The Unpardonable Sin

The unforgivable sin. What is it exactly how is it committed stay with us Renewing Your Mind with RC Sproul is next.

The Bible tells us that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is the one sin that God will not pardon that strikes fear in many Christians.

In fact, you may wondered if you've committed the sin and lost your salvation were about to hear, though, that God will never allow his people to sin in this way, there's Dr. strong as he preaches from the Gospel of Mark, the first of all we read here in Mark the Jesus own friends accuse them of being Matt, but the more serious accusation comes in the following passages coming from the authorities, the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said he has Beelzebub and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons. Now this beloved is the most vicious charge up to this point and perhaps it is whole life that is ever leveled against Jesus. The first accusation of this he is with Beelzebub who is Beelzebub in antiquity. Basil Bob was seen as a demagogic a lesser deity who ruled over filth, carry-on, and flies. He was called the Lord of the dunghill you known a popular piece in American literature entitled Lord of the flies, which is a take off on this title.

Beelzebub know some of the manuscripts indicate that the word that is used by the scribes is not Beelzebub DBAs a bolt which refers not so much. This particular demonic one who reigns over flies in carry-on and dung heaps, but rather the God of the bales who is considered the Lord of all the demonic realm which would be a title for Satan himself so that you hear what the scribes are saying they're saying he has Basil Bob and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons. The charges this Jesus, you are in league with the devil we don't challenge the reality of your power.

We grant that you're performing miracles that your healing the sick, that you're casting out demons when not questioning the facts here, but were asking this question by what power are you able to do these marvelous works in the conclusion, the scribes came to was that Christ was working through the power of Satan. First thing I want to say. Just as an aside, is contrary to the widespread view that pervades the evangelical Christian world today Satan. I don't believe ever has performed a bona fide miracle.

Satan does not have divine power, Satan is a creature and he may be stronger than we are.

But he can't do the things that only God can do.

His works are called in Scripture, lying signs and wonders. That is, they are counterfeits that are frauds. But notice that the scribes here are not saying that Jesus miracles are counterfeit there. Granting that the real the first mistake they make is assuming that Satan can do such thing, but far more serious than their theological error. At this point is the charge and accusation, but the power by which Jesus works is the power of Satan.

Now if we been watching closely the unfolding of this gospel record of the life and work of Christ given to us by St. Mark, we recall that at the beginning of Jesus earthly ministry he was anointed and endowed for this ministry by the power not of Satan but of the Holy Ghost, and that the biblical portrait of Christ is that that power by which he casts out demons that power by which he heals these people who are afflicted with various disease is by the power of the Holy Ghost, but his enemies are saying no, it's not the power of God's the power of the devil, and you are with the devil you're with Bishop will notice how Jesus responds to this charge.

First of all we read he called them to himself and he spoke to them in parables, raises a question. How can Satan cast out Satan, come on, scribes. You guys are thinking. You know the oldest stratagem that military leaders use divide and conquer. Satan is no full he's not going to give me power to cast out his own minions to defeat his own army. That doesn't make any sense at all and so he first rebukes them for the foolishness of their thinking is knocking Satan cast out saying that the kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Whether it's the kingdom of Alexander the great, the kingdom of Caesar Augustus or the kingdom of hell if that kingdom is divided it cannot stand if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. Many tax on another mini parable here when he says no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man, then he will plunder the house.

We think of a burglar who breaks into a home, and that the owner of the home is one who is massively strong, far more strong then the thief that breaks in the thief knows the fees going to accomplish the objective of planning out the possessions of the strongman. He first asked to subdue the strongman. Yes, to render him ineffective fiesta point a gun at him, get him so that he can bind his wrists and his feet make them incapable of interrupting the theft that is going on.

And Jesus of course is alluding here to his own ministry where Christ has broken into the very domain of Satan, and he has bound him, rendering him impotent against Jesus power. Why am I casting out demons, because on binding the strongman so that I can make ruin of his house and his dominion well that's Jesus defense of this ridiculous charge that he is in league with Satan. But what is most significant for us. I think this morning is this sober severe warning that he issues to those who were making this charge before we get to that.

