Pastor's Weekly Devotion

There is a sin a man can commit which cannot be forgiven. Jesus explains in Mark 3:28-29, “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” The thought of committing the unpardonable sin is disturbing. Some wonder if they have already committed such a sin. Others remain indifferent about the matter altogether. Jesus explains that there is forgiveness of sins to be found, but there is one sin that cannot be forgiven. A man can steal, gossip, cheat, slander, murder, lust, commit an act of immorality, fornicate, be a drunkard, and commit a host of sins and be forgiven through Jesus Christ. To be clear, I don’t advise that you commit sin. Although it can certainly be forgiven, there are unintended consequences that you have to live with as a result. Jesus explains that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. Jesus said this because some religious people called scribes had just accused Him of being filled with the prince of demons. They said Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebul. They were in a sense saying Jesus was not Holy nor filled with the Holy Spirit. The scribes were hardened toward Jesus and unwilling to surrender to their life to Him. They were vehement in their opposition toward Jesus. The demons were cast out by the power of the Holy Spirit not some demonic spirit. William MacDonald explained, “In accusing Jesus of casting out demons by demonic power, when it was actually by the power of the Holy Spirit that He did it, they in effect called the Holy Spirit a demon. This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” If you want to avoid committing the unpardonable sin there are three things I encourage you to do. First, properly recognizes Jesus as Lord and not One filled with demons. Second, confess what is true about Jesus that He is Lord. Confession is vitally and eternally important. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Thirdly, you must ultimately surrender your life to Jesus for salvation. I like what David Jeremiah wrote, “In its essence, the unforgivable sin is hardening your heart against God by repeatedly refusing to respond to His entreaties to your soul. By continuing to resist and reject the Lord, you build calluses on your soul until the conviction of the Spirit of God no longer registers in your heart.” It is my hope that you enjoy the forgiveness of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ and avoid the unpardonable sin. Have a great week!