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What is the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32

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Matthew 12:31-32 teaches about forgiveness and the unforgivable sin. What is this sin? How is it committed? And how can you know you have not committed it? These are the sorts of questions I attempt to answer in this study of Matthew 12:31-32.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

The Unpardonable Sin in Matthew 12:31-32

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.

(#AmazonAdLink) This passage contains information about the most-feared sin in all of Scripture: the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I have written an entire book on this passage called (#AmazonAdLink) Why You Have Not Committed the Unforgivable Sin, and so will try to keep my comments about this text relatively brief.

The Most Common View about the Unforgivable Sin

Most discussions about the unforgivable sin focus on the nature of what this sin is, and how it can be avoided.

The difficulty with this approach is that while Jesus does talk about speaking against the Holy Spirit, He doesn’t explicitly state what words constitute blasphemy. Since the religious leaders in the preceding context accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub (Matt 12:24), many assume that the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is when someone attributes the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (cf. Mark 3:28-30).

There are numerous problems with such a view, not least of which is the fact that Jesus is clearly providing a warning to the Pharisees that they were about to commit this sin.

In other words, they had not yet committed it, but if they continued on the path they were on, they might. So if they had not yet committed this sin, then this means that attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Besides, if it were, we would never be able to “test the spirits” as John calls us to do (1 John 4:1), for we would be too fearful of blaspheming the Spirit to ever say that a certain work was not from God.

The Bible Doesn’t State what the Unforgivable Sin Actually IS

So the truth of the matter is that the Bible does not explicitly state what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

This is actually a good thing. Just as a sign that says, “Do not walk on the grass” causes people to walk on the grass, if the Bible clearly stated what words constituted blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, this would only encourage people to say the words even more. So we don’t precisely know what this sin is.

Nevertheless, we do know a few things about the nature of this sin. One of the tasks of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11). If a person says something vile and mean to the Holy Spirit or about the Holy Spirit, and then feels guilty or ashamed of what they have said, this is clear evidence that the Holy Spirit is still at work in their life convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

The fact that the Holy Spirit is still at work in their life indicates that the Spirit has not left or abandoned them, and therefore, they have not committed the unforgivable sin. In other words, those who fear that they have committed the unforgivable sin, thereby have evidence that they have not committed it. It is only those who have no shame or guilt about their words or actions who might possibly have committed this sin, yet they would never even know they have, because the Spirit is not at work in their life to convict them of sin.

All of this is discussed further in my book on the unforgivable sin.

Key Insight on the Unforgivable Sin: The TYPE of Forgiveness Jesus is Talking About

One of the things I also write about in that book, however, is something that is rarely discussed elsewhere in other books about the unforgivable sin. While most books focus only on what this sin is, few books discuss what type of forgiveness Jesus is talking about in this passage. Yet this is the crucial key which helps explain what Jesus is saying.

The word that is used for “forgiveness” throughout this passage is aphēsis. This means that whatever the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is, it also is under the charizomai forgiveness of God. In other words, whatever this sin is, it too is a sin that God has forgiven from eternity past (See the two types of forgiveness).

Remember, God’s free charizomai forgiveness is based on His grace, and covers all sins of all people for all time, including the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. When this truth is recognized, we are then free to see that the text says nothing about God not forgiving those who commit this sin, but only that they will not receive aphēsis, that is, they will not be released from this sin.

But since God has already freely forgiven (charizomai) them for this sin, then why do they not receive aphēsis? Why are those people who commit this sin unable to find a release from it?

The answer is found in recalling that aphēsis often has conditions attached to it, and if a person does not meet these conditions, then they are not released. While God wants the people who commit this sin to be released from it, they refuse or are unable to meet the conditions for the release of this sin, and so do not find any release from it. In other words, it is not God who is refusing to release them from this sin, but the people themselves who refuse to be released.

