Mark 3:29-30 records this warning from Jesus: “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” For two thousand years, Christians have been wondering, what if they have committed the unforgivable sin of blasphemy? And potential believers have pondered this question: am I already too far gone, because I have blasphemed countless times?

Re-reading the gospel accounts of Jesus’ statement, with some direction from biblical scholarship, sheds light on what Jesus was truly saying and gives hope to those who believe there is no hope of salvation for them. Here are five things you are misunderstanding about the unforgivable sin.

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We know that Peter died for his faith. He was crucified. We can trust these facts because of Christ’s prophetic words and because of what was written by objective viewers. Some details of his death have passed into the realms of tradition, however, and details are unreliable.

We must remember, material possessions are not bad – things are morally neutral. Still, we must hold our belongings in an open hand, treating it rightly as something to be used for God’s work and not ours by right.

Christ died to save all people, but not all people want to be saved or know they need salvation. Not all people abide in his love, and because of that they are unable to love fully or to be loved to the fullest extent of Christ’s love.

We could mistake Paul’s message and say that our own work (that of good reasoning and thoughtful research of the Bible) will bring us to salvation. But Paul is very clear: we are saved by grace through faith.

Money is not relevant to the Lord. This kind of valuation is in keeping with the Lord’s provision for all kinds of human behavior which the Lord did not promote. God does not view people’s worth according to their capacity in trade or commerce, but he provided laws to keep order and protect the vulnerable.

Some jobs really are difficult to enjoy, but the Lord shows us that you can approach even those jobs joyfully. The key is to associate your work both with the Lord’s work and to see it as the Lord sees it: worthy, dignified, and necessary.

When two young men dressed in sharply pressed pants and dress shirts come knocking at your door, each holding a book in his hand, they could be Mormons. They are sent door to door by their church to teach strangers about the message of Mormonism. What do these earnest young people believe?

Here are ten facts about the Mormons that all Christians should know.

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For the Christian, a rest day or Sabbath is designed as an opportunity to seek God intentionally and without as many distractions or time pressures as one faces in the day-to-day routine of employment, parenting, and other obligations.

The Lord often used women to boldly and bravely do what men sometimes failed to do or were unable to do. In this case, Zipporah showed insight, the ability to think on her feet, and she was brave.

He assured his brothers “it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:8). God had placed him in Egypt for a reason, but why permit Joseph to suffer so much?

While escaping famine, Isaac took his family into the Valley of Gerar where his father had dug wells. King Abimelech and his people, the Philistines, were jealous of Isaac’s success and wealth. Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us. For you are too powerful for us” (Genesis 26:16). Isaac had to dig new wells, and he faced opposition.

Wells in Scripture are thematically significant, and they help one to connect Old Testament events to Jesus. Here are five points from Isaac’s pursuit of water in the Valley of Gerar.

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One important adjustment one can make to his or her perspective on retirement is to remember that Jesus gave no age limit to service, nor did he provide a retirement plan. Even in Heaven, although there will be no more pain and suffering, “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” Service to the Lord will continue eternally.