In this week’s post we are to explain the unpardonable sin found in Matthew 12:31-32. Our men’s Bible study group has been studying Matthew 12 for the last few weeks and I am not sure everyone understands Jesus’ teaching on the unpardonable sin. The numerous questions in our small group led me to recommend the topic for this week as surely others outside our group have the same questions. There are so many Christians who are paralyzed by the fear that they have at some point committed the unpardonable sin that they miss God’s peace that they could have.
So, let’s begin by laying out the events that bring us to these verses. Chapter 12 verses 1-8 tells the events where Jesus and His disciples walked through a grain field on the Sabbath. The Pharisees complained to Jesus that the disciples were breaking the law. Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees showed them that they were incorrect in their understanding. In verses 9-14, Jesus healed on the Sabbath the man with the withered hand. The Pharisees precipitated the event, by trying to set a trap, asking Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus again disarmed the Pharisees. After this event the Pharisees colluded to kill Jesus. Verses 15-17 is a transition to the quote from Isaiah 42 found in verses 18-21.
In the Greek, verses 22-32 are in one paragraph. Jesus heals a demon possessed man and those in the crowd began questioning aloud whether Jesus was the promised Messiah. The Pharisees needing to crush any such ideas of Jesus being the one true Messiah of the lineage of David, immediately contributed Jesus power to Satan. The unpardonable sin for which the Pharisees committed was specific to Jesus Christ being on the earth. The Pharisees refused “to accept the witness of the Holy Spirit to who Jesus was and what He had come to do, and then submit their lives to Him.”[1] The Holy Spirit has come to convict each person of their sins. The Pharisees did not give God the Father the honor and glory for the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus. They instead said that the Holy Spirit was Satan. The Pharisees “chose rather to reject the Spirit’s witness to their sin and to Jesus, and accused Him of being demon possessed!”[2] Did you get that? The Pharisees not only said the Holy Spirit’s work was the work of Satan, but they went as far as saying that the Holy Spirit was Satan.
Now the unpardonable sin that Jesus was speaking of to the Pharisees was specific to His time on earth, saying that Jesus Christ was filled with Satan. However, there is still today an unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin is denying the call of the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In other words to commit the unpardonable sin, “one must consciously, persistently, deliberately, and maliciously reject the testimony of the Spirit to the deity and saving power of the Lord Jesus.”[3] Jesus Christ died for every single person who has ever lived and ever will live. If a person wants to live their life on earth separated from God, then God will honor their wishes in eternity by sending them to be eternally separated from Him.
God the Father loves you personally, Christ died for you personally, the Holy Spirit is calling you personally. Answer Him by accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior. That hole you are trying to fill with worldly things can only be filled by God. Peace only comes from the knowledge of God’s grace and mercy. Answer Him because He is calling you!
In Christ,
Don
[1] https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-unpardonable-sin-i-am-afraid-i-may-have-committed-it/
[2] https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-unpardonable-sin-i-am-afraid-i-may-have-committed-it/
[3] https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-unpardonable-sin-i-am-afraid-i-may-have-committed-it/