As explained by multiple texts elsewhere in the Bible, the release of aphēsis begins within each individual person as they own up to what they did, repent of it, and forgive themselves for it. Finding release from sin is based on understanding that we have been freely forgiven by God, and so we too can freely forgive ourselves and others, and as a result of this free forgiveness, begin admit our failures and work to change the patterns that led to this sin in the first place.

But the person who never recognizes the truth about God’s free forgiveness and how to break free from the bondage of sin in their life, will never find or experience forgiveness for themselves. They will remain “unreleased.”

This passage is not talking about an “unforgivable sin” but an “unreleasable sin.” It occurs when a person does not release themselves.

All sins are forgiven by God, but if a person does not forgive and release themselves, there is nothing more God can do.

Why is It called Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit?

This sin is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because it is refusing to believe what the Holy Spirit says to us about our sin, and instead believes the lies of Satan. The Holy Spirit is saying to each and every person, “You have been freely forgiven! So live in light of that and be released from your enslavement to sin, shame, and guilt.”

But the person who refuses to accept forgiveness and release is denying the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and is instead believing the testimony of Satan, the accuser. While the Holy Spirit says, “You are forgiven!” Satan constantly says, “You are condemned!”

As long as a person believes Satan over the Spirit, they will remain under condemnation (Mark 3:29). As long as a person believes the lies of condemnation, they will live unforgiven lives. They will continue to be enslaved to the deceptions of the devil and in bondage to the corruption of sin. They will never experience the release from the bondage of sin, shame, and guilt.

So What is the Unforgivable Sin?

To put it simply, the unforgivable sin is the sin of unforgiveness … directed at ourselves.

A person commits this sin by refusing to believe the testimony of the Holy Spirit that they are completely accepted and forgiven by God. They remain unforgiven, or unreleased, because they don’t forgive themselves. The unforgivable sin is the sin for which a person denies and rejects that God has forgiven them, and thus, they continue to beat themselves up about it and suffer the consequences.

The point of Jesus in Matthew 12:31-32 is that you can’t hang on to unforgiveness without paying a price. The only sin you are not forgiven for is the sin you don’t forgive yourself for. This state of refusing to accept the Spirit’s testimony about forgiveness only leads deeper into bondage and slavery to sin.

Jesus reveals that God has forgiven all people for all sins throughout all time. But if we believe the lie of the accuser and deny that we have been forgiven, then we will not believe we have been forgiven, and will continue to live a state of unforgiveness, as if we were eternally condemned.

So recognize that you have been forgiven for everything! Only when you do this will you be released from sin, shame, guilt, and fear, and will find true life in the Spirit that God wants for you.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

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You may think God hasn’t forgiven you for that sin. But you’d be wrong. Here’s why…

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Forgiven and forgivenessLots of people have some some of secret sin in their past (or in their present life) which they think is so bad, God could never forgive them.

Well, they’re wrong.

If you think you have committed a sin which God cannot forgive, let me tell you…. God has already forgiven you for this sin.

And yet He still wants you to confess and repent of this sin. Why? So He can forgive you.

Confused yet? That’s because there are lots of confusing statements in the Bible about forgiveness.

On the one hand, forgiveness seems unconditional and free (Col 2:13).

However, there are other verses which seem to say that we will not be forgiven unless we confess or repent of our sins (1 John 1:9).

A few passages indicate that we can lose forgiveness simply by not showing forgiveness to others (Matt 6:15). So does this mean that even if you confess our sin, we may not be forgiven of it if we fail to forgive others?

Then, there is apparently a sin which will never be forgiven, no matter what (Matt 12:31-32).

And of course, there are the confusing verses which seem to indicate that certain human beings have a special power or ability to forgive others (cf. John 20:23).

Finally, there is the issue of what forgiveness actually accomplishes. Many believe that in order to go to heaven, we must be forgiven of all our sins. Therefor, if any of our sins remain unforgiven due to one of the conditions of forgiveness listed above, does this mean we end up in hell?

I cannot begin to address all these texts in this post, and even if I did, there would be dozens of other similar passages which would demand explanation as well.

So instead of trying to explain every verse about forgiveness, let me try to briefly summarize what the Bible says about forgiveness and why there is so much confusion surrounding this concept in the church today.

