Online I see this question coming up again and again. What is the ‘The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the Unforgivable Sin?’
The stakes are high
The stakes are high. This question and variations on it are driven by two things. First, how do we account for this contradiction with the rest of the New Testament? For instance, in another passage, this bold claim is made, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9). Here all that is required is the confession of sin to cleanse someone from all unrighteousness. So, why is the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit an unforgivable sin?
The second aspect is related. Christians read of an unforgivable and eternal sin and are afraid that they may have committed this sin, perhaps unknowingly. This is a fearful situation for those who take God’s word seriously.
The source of Jesus’ power
To answer this question, the first thing we need to establish is the power at work in Jesus and his ministry. This might seem like a sidebar, but it is central.
When it comes to the power at work in Jesus, the answer most of us would reach for is God. And that is of course, true - thinking of Jesus' many statements in John's Gospel that the Father is always with him and he always does what the Father desires (For instance John 8:29).
But, in the other gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - a different answer is given. Jesus' life and ministry is directly the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the power in Jesus from the cradle to the grave and beyond the grave (Romans 8:11). Jesus’ incarnation was by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18, 20). His ministry is summed up as baptising by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:). His role, as the the Messianic King, the Son of God, is revealed when the Holy Spirit anoints him and God the Father declares it (Mark 1:10, Psalm 2:7, 2 Samuel 7:14).
On this last point there is some confusion, for many people think that the anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit is when Jesus received the Holy Spirit. I thought this for a long time. But this can’t be the case as it contradicts Jesus’ conception and birth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rather, the Spirit is anointing Jesus for his ministry as the Messianic King. (This is the true anointing. When not-yet-king David and others were anointed by oil it was pointing forward to this event in the life of Jesus.)
The heavy load of references to the Holy Spirit at the start of Matthew & Mark reveal the same truth. It is the Holy Spirit who is with Jesus. He is empowering him, directing him and working in him. The life and ministry of Jesus is inseparable from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Regarding Jesus’ ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit, Luke 4 takes us deeper into this idea. In Luke 4:1 It is the Holy Spirit who launches Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan in his first spiritual battle. The Spirit directs Jesus into conflict with Satan. And when Jesus returns in triumph, it is 'in the power of the Holy Spirit' (Luke 4:14). Soon after Jesus announces himself as the servant of the Lord for 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me.' (Luke 4:18). Scholars say that Luke 4 is programmatic for all of Luke's gospel. In other words, this chapter defines all that comes in the rest of Luke. In Luke, Jesus' ministry is the Holy Spirit's ministry, and vice versa. And this ministry is one of conflict between Satan and Jesus.
This truth shows why Jesus warns the religious leaders of an unforgivable sin when they declare that the source of his power is Satan They are trash-talking the Holy Spirit and denying his work.
The unforgivable sin in Mark chapter 3
But why exactly is this the unforgivable sin? Let's dig into Mark's Gospel and I'll show you. The unforgivable sin statement comes in Mark chapter 3, verse 29. 'But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin?' Note the issue here - blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
In the proceeding context, Jesus has been driving out demons and healing people (Mark 1v32-34, 3v11-12). The religious leaders, coming down from Jerusalem, the place of authority, declare that Jesus does these things by the power of Satan ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and, ‘He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.’(v22)
Since it is the Holy Spirit who is the power at work in Jesus (as shown above), the religious leaders are not just declaring Jesus is an agent of Satan, they are declaring that the Holy Spirit is an agent of Satan and is unholy! This is the blasphemy.
Consider it this way. Jesus is doing holy deeds (healing people, driving out demons) by the power of the Holy Spirit - he is plundering Satan's house (Mark 3v27-28). The very thing that the Holy Spirit is doing, the religious leaders say is done by the power of Satan. This is a rejection of Jesus, and so, a rejection of the Holy Spirit and God the Father!
Hence, there is no forgiveness. How can you be forgiven and rescued from Satan’s kingdom if you reject the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus to rescue you? Forgiveness is impossible. This is the unforgivable sin.
Imagine for a moment, that you went swimming at a beach, and you started to get in serious trouble. The waves were too rough and the current was too strong. However, you, for some bizarre reason, reject the power and saving capacity of surf life savers (as we call them in Australia) or lifeguards. You refuse to call out to them for help and when they approach you, you try to swim away or fight them off. This refusal would make you unsavable! Refusing the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus makes the religious leaders unsavable.
This is why the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is an eternal sin - for it has eternal consequences. Jesus is not saying, if you reject the work of the Holy Spirit just once or say something angry or rebellious to God, that’s it, you’re done and this sin is held over you for eternity. Rather, Jesus is warning the religious leaders, and us, that the stakes are eternal. If they continue to hold the position they hold - the Holy Spirit is on the side of Satan, and so is Jesus, they are unsavable. And there will be eternal consequences. Hell.
But you can be forgiven
But, if you come to Jesus for forgiveness, to be rescued from Satan's power - you can be forgiven! For all your sins. Because of Jesus’ holy work on the cross by the Holy Spirit. For those who’ve trusted Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation - none at all (Romans 8:1-3). God will not condemn you for a single sin if you’ve come to Jesus. For Jesus has already been condemned on the cross for that very sin, every other sin and all your sinfulness.
But, if you, like the religious leaders, say Jesus is not from God and his work is not holy - then this is a sin that rules out forgiveness. If this is you, dear reader, can I plead with you, to reconsider Jesus? The stakes couldn’t be higher.