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Did Israel commit the unforgivable sin by rejecting Jesus as the Messiah?

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unforgivable sinSince the controversy in Matthew 12 involves Jesus defending His claim to be the Messiah to the religious and national leaders of Israel, some Bible scholars and teachers believe that the unforgivable sin is Israel’s national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.

The strength of this view is that it does not simply look at what is said and done in the text of Matthew 12:31-32, but looks at the surrounding context of Matthew 12 and the Gospel of Matthew as a whole, and sees that Jesus is trying to show the people of Israel that He is their promised and prophesied Messiah, but no matter what He says or what miracles He performs, they keep rejecting the truth and denying the clear evidence in the signs that He performs.

It is also argued that Matthew 12 is somewhat the turning point in the Gospel of Matthew. From this point on, Jesus begins to minister more toward Gentiles than to Jews (cf. Matt 13–15). Those who hold this view believe that while Jesus came primarily to the Messiah for the Jewish people, after they rejected Him, He refocused His mission toward being the Savior of the world. Matthew 12 is seen as a key text for this transition.

Those who hold this view point out that after the Pharisees claim that Jesus is performing miracles by the power of Satan (Matt 12:24), Jesus calls them an “evil generation” which deserves condemnation for rejecting the Messiah (Matt 12:39-42). After this, Jesus makes several predictions about how God will turn to a people who will not reject Him, and how Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed (cf. Matt 13:41-43; 16:1-4; 21:18-19, 42-46; 22:1-14; 24:1-2).

Nobody Can Commit the Unforgivable Sin Today?

Note that if this theory is correct, then nobody is able to commit this sin except for the Jewish people living at the time of Jesus Christ. In other words, since we are not Jewish and we are not living at the time of Jesus, we cannot commit this sin.

According to this view, the unforgivable sin was a particular sin which only Jewish people could commit who were alive during the ministry of Jesus and who saw the signs He was performing and should have recognized Him as their Messiah, but rejected Him instead.

This view is comforting since it makes the unforgivable sin impossible to commit today.

Weaknesses with this View on the Unforgivable Sin

However, the idea that this sin cannot be committed today is also the major weakness of the view. While Scripture does at times include descriptions of unique sins that cannot be committed by future generations—such as God’s instruction to Adam to not eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—it does not seem that this particular sin falls into that category.

It seems that Matthew included this instruction from Jesus not simply to explain what happened to the Jewish people, but also because he believed that the possibility of committing this sin was a real danger for future generations as well.

At the time of writing, Matthew was warning his readers about this sin, and people today must receive this warning as well.

Furthermore, the very words of Jesus indicate a warning for all future generations. He applies the warning to “anyone” and not just to the Jewish people who were alive in His day.

Jesus also says that anyone who speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but this view about Israel’s rejection of Jesus seems to say the opposite, that Jewish people who rejected Jesus by speaking against Him would not be forgiven.

So for these reasons, we can say that the unforgivable sin is not Israel’s national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.

There is definitely a warning for all people who read this passage in Matthew about the unforgivable sin, and we must not simply say that because we do not live in the days of Jesus that people today cannot commit the unforgivable sin. People probably can commit this sin, but we must not too quickly assume that people have. Instead, we must discern the nature of the unforgivable sin, and then help counsel and love people who fear they have committed a sin which is unforgivable. Most likely they haven’t.

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

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Is Attributing the Works of God to Satan the Unforgivable Sin?

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Unforgivable SinMany believe that the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit — or the unforgivable sin — occurs when someone attributes the works of the Holy Spirit to the works of the devil. This view is based on Matthew 12:31-32, where some of the religious rulers state that Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons (Matthew 12:24).

This is one of the most popular views about the unforgivable sin.

Attributing the Works of the Spirit to the Devil

It is often taught that this sin is committed when a person sees a miraculous work of the Spirit, and rather than give glory to God for what was done, gives credit to the devil instead.