I want to say to you, I don't know how many times in my teaching career I've had Christians very distraught coming to me and asking me first of all, what is the unpardonable sin, and second of all with more pathos. They asked the question, is it possible that I have actually committed this unpardonable sin that has troubled many many peoples consciences, and I suspect that if our congregation is at all typical of Christian people that there are some of but many of you who at some point in your life have asked that question yourself.

Have I committed a sin so heinous, so serious that it is on forgivable attempts to define the nature of the so-called unforgivable sin.

Many theories have been set forth throughout church history. Some people have argued that the unpardonable sin is murdered. Others have argued that the unpardonable sin is adultery because they see the serious consequences that those two sins wreak upon the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage but I think I can speak with full assurance that neither of those sins are unpardonable for two reasons. At least the first of which is we've seen in sacred Scripture itself, those who committed those sins, and have been forgiven. Exhibit a being David in the Old Testament who was guilty both of adultery and murder and yet after his confession and repentance was restored fully to his state of grace, but even more important than the biblical examples is that when Jesus defines here the unforgivable sitting on saying about murder or adultery.

He gives specific content to define what sin is unpardonable.

So let's see what he says assuredly again. He begins this statement in a radical way I've mentioned this kind of thing before were normally if you agree with anything I say on Sunday morning. What could be your response if you wanted to respond verbally and audibly to some truth that I declare, what would you say that again I don't hear that very often in this church. I think maybe where a group of God's frozen chosen, but when the congregation says Amen. What that expression means is it is true that comes from the aromatic and the Hebrew term and moved on. Main which means truth really is true and I mentioned to you before the Jesus does something that is quite unusual and that is he doesn't have his teaching, and then wait for his apostles and disciples to say amen but he prefaces his teaching with this word and that's the word he uses here. He says Amen I'm saying to you that's like now hear this.

There's great emphasis being underlined here in this announcement and he says assuredly, or amen, I say to you all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is subject to eternal condemnation because they said he has an unclean spirit. So first of all, we have to understand that the New Testament in this case here and also the way in which the circumstances repeated in Matthew's gospel in Luke's gospel we see that the unpardonable sin that sin which will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come is the sin of blasphemy against the holy spirit. I think that much is absolutely clear that the unforgivable sin is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in the cell. Thanks a lot preacher, I still don't know what I have to worry about because my next question is what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and you may scratch your head and say understand this.

How can it be that you can blaspheme against the father and be forgiven. You can blaspheme against the sun and be forgiven, but he blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, your post this. This doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

In fact if you look at the report of this discussion in Luke's gospel and in Matthew's gospel you have Jesus giving this qualifier, but even adds more difficulty to the subject. He said any sin against the Son of Man, can be forgiven and we know that he regards himself as the son of Madison, you can blaspheme a presumably, the father, don't even think about blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, the first thing at understand if were going to unpack the meaning of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to understand the warning comes in the context that we have just examined the Jesus gives this warning when his opponents are charging him with doing his work in the power of the devil, of accusing Jesus of being in league with Satan rather than performing his work in the power of the Holy Ghost vignette statements they're making are directed against Jesus recently blaspheme a you be forgiven, but be careful boys. You're coming perilously close to the unforgivable sin. Your right at the line you're looking down into the abyss of hell. One more step and there will be no hope for you notice the difference between this warning here and Jesus.

The statement from the cross, when he looks at those who have delivered him into the hands of the Romans, the scribes and Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, those who were there.

He looks out against this group of blaspheme him have mocked him.

What does he say father forgive is what he doesn't say he doesn't say father forgive them because they know perfectly well what they're doing here notice his father forgive them for they know not what they are doing so.

Even at the point of opposing Christ to execute him. There was still hope of forgiveness in the book of acts and the apostolic sermons early chapter. It is said, had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. So, at least on two occasions after this discussion Jesus says with his opponents. The New Testament makes it clear that forgiveness could be had for those who despised Christ so much that they killed him and verifies Jesus statement here was says any sins against the Son of Man, can be forgiven, but not if you blaspheme the Holy Ghost still left with two questions again why the Holy Ghost is singled out and what is this particular blasphemy will again we start with the question of blasphemy. What is blasphemy blasphemy is not unbelief blasphemies not murder blasphemies not of the Rotary blasphemy is a verbal sin. It's a sin you commit with your mouth or with your pen.

