The Unforgivable Sin

Is it possible to commit some sin, some serious misdeed or is it possible to commit a sin so often so that there is no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness from God with the result that you are eternally rejected by God?

That's our question today. Is that possible over the years as I've been a pastor, I've been asked this question many times, have I committed the unforgivable sin? People sitting in my office or I in their home or over the lunch table or dinner table, I've been asked this question as they have recounted something of their past and have told me in confidence some terrible sin that they believe they have committed and this is their question, a very serious question, a very poignant question. Have I committed the unforgivable sin? That's our subject today, the unforgivable sin, the unpardonable sin, what we could call as the eternal sin. Anyone here feel they've committed the unforgivable sin? Anyone listening on live stream this morning and you think I have committed the unforgivable sin or you're wondering if you have committed the unforgivable sin or let me ask the question another way. Could it be that while you as you sit here today you believe that in the grace of God you have eternal life, that you're saved by the grace of God but is it possible that this time next year you have you could have committed some sin so wicked so blasphemous that God will never forgive you? In the passage today, Jesus speaks of a sin which is unforgivable. If you've got your Bible, I invite you to turn to Matthew chapter 12.

What are we doing? Well, almost a year ago we began our study of Matthew and we're going consecutively through it. People sometimes ask me why I choose such subjects.

I don't choose these subjects. They're chosen by for me by the Lord. My task as a preacher is to go through scripture and deal with scripture as it is revealed and this is a tough subject. One I must admit I wouldn't naturally want to speak on but as I've studied it I'm very thankful that we have it in in the inspired pages of scripture and in this passage I believe there is an answer to these compelling questions. So let's hear the words of Jesus. Remember they're coming from our Lord himself. Matthew 12 verse 22. You're listening reading 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 knowing their thoughts he Jesus 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's 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 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 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 isn't that an intriguing passage of scripture I wonder what you you make of it well first of all as we look at this passage and look at the gospel in a more general way we can say that not understanding the true identity and mission of Jesus is not an unforgivable sin not believing in the true identity of Jesus not believing in the mission of Jesus is not beyond divine forgiveness look at verse 31 where Jesus makes it clear that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people therefore I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people isn't that marvelous that God in his grace forgives every sin every sin that you could imagine God can forgive murder sexual immorality theft drunkenness you name it God can forgive it we have a wonderful example of this in 1st Corinthians 6 ancient Corinth was a very immoral place it was a very evil city and many there in that city were converted to Jesus Christ and Paul is writing to them in 1st Corinthians 6 verse 9 and this is what he says do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God the kingdom of God is a holy place God is holy if you're unclean if you're unholy if you're unrighteous you cannot enter the kingdom of God that's the point do not be deceived neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexual acts homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkers nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God I wonder as you sit there anyone here committed any sexual immorality any idolatry any adulterers here any homosexuals any thieves any greedy anyone who gets drunk anyone who's a reviler anyone who's a swindler a cheat in their business anyone like that here I'm not asking for hands up be too embarrassing wouldn't it yes there are many such people sitting in the pews of Calvary Church many of the Corinthians came into that category category but praise God what Paul goes on to say you following his argument verse 11 now he's talking to the church at Corinth to those who have been forgiven he says and such were some of you some of you Paul says were immoral some of you were adulterers some of you were real drunkers some of you were cheats in your business such where some of you passed but you were washed you were sanctified made holy you were justified declared holy by a righteous God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God that's the gospel isn't it once you were like this but then you met Jesus Christ and through the blood of Jesus Christ you've been washed you've been sanctified you've been justified this is the wonder this is the miracle of God's grace think of Paul himself he said he was a blasphemer he was a man who hated the church of Jesus Christ as he persecuted the church as he tried to imprison believers as he thought they should be killed Paul was a blasphemer against the gospel but one day on the road to Damascus a bright line bright light shone and he was saved by the grace of God and Paul said that this is a worthy saying everyone should accept it that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners that's hope for you that's hope for me that Jesus Christ came to save me that's God's amazing grace at the end of the service we're going to sing amazing grace that's not just a nice song with a nice tune it presents a profound truth God's grace is amazing one of the one of the way one of the reasons it's amazing is that it saves wretches like you we're wretches not very nice to be described as a wretch but when we think of our sin when we think of a rebellion against God that's how God sees us but God's grace comes and there is forgiveness there is forgiveness even for a terrorist who's on the cross the thief on the cross there's a robber he's a violent man leading an insurrection we'd call him a terrorist today and even as he's dying he looks at Jesus and Jesus says to him today today you'll be with me in paradise a violent man a robber a despicable man you might say and he receives the forgiveness of God just as he is dying isn't that wonderful why is that because God specializes in forgiveness one of his speciality is forgiveness have you ever offended someone yes you have and you've gone