What is the ‘Unforgiveable Sin’? A Sermon on Blasphemy Against the Spirit

We’ll examine the context of Matthew 12 to understand what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit actually is and why it will not be forgiven.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – commonly referred to as the ‘unpardonable’ or ‘unforgiveable’ sin – has been the cause of a lot of debate, confusion, and anxiety for many.

The primary issue is this: If in Christ we are able to find forgiveness for all our sins, how is it that there is one sin which will never be forgiven – either in this age or in the age to come, as Jesus states in Matthew 12?

Moreover, with such grave eternal consequences, even some believers are filled with concern that perhaps they have, at some point committed this sin and will not be saved after all.

Attempts to explain what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is vary greatly, and many fail to take in to account the context of the passage where it is mentioned.

While some say that this sin can no longer be committed now that Jesus is no longer in His earthly ministry, others say that it refers to especially terrible sins like murder, and still others say that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is merely referring to the sin of unbelief – that only those who refuse to embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior have committed it.

In this sermon on Matthew 12 verses 22-32 I endeavor to examine the context of Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in order to rightly understand what it is, who can commit it, and why the consequences are so dire.

In addition to staying grounded in the text, I also seek to understand this verse within the wider context of what God has revealed about our salvation – namely that it is a work of God’s Spirit whereby he convinces us of our sin, enlightens our mind with the knowledge of Christ, and draws us to embrace Jesus Christ through His effectual calling.

Those whom the Spirit draws will, ultimately, be saved. The will of God is not overridden by the will of sinful man. Our understanding of the so-called ‘unforgiveable sin’ should not ignore this vital truth.

And so I hope that the following sermon will be helpful to you as we consider the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit within the context of Matthew 12:22-32.

Watch or Listen to This Sermon Below

Matthew 12:22-32

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. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 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. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 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. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 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.

An Exposition of the Passage

In Matthew 12:21-32 we find one of the most challenging concepts in all of the New Testament: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, commonly referred to as the ‘unforgiveable’ or ‘unpardonable’ sin.

There is much debate, much disagreement, much confusion, and much trepidation about these verses. And it is no wonder: we have throughout the Scriptures the firm promise that any and every sin can be forgiven if we turn to Christ in repentance and faith – that the shed blood of Jesus is sufficient to pay the penalty of all sin for any who will follow Him.

Yet here in Matthew 12 we hear from the lips of Christ Himself that there is a sin which “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

On top of the difficulties posed theologically in trying to reconcile these things in our mind, there is the sad reality that many Christians who have encountered this passage have developed a fear that perhaps they have committed this grievous sin and will find that, in the end, they have disqualified themselves from receiving Christ’s forgiveness.

It is my hope that this resource will give you a clearer understanding of what the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is, what it is not, and what lessons we are to draw from these verses.

The key to rightly understanding this passage – and any passage of Scripture – is to examine it in its context. If we lift verses 31 and 32 out of the 12th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and attempt to deal with them in isolation we are sure to veer off course.

However, when we examine these verses in context we will be able to better understand what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is and why those who commit this sin will not be forgiven.

We will look first at the Pharisees’ accusation, then Christ’s Response, and finally, the blasphemy against the Spirit.

The Pharisee’s Accusation

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.”

The narrative begins with a dramatic, miraculous healing of a man who was demon possessed, blind, and mute. He could not speak, could not see, and he was oppressed by the power of Satan.

And Jesus Christ heals him. He casts out the demon, restores his sight, and enables him to speak.

There are many passages which have as their main focus the miraculous healing ministry of Jesus. In our passage, however, this event is simply the impetus for what is about to occur.

Though the people are amazed, this miraculous and compassionate act draws the ire of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day who were Jesus’ constant and committed opponents.

First, we want to recognize how Jesus’ healing ministry attests to the fact that He is the long-awaited Messiah. In Isaiah 35:5-6, the prophet foretold that when the Messiah came:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy…

This has just taken place in the presence of the many who had gathered around Jesus to hear Him teach and see Him perform miracles – The eyes of the blind were opened, and the tongue of the mute was loosened so that he could sing for joy!

These were not the parlor tricks of modern-day charlatans, and it is critical to recognize that none who witnessed what took place denied that the man had truly been healed.

We read that “all the people were amazed.” The phrase being used here literally means that they were beside themselves with astonishment.

