There is a sin that is spoken of in the Bible that is the unforgivable sin. It is an expression that emerges from the synoptic gospels. You can find this sin in one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible. The 12th chapter of Matthew reveals to us a sin where there is no pardon in this life or the life to come. Many people worry and stress about whether they have committed the sin. You would be surprised at the number of people who are living in constant fear that they have committed this unforgivable sin. And what I’ve noticed is that many people don’t exactly understand what the unforgivable sin is. For the record, the unforgivable sin is not idolatry, murder, perversion, adultery, or anything along those lines.
The unforgivable sin is much more complex than that. I have even seen ministers who overtly state that if you deny what they are doing in their particular ministry, if they have claimed some sort of move of the Spirit in that ministry, and then there are people who are skeptical or have reservations about what is going on in their ministry, then in denying their claimed move of the Spirit, or even being just skeptical of their claim of the move of the Holy Spirit, you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Some ministers use this as a scam tactic to ensure that they do not receive any opposition in their ministry.
You would be surprised at the number of quote-unquote ministers who attempt to hide behind the unforgivable sin and other verses such as Psalm chapter 105 verses 15 Do not touch my anointed ones, and do my prophets no harm.
There are false prophets who quote verses like these to hide behind them and manipulate people into not scrutinizing their practices. Anytime anyone questions their theology or their practices, they use verses such as these to scare people off. The Bible encourages you to examine everything, to test the spirit.
You are living in an age of great deception, where false prophets are rising left, right and center. And this is not a figment of my own imagination. Time and time again the Bible warns about false prophets and deception. Do not take everyone to be a minister of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. There are false prophets, as we are told in the word of God in 1 John chapter 4 verses 1. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
So what is the unforgivable sin? Matthew chapter 12 verses 22 to 34 tell us, Then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the son of David? Now when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?
Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers, how can you being evil speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is important to note who Jesus is talking to when he speaks of the unforgivable sin. He is not talking to believers, but he is talking to a group of unbelieving Pharisees. Now how have they committed this sin? They have committed this sin by attributing the work of Jesus to the devil. Matthew chapter 12 verse 24 states, Notice how they did not mention the Holy Spirit at any point. They did not actively or consciously say anything against the Holy Spirit.
What they did was attribute the work that Jesus Christ had done to the power of a demon when Christ had done that work through the power of the Holy Spirit. They were not speaking out of ignorance or misunderstanding. They saw Jesus’ wonderful works, yet they deliberately and intentionally denied that his works were from the Father through the Holy Spirit. in other words, these people looked at the work of Jesus and said that it is the work of a demon, that it is the work of someone who is energized by the very power of hell. They are rejecting the power of the Holy Spirit working through Jesus Christ. Now what I want you to take away from this message is that God is a God that can forgive you love your sins, regardless of what you may have committed in the past.
Don’t live in fear you’re not going to hell. God is a forgiving God. Confess your sins today and God will forgive you. Today, are you not glad that God is a God of forgiveness? Listen to this. God does not want us to do wrong and true Christians do not want to do wrong either however you’re not going to inherit eternal life because you have done right or because you’re doing right now or will do more right in the future. You are going to inherit eternal life because God has forgiven you. Are you not glad that God is a God of forgiveness? On one occasion, a young lady approached me and told me about how her father had reached out to her to ask for her forgiveness.
Her father told her that he had been born again, and he was sorry for all he did to her and her mother while she was growing up. He apologized for abandoning her as a child. This young lady said, My father contacted me asking for forgiveness and telling me about how he found Jesus and was saved, but I will never ever forgive him. And she told me this. I thought to myself, but God will forgive him. Are you not glad that your salvation is not dependent on whether other people forgive you or not? Are you not glad that your salvation is not dependent on whether other people like you or not? are you not glad that your salvation is not dependent on whether the world forgives you?
No, your salvation is dependent on whether god forgives you. first John chapter 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Your family may still hate you for what you have done. Your mother and father may still hate you for what you have done. the town you live in may still hold your past against you for the rest of your days. The people whom you hurt may never, ever forgive you. But God will forgive you. God is not held ransom by anyone. Even if you’re listening to me right now and you are in a jail cell, God can forgive you. God forgives. What sins have you committed?
Society may look down on you for your past, and the people around may never forget your past. and people have a tendency to hold your past sins against you. However, listen to the word of God, Hebrews chapter 8 verse 12. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Under the new covenant, when God forgives someone’s sins, he chooses to no longer hold those sins against them. It’s a picture of complete and total forgiveness. In essence, Hebrews chapter 8 verse 12 conveys the profound depth of God’s forgiveness and grace. Under the new covenant, when someone turns to God through faith in Jesus, God forgives their sins so completely that it’s as if he doesn’t even remember them anymore. It’s a common anxiety among individuals, both believers and non-believers, that they might have done something so grievous, so outside the bounds of grace, that they are forever condemned.
This thought can be paralyzing. leading them to think that they are beyond redemption and that any attempt to seek forgiveness is futile. This feeling of despair and hopelessness is a powerful tool that Satan uses to drive a wedge between individuals and God. By making them believe they are beyond salvation, Satan effectively shackles them with guilt preventing them from seeking and experiencing God’s boundless love and mercy. This misconception also stops them from engaging with the community of believers who can offer support, understanding, and guidance.
It’s essential to understand that God’s love is infinite. While humans may hold grudges or find it hard to forgive, God’s capacity for forgiveness is beyond human comprehension. His love is unconditional, and His arms are always open, waiting for His children to return to Him, no matter their past.
Satan’s greatest trick is to make people believe they are unworthy of this love. But it’s vital to remember that everyone is deserving of redemption. Matthew 12, verse 31. What have you done in your life that still haunts you? Confess your sin today and stop living in the past. You are beating yourself up for a sin that God has already forgiven you for. Move on with your life. Stop living in the past. God has forgiven you.
Stop living in guilt. Stop living with the weight of hell over your life. God in his very nature is a forgiving God. Don’t allow the spirit of condemnation to live in your life. One thing that I have learned through the years is that the devil knows if you are truly a born-again believer.
There is nothing he can do to stop you from inheriting eternal life. But what he can do is try to make your life miserable with this spirit of condemnation. There are so many Christians who feel as if the sins they have committed are unforgivable, but they are not. God is not angry at you. We are all his children. God is not angry at you. God doesn’t hold hell over our heads. He loves us and cares for us.
God bless you. Amen.