It is an action by which you desecrate the holy character of God. If you use the name of God in vain. If you was casually in the common parlance of American people. If you walk out the door and you see something happen you say oh my God, you just blaspheme need understand that and not take your cues from the culture that uses the name of God in a flippant manner all the time.

Don't do it ever rather be found dead than to desecrate the sacred name of God. Remember the first petition of the Lord's prayer. How would be thy name. And so when you use the name of God in an unholy fashion. You're committing blasphemy and you can breathe a deep sigh of relief that the unpardonable sin is not just any kind of blasphemy because of her any kind of blasphemy.

No one of us in this room would have any hope of ever escaping the damnation of hell because every one of us has at some point and many times routinely blasphemed the name of God. But again blasphemy is verbal.

Most the time it's with the mouth.

Some of the time it's with the pen but why only against the Holy Spirit that remains the real conundrum here doesn't were Jesus and you can blessing affording blaspheme a but don't you blaspheme the Holy Ghost because if you do that there is no forgiveness of sin with eternal consequences when trying to understand that I think we have to look carefully at the broader context of the New Testament and the warnings that follow after the resurrection, where in Hebrews 10, particularly, just briefly read verse 26 and following of the 10th chapter of Hebrews. Listen carefully if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation that will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, or how much worse punishment, do you suppose will be thought worthy of those who have trampled the son of God underfoot, counted the blood by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace. No notice in this warning, in the epistle to the Hebrews.

There is no distinction between sinning against Christ and committing that insult of the Holy Ghost that that separation.

That was true before cross and resurrection disappears. Later in the key. I think we find here in Hebrews is that if you after that you have come to a knowledge of the truth after the Holy Ghost has made it clear to you who Jesus is, then, knowing that he does his work at the behest of the father and through the power of the spirit.

If you then say that Jesus is the devil, that is when you know perfectly well that he's not the devil.

If you say then then you've committed the unforgivable sin.

Again, this is not a warning against people who come to faith in Christ and then go through the dark night of the soul and have doubts assail them. It's one thing to struggle with doubt after coming to faith. It's another thing, after really coming to a true regeneration illumination the mind and then knowing full well who Jesus is. You say Satan then you're done.

I think that's what blessed me the Holy Spirit is the bad news is this everybody in this room was a Christian, humanly speaking, is capable of committing the unforgivable sin is the banners. The good news is the Lord of glory, who was saved you and sealed you in the Holy Ghost will never ever ever ever let you commit that sin. I don't believe that any Christian in the history of the church has ever committed that sin.

And even if you're sitting there saying I'm not sure I am a Christian and I think maybe I have committed the sin and you're worried about it. That's one of the clearest evidence as you can have it you haven't done it because I think the only ones who commit the sin of the demons themselves who come straight from hell. They know the identity of Christ. They know these anointed by the Holy Ghost and is not in league with the devil but at this point, the scribes who are accusing Jesus of being in league with the devil are themselves in league with the devil and Jesus said this far and no thanks be to God that sin which is unpardonable is not a sin. He allows his people and what a comfort it is to know that that God not only seizes but keeps us and keeps us even from committing the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Thank you for joining us for the Sunday edition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm Lee Webb, you know, it's not uncommon for Christians to wonder if were really saved. If you're struggling with that question. First, we encourage you to reach out to your pastor or an elder in your church. If you're not a member of the church. May I humbly suggest that could very well be a factor in the doubts you're experiencing. That's why we hurriedly dinner ministries believe that finding a Bible believing church with the word of God is faithfully preached is a priority. Additionally, though a resource to help encourage you in your Christian walk is Dr. Sproles expositional commentary on the Gospel of Mark.

It's based on sermons. RC preached while serving as copastor of St. Andrews Chapel here in Sanford, Florida. Throughout the book Dr. Sproles reveals the riches of Mark's gospel, all while providing practical pastoral insights. Like we heard today were making this commentary available to you for your gift of any amount and you can make a request at Renewing Your Mind.a work next week will be considering the parable of the sore and we hope you'll join us next Sunday as we continue our study of Mark's gospel here on Renewing Your Mind