And so they ask, “can this be the Son of David?” – This is a Messianic title, harkening back to 2 Samuel 7 where it is written that regarding David “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

Although they were astonished, they were not yet convinced. It is clearer in Greek than it is in English, but way in which they ask the question assumes a ‘no’ answer. Perhaps a better way to render their question would be “This can’t be the Son of David, can it?”

They are just beginning to wonder what manner of man this is before them. They are starting to think that, perhaps, just maybe, Jesus of Nazareth could be the Messiah.

The people were amazed because they knew that this person had been supernaturally healed. So too, did Christ’s enemies, the Pharisees. They could not deny that a miracle had taken place.

Notice that they do not attempt to convince the people or fool themselves that Jesus is merely a conjurer of cheap tricks. They cannot deny the reality of the healing, and so they seek to explain away the means by which Christ has accomplished this supernatural feat.

“But when the Pharisees heard it, they said ‘it is only by Beelzebul, the prince of Demons, that this man cases out demons.’”

Beelzebul was the name of a false god connected to Baal worship. A literal translation of this name is “lord of the flies.” Eventually the name came to be synonymous with Satan himself, the prince of demons.

Unable to deny that a miracle has taken place, that something supernatural has occurred, their only recourse is to attribute the act to the power of Satan rather than the power of God.

As commentator Matthew Henry wrote:

How blasphemously they speak of his miracles; they could not deny the matter of fact; it was as plain as the sun, that devils were cast out by the word of Christ; nor could they deny that it was an extraordinary thing, and supernatural. Being thus forced to grant the premises, they had no other way to avoid the conclusion, that this is the Son of David, than by suggesting that Christ cast out devils by Beelzebub; that there was a compact between Christ and the devil.

The Pharisees leveled the same horrid accusation in Matthew 9:34 after Jesus healed another mute, demon-oppressed man. We read that the crowds marveled, “But the Pharisees said, ‘He casts out demons by the prince of demons.’”

In Matthew 9 we have no record of Christ acknowledging or responding to this accusation. However, here in Matthew 12 we see Jesus respond with a scathing rebuke.

Christ’s Response

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.

Interestingly, it seems that the Pharisees comment was not said in the immediate presence of Jesus – Perhaps it was said to the crowd or only whispered amongst themselves.

It made no difference. “Knowing their thoughts,” Christ responds by asking three questions that demonstrate the foolishness and wickedness of the Pharisees’ accusation that Christ was in league with Satan:

 “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?” (Matthew 12:25)

The truth of this statement is obvious. Any army that attacks itself will surely be defeated, and if Satan were to utilize Christ to cast out demons the kingdom of darkness would be tearing itself apart. It defies logic that Satan would cast out Satan.

“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.” (Matthew 12:27)

The power to expel demons was not limited to Christ. There were, apparently, prominent Jews who would expel demons from time to time.

We encounter some of this activity in the New Testament. In Mark 9:38, we see some of the disciples come to Jesus concerned because “we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

After Jesus had ascended to heaven, we read in Acts 19 of the unsuccessful attempts from some Jewish exorcists to cast out demons in the name of Jesus:

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

No doubt many instances were more successful than this. The point is that there were Jews who were, also by the power of God, able to cast out demons. If the Pharisees were to attribute Jesus’ ability to do so to Satan, by whose power were their fellow Jews able to do the same?

The conclusion is clear and inescapable. Verse 28: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

And this is, of course, exactly the case. That the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven had come upon them is a primary message proclaimed by Christ and by John the Baptist when he prepared the way in the wilderness for Him to begin His ministry.

“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.” (Matthew 12:29)

This may at first seem a bit more mysterious than the other questions Christ has leveled against the Pharisees. But if you don’t lose sight of the context the point is clear: Christ would not be able to take what Satan has claimed without overpowering him as an adversary – In casting out the demons oppressing this blind and mute man Jesus was plundering what Satan possessed.

There can be no doubt that Christ and Satan are enemies – For Christ says that “whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

What could be more clear than this? There cannot be any collusion between Jesus and Beelzebul, for they are enemies and are diametrically opposed to one another.

There is no cooperation between Christ and Satan. “What accord has Christ with Belial?” 2 Corinthians 6:15 asks. The answer? None whatsoever.