It is believed that this sin is committed when people see the works and miracles of God, but state that the miracles are being performed the power of Satan rather than by the power of God.

This view is commonly held in Pentecostal charismatic circles where miracles, healings, and demonic exorcisms are a frequent occurrence. Leaders of these ministries sometimes state if other people write off supernatural healings, demonic exorcisms, and the gift of tongues as possibly coming from the devil, such people deny the power of the Holy Spirit and commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which supposedly is the unforgivable sin.

Of course, in some charismatic circles, the behavior goes way beyond healing and prophecy and speaking in tongues. Some churches engage in holy laughter, barking like dogs and braying like donkeys, getting slain in the Spirit, rolling in the isles, and having tooth fillings changed to gold.

Yet when non-charismatic Christian leaders state that these sorts of activities are unbiblical and therefore not of God, they are sometimes condemned by charismatic leaders as having committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

So essentially, those who believe that that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil use the fear of this sin to keep other people from challenging or questioning whether are not their miracles really come from God.

In other words, those who hold to this view use it to quell any challenges and quiet any questions about their ministry. They tell others to not question and not challenge them, because if they do, they might be committing the unforgivable sin.

Problems with this View on the Unforgivable Sin

Though this is a popular view, it is not the best interpretation of Matthew 12:31-32.

First, Scripture is clear that not everything that appears spiritual is from the Holy Spirit. Satan can and does counterfeit the work of God.

Second, we are supposed to test the spirits and see if they are from God (1 John 4:1). If we believe a certain activity is not from God but is a counterfeit deception, it is our obligation to denounce it. It does not seem that God would tell us to test the spirits and denounce those that were false if doing so could accidentally cause someone to commit blasphemy against the Spirit. The warning of Jesus against this sin in Matthew 12 seems to indicate that one commits it intentionally; not accidentally.

Furthermore, many religions and cults other than Christianity see miracles, signs, wonders, speaking in tongues, ecstatic experiences, dreams, visions, healings, and other such things. Certainly charismatics would be quick to denounce these practices as not being from the Holy Spirit, for they are not performed within “Christian” churches. But since these practices are nearly identical in form and frequency as those done in charismatic circles, these charismatic teachers must be careful about condemning these practices in other religions, for could it not be possible that these other miraculous experiences are also from the Holy Spirit? If so, then these charismatic teachers are attributing a work of the Holy Spirit to the devil, and are therefore speaking blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (according to their own definition).

After all, God works in mysterious ways, and we cannot be certain that the Holy Spirit is not at work in the lives of other religious practitioners—even in miraculous ways—with the intent of bringing them to faith in Jesus Christ.

If charismatics are right, they must not condemn any miraculous utterance, prophecy, sign, miracle, answer to prayer, or spiritual experience of any person or religious group as being of the devil, for there is no way to be certain when and where the Holy Spirit is blowing (John 3:8).

So although this theory is compelling and seems to fit the context of Matthew 12:31-32, the fact that it is impossible to live out in real life indicates that it is not the proper understanding. Theology must not only fit with Scripture, but must also fit with what can be lived out in life.

Fourthly and finally, however, this view does not actually fit the context of Matthew 12:31-32.

While it is undoubtedly true that in the context of Matthew 12:31-32 Jesus is performing miracles and casting out demons, and the Pharisees accuse Jesus of doing such things by the power of Beelzebub, this does not mean that condemning the work of the Holy Spirit as a work of the devil is the same as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Note that Jesus does not actually say that the religious leaders have committed the unpardonable sin. Instead, He says they are in danger of committing it. They were on the path to committing this sin, and Jesus was warning them about it. After all, if they had already committed it, why would Jesus warn them about it? He wouldn’t have.

Though the Pharisees accusation Jesus of working together with the devil, Jesus warns them that if they continue on the path they are on, they may likely commit the unpardonable sin. They have not committed it yet, but if they persist in denying all the evidence that is before them, they may come to a place where they put themselves beyond the reach of forgiveness.

