Mat 12:31-32, What Is the Unpardonable Sin?

Wednesday February 19, 2025

Mat 12:22-32. 

Blasphemy against the Son and the Spirit.

Words against the Son are said by people do not know who He is. The Holy Spirit reveals who He is, so blasphemy against the Spirit is rejection of the plain revelation of the Son. That cannot be forgiven. 

What does it mean, “Will not be forgiven…” ?

Battle of good and evil rages throughout history and some are going to lose.

Is there one sin that ends a person’s chance at salvation, while still alive? No. 

All believer’s sins are forgiven and they all have eternal security. 

Eph 2:8-9, vs. 8 “you are (present) saved (perfect passive) - you have been and are saved. Rom 8:38-39; Gal 3:26; Eph 1:13; Eph 1:7; Col 2:13-15; Heb 8:12. 

Abuse of the passage: France: “The saying about an ‘unforgivable sin’ has often been inappropriately, and sometimes disastrously, applied to contexts which have little to do with its original setting.” 

Two theories. Out of several, I have settled on two that seem legitimate.

Rejection of common grace: Joh 16:5-15. 

Problem: once committed do they lose all hope of salvation though still alive? (Act 2:37-42; 3:17-19; Luk 23:34; 1Ti 1:13). 

The implication could be that people only have one shot at the gospel, or that once enough sin is committed or a certain sin is committed that they are damned eternally. (The Bible holds the opposite view.)

Rejection of the common grace ministry of the Holy Spirit up to death means judgment (Rev 20:12, 15) no matter what sins were committed. 

Fruchtenbaum theory: Only that generation could commit the unpardonable sin by rejecting Jesus as Messiah and the result was the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (the individuals are not damned but can be saved by faith)

Context is “this generation” (12:41-42). 

The judgment that could not be forgiven or undone was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple about 40 years later. 

The unpardonable sin was the national rejection by Israel of the Messiahship of Jesus on the grounds of demon possession while He was physically on earth.

National sin, not an individual sin. The leaders spoke for the people (all through OT, as the kings went so did the people). 

This sin cannot be committed after then. All who are cleansed by the blood of Christ are forgiven of all sin. 

Jesus did not die on the cross for certain kinds of sins (Luk 2:46-47 - would have to go to all the nations and tell them which sins were forgiven). 

It meant that the offer of the kingdom, for that generation, was taken away, and reserved for a future generation. 

It meant that generation was going to go through the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans (Vespasian and son Titus).

This was the third time the nation reached this point. 

Num 13-14 = 40 years in the desert, even after they repented. 

King Manasseh, one of the cruelest kings of Jerusalem, who turned Solomon’s temple into a major center of idolatry, finally reached the point of no return and God decreed that He would judge the city to destruction by the Babylonians and the people would go into captivity (2Ki 21:10-15).

Nothing afterward could change this judgment. Even though the next king, Josiah, was good and worshiped God, and brought revival to Israel, the judgment was still inevitable. 

Now, this is the third time, with the willful rejection of the Messiah. 

Many repented of their rejection of Him, which can be seen at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but it would not have mattered in terms of the destruction of the city. Jesus knew this, Luk 19:41-44. 

Individuals who had faith in Christ would be forgiven of this sin, as is clear in Act 2-3; but the city and temple were doomed. 

Application:  

Do you see how important your witness is? Life and word. Seeking out the unpardonable sin makes us realize the importance of our witness alongside the security of our place in Christ. 

Some are going to reject the most obvious and beautiful witness of Christ. 

Remember that it is the Holy Spirit they are rejecting and not you. It will break your heart when they say no, more and more so as you come to know Christ deeper. 

You will be, however, motivated to keep witnessing. If all say no, the next may say yes and be released from the grip of the devil. 

What is your treasure? That is the next thought that flows out of these important verses. 

Since you know that Christ, by His sacrifice, has forgiven you of all sin, where do you think your treasure lies? 

One conclusion from this is that all people seek treasure. 

Do we seek others? Do we ultimately seek self?