometimes get asked about the ‘unforgivable sin.’ 

It’s found in Mark 3:28-30. Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The reason people sometimes ask me about it is because they are worried that it is something they have committed. ‘What if I can’t be forgiven? What if I won’t go to heaven?’ No wonder it is a source of concern and stress.

Here’s the context. Experts in religious law were slandering Jesus. He had been casting out demons, healing people, preaching about God’s kingdom, and gathering crowds. These ‘experts’ didn’t question Jesus’ power as an exorcist; they questioned his power source. They accused him of being a tool of Satan.

That’s when Jesus brought up the unforgivable sin. He was warning his opponents about the gravity of what they were suggesting.

In short, the unforgivable sin is crediting God’s work to Satan. The text communicates to us that this is something someone does over and over, and that they aren’t sorry for what they’ve done.

What we need to see is that the unforgivable sin isn’t general atheism or even speaking against Jesus himself—it is an ongoing pattern of crediting God’s work to Satan.  

If you are concerned this is something you’ve done, I think you should be at peace. Your concern is evidence that you have not taken a settled position of continually crediting God’s work to Satan (or else you wouldn’t be asking about it in the first place). 

As always, if you have sinned in the past (or the present), ask God for forgiveness, trust in Christ, commit to mending your ways, and be at peace. 

Concern with sin is actually evidence of spiritual growth.

Today, let’s give thanks that we honour and serve a forgiving God, and ensure that our words and actions give all glory to him, as we seek to share and show his love with the people around us.

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Notes:

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.