So this proves that attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil is not the unforgivable sin.

If you make a mistake in testing the spirits, you are forgiven!

Though we should always strive to rightly discern the Spirits and to see when something is being done by the Spirit of God or by an evil spirit, if we make a mistake and discern wrongly, we have not committed the unforgivable sin. We have simply made an error in judgment, for which there is infinite grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit is not so sensitive as to condemn forever those who confuse His works with those of the devil.

He understands that we are influenced in many ways by many voices and that sometimes we lash out at Him in anger, saying things that we do not mean, and thinking things we later regret.

It is a serious sin to say that something is evil when it is good, and this is why Jesus warns the Pharisees when they say this about His miracles. So while such a sin is getting close to the unforgivable sin, it is not the sin itself.

If you have attributed to works of the Holy Spirit to the devil, do not think that God has left you or that the Holy Spirit has abandoned you. Neither is the case. God still loves you and forgives you, and the Holy Spirit is still with you, drawing you to be more like Jesus Christ. If this were not so, you would not be reading this post.

So be encouraged. Be comforted. Recognize that you are forgiven. Then ask God to help you move on from whatever you have said or did so that you can know the truth of His infinite love, and be drawn deeper into fellowship with Him.

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me which explains how you can know that you are loved and forgiven by God.

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Is Cursing the Holy Spirit the Unforgivable Sin?

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Cursing the Holy SpiritMany Christians wonder about the nature of the unforgivable sin and whether or not they have committed it. It is often taught in some churches and Bible studies that cursing the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin. This post shows that while it is a sin to curse the Holy Spirit, cursing the Holy Spirit is not the unforgivable sin.

First of all, we must recognize that there are various sins we can commit against the Holy Spirit. These include the sins of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19). Quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit are basically a denial of what the Spirit is doing or a refusal to participate in His work, which means blasphemy against the Spirit must be more serious than these.

Blasphemy against the Spirit is also a sin, and is a sin which will not be forgiven. In fact, it is the only sin which Scripture says is unforgivable. But is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit the same thing as cursing the Holy Spirit? Some think so. In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus equates blasphemy of the Spirit with speaking against the Spirit. As a result, many argue that the unforgivable sin is cursing the Holy Spirit.

But when we understand what a curse is and what it means to curse the Holy Spirit, we will see that cursing the Spirit, though a grievous sin, is not the unforgivable sin.

What is a Curse?

We begin to understand what it means to curse the Holy Spirit by first understanding what constitutes a curse.

To curse someone is more than just being angry at someone, or calling them bad names.

A curse is when one person wishes or expresses a desire that some sort of adversity, calamity, or misfortune would fall upon someone else. A curse is when we tell someone, “Go to hell,” or “I wish you were dead.”

But a curse is different than blasphemy.

Blasphemy is best defined as “a reviling judgment,” usually in reference to God. It is a decision about God in regard to His source, origin, destiny, purpose, goals, or intents, which equates these things with the devil. Blasphemy is not condemning someone with a curse.

While cursing God and blaspheming God are similar, they are not the same thing.

We will discuss in a later post exactly what the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is, but note for now that it is not cursing the Holy Spirit.

Not only are the words “cursing” and “blasphemy” different, but notice that in the context of Matthew 12:31-32, there is no hint anywhere of anybody actually cursing the Holy Spirit. There is no hint of anyone in the context committing this sin, or even thinking of doing so.

In fact, most Jewish people at that time did not even believe in the Holy Spirit, so how could they curse Him? They couldn’t.

So cursing the Holy Spirit is not what Jesus had in mind when He spoke about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:31. Cursing the Holy Spirit is not the unpardonable sin.

If you have made the mistake of cursing the Holy Spirit, or cursing at Him, do not be afraid that you have committed the unforgivable sin.

You haven’t.

Instead, go to God, confess your sin, and thank Him for the forgiveness you already have in Jesus Christ.

