“The Unpardonable Sin”

Friday, September 26, 2014

I am concerned that I may have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Two times, when I was younger and unhappy with life, I looked up at heaven and put up my middle finger and cursed at the Holy Spirit. I have since repented and asked forgiveness. Is this the type of speaking against the Holy Spirit that Jesus said is unpardonable?

Sincerely, Wish I’d Watched My Mouth

Dear Wish I’d Watched My Mouth,

There is definitely no doubt that you sinned, but it wasn’t an unpardonable sin. You can still be forgiven. The sin against the Holy Spirit mentioned in Matt 12:31-32 is the sin of rejecting His Word. The Holy Spirit is the one who gave us the Word of God (Jhn 14:26, 1 Cor 2:11-13). See this post for more details on the work of the Holy Spirit.

When someone “sins against the Holy Spirit”, they reject what the Holy Spirit offers mankind – the Bible. Every other sin can be forgiven, but when someone rejects God’s Word, there is no hope left. A murderer, thief, adulterer, etc. can all be reformed if they will accept the authority of the Bible… but no matter how good someone seems to be, if they reject God’s Word they cannot be saved (Rom 1:16). By the very act of asking this question, you prove that you haven’t rejected the Bible. Therefore, you have not committed the unpardonable sin.

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