to that person to ask their forgiveness you've humbled yourself and you're going to say to the person I'm sorry I offended you I did wrong please forgive me and you sometimes wonder if they're going to forgive you don't you they might say no I don't forgive you you don't deserve my forgiveness and we wonder don't we will we get forgiveness from that person you never need to wonder that about God God's speciality is forgiveness he restores our soul listen to the psalmist for you oh lord are good and forgiving we just sang about the goodness of Jesus one of the reasons why Jesus is so good is that he forgives as Tim said when he comes he doesn't come to point his finger and say you're condemned even though that is exactly what you deserve he comes to save he comes to forgive for you oh lord are good and forgiving abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you that's sam 86 verse 5 I love it that God's forgiveness is for all who call upon him yes God will grant forgiveness but you must come in humility acknowledging your sin turning from your pride and calling upon the name of the lord and whoever calls upon the name of the lord will be saved God is good he will forgive you writing in the new testament Paul now a follower of Christ says in him that is in Jesus Christ we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace God's grace is infinite infinite riches and through the blood of the lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate today communion through the blood of Jesus Christ we can have redemption we can be bought back we can be freed from our sin freed from our selfishness as we come to Jesus Christ he forgives our trespasses according this is the basis of it not by what you do do you think you can get rid of your own sin do you really think you can atone for your sin do you really think that by yourself you can get rid of the guilt and the shame of your past absolutely not we could never do it if all of us combined and try to atone for the sin of one person here we couldn't do it but in the grace of God he grants forgiveness according to the riches of his grace even as our savior is dying on the cross he's praying father forgive them for they know not what they do asking forgiveness even for those who are crucifying him no sin that you've committed is so bad is so vile is so premeditated is so wrong that is beyond God's forgiveness it's not wonderful isn't that hope for us we're people of hope but there is a sin which is not forgivable and Jesus describes it here in verse 31 of Matthew 12 as a blasphemy the blasphemy against the spirit verse 31 again therefore I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people that's what I've said but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven now let's think of the unforgivable sin well we see that the unforgivable sin is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan the unforgivable sin is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan this is what the Pharisees are doing now in verses 22 and 23 there's this amazing miracle there's a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus and Jesus healed him so that the man spoke and saw and all the people were amazed and said can this be the son of David here's a man who can't see a man who can't speak who's demon oppressed and Jesus heals him and if people see this they hear the man speaking they realize that this man who is blind now can see a miracle takes place right before their eyes and they're amazed no wonder this is a miracle and they wonder and they ask the question is this could this be the son of David the son of David is referring to the Messiah David's greater son David being the greatest of the kings of Israel and now he has the son Matthew introduces his gospel by reminding us that Jesus is the son of David the son of Abraham it's referring to his Messiah could this be the one could this be the one that the prophets speak about because we know that when the son of David the Messiah comes he can do miracles and we've just seen miracles could this be him good question the Pharisees are also there they see the same miracle exactly right in front of them and the Pharisees recognize the power of Jesus but they question the source of the power they can't deny that miracle took place something supernatural has taken place right before their eyes the crowd get it right could this be the son of David could this be the son of David the Pharisees say we know why this happened he's casting out demons by Beelzebul the name the prince of demons another name for satan himself the accusation then is that Jesus is the servant of satan and therefore as the servant of satan as the Beelzebul he is able to cast out these demons what an accusation that's the accusation yes we see the power of Jesus it's not coming from God it's coming from the devil in fact this fellow is in fact the prince of demons do you get the do you get the setting do you get the context it's very important that we interpret scripture in the context now Jesus answers don't you wonder the brilliance of Jesus as he answers them over and over again was Jesus answered his answer as we've read is this the accusation that I'm casting out demons by the prince of the demons it's absurd it's illogical for example verse 25 every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and no city or house divided against itself will stand I mean if you've got a kingdom with internal strife it can't stand if you're home if the people in the home are fighting against each other that home will not last if you've got a city where they're fighting against each other that city will not last why would satan think of it Jesus is saying to them and to the crowd why would satan work through Jesus to cast out the very demons that satan sent to possess this man are you saying then if what you're saying is true satan is fighting against himself verse 26 if satan casts out satan he's divided against himself you don't fight against yourself it's absurd how then will his kingdom stand but notice verse 28 a wonderful verse but if it is by the spirit of God that I cast out demons then the kingdom of God has come upon you that must have shaken the pharisees notice what he's saying the kingdom of God has come upon you with Jesus we could say the kingdom of God has overtaken them Jesus is right in the midst he's the king of kings and they recognize that something supernatural is here and Jesus is the only one who is stronger than satan the only one who is stronger than the demons he defeats satan at the temptation remember in Matthew chapter 4 when when satan is uh tempted when Jesus is tempted by satan satan is defeated Jesus demonstrates that he's stronger than satan by casting out the demons