Still Unforgivable
Many Christians, if asked, will tell you that there is no sin for which Christ did not die. They can be forgiven for this mistake because in the wide range of every possible sin, there is exactly one sin for which Christ did not die. Others argue that the one sin Christ said was unforgivable doesn’t matter today, because it was a limited time sin that is no longer possible. I don’t believe that will hold up under analysis of the text either.
So, what text are we discussing today?
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 12:22-32
The case against it being possible to commit this sin today is that they were speaking against the Spirit’s ministry through Jesus at the time. However, you’ll notice that the sin is not speaking against the particular ministry, but rather against the Spirit. In fact, the Son rules out that it is speaking against him that is the issue.
About Division
What was the work of the Spirit in this context? He was casting out demons. The blasphemy was the assertion that it was actually the work of demons, therefore calling the Spirit a demon. Jesus points out the absurdity of the argument that demons would make it their mission to cast out demons. After all, if demons are casting out demons, then just let them go and they’ll take care of themselves! A house divided against itself cannot stand.
He then observes that the detractors themselves acknowledge that casting out demons is a good work, for their own sons make efforts to do the same! Therefore, they know that it is not with evil intent that a person casts out demons, so why ascribe evil this time? Because if it is by the Holy Spirit that he was casting out demons, they would have to acknowledge that the kingdom of God was among them.
What they witnessed was evidence that they should be with Christ, but because they were against him they invented an excuse. Again, it came down to division. This time not an imagined dispute between demons, but an actual conflict between these men and the kingdom of God. They were not with him because they were against him. Because they were not gathered with him, they would scatter.
And Today?
Obviously, blasphemy of the Spirit is a very grave problem. If people can still be guilty of such sin today, it is imperative that we know what that looks like! Since Christ’s ascension, the Spirit has been sent into the world with another mission.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:7-11
Christ was no longer going to be a physical witness for the kingdom of God. People would still need to be convicted of sins so that they could understand their need for a savior. They would still need to understand God’s righteousness without the perfect example in the life of Jesus. They would still need to be told that judgement is coming, because the destruction of this present world is certain.
Therefore, Jesus promised the Spirit would come to his followers to empower them for these tasks, and he has come. I doubt any believer will tell you they repented immediately upon being told that their sin was sin. Many would not repent upon first hearing of the coming judgement. However, they eventually did feel that conviction and admitted their need for Christ in order to be made right before a perfect God.
Such casual rejection of the message is not unforgivable. Instead, the blasphemy of the Spirit in this age looks like the relentlessly unrepentant, who aggressively oppose the convicting work of the Spirit through believers because it is good, and not just for themselves but for everyone.
They are those entirely committed to the cosmic powers over our present darkness as a means to oppose what is good. From our human perspective, the only way we are often able to identify such a willful unbelief is that they die in their sins. After all, any who repent were never fully committed to oppose the convicting of the Spirit, no matter how loud they may have been previously.
Just Unbelief That Lasts?
If this is just a fancy way of saying that life-long unbelief will not be forgiven, why not just say that? Because it is more than that, though that is often the only evidence we have to discern such things. The reality is, a person who blasphemes the Spirit is not just someone who doesn’t know of Christ yet, but someone who, upon learning about him, is willfully opposed to him.
This is important for believers to understand, because many mistakenly believe that opposition to Christ is, at its heart, always a matter of confusion or ignorance. If believers were more kind or articulate, we could win over everyone. The reality is the exact opposite. Those who ultimately reject the convicting work of the Spirit reject it because they oppose God.
Instead of watering down our objections to sin, making God seem “just like one of us”, and speaking quietly and apologetically about the destruction of the wicked, we should not quench the Spirit. His ministry is sure to draw to Jesus all those who are being saved. It is sure to draw the ire of those who blasphemously oppose it. This isn’t a flaw. Be bold.
