Many times we hear questions about this terrible sin. Much is hidden for us about this subject in God's Word and therefore it is possible that Satan uses this to make God's people fearful that they have committed this sin. It can bring them to the brink of despair: it is lost for ever. The Lord Himself had confirmed this truth (Matt. 12:31,32). Because so many have a misunderstanding about this sin, we will try to write about it, for which we need the enlightening of the Holy Spirit Himself.

The Sin Against the Holy Ghost is an Actual Sin⤒🔗

Actual sin is the fruit of original sin. Out of a bitter fountain only bitter water springs forth. We commit sin with thoughts, words and deeds. Although our sinful thoughts do not always become words or actions, they still make us guilty before God.

Sin is either sin of omission or sin of commission. In essence this does not make a difference because they make us condemnable before God in either way. Nevertheless, there is dif­ference in committing sin and also in its punishment. In itself each sin merits death and is unforgivable. Only on the ground of Christ's complete satisfaction can and does God forgive sins, excepting one sin, the sin against the Holy Ghost.

What a terrible sin it is because there is not one other sin of which we read the same judgment. In God's Word other sins are mentioned, which are also done against the Holy Spirit, but these can be forgiven.

The Grieving of the Holy Ghost←⤒🔗

Although the true believer cannot fall out of the state of grace, converts are not always so influenced by the Holy Spirit that they are not led into temptation. When watching and prayer are neglected, they can fall in heinous sins. By such enormous sins, they highly offend God and grieve the Holy Spirit. What is this sin?

The Church has received the Holy Spirit to work faith, but also to revive that new life, to give light over his own work, so they will become more and more conformable to Christ. To grieve the Holy Spirit presupposes a bond of love. A master can be angry about the misconduct of his servant, but a father and a mother are sad about the evil path of their child. It is the bond of love which makes these parents weep.

By such expressions Scripture wants to explain to the Church that by their sin they grieve the Holy Spirit. These sins go against the labor of the Holy Spirit. He wants to burn the sin out of the life of the Church while they cherish them in secret or in public. The Holy Spirit encourages them to use the means of grace, while they are slack in their use. It is a frightening thought that we can grieve the Spirit of God, but we are convinced this happens. This sin does not only highly offend God; it also brings great darkness in the life of God's children.

The Bible also speaks about vexing the Holy Spirit (Is. 63:10), and quench­ing of the Spirit (1 Thess. 1:19). From all these evils, forgiveness is possible, when we may come in true humiliation before God. These evils are more the work of Satan in the heart of man, than sin of the soul itself.

The Unpardonable Sin←⤒🔗

The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a wilful sinning of man himself, which makes him guilty before God and for whom Christ did not shed his blood. Only this sin cannot be forgiven!

Some think that under the Old Testament this sin is not mentioned, but others are of the opinion that this sin is mentioned in several places (Is. 63:10; Jer. 6:15). We must also remember what is written in Hebrews 10:28: "He that despised Moses' law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses."

In the New Testament this sin is mentioned in many places. The Lord Jesus has spoken about this sin in Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:28 and Luke 12:10. How did this come to pass?

After He had healed a man possessed with a devil, blind and dumb, the multitude was so astonished, that they confessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. The Lord Jesus had so clearly shown in His preaching and in the many miracles He had performed, that He was the promised Messiah! A clearer revelation could not be given.

This testimony of the multitude worked great enmity in the hearts of the Pharisees. Instead of kneeling before Him, they rejected Him, and blas­phemed Him as a servant of Satan. Mockingly they said: He has cast out the devil, because He is also possessed by the devil (Mark 3:22). This accusation was an invention of hatred against God and his Anointed. The great Prophet and Teacher makes this very plain to them (Matt. 12:25-30).

A kingdom which is divided against itself cannot exist, but will be brought to desolation. Satan does not cast out himself because then he works against himself, but the Kingdom of God has come to them: Jesus cast out the devils by the Spirit of God!

In connection with this happening, the Lord Jesus speaks of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as an unforgivable sin. This sin is neither unbelief only, nor a general resisting of the Spirit, nor a denying of the Godhead of the Spirit, nor sin against better knowledge.

This is not only a sin against the law of God, but more specifically against the gospel in its clearest revelation. How do we defend this? Because so much has taken place before in the life of Israel: an objective revelation of God's grace in Jesus Christ; they were near the Kingdom of God; they experienced a common work of the Holy Ghost; they received an enlightened mind. With all these things they could not deny the truth about Christ being of divine origin.

So, when we speak about this frighten­ing sin, we realize it is not doubt about the truth, but a continual denial of God's work by Christ, stating it to be the work of Satan. They are convinced about the truth, but to maintain themselves, they blaspheme Him by saying He is in the service of the devil. With devilish wickedness they refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, not realizing how they support the devil themselves in his effort to destroy the work of grace, but also that they are on the path to committing an unfor­givable sin.

The Way Leading to the Unpardonable Sin←⤒🔗

We begin to realize that this is not one sin, but a series of sins, which end with the terrible consequence of which we are speaking. Step after step is made upon the path of wickedness, notwithstanding all the warnings. The person feels his wickedness arouses God's displeasure. At the end it becomes public: I do not want Jesus to be king over me. This does not happen in ignorance, but out of hatred and with doubled fist.

The Lord Jesus warns the Pharisees of this dangerous path, from which they cannot return. They blaspheme His Person, His doctrine, His work and His ministry to make His mission ineffective. Calvin calls it an intentional resisting of the work of the Spirit in the heart and making the blood of Jesus Christ an unclean thing.

I have read of a man who without any emotion said he belonged to those who would be condemned forever. With a bitter smile upon his face he confessed he had murdered himself spiritually. Many years he lived against his conscience and became more and more wicked.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit quenches all feelings about eternity in man and the cold breath of Satan obstructs any tears of repentance.

For this sin we should not pray anymore as we can find in 1 John 5:16b: "There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it."

Why is this Sin Unpardonable?←⤒🔗

We want to emphasize that many are bothered with the thought that they have committed this sin, but there are very few who have. As long as we live under law and gospel, it is the time of grace and we can be converted. This quickening of the sinner takes place always under the administration of the Spirit. He reproves of sin, righteousness and judgment.

What does happen when a person has committed this sin against the Spirit of God? Then the blessed labor of the Spirit has become impossible. The Spirit is excluded, the door is closed on the inside and conviction cannot take place anymore.

Not one of the regenerate can commit this unpardonable sin because God cares for his own work: there is no apostasy of saints. Every time it is Satan who makes God's people sin, although they are responsible for their deeds. He tries to make them believe in the darkness which follows, that they have lost everything and will despair.

Exactly this fear and crying in the greatest need shows that they have not committed this sin. If they had done this, they would not be sorrowful anymore, but would harden themselves to the very end.

May the Lord keep us from wandering away from His institutions because this can be the beginning of this terrible sin. We hope that the irresistible work of the Spirit may be seen in many.