What Is the Unpardonable Sin? Can the Unpardonable Sin Be Committed Today?

TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · What Is the Unpardonable Sin? Can the Unpardonable Sin Be Committed, Today?

In this episode we are going to answer the question, “What is the unpardonable sin and can it be committed today?” In order to begin answering the question, it is necessary to define the unpardonable sin within the Scriptural context it occurs.  In the Scriptural context, Jesus cast out a demon from a blind and dumb man.  The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out the demon through the power of Beelzebub, another name for Satan, the ruler of the demons.

• But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” - Matthew 12:24

Beelzebul or Beelzebub is a deliberate distortion of the name Baal-Zebul.  Baal-Zebul was the god of the Philistines (cf. 2 Kings 1:2).  Baal-Zebul is the lord of the flies.  Historians believe that this deity communicated through the buzzing of a fly and protected its worshippers from plagues associated with flies.  The Israelites deliberately distorted the name to Beelzebub, which means the lord of the dung.  They also applied the name Beelzebul to Satan.  It was a common practice amongst the nations of their era to associate the gods of enemy nations with the devil.

In reality, Jesus healed the man and performed all His miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit, not Satan.  

• Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness […] And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. - Luke 4:1, 14

To accuse Jesus of doing miracles through the power of Satan was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy (blasphēmía) is speaking evil reports for the purpose of wounding someone’s reputation.  Thus, when the religious leaders accused Jesus of healing in the power of Satan, they injured the reputation of the Holy Spirit by accusing Him of being Satan. It is this blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which is unpardonable or unforgivable.

• Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. - Matthew 12:31-32
  
• Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” - Mark 3:28-30

The term forgiven (aphíēmi) means to remit or remove sins so that the one forgiven is no longer guilty of them or under their power.  If one sins against the Holy Spirit by blaspheming Him, he will remain guilty of sin and under its power forever.  The phrases not forgiven him in this age or in the age to come (Mathew 12:32) and never has forgiveness (Mark 3:29) indicates that the person has completely forfeited the possibility of being forgiven now or in the future. 

Two things should be stated regarding what the unpardonable or unforgivable sin is not.  First, this sin is not merely any sin or blasphemy.  It is a particular sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that any sin or blasphemy can be forgiven.

• Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, - Matthew 12:31
  
• Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; - Mark 3:28

Only the sin against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable.  

Second, the unpardonable sin is not against Jesus.  Jesus said that even a word against the Son of Man can be forgiven.  

• Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; - Matthew 12:32a  

Notice that a denial or rejection of Jesus is not the unpardonable sin.  Paul was a blasphemer of Jesus and yet was saved and became a minister of the Gospel.

• even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; - 1 Timothy 1:13

That said, if someone dies in their unbelief, they will experience the Second Death, eternal separation from God.

• He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. - John 3:36
  
• He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.    - 1 John 5:12
  
• …their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. - Revelation 21:8b

A Christian cannot commit the unpardonable sin.  First, a believer is redeemed and forgiven.  

• In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. - Ephesians 1:7

Jesus Christ bought sinners out of the marketplace of sin and paid the ransom price, His blood, which releases the repentant sinner from the bondage of sin. Second, a believer is clear of all sin.  

• but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. - 1 John 1:7

Jesus Christ’s blood was not only the ransom price, but it is the detergent, which cleanses the repentant sinner from their sin.  The tense of the verb cleanses indicates an ongoing process. 

Third, a believer has eternal life.

• For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Eternal life is never-ending life.  The present tense of the verb ‘have,’ indicates that the believer presently possesses this never-ending life with no end in view.  The subjunctive mood of the verb have means that the possession of such life is intentional. God has intentionally given never-ending life to believers from the moment they believe with no end in view.  Thus, a believer cannot commit the unpardonable sin, because they cannot forfeit this never-ending life that God has given.

Furthermore, it is impossible for anyone in this present age to commit the unpardonable sin.  First, the only time it occurs was during the earthly ministry of Jesus.  Second, those who personally committed it witnessed Jesus’ power and then attributed it to Satan.  Since Jesus physically ascended into Heaven and is not visibly performing miracles on earth, this sin cannot be committed today.  

Many confuse the unpardonable sin with the sin unto death.

• If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. - 1 John 5:16  

The context is needed to determine if the 'unpardonable sin' and the 'sin unto death' are the same or different.   Following his statements regarding answered prayers, John admonishes his reader to pray for the restoration of a believer who is sinning.  Up to this point, John has mentioned much about sin.  No believer is without sin and should be quick to repent (1 John 1:8-9).

