The Unpardonable Sin

The phrase “the unpardonable sin,” to any spiritually sensitive person, strikes terror and fear. It is like hearing the words “Antichrist,” “false prophet,” “great tribulation,” or “lake of fire.” They all serve as striking76 reminders that sin is real and judgment is sure. Actually the phrase “the unpardonable sin” does not occur in the Bible. However, the concept is identified in our text as “an eternal sin” (3:29). This does not soften the impact of the words.

This denotes a sin that, once committed, will never be forgiven and will condemn us eternally to hell—the lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15). Is there really an unforgivable/unpardonable sin? If there is, what exactly is it? Also, can a Christian commit this sin?

Whatever this sin is, we must approach it with the greatest possible gravity and seriousness. When God effectively says, “Commit this sin and I will never forgive you,” there is then no longer any hope for heaven and eternal life. When God says “never,” He really means never! A billion years from now, His judicial verdict will stand like stone. John Piper is correct: “If forgiveness is withheld for eternity, guilt is sealed for eternity. God is never neutral to sin. He either forgives it or punishes it.... Not to be forgiven by God forever is to suffer His wrath forever” (Piper, “Beyond Forgiveness”).

This concept is discussed directly following the accusation by Jesus’ family that “He’s out of His mind” (Mark 3:21). An official religious delegation from Jerusalem has just arrived to investigate this young Jewish rabbi. In the midst of their harsh judgment and criticism, we see the general characteristics of the sin that can never be forgiven. If ever there was a warning that would compel us to run from sin with fear and trembling and to flee to Jesus in faith and repentance, surely this is it! So, what do we learn about the unpardonable sin?

It Reveals a Hardened Heart That Calls Good Evil

Mark 3:22

Jesus is preaching, healing, and casting out demons around the clock. The crowds are growing daily. His family wants to stop Him and take Him home because they fear He is losing it (3:21)! Meanwhile, some scribes have come down from Jerusalem to check Jesus out. Apparently they reached an instantaneous verdict: Jesus was a demon-powered apostate who should be silenced quickly.

The scribes claim, “He has Beelzebul in Him!” Beelzebul was the prince of demons, whose name could possibly mean “lord of the flies/carrion.” He was lord of that which is rotten and repulsive, lord of the dung heap. More likely, however, the name means “lord of the house/temple.” This would be like calling Him “Baal the prince.” Thus, He is the ruler of a house or dynasty of demons. They are claiming that Jesus is possessed, that He is77 controlled by Satan, who is the prince or ruler of the demon world. In His teaching, healing, and casting out demons, He acts, they say, by the power of Satan.

The verb in verses 22 and 30, “they were saying,” is the imperfect tense, which means “they were continually saying.” They consistently hurled this slur at Jesus, trying to destroy His reputation. With a hardened heart, which Bavinck calls “a sin against the gospel in its clearest manifestation” (Bavinck, Sin, 156), they look at the supremely good One and call Him the supremely evil one. It is a persistent rejection of and declaration against what the Spirit of God is doing in and through Jesus.

Those who move in the direction of the unpardonable sin are aware of the miraculous works of Jesus that cannot be denied. The scribes at no point deny He has cast out demons! In addition, this unpardonable sin is characterized by consistently rejecting the obvious and logical conclusion that these spiritual works are done by the Spirit of God. Instead, those guilty will declare verbally and consistently that these spiritual works are actually from Satan. Such actions reveal a hardened heart that calls evil good and that will not celebrate the works of God in Christ. Anyone who continues down this road will never be forgiven by God.

It Reveals Spiritual Blindness That Is Willful and Intentional

Mark 3:23-27

Jesus responds by calling the religious elite to hear a short proverbial saying that quickly refutes their accusations and reveals the absurdity of their logic. He first makes a simple observation in verse 23. Why would Satan act against himself? The logic is inconceivable! If what they say is true, Satan is destroying himself. And Jesus states the obvious: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (3:24). If Satan were fighting against himself, he would be utterly powerless to do anything to advance his kingdom, and obviously that is not the case. One only needs to look at all the misery he causes to see that.

Satan is attempting to build a kingdom. “Satan extends his kingdom by sowing chaos and enslaving humans, not by setting them free” (Arnold, Mark, 26). It is ridiculous to suggest that Jesus was fighting for Satan by releasing his captives. To not see this reveals intentional spiritual blindness: “My mind is made up! Don’t confuse me with the facts!”

Jesus then changes the analogy. He says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Pick your context—marriage, family, business, sports, church—the truth remains: a division in the ranks will cause78 the institution to fail, destroying itself. Jesus states things so explicitly in verse 26: “If Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished!”

Jesus gives a parable. Satan is the “strong man,” and Jesus is the One breaking into his house, his realm, to bind and plunder. Satan is indeed a strong man in this world. His house is a house of horrors, filled with sin, sickness, death, demon possession, and all that is evil and wicked. His possessions are human beings, enslaved by all these evils. Demons are his agents who delight in carrying out his diabolical agenda. No one but Jesus can invade his realm and carry away his possessions. No one but Jesus is more powerful than this strongman.