and he's also going to demonstrate the victory over satan by rising from the dead the resurrection of Jesus and then in verse 29 Jesus gives an analogy a kind of parable we can understand that how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man I'm going to rob your home and there you are and first because I'm stronger than you I tie you up that's what some bad guys do don't they they break into a house someone confronts them and they tie them up or they may shoot them they may put them in a closet and lock them in but you get rid of the strong man and then you're free to plunder the house once the owner is tied up the point is the robber plunders the house Jesus is able to bind satan Jesus is able to attack the kingdom of darkness because he's stronger than satan and so casts out the demons so that brings us now in that context to the question of the unforgivable sin all sins can be forgiven Jesus says here in verse 32 that even the sin of speaking against the son of man may be forgiven who is the son of man Jesus himself there are many people who had a point in their life have denied that Jesus Christ is the son of God have said that Jesus is not God there are many people who do not accept the gospel they do not accept that Jesus Christ is the way of salvation can that sin can that deception can that rebellion against the gospel be forgiven of course it can it's the very point of the gospel that those who don't believe are confronted with the truth of the gospel and have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and so are saved the unforgivable sin is not some sin of the flesh some sin of passion such as murder or extortion or sexual immorality though but there is this one sin which will not be forgiven the unforgivable sin is a determined this deliberate and decisive attitude of rejecting Jesus and his works done in the power of the Spirit of God and attributing them to Satan that's what the religious leaders are doing oh yes they say we see something supernatural is going on but the reason that Jesus can do this is that he's Satan himself that you think there was Satan Christ you think is coming from heaven it's not coming from heaven at all it's coming from hell and the Pharisees persistent unbelief has eternal consequences they have deliberately and continually closed their ears and their eyes and their minds and their hearts to Jesus Christ to the kingdom of God of course they see the work of God last week we saw them in a synagogue when Jesus heals the the man with the withered hand they see it they can't deny what's going on but they attribute the power of God to the power of Satan Bercow the theologian says it is a conscious disputing of the indisputable I like that what the Pharisee is doing they are consciously disputing the indisputable there is the evidence what more do you want you've seen Jesus at work you've listened to his words people are following him their lives are being transformed but why do you continue in unbelief the point is not that God will not that God will not pardon them the point is that they will not seek God's pardon could it be there's someone like that here today who has a deliberate disputing of the indisputable you you'll have to argue you'll you have you have Christian friends and you bring up one objection after another and they answer it and you also have seen the power of God in the lives of your friends to see them transformed and you you you realize something is different the evidence is there as you read the word of God but you continue to dispute it you continue as it were to have a hard heart I've spoken to people their hearts are hardened it's not that they have an intellectual problem it's not that they don't understand as it were the the doctrine of salvation perhaps they could even repeat it but they continue to reject it they continue to dispute it and the Pharisees turn from the obvious work and witness of God and they're blinded hardened in their belief and the more they reject Jesus the harder and harder of their hearts this is the ultimate unbelief turning from the irrefutable truth this is the sin the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit it's the sin of the religious the sin of the self-righteous you see apart from the Holy Spirit there is no repentance what is repentance repentance is not just crying because you've done something wrong unbelievers do that repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit where the Spirit of God shines in your heart and you and you see yourself perhaps as you never saw before that you are truly a sinful person it's quite amazing when I when I speak to some children I I could testify myself as a boy of 12 coming to Christ I realized I was sinful you say did did you commit some terrible sin as a 12 year old no you know I fouled some guys when I was playing soccer I knocked them down I kicked him in the shins but I hadn't committed some terrible sin I wasn't a drug addict I'd never had a alcohol in my lips no and that way I was a pretty good little boy but I knew my heart was sinful how did I know that through the Word of God and through the Spirit of God saying John you need to repent you need to get right with God the work of the Spirit of God can I say to you today the Spirit of God is at work in your heart you're seeking you're searching do not harden your heart the Bible says today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart Satan wants to harden your heart Satan wants to put blinders on you so that you can't really see the truth that you become increasingly blind to spiritual truth that your heart becomes harder and harder and harder the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit now let me say now let me say this very very importantly I want all of you to grasp it this sin the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as we find it in the context here in Matthew chapter 12 is not a sin please hear me is not a sin which a true follower of Jesus can commit if you are an authentic follower of Jesus Christ this blasphemy this unforgivable sin this eternal sin cannot be committed by you believers in the Lord Jesus don't and can't blaspheme against the Holy Spirit we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of our redemption no as I've met with people over the years if they're a follower of Jesus Christ I don't mean just saying the words I mean an authentic follower of Jesus Christ and they have questioned as some have with tears in anxiety if they've committed the unforgivable sin you know if they think they've committed it that is that is good evidence that they have not because the Pharisee never ever sees the sin that's the point they're blind they've resisted the spirit their hearts are hardened so those