• If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:8-9

No believer lives a life of ongoing sin.

• No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. - 1 John 3:9

According to 1 John 5:16, if a believer sees another believer struggling with a sin, he should immediately pray for the sinning believer. The tense of the verb he shall ask expresses an immediate, spontaneous reaction. Praying does not negate that the sinning believer may need to be confronted, admonished, reproved, or even rebuked.   

However, before any confrontation, prayer must be offered.  Only after such prayer, should one confront the sinning believer!  The only limitation, placed on praying, is if it is a ‘sin unto death.’  The wording does not imply that this is a strict limitation on praying, but that such a prayer would not be efficacious.   

What then is the sin that leads to death? Before answering the immediate question, it is necessary to establish what type of death is in view. In the context, the term life refers to eternal life.

• These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. - 1 John 5:13

Thus, it follows that the term death refers to spiritual death (i.e., eternal separation from God in Hell).

There are several opinions regarding which sin leads to death.  One opinion is that it refers to those sins worthy of death in the Theocratic Kingdom.  It is true that within the setting of a Theocratic Kingdom, many sins lead to death (i.e., in context, the natural end of life).  However, this would not fit the context of 1 John 5:16, because John and the original readers were not living under the Theocratic Kingdom.   

Another opinion is that sin unto death refers to the Roman Catholic position of venial and mortal sins.  Venial sins are violations of God’s Law, which do not cause one to lose their salvation.  Mortal sins are violations of God’s Law, which do result in the loss of salvation (i.e., spiritual death).  It is true that Scripture does teach that sins differ in magnitude of punishment that will be meted out in Hell.  

• Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. […] Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you. - Matthew 11:22, 24
  
• And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. - Luke 12:47-48

Scripture, however, is clear that all sins are a transgression against God and results in spiritual death.  

• The person who sins will die… - Ezekiel 18:20
  
• For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.              - Romans 6:23 

Another theory is that the sin is apostasy or false teaching.  Apostasy is a willing renunciation of one’s faith or rejection of Jesus as revealed in Scripture.  Scripture is clear that an apostate or false teacher is already unsaved and marked for Hell.

• For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.    - Hebrews 6:4-6  

The fact that John had previously referenced false teachers or antichrists certainly make it possible that John had apostasy in view.  

• Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. - 1 John 2:18

However, John makes it clear that these were never part of those to whom he is writing.

• They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.              - 1 John 2:19

In other words, these false teachers are not part of the real Christian community.  The context of 1 John 5:16 indicates that those who sin a sin unto death are in the believers’ midst. 

Still, others have argued that John is speaking of the unpardonable sin (cf. Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:22-30).  The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  However, as previously states, it can only be committed if Jesus is physically present and performing miracles.  Since John’s epistle was written sixty years after the ascension of Jesus, it would be impossible for the unpardonable sin to be committed in those days, much less presently.  

In identifying the sin unto death, one should note two things from the context.  First, a believer sees his brother.  The term brother implies that the one who is sinning is a believer.  No true believer persists in sin or sins habitually.  

• My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; - 1 John 2:1
  
• No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. - 1 John 3:9

Believers can sin, but true believers will not be known for habitually sinning.

Secondly, in the phrases sin a sin and for them that sin the term sin (hamartánō) is a present tense which indicates an ongoing state.  In other words, John is showing that the sin is habitual or constant.  If habitual sin is in view, then is the brother a true believer or merely a professing believer (i.e., professes eternal life, but does not possess eternal life)?  John has previously dealt with those professing believers who in reality are not believers (cf. 1 John 2:9).  

Also, John uses the present tense of the verb to describe the activities of these professing believers who are not true.  He says they: walk in darkness and lie;

• If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; -  1 John 1:6

do not keep His commandments;

• The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; - 1 John 2:4

hate fellow believers;

• The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. […] But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. - 1 John 2:9, 11

love the world;

• Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

deny that Jesus is the Messiah.

• Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. - 1 John 2:22-23

The issue at stake then in 1 John 5:16 is in determining who is a true believer and who is merely a professing believer.  If a believer sees another believer sinning, he should pray for them and if necessary follow the Scriptural commands for such situations.  If they are true believers, the Holy Spirt will act upon them and bring them to repentance.  If a professing believer continues in sin and there is no change, then at some point it must be determined that this one is truly an unbeliever.  Thus, it is possible for one to profess to be a believer, yet continue in sin, and in turn, be marked by God as committing a sin unto spiritual death.

• For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?                               - Hebrews 10:26-29​