Jesus’ point is that He has come, and He can and will bind Satan. This is what Jesus is doing and will do climactically at the cross. It is self-evident and indisputable that the Son of God has come to destroy the works of the Devil (cf. 1 John 3:8). In denying this truth, the scribes reveal their intentional spiritual blindness.

It Involves a Verbal Declaration That Is Continual and Unforgivable

Mark 3:28-30

Jesus now begins to conclude the matter by saying, “I assure you,” literally “amen.” This word is found only in the Gospels. In every case the word is said by Jesus. It is a serious and solemn affirmation. In using it, Jesus attests His words are completely true and reliable because He is uniquely the true witness of God. Put this in the mouth of any other person, and it is completely out of place. With Jesus there is a perfect fit.

Jesus declares the gracious forgiveness and mercy of God in forgiving sins. “All sins,” literally, “whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme,” will be forgiven. All sinners can find the forgiveness of God if they will come to Him in repentance and faith. However, verses 29-30 note the one tragic and fearful exception. If someone speaks against the Holy Spirit verbally and continually, with willful and malicious intent that reveals a hardened heart beyond the possibility of repentance, there is no forgiveness, and they are “guilty of an eternal sin.”

I cannot improve on the insights at this point of New Testament scholar William Lane:

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit forever removes a man beyond the sphere where forgiveness is possible. This solemn warning must be interpreted in the light of the specific situation in which it was79 uttered. Blasphemy is an expression of defiant hostility toward God ... “the profanation of the Name.” ... This is the danger to which the scribes exposed themselves when they attributed to the agency of Satan the redemption brought by Jesus. The expulsion of demons was a sign of the intrusion of the Kingdom of God. Yet the scribal accusations against Jesus amount to a denial of the power and greatness of the Spirit of God. By assigning the action of God to a demonic origin the scribes betray a perversion of spirit which, in defiance of the truth, chooses to call light darkness. In this historical context, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit denotes the conscious and deliberate rejection of the saving power and grace of God released through Jesus’ word and act.... The failure of the scribes to recognize him as the Bearer of the Spirit and the Conqueror of Satan could be forgiven. The considered judgment that his power was demonic, however, betrayed a defiant resistance to the Holy Spirit. This severe warning was not addressed to laymen but to carefully trained legal specialists whose task was to interpret the biblical law to the people. It was their responsibility to be aware of God’s redemptive action. Their insensitivity to the Spirit through whom Jesus was qualified for his mission exposed them to grave peril. Their own tradition condemned their gross callousness as sharply as Jesus’ word. The admonition concerning blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not to be divorced from this historical context and applied generally. Mark emphasizes this by terminating the incident with a reference to the specific accusation that Jesus was possessed by an unclean spirit.... [R]epetition and a fixed attitude of mind ... brought the scribes to the brink of unforgivable blasphemy. (Lane, Mark, 145-56)

Conclusion

The unpardonable sin is to knowingly, willingly, and persistently attribute to Satan the works of God done by and in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, who testifies to these truths in your heart. (1) It is a sin of full knowledge. (2) It is an ongoing disposition of the heart that resists the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (3) It is a verbal act that attributes the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. (4) It is a willful rejection of God’s grace in Jesus. (5) It is rooted in unbelief. (6) It is a sin a Christian cannot commit. (7) It is a sin not committed by one who is concerned that he may have committed it.

Despite this last point this unpardonable offense should still awaken all of us to the seriousness of all sin committed against a holy and righteous God, who never winks at sin. It is a sin that should lead all of us to confess with Jesus in 9:42-43,

There is a boundary of sin where, once passed, there is no possibility or hope of return. Do not even think of going there. Instead, run to Jesus in faith and repentance. You will find open arms there! You will find forgiveness free and eternal. Today, do not delay: run from any and all sin and, instead, run to Jesus!

Reflect and Discuss

1. Have you ever spoken to anyone who worried that they had committed the unpardonable sin? Was there ever a time when you were afraid you had done so? Was this a result of a vague explanation of the unpardonable sin?
2. Why did Mark include this episode in Jesus’ ministry right after the report that His family thought He was out of His mind? Is there a logical or topical connection?
3. Why would the scribes sent by the Jerusalem Sanhedrin come to the conclusion quickly that Jesus was collaborating with Satan?
4. What is the significance of the imperfect tense of the verb “said” in 3:22 and “they were saying” in verse 30?
5. Can you think of any examples today of people attacking Christianity using ridiculous logic?
6. What do Jesus’ parables in 3:23-27 teach us about Satan’s goals and tactics in the world?
7. As a preface to 3:29-30, how is verse 28 encouraging?
8. How would you counsel a Christian who was concerned that he or she had committed the unpardonable sin?
9. How would you caution a non-Christian concerning the nature of the unpardonable sin?
10. Even though a Christian cannot commit the unpardonable sin, how does it still function as a warning and exhortation for Christians?