What the Bible Says about Forgiveness

One of the biggest reasons there is so much confusion about forgiveness is that there are three Greek words used in the New Testament for forgiveness, but they often (though not consistently) get translated as “forgiveness” into English. For my own study of Scripture, it often helps to know what kind of forgiveness is in view.

Charizomai Forgiveness

The first kind of forgiveness is charizomai. It is what I think of as “God’s unconditional forgiveness.” This makes sense, because it is based on the word charis, which means “grace.”

Charizomai refers to the removal of guilt, but not necessarily the removal of consequences. Charizomai is God’s free pardon (cf. 2 Cor 2:7, 10; Col 2:13). As such, charizomai is offered freely, to all, with absolutely no conditions.

we are forgiven all our sins

This kind of forgiveness is a free gift of God to every single person on earth, emanating purely from God’s love and grace. In this way, you have been forgiven of every sin, no matter what.

Aphesis Forgiveness

The second kind of forgiveness is aphesis. It is best to think of aphesis as release. It often is used to refer to the release of a financial debt or burden, but is often used in the sense of gaining liberty or freedom.

Aphesis, however, is usually not without condition, so in this way, it is different from the unconditional charizomai forgiveness. Aphesis is usually connected with repentance, meaning that aphesis does not come unless there is repentance.

This makes sense when we understand that sin enslaves us and puts us in bondage. If we do not repent of our sin, that is, if we do not turn away from it and turn back toward God, how can we gain freedom, liberty, or release from it? We cannot.

But note that even if we do not gain aphesis, we still have charizomai from God. He freely forgives us out of His grace, and calls us to repent so that we might also gain aphesis. If we do not, He still loves as forgives us (charizomai), but we will continue to experience bondage and enslavement to sin.

Apoluo Forgiveness

Then finally, there is the third kind of forgiveness, which comes from the Greek word apoluo. Apoluo is based on the Greek word luo, which means “I loose.” So apoluo is to be loosed, or set free. This word is nearly indistinguishable from aphesis, and may be nearly synonymous. There may be some small shades of differences, but nothing worth noting in this post.

So How Does This Help Christians Learn to Forgive?

you are forgivenFirst of all, we need to understand that we are forgiven, freely, by God’s grace, of all our sins, no matter what. You have the charizomai of God whether you confess your sins or not. You have charizomai for your sins whether you are Christian or not.

As far as God is concerned, your guilt has been removed from you. Your sin is no longer an issue with God. I have written about this previously, and so will say nothing more here.

However, we all still struggle with the consequences of sin in our lives and in our relationships. How can we fix this problem? This is where most of the teaching in the Bible about forgiveness comes in.

Aphesis forgiveness and apoluo forgiveness have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not a person goes to heaven when they die. Aphesis forgiveness and apoluo forgiveness are about whether or not we live in bondage and enslavement to sin here and now. They are about whether or not we destroy our lives, our health, our marriages, our family, our finances, our jobs, and pretty much everything in our life.

God does not want us to live our lives surrounded by destruction, addiction, and enslavement, and so He encourages us to confess our sins, repent of our sins, purify our lives and in so doing, gain release, freedom, and liberty from sin and the damaging consequences of sin.

God encourages us to forgive others, because often, that is the only way we can gain release to the bitterness and resentment we hold in our hearts toward them. Until we forgive others we cannot gain the release of forgiveness for ourselves.

You are already Forgiven, so Forgive to be Forgiven

That subtitle sounds like gibberish, right? But from a biblical perspective it is true. You already have the free charizomai forgiveness of God, completely free of charge. So in light of this free gift of forgiveness, it would be wise to give aphesis and apoluo forgiveness to others so that you can experience the release of aphesis and apoluo forgiveness in your own life.

Study Forgiveness on Your Own

I encourage you to embark on a study of forgiveness of your own. Find some sort of Greek-English parallel Bible, and whenever you see the words “forgive,” “forgiven,” or “forgiveness” in Scripture, take a few minutes to look it up and find out which kind of forgiveness is in view.

