The Unforgivable Sin

The following is a letter I wrote to a friend about blasphemy against the Spirit.

David,
This past Tuesday we were having a discussion of the passage in Matthew 12:22-32 which talks about how the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. During the course of the discussion I stated that there is no sin that can separate us from Christ except one and that is not believing in Jesus. However, in order to understand what Jesus is talking about and to understand how this does not contradict the message of grace, we must first understand what salvation is and also understand the definition of blasphemy.

To begin with salvation is not the forgiveness of sin. John 1:29 says, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Notice that it doesn't say "takes away the sin of the believer," or "takes away the sin of those who trust in the Lord." It includes the whole world. So sin is no longer the issue. It has been dealt with.

The problem is that we are dead. Gen 2:17 says, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This is referring to the spiritual death not the physical which is a result of the spiritual. John 10:10 Jesus says, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." This is the mission statement of Jesus. I will explain why this important in a moment

The next concept we need to define is the idea of blasphemy and we can see an example of how this term was used in John 10:32-33:

--32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."--

This passage makes clear that blasphemy is the act of making one's self equal to that of God. So when Jesus says, "...but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven." He is referring to making ourselves equal to the Holy Spirit. If then we say that we are equal to the Holy Spirit, we are saying that we are not dead and that we do not need life or "salvation." Therefore, this is an issue of unbelief; not an issue of sin.

Now in the context of the passage it is important to understand that Jesus had just preformed a miracle that according to the traditions of the Pharisees could only be performed by the Messiah. And even though he met their requirements (not the scripture's) to validate who he was, they still refused to believe saying that he was of Satan not of God.