who commit this eternal sin have hard hearts they don't wonder whether or not they've committed the sin they have resisted the work of the Holy Spirit and there is no forgiveness for those who will not repent there is no forgiveness for those who continue to call good evil so the Bible says today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart but I want to assure you my dear brother or sister if you are trusting in Jesus Christ if you've been saved by the grace of God and you have eternal life you will never ever perish I put up in the screen John 10 verses 28 and 30 these are wonderful verses verses which have meant a lot to me over the years because on the night when I was 12 years old when I came to Christ and was saved and received Christ as my Savior the leader of the camp came and gave me these words wonderful words I want to read them with you just look at them they're words of Jesus he says I give them eternal life now that's it in a sense what more do you want how long is eternal life it's eternal can my eternal life run out next year no it is eternal a few hours ago yesterday at a funeral I stood behind this platform and we had the joy of knowing that one of our members George Furch had passed into the presence of the Lord on Monday that he was safely with the Lord why his trust was in Christ we were assured that he is now with Jesus Christ and that for all of eternity that's what Jesus says that's the promise of the gospel if you come to Christ if you turn from your sin you will have eternal life and they will never perish if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you will never perish don't think well I may have committed some terrible sin we'll see how that is to be dealt with in a minute but you will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand you receive eternal life you'll never perish and you're held in the hand of Jesus so as I walk through life in the ups and downs of life and the successes and failures of life Jesus Christ is holding me and holding all those whose trust is in him isn't that wonderful to know whatever happens Christ will never leave me not only will he ever leave me he's holding me in his hand no one will snatch them out of my hand my father God the father who has given them to me there's the truth of election for you pseudo theologians my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father out of the father's hand I and the father are one how marvelous I receive eternal life I'll never perish I'm held in the hand of Jesus and I'm held in the father's hand and the father and the son are one and do you think that's a pretty good security do you know of a better security absolutely none if you are a child of God if you've been born into God's family you will never commit this unpardonable sin that your salvation is absolutely secure and you will never ever perish you see our salvation depends not on our feelings our salvation depends entirely on the grace of God it depends on the work of my Lord Jesus Christ who died for my sins who is buried and who rose again and as you trust Jesus Christ we are in Christ he holds us and he holds us forever you say well we might let go his hand who's stronger you are Jesus I remember years ago we were in good now we're in Pittsburgh and we received one of these letters that some of you have had that the immigration service wanted to deport us some of you are thinking well why didn't they deport you quite a thought isn't it and it was a tough it was a tough time we we of course wanted to do everything legally and long story but we had to go finally to the immigration service and all kinds of stuff and it was a it was a difficult time for us as a family and we called on the church to pray I remember at that time my car was packed in a garage good now we're there and Christopher our son was a little boy and I was holding holding him by the hand and as we came to the car obviously I was distracted and I must have let his hand go or he must have pulled it away and although he's much stronger than me now I was stronger than him then and I wondered where's Christopher and I looked and several yards ago yards away he was at the wall about to climb up on which there's a terrible drop if he'd got over that wall he'd have been killed I don't know how fast I got from a to b but it was the fastest movement I think I ever had and I grabbed him and I took him by the hand as a father would I allow my son to be in a dangerous situation absolutely not fathers you know you would never ever allow your child if you could help it to be in a dangerous situation you would protect them but the wonderful thing is this as you go through life as a Christian your savior is never distracted so that he's not watching you his eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me one hundred percent of the time my savior is watching over me and he holds me with his hand and he's stronger than me yes sometimes you might want to get away there's a man in the old testament like that Jonah who ran away from God he thought I don't want to do what God wants me to do and I want to go in the opposite direction and you know the story pretty dramatic to get back God sends a storm God sends a great fish and God goes after him do you think you as a child of God that your savior would allow you to stray for him so far that you would end in hell itself absolutely not he gives you eternal life and you'll never perish you're in his hand and in the hands of the father and the father and the son are one and I think it's wonderful to know in these very insecure times it doesn't matter who's the president it doesn't matter your portfolio it doesn't even matter your health it doesn't matter what's going on around you on this we can absolutely be sure that my salvation is 100 secure in Jesus Christ on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand I ask you do you have that assurance Paul puts it this way as a master theologian in Romans chapter 8 he says those whom God called he also justified was justified is to be saved is to be declared righteous so if you're saved by the grace of God you're justified you're declared right by holy God because of Christ those whom God calls he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified what's Paul's argument if you are justified you will be glorified you say what about between I I may mess up between yes you may mess up between but one thing is guaranteed that God brings all of his own home and you will never perish those whom God justifies he glorifies and followers of Jesus yes we do sin we do mess up but we do not lose our salvation when your son your daughter messes up you don't throw them out of the house you say well maybe I do well perhaps you do but God doesn't