With these questions Christ has completely dismantled the Pharisees’ accusation that He “casts out demons by the prince of demons” and He has set the stage for his stern warning about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

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.

We have arrived at the most difficult verses in our passage. Here we learn of the ‘blasphemy of the Holy Spirit’ which will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come.

Blasphemy comes from two Greek words, one meaning ‘damage’ and the other ‘reputation.’ To blaspheme means to speak in a way that maligns, denigrates, and disrespects God and dishonors Him. Though the Pharisees speak against Christ here they are blaspheming the Spirit, for it is by the power of the Spirit that Christ performed this miracle and it is His power that they attribute to Satan.

We should not take our passage to mean that blaspheming the Son or the Father is not egregious – for we worship one God in three persons, each equal in power and glory. To blaspheme the Spirit, however, is to speak against He who convicts the world of sin, reveals to us the truth of the Gospel, and applies the redemption purchased by Christ.

What Blasphemy Against the Spirit Does Not Mean

Before we seek to define what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is, it will be helpful to first consider what it is not. As always, we will let the context be our guide.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is NOT:

  • Any and all words spoken against God. Our text says that, apart from blaspheming the Spirit, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people.” There is clearly more to this sin than uttering disparaging comments against God.
    • The apostle Paul says clearly in 1 Timothy 1:13 that formerly he was a blasphemer himself prior to his conversion, yet he found forgiveness
  • Blasphemy against the Spirit is not murder, or adultery, or other especially heinous sins. Although extreme, even these acts do not put you outside the possibility of forgiveness if there is repentance and faith.
    • Moses killed the Egyptian, David was an adulterer, and the apostle Paul provides a long list of terrible sins in 1 Corinthians 6:11 before saying “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
  • I do not see blasphemy against the Spirit as merely a failure to place your faith in Christ for salvation and for the forgiveness of sins – though there are many who take this view.
    • It is, of course, true that “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” as we read in Matthew 13. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ.
    • However, it seems clear in our passage that Christ is pointing out a specific sin that is actively committed rather than the sin of unbelief.
  • Blasphemy against the Spirit is not to be ignorantly flippant about, dismissive towards, or in error regarding the person and work of the Spirit.
    • For example, those who accidentally refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘it’ rather than ‘he’ have not committed the unforgivable sin. While we will give an account for every careless word we speak, such carelessness does not mean we are outside the possibility of repentance.

What Blasphemy Against the Spirit Means

So having surveyed what blasphemy against the Spirit is not, let us look to what it is.

As we see in our text, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit involves a willful, deliberate rejection of the work of the Spirit through Christ. More than this, this rejection is against all evidence and conviction and goes so far as to attribute the work of the Spirit to Satan.

Herman Bavinck summarizes it well: “The context makes clear that the sin against the Holy Spirit has to consist in a conscious, deliberate, intentional blasphemy of the – clearly recognized yet hatefully misattributed to the devil – revelation of God’s grace in Christ by the Holy Spirit.”

It is a willful, deliberate, and complete rejection of the Spirit’s testimony about Christ.  Through this act, God in the flesh is rejected as the devil incarnate. Here is sin its most concentrated form.

Why Is It Not Forgiven?

Scripture is clear that in Christ we find forgiveness of all our sins. Yet our passage states that those who commit this sin will not be forgiven. Why is this?

As we seek to answer this question, I want to guard against two errors:

  1. Our passage does not negate the doctrine of effectual calling, or the irresistible grace of the Holy Spirit in drawing sinners to repentance. Matthew 12 does not override Romans 8, in which we read “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

While the general call of the gospel can be and often is rejected, the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit will bring a sinner to faith in Christ.

  • That this sin will not be forgiven is not due to any defect in God’s mercy or in the merit of Christ’s atoning blood. No disease is uncurable for the Great Physician. No debt of sin too great to be paid for by the blood of Christ.

For this reason, I personally think it is unhelpful to use the terms ‘unpardonable’ or ‘unforgiveable’ when speaking of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The text does not say that this sin cannot be forgiven, but that it will not be forgiven.

To reject the clear, irrefutable evidence of the Spirit that Jesus is the Messiah and to attribute His miraculous works to the power of Satan himself is to reject the only means by which salvation is made available.

Out of the heart the mouth speaks; such depraved words spoken against what the Holy Spirit has irrefutably revealed to be true of Christ can come only from a heart that is fully depraved, wholly darkened, completely shut off against His grace.