By doing so, you will be encouraged. God is not dangling your sin over your head as a way of threatening you with eternal punishment in hell. No, He has already forgiven you of all your sins, past, present, and future.

However, God wants more for you than to just have your guilt removed from you; He does not want sin to reign in your body; He does not want sin to rule over you, to destroy you, to ruin your life, your health, your finances, and all your relationships. He wants you to experience freedom and liberty. But for these, there are conditions and steps that must be met…

I encourage you to develop in your thinking about forgiveness. There are different kinds of forgiveness, with different conditions to receive the various kinds, and different consequences and results from each. Learn to distinguish which forgiveness is which, and your Bible will make a whole lot more sense.

Tell God Your Blasphemous Thoughts

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A reader recently sent in the following question about blasphemous thoughts and the unforgivable sin.

I got your book on the unforgivable sin. What advice can you give for those who suffer with blasphemous thoughts? I have not said anything but they are still upsetting. I am going through a lot of stress right now. I have been having this issue about 2 years now. Any advice is appreciated. I was told just not to accept them (or cry-which I have done). God bless you.

I am glad you got the book. There is so much more I could have said about the unforgivable sin in that little book. This is one of the questions I should have dealt with in more detail.

What is a Blasphemous Thought?

First off, I am not sure what you might consider a “blasphemous thought.” As I have had hundreds of personal and online conversations about the unforgivable sin over the years, I find that lots of people have some sort of idea about what constitutes blasphemous thoughts or actions, but which are not really blasphemous at all. The reason most people have these ideas is because they heard a sermon, read a book, or had a pastor tell them that certain actions or thoughts were blasphemous. But when we really look at the what blasphemy is,  we find that most of these sermons, books, and pastors were simply misinformed or were trying to control other people to act or behave a certain way.

So, to take an extreme case as an example… I have sometimes talked with people who say that they were told that it was blasphemy to question something their pastor taught. They were told that the pastor is “the Lord’s anointed.” Often the pastor will quote Psalm 105:15 as a way of showing that to touch, harm, or question “the Lord’s anointed” is some sort of affront to God. Therefore, to question or challenge the pastor is considered to be some sort of blasphemous challenge to God Himself.

This is an extreme example, to be sure, but it does happen (more than we realize!). But a moment’s reflection reveals that in these cases, the pastor is usually just trying to control people to conform to his own desires, wishes, and commands.

However, I would say that easily 95% of the teaching out there about the “sin of blasphemy” falls into this same category. Usually, what is being taught as blasphemous is not blasphemous at all! Sure, those certain behaviors or actions might be sinful, but there is a vast ocean of difference between sinful thoughts or actions and blasphemous thoughts or actions.

But here’s the thing… I am just going to go out on a limb and guess at what blasphemous thoughts you might be having. Though there is a whole variety of things that people think qualify as blasphemous thoughts or actions, in my experience, there is one main thing that people think is a blasphemous thought.

And it is this… when most people think they have thought or said something blasphemous, it is because they thought or said these words:

F*** you, God! I hate you!

Probably there is not much worse that could be said toward God, and I hesitate even putting such a thing on this blog. If anything qualifies as a blasphemous thought, this is probably it. (Though even here, nowhere does the Bible say that such a statement is blasphemous. In Matthew 12:31-32, when Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being close to committing the unforgivable sin, this is not what the Pharisees were saying, and is not even close to anything they ever would have said…)

So the statement above is not a blasphemous thought, but is still pretty bad, but I wrote it out for a purpose.

If you are saying or thinking these sorts of things toward God, there are two things God wants to say to you in return.

God Wants You to Know He Loves You

The first thing God wants to say to you is this:

Oh yeah? So you hate me, huh? Well guess what?

I love you.

Yeah, that’s right.

I. Love. You.

No matter what, I love you.

No matter what you say or do, no matter what you think, no matter how hurtful your words or thoughts, I will love you forever. My love for you will never change, will never diminish, will never fade away.

