What is the unforgivable sin?

Throughout the Bible, we see many sins that have been forgiven. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 shows us that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers and swindlers have all been forgiven because he says in verse 11 “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God.”

So what is the unforgivable sin? We see it associated with “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”

• Matthew 12:31 Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
• Mark 3:28-29 Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

What exactly is the Holy Spirit’s role? What does He do that we could blaspheme against Him? Christ said,

• John 15:26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, {that is} the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.

This gives us our clue. The Holy Spirit constantly points toward the atoning work of Christ. He always speaks of the Son and directs us to accept His Lordship. Since it is only through the finished work of Christ that we may receive forgiveness, refusing the Spirit’s message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ means you are in fact refusing to be forgiven. We see this upheld in:

• Luke 12:8-10 And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

The reference to an unforgivable sin has troubled many unnecessarily. Notice that Mark 3:28-29 tells us that those who reject the Spirit’s message about Christ “never have forgiveness.” That means that it is impossible for a Christian to commit the unforgivable sin. Those who are concerned that they have done something for which Jesus will not forgive them show a very different attitude from the Pharisees, who refused to accept even the most compelling evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. The person who rejects the Spirit’s message about Jesus will not be forgiven but will probably not be particularly disturbed by this possibility because they don’t feel they need to be forgiven. Anyone who seeks Jesus’ forgiveness certainly has not committed the unforgivable sin.