Remove from your mind the image of someone how has inadvertently said something bad against the Spirit of God and then finds the door to heaven slammed shut, though he earnestly repents and longs for forgiveness. That is not what blaspheming the Spirit is or who it applies to.

The Pharisees had undeniable proof that Jesus was the Christ, yet they denied Him anyways. This eternal sin will not be forgiven because it will not be repented of.

I do not say that this sin cannot be committed in our own day (although some make this claim), but the context demands that we recognize the Pharisees’ sin involved rejecting tremendous proofs and evidences that Jesus was who He said He was. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

In rebuking the Pharisees with this teaching about blasphemy against the Spirit, Jesus is making it clear that they are enemies of God bound for judgment.

Does He not say as much many times in His condemnation of these religious leaders? “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires,” He says to them in John 8. In Matthew 23 he calls them children of hell, says plainly that they will not enter the kingdom of heaven, and asks “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”

The Pharisees had two feet in hell already, and so it is that they could witness irrefutable proof that the kingdom of God had come upon them in the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and not only reject that evidence but attribute a work of God to the power of Satan.

There is no way back from this sin, because those who commit it reveal that their hearts are so hardened, their consciences so seared, that they will never repent. They will not repent of their sin, and so their sin will not be forgiven. And sin which is not forgiven in this age remains unforgiven in the age to come.

To be clear, it is not that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is ‘unforgiveable’ in the sense that God is somehow incapable of forgiving this particular offense or because the blood of Christ was efficacious for all manner of sins except one.

Nor do we need to scribble little asterisks in our Bibles next to every verse that offers free and full forgiveness to all who repent and believe.

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a sin which will not be forgiven in this age or in the age to come because the fact that they were able to commit such a deliberate, wicked act against conviction and irrefutable evidence reveals that the person who commits it is so hardened that they will never repent and turn to Christ.

Committing this sin is a window into the soul of the person who commits it, and it is evident that they are and will remain beyond repentance.

Christ’s strong words here in verses 31 and 32 accomplishes several things:

  • They serve as a strong condemnation of the Pharisees, exposing them as enemies of God and His kingdom.
  • They serve as a stern warning to those who may give ear to their explanation for how Christ was able to accomplish these miracles. He is guarding His hearers against the soul poison being peddled by the Pharisees.
    • This, too, is found elsewhere in Scripture:
      • “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Jesus warns (Matthew 16:11)
      • Speaking to His disciples of the Pharisees in MT 15, Jesus warns, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
  • They serve as a warning to all to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
    • None need join the Pharisees in their fate if they will flee to Christ

Can Christians Commit Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit?

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the willful, persistent rejection of Christ – attributing to Satan the power of the Spirit which testifies to the truth of Christ as Messiah and Savior.

Yet many Christians are gripped by a fear that these verses might apply to them. Let me be clear: It is, by definition, impossible for a true Christian to commit this sin. If you have responded to the effectual calling of the Spirit, you cannot have rejected Him nor have you attributed His work to the evil one.

Moreover, once you trust Christ for forgiveness there is nothing that you can do which would separate you from Him.

John 6:37-40: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So if you are a Christian and are troubled by the thought of having committed this sin against the Spirit, know that your concern serves as a sure sign that you have not. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as we see in our passage is marked by a lack of remorse altogether.

Yet Christians can grieve the Holy Spirit through disobedience as we see in Ephesians 4, and at those times we are convicted by the Spirit to repent. But this does not mean that we have jeopardized our salvation. In Ephesians 4:30 we read: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” That seal remains unbroken.

While our salvation is secure, when we are convicted of sin we have but to turn to Christ: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

For Those Outside of Christ

For those who have not yet confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and turned to Him for forgiveness of sins, this condemnation of the Pharisees need not apply to you. God has never yet refused to hear the cry of a sinner truly seeking repentance.

Romans 10:9-13 still beckons you to be reconciled to God:

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The words of the prophet Isaiah still hold true: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Peter’s call in Peter Acts 2:36-39 applies to you as well:

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

No matter your sins, you can stand with the apostle Paul as he says in 1 Timothy 1:13-15:

…formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

And all who have called upon the name of the Lord can say together with one voice:

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

1 comment
  1. Very helpful. Something to be concerned about and it is good to know that that very concern is evidence that you have not committed it.

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