Say what you will. Do what you will. I forgive you for all of it, because I love you.

love of GodHow do we know God says this to us, no matter what we say to Him?

Because the Bible tells us over and over that He loves us no matter what. While we were yet sinners, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). Love is the essence of who God is (1 John 4:8). Before you were ever born, God knew every sin you would ever commit, every word you would ever say, and all “blasphemous thoughts” you would ever say or think. And He sent Jesus to die for you anyway! Why? Because He loves you!

More than anything else, God wants to let you know that He loves you and will always love you.

The God you Hate… God Hates Too

But the second thing God would want to say to you in response for any angry or hateful thought you might have about Him is this:

Hey, I understand. In fact, the god you claim to hate is the god I hate too.

The only reason you are having those thoughts or thinking those words is because you thought I was a certain type of god, and I have not turned out to be that way. Your life is going in directions you didn’t think it would go, horrible things have happened to you in life, and you think I did these things to you. Someone told you some wrong things about me. Someone told you that I caused those bad things to happen to you. This is not true.

If I had done those horrible things to you, you would have every right to resent and hate me.

But I didn’t send this pain, tragedy, hardship, or evil into your life. I would never do that.

Remember what I told you before? I love you!

I might discipline you out of love, but when I do, I will make it clear to you what I am doing, and why.

All those evil things that happen to you are only because the world is full of sin, and the enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. I never steal, kill, or destroy.

Bad things happen in this world, and I am so sorry you have to experience them.

When these bad things happen, my role, my job, my task, is to do what I can to love you through them, to be with you in the pain, to suffer alongside you. This is one reason I sent Jesus. It is also why I sent the Holy Spirit.

I am not a god who sends suffering into your life; I am the God who suffers with you in life.

I am not a god who sends pain so you cry; I am a God who cries with you in your pain.

And regarding what you thought before… you know, those words you said in your head. Thank you for saying them.

Really.

Many people either try to deny the painful experiences they are facing, or they clam up about their pain and refuse to talk to me about it. But not you. You are honest about your pain and are willing to talk to me about it.

Even though your words are hurtful, they show that you continue to want to talk to me and have a relationship with me. Most people just give me the silent treatment. But you haven’t done that. You continue to want to talk. I want that too.

Telling me you hate me isn’t blasphemy; it’s honesty. It is how you feel. And I am glad you came to me in your pain.

So let me begin by showing you who I really am…

I am not sure if this exactly answers the question that was sent in to me, but in my years of experience as a pastor, author, and blogger, I have found that most people who have fears about blasphemous thoughts and blasphemous words, usually have one of two things going on in their life (and often both). People who think they have committed the unforgivable sin usually have a religious leader who is trying to control them, or warped and dangerous ideas about who God is and what God is like.

Once we can see that God is not like the angry, fire-hurling deity that is often taught in some churches and by some pastors, but instead looks remarkably like Jesus who loved, accepted, and forgave everybody, it is then that we begin to see how much God loves us, and that no matter what we say or do, His love for us will never change, never waver, never diminish.

It is not a blasphemous thought to think that you hate God.

If you think you hate God, go talk to Him about what you are feeling, and why you feel that way.

He loves to have these open and honest conversations with us about who He truly is and how much He truly loves us… no matter what.

Only once we see the love of God, will the thoughts of anger and resentment toward God begin to disappear. So if you are having blasphemous thoughts or ideas toward God, don’t feel bad about them or fear that such thoughts will make God stop loving you. Instead, take those thoughts to God, and say, “God? Do you see what think about you?” Then sit and listen to see what God says in return.

The last thing God wants is for us to shut ourselves off from Him. So if we are having blasphemous thoughts toward God, the best thing we can do is talk to God about them, so that He can show us how much He loves us, and how the God we think we hate is not actually the God He truly is.

Make Sure You Never Commit the Unforgivable Sin

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Unforgivable SinHow can you know if you, or a friend, or relative, have committed the unforgivable sin?

