The Unforgivable Sin

Mark 3:

22  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."

23  And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

24  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

26  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

27  But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28  "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

29  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"—

30  for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

Luke 12:10  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Many have asked the question of themselves “have I committed the unforgiveable sin?” i.e. the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. My response is usually along the lines of “if you can even ask this, then no you haven’t” The matter needs to be looked at in context.

In Mark 3:22, the scribes are accusing Jesus of casting out the demonic by the power of the demonic, that is, they are saying that the Holy Spirit of God is Satanic in its origin and essence.  The Lord answers with the often quoted reply that a house divided cannot stand. Satan doesn’t cast out Satan. To plunder the house of the strongman, one must first bind the strongman. Satan does not bind himself; it is the Lord, (through the working of His Holy Spirit), who does this, and then plunders the dwelling of the demonic. Verses 28-30 along with Luke 12:10 are those which are usually poorly interpreted.

What is clear is that Jesus is defining the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as making the assertion that the Holy Spirit which indwells and works through Himself is actually a demonic deception, and the Spirit of God in Christ is an unclean spirit. This is the only definition given in scripture as to what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit actually is. (I know many say it is the “sin of unbelief”, but more about that a little further on.)
Based on the Lord’s defining this unforgivable blasphemy, He makes a remarkable statement;

“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Say what you will about Me (such sin can and will be forgiven), but do not accuse the Holy Spirit of the satanic/demonic in any way. This will not be forgiven. He did not say “cannot’, but “will not”.

In the context of the salvation wrought by Christ for the elect we can say with certainty

that Christ died only for those that are His, i.e. the elect.

His death provides forgiveness and removal of every sin that any of the elect will commit, past, present, and future. Therefore, not one of those redeemed in Christ neither can, nor will utter blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They cannot commit a sin that the Lord has said He will never forgive,else not all their sins are forgiven. This is the Lord’s doing and is marvelous in our eyes! The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in the regenerate. Why then would they blaspheme that which indwells them? There is no loss of salvation for all whom he has been given. (John 6:37-40; John 17:1-3)

28  "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

29  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"—

Conversely those who are condemned for remaining in their unbelief, (John 3:18), remain dead in their sins, as Christ did not die for them. The “sin of unbelief’ is a redundant terminology since none of the sinful acts an unbeliever falls into are ever forgiven; which would include blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

The scribes of which Mark wrote of in the above passage, and all who believe and support their evil report, are not believers. They were never His.

Only those destined for condemnation can and will commit unforgivable sin.