What is the unforgivable sin?

Jesus stated: “Amen.Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against (rejects) the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

During my hospital and nursing home chaplaincy, I had the opportunity to journey with patients and residents who were facing death and as a result of their feeling of sinful guilt they believed that they have committed the “unforgivable sin.”

If you do fear you’ve committed some “unforgivable sin,” or even that your heart has already reached such a state of hardness of heart, God does offer you hope in his healing Gospel. If you worry about unforgivable sin, then most likely you are not there.

It’s easy to get worked up (feel guilt and rejection) over this enigmatic “unforgivable sin” in the Gospels and that we miss the remarkable Gospel message of Jesus’ open arms that comes immediately before the warning: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter” (Mark 3:28). “All sins. Whatever blasphemies (our sinful nature) uttered.”

Through the gift of saving faith in Christ Crucified all sins are forgiven. This is where the Gospel accounts all lead: to the cross of Calvary. This Son of Man, as he progressively demonstrates in the Gospels, is God in the flesh himself and Lord of the universe. And he became one of us, and died all for our sins of thoughts, words, and actions and was physically resurrected to offer full and entire forgiveness of sins for all who by faith repent and embrace him as their Redeemer and Savior God.

If your worries about “unforgivable sin” relate to a pattern of your pet sins and or unrepentance in your life, your very concerns may be God’s Spirit working to keep you from continuing to harden your heart beyond his spiritual calling you to repentance.

Don’t despair. As the Holy Spirit encourages his hearers on the edge of such danger, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness,” (Hebrews 3:7, 8)

Why do you think within many worship services/liturgies begins with a confession of sins? We confess: “Merciful Lord, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We admit that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We have left undone those things, which we ought to have done; we have done those things which we ought not to have done”

Followed by the blessed assurance that all our sins are truly forgiven and washed away by the shed blood of Christ the very Lamb of God. We hear the words of absolution/forgiveness: “Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and has given his only Son to die for us and for his sake forgives us all our sins. To them that believe on his name he gives power to become the children of God and has promised them his Holy Spirit. Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.

What is the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit? It is unbelief or rejection of Christ’s healing Gospel message: “Your sins are forgiven!” Amen!

Chopp is a clinical chaplain emeritus, MDiv, BCC, from Marshall