Believers Cannot Commit the Unforgivable Sin

First, if you have believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life, then it is no longer possible for you to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

Since you have believed in Jesus for eternal life, the Holy Spirit has ceased the work upon you which He performs on unbelievers, and is now living within you to mold and shape you into Christlikeness. Due to this, a Christian can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, but cannot blaspheme the Spirit in the way Jesus talks about in Matthew 12:31-32.

If you are a believer, do not worry about committing the unpardonable sin. The possibility of committing the unforgivable sin is forever in your past.

Unbelievers who Worry about the Unforgivable Sin Have Not Committed It

If, however, you are not a Christian, and worry that you might have committed the unforgivable sin, be encouraged. Nobody who commits the blasphemy against the Spirit wonders if they have.

They no longer care about such things.

The unbeliever who commits the unforgivable sin has become so morally and spiritually blind that their heart is hardened. They Holy Spirit has stopped trying to convince them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. As a result, they have become fully enslaved to sin, to the point that they no longer care about spiritual things and will never believe in Jesus.

Such a condition is clearly not true of you, because you are reading this book and are concerned about your spiritual state. This proves that the Holy Spirit is still working on you, and therefore, you have not yet committed the unforgivable sin.

A Warning about the Unforgivable Sin

Unforgivable SinBut be warned.

If you have not yet believed in Jesus for eternal life, then the warning that Jesus gave to the religious leaders in Matthew 12:31-32 may apply to you as well.

Jesus told the Pharisees that if they continued to reject the truths which were clearly before their eyes, then there may come a day when the Spirit stops trying to convince them.

So if you have not believed in Jesus for eternal life, do not resist the Spirit any longer. There is still time. Do not delay. Receive eternal life and become a member of God’s family by believing in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47).

Once you have believed in Jesus for eternal life, the possibility of committing the unforgivable sin becomes an impossibility forever.

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.)

 

Is Repentance from Sin Required for Forgiveness?

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In a previous post we learned that confession of sin is not required for the forgiveness of sin, but is important for maintaining our fellowship with God, and with one another (1 John 1:7-10).

What about repentance?

Several passages in Scripture seem to indicate that repentance is necessary to receive the forgiveness of sins.

For example, in Luke 3:3 we read that John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Does this teach that forgiveness is dependent upon repenting and being baptized?

Yes and no.

repentance forgiveness

Part of the difficulty with the word “forgiveness” is that modern English speakers have put a slightly different twist on the word than how people would have understood the equivalent Greek or Hebrew words in the Scriptures when they were written.

“Forgiveness” doesn’t mean exactly the same thing it did 2000 years ago.

The word “forgiveness” today describes a vague, psychological state that exists within the mind of a person. It is kind of like peace or joy. These exist, but they are primarily mental states of being.

Forgiveness = Release

The word “forgiveness” comes from the Greek word aphesis. In a previous post about the two kinds of forgiveness, we saw that while aphesis can be translated as “forgiveness,” it is closer to something like “liberty,” “freedom,” or “release.” It is used of the release of captives and slaves, of the cancellation of debt, or even of divorce (LXX: Isa 61:1; Jer 34:8-17; Ezek 46:17; Matt 6:12; Matt 13:36).

So when New Testament authors write about repentance for the forgiveness of sins, they have in mind the cancellation of debt or the release of a slave from captivity to sin. See my sermon “What is Repentance?”

Therefore, repentance for the forgiveness of sins has nothing to do with gaining eternal life and entering heaven, but about freedom from the captivating and addictive power of sin.

The Purpose of Repentance

God wants us to admit that we have sinned, and deal with it, not because sin is a big issue with God, but because He sees how much sin is hurting and damaging us.

God wants us to repent of our sin so that we can be liberated from it, and released from its addictive power in our lives.

Sin damages us, and God reveals our sin to us, not so that He can threaten us with hell if we do not confess and repent, but so that by agreeing with Him that we have sinned (confession), and taking steps to move in the opposite direction (repentance), we can be released (forgiven) from any sin that holds sway over our lives.

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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