Shortly after the release of Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved, questions regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, often termed the “unpardonable sin,” surged. This concept, though addressed in the book, warrants further exploration due to its persistent nature. Let’s delve into understanding what this truly means.
The notion of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” originates from the Gospels, where Jesus identifies it as a sin devoid of forgiveness (Luke 12:10, Matthew 12:32, Mark 3:29). However, Jesus refrained from providing a definitive, explicit definition of what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Clarity would have been greatly enhanced had he specified particular words or actions that unequivocally constitute this unforgivable act. Regrettably, such explicit instructions were not given.
Many individuals harbor concerns that they may have committed this blasphemous act, thereby losing their chance at salvation. When these anxieties are voiced, they frequently revolve around a combination of resisting the Holy Spirit’s promptings, uttering disrespectful words about the Holy Spirit, or engaging in exceptionally grave sins.
This concern isn’t merely theoretical. In my own past, I grappled with the fear of having committed the unpardonable sin. Having witnessed considerable divine grace, I feared that turning away and committing significant sins surely constituted this irreversible blasphemy.
In such instances, the common pastoral advice holds true: if you are troubled by the possibility of having committed this blasphemy, it is highly probable that you have not. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit inherently involves the absence of any desire for reconciliation with Jesus. It is, after all, God who instills within us the yearning to approach Him (Philippians 2:12-13). Therefore, your very apprehension about reaching the “point of no return” serves as compelling evidence against it. If the desire for repentance exists within you, He will unfailingly welcome you. He will never reject anyone who turns to Him (John 6:37).
So, what precisely constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Ed Welch offers a biblically sound and compassionate answer, which can be found here. In summary, Welch defines blasphemy against the Spirit as a persistent and hardened opposition to God. While we all experience moments, even extended periods, of defying God, there can arise a point where this defiance becomes entrenched and unwavering, to the extent that an individual persistently rejects the Spirit’s voice. At this juncture, God, in essence, respects that choice, saying, “You desire to proceed independently? You wish for me to be absent from your life? Very well.” In simpler terms, the only truly unpardonable sin is the continuous refusal to accept God’s pardon.
My wife once wrestled with the notion that she was incapable of repentance due to a perceived lack of “predestination” for salvation. Having been exposed to the gospel throughout her upbringing, yet not experiencing immediate conversion, she concluded that God had not chosen her to believe.
However, during moments of doubt and uncertainty, the Bible consistently directs us away from scrutinizing the perceived wickedness of our hearts or speculating about God’s predestination. Instead, Scripture unequivocally commands all to repent. “If you hear God’s voice,” urges the writer of Hebrews, “obey today.” Throughout the entirety of the Bible, there is no instance of a person turning to God in repentance and being denied forgiveness—never.
The only unpardonable sin is refusing to let God pardon you.
Therefore, if you find yourself persistently struggling with the fear of this “unpardonable sin,” do not bear this burden alone. Allow your fellow Christians to minister the gospel to the deepest and most shadowed areas of your life. Recognize that if you are reading these words now, the choice remains yours—irrespective of your past. You possess the present opportunity and responsibility to repent. And should you heed that call, God will grant you salvation. As the timeless hymn proclaims, “He breaks the power of canceled sin; he sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, his blood availed for me.”
For further reading, consider this helpful resource addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder, “religious scrupulosity,” and the assurance of salvation from the Summit’s pastor of counseling: “Can we reason ourselves into assurance of salvation?”