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me which explains how you can know that you are loved and forgiven by God.

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4 Reasons why Denying Christ is not the Unforgivable Sin

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Denying ChristSome believe that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a verbal denial of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12:31-32, which talks about the sin that will not be forgiven, it is true that some sort of denial is taking place by religious leaders who accuse Jesus of performing His miracles by the power of the devil.

Some believe that the religious leaders are actually denying Jesus, and that this is the unforgivable sin.

Further support for this view is sometimes found in the statement by Paul from 2 Timothy 2:12 where he writes, “If we deny Him, He will also deny us.”

Problems with this View

Yet there are numerous problems with the view that the unforgivable sin is denying Jesus Christ.

First, the concept of “denying Christ” is quite vague.

What constitutes a denial of Christ, and what does not? How would one know when they have denied Christ? Do they have to say the words, “I deny Christ”? Do words have to be spoken at all? Could denial be some sort of action or thought?

Second, the most famous example of someone who rejected and denied Christ is Peter.

Peter even used profanity and curses in denying any connection to Jesus Christ. Yet we know that he was forgiven by Jesus. If denial of Christ was the unpardonable sin, then certainly Peter was guilty of it, and yet we all fully expect to see Peter in heaven.

Third, while the passage in 2 Timothy 2:12 does say that God will deny us if we deny Him, it also says that if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

In other words, whatever the denial of 2 Timothy 2:12 is, it is not taking eternal life from someone who already has it, for this would amount to God denying Himself, which He cannot do.

Fourth, denial of Christ doesn’t even fit the context here, since such a denial would be a blasphemy against Jesus, which He says will be forgiven.

If blasphemy is actually a form of denial (which I think it is), it would have to be against the Holy Spirit, not against Jesus Christ.

So in light of these four truths, denying Christ cannot be the unforgivable sin. If you have denied Christ, you are forgiven!

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me which explains how you can know that you are loved and forgiven by God.

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Is Adultery the Unforgivable Sin?

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adultery unforgivable sinRelated to the view that divorce is the unforgivable sin, some people believe that adultery is unforgivable.

Note, of course, that adultery is different than premarital sex. Most Christians believe that God does forgive people for premarital sex. This doesn’t mean that such behavior is okay, for premarital sex is physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually destructive. There is forgiveness and restoration for such sin, but it often comes with numerous long-lasting consequences.

So adultery itself is when a married person has sex with someone who is not their spouse. But even here, most Christians believe that there is forgiveness for adultery. Most believe that if a married person commits adultery, they too can be forgiven by God and the marriage can be restored. However, just as with premarital sex, there are lots of long-term and destructive consequences for engaging in adultery. Even though God forgives adultery, this does not mean He erases the consequences that might come from adultery. The danger of the sin of adultery is not that God cannot forgive it, but that adultery destroys marriages and destroys lives.

Nevertheless, there is a specific form of adultery that many Christians think God does not, will not, and cannot forgive. Some argue that there is a type of adultery which can never be forgiven.

This type of adultery is the one that comes as the result of divorce and remarriage.

Adultery and the Unforgivable Sin

Some people believe that although God makes allowance for people to get divorced (Matt 19:1-10), such people may not get remarried as long as their ex-spouse lives. Why not? Because marriage lasts as long as both the husband and wife live. If someone gets remarried after a divorce, then, according to this view, that person is living in a state of constant adultery.

The logic for this view is drawn from Matthew 19:9 where Jesus says that anyone who is divorced and marries another commits adultery. People who hold this view further state that since a person who is divorced and remarried is living in a state of adultery, they can never properly confess or repent of this sin unless the get re-divorced and then re-marry their first spouse. Of course, then the person has two divorces instead of one, and … well … the “sin” only amplifies in seriousness.

