The Unforgivable Sin

What is the unforgivable sin? The Bible tells us very clearly what it is on several occasions. So, the question then becomes, what does it mean. That is what we are about to find out here. Let’s start with the passages in question.

Matthew 12:31-33

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

Mark 3:28-30

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Luke 12:10-12

“And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Hebrews 10:26-31

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

These are the passages that directly acknowledge the unforgivable sin. In each instance, the Holy Spirit is mentioned. The Hebrews verse however, seems to be key to understanding the unforgivable sin. The context surrounding this passage seems to point to the idea that insulting the Holy Spirit is equivalent to willfully sinning after knowing the truth, which ultimately causes you to lose any chance to be saved. Then, the author of Hebrews goes on to equate that idea with rejecting the Law of God given to men by Moses. This idea is very intriguing considering this is not what is generally taught in Sunday school or at any mainstream church. Therefore, it seems there is need for further study. I suggest starting with the Holy Spirit. What does the Bible say is the intended, prophesied purpose of the Holy Spirit of God?

Ezekiel 36:27

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

YHWH God Himself gives this prophecy to Ezekiel. The Holy Spirit is to be put within believers, and its purpose is to cause men to keep the Law of God. To take this a bit further, due to what is stated in Hebrews, we will need to find out what it means to sin.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

So, we have the New Testament telling us that sin is lawlessness, and we know when the New Testament was written there was only one law, and that was the Law of God, also known as Torah. If sin is breaking Torah and the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to cause men to keep Torah, it seems both the Old and New Testaments are in agreement with each other.

Therefore, taking all these passages in conjunction with each other, I am suggesting the unforgivable sin is to willfully break the Law of God. If the Holy Spirit is here to give us a desire to keep the Law of God, and then we learn the Law of God, but still choose to defy it, break it, and go against it in order to please our flesh, we are slandering the Holy Spirit because we know Yeshua is the living breathing Law of God. The Word was the Law and the Word was God. Therefore, the Torah, that is the Law, is God. To openly defy it is to freely, and willfully disobey the One who sacrificed His own life in order to bring you to a salvation of eternity with Him.