The underlying premise behind the idea that adultery is unforgivable is based on the belief that in order for a person to go to heaven when they die, they must not have any unconfessed sin in their life. But if a person is divorced and remarried (which leads to adultery), then even if they confess of this sin, they are still living in this sin, which means they can never fully confess or repent of it.

Do you follow the logic there?

Though a person who has been divorced and remarried may be sorry for what they have done, they cannot ever fully repent of this sin because they are living in a constant state of adultery. In this way, divorce and remarriage becomes the unforgivable sin because the one who does this is in a constant state of sin.

So those who believe that adultery is unforgivable are not basing this view off of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 12:31-32 about the unforgivable sin, but are basing their teaching off the belief that if a person dies in a state of unconfessed sin, they will not spend eternity with God.

Let us see how we can know that adultery is not the unforgivable sin.

Why Adultery is not the Unforgivable Sin

As with the view that divorce itself is unforgivable, the idea that adultery is unforgivable is based on a faulty understanding of God’s grace and the infinite forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ.

When we remember that there are two kinds of forgiveness, one which is unconditional and freely given to all, and the other which grants release and deliverance from the enslaving power of sin, we see that this idea that God does not forgive ongoing adultery is false. God does forgive adultery … all forms of adultery. Nevertheless, there are ongoing consequences to adultery, many of which God wants to deliver us from, but He can only do so if we confess and repent of our sin, and seek to work with Him to restore the broken relationships in our lives.

Aside from the theological truth of the infinite forgiveness of God, numerous Scripture passages clearly refute the idea that adultery is not unforgivable.

First, pretty much all of the forefathers of Israel had numerous wives. While many try to explain this behavior as a practice that was normal at that time, we cannot explain away the fact of God’s original plan for marriage was that it should be between one man and one woman (Gen 1:24). Therefore, even though the culture might have allowed a man to have more than one wife, the instructions of God did not.

So when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob took more than one wife for themselves, they were committing adultery. The same thing can be said for nearly all the kings of Israel, who were specifically commanded to not take multiple wives for themselves (Deut 17:16-17). Yet even King David, a man after God’s own heart, had multiple wives (2 Sam 11:4; 1 Chr 3:1-9). And nearly all Christians believe that we will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon in heaven. There is also the possibility that Moses got divorced and remarried.

When we get into the New Testament where the prohibition against adultery is more clearly and frequently stated, there are numerous examples of Christians who commit adultery and yet are still considered eternal children of God.

One example is in 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 where a man sleeps with his father’s wife, and yet Paul clearly identifies him as a brother in Christ who has been led into serious sin (1 Cor 5:11). When confronting the rampant sexual immorality that was present in the Corinthian church, Paul does not threaten them with hell and everlasting destruction, but with the theological truth that as believers in Christ who have been raised with Him, we should not behave in such a manner (1 Cor 6:12-20).

Scripture is clear that while adultery is a sin, it is forgivable, for people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David lived in a lifelong state of adultery, but they were forgiven and accepted by God. There were even adulterers in the early church, and they too were forgiven and redeemed.

Adultery is forgivable. Adultery is not the unforgivable sin.

This doesn’t mean that we can just commit adultery all we want though, for remember that even though God forgives us of this sin, there are long-term and devastating consequences to adultery which can affect our lives, our family, our finances, our health, and our emotional and spiritual well-being. These are some of the reasons God instructs us to not commit adultery. It is not because He will send adulterers to hell, but because adultery is so destructive and damaging for the real joy and pleasure God wants us to experience in life.

If you have committed adultery, do not think that God has rejected you. He has not. He loves you, accepts you, and forgives you.

But at the same time, healthy and loving relationships are achieved only in the way God designed them: when they are between two people who love each other and are committed to each other no matter what. This is the sort of relationship God wants for you if you will let Him lead you toward it. (Go read the post about the woman caught in adultery.)

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me which explains how you can know that you are loved and forgiven by God.

(Note: If you are a member of RedeemingGod.com, login and then revisit this page to update your membership.)

 

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