My mom sent me an email and related how the discussion of these two topics came up in her Sunday School class. Her questions were: 1) What is the unpardonable sin? 2) Can the unpardonable sin be commited today? 3) Are the unpardonable sin and the sin unto death the same thing? I’ll try to answer these questions in as short a post as possible…
What is the unpardonable sin? (Matt 12:32-32; Lk 12:10) Simply put, the unpardonable sin is when a person rejects Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In Mt 12:22-24 the Pharisees knew that Jesus did His work by the power of God, but they chose to reject Him and thus they rejected God. The sin of the Pharisees was not attributing God’s work to Satan, but a willful rejection of God. The unpardonable sin is only cemented in a person’s life upon their death. Sin is described by Jesus in John 16:8-9 as not believing in Him, and is in reference to The Holy Spirit’s conviction of that sin. UNBELIEF in Christ as savior is the sin that condemns people to hell… NOT attributing God’s work to Satan!
Can the unpardonable sin be committed today? By definition Christians CANNOT commit the unpardonable sin. Only unbelievers can commit it. And only upon their death are the consequences of the unpardonable sin implemented. Up to that point, any and every sin (Including unbelief) can be forgiven by God… as is proven by the theif on the cross. When a person trusts Christ as savior their unbelief is forgiven.
Is the unpardonable sin and the sin unto death the same thing? (Acts 5:1-11;1 Cor 11:29-32; 1 Jn 5:16) They are different. It is possible for Christians to commit the sin unto death. Christians can be so involved in sin that God chooses to end their life and bring them home to Him. Only God makes this decision. And today only God can say if a person has commited the sin unto death. No one alive can make that assessment. Paul did as an Apostle in 1 Cor 11 (“Some of you are weak, some are sick, and some of you have died.”).
What is the sin unto death? Looking closely at the three texts linked above, the common theme seems to be that if people’s conduct is either bringing disrepute upon the Church (Ac 5) or causing division in a church (1 Cor 11), it is possible that God ends their life to protect the reputation of Christ (Ac 5) and/or the health of the church (1 Cor 11). The 1 Jn passage could be God’s mercy to prevent the same instances mentioned above or keep Christians from doing themselves harm were they allowed to continue living. There is at least one instance in the New Testament of the sin unto death being committed by an unbeliever as found in Acts 12:21-24.
Word Of Caution! Do NOT try to determine, decide, or assign to anyone the unpardonable sin or the sin unto death. Keep this in mind, If God were fair He would end all our lives because that is what we deserve. Only because of His mercy, grace, and forgiveness does He allow any of us to take another breath. All sin is serious no matter how “small” it seems to us because it is a slap in the face of God! It is to God’s glory and love that sin is dealt with both harshly and lovingly… at the same time.
Mom… hope this answered your questions. I love you tremendously!
Ron's Reflections 
Brother Ron,
I just discovered your blog and so may comment on a few older posts. I am learning from your thoughts.
My question is what is different from blaspheming the Holy Spirit and blaspheming Christ. The verses you reference say that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin. I believe the Holy Spirit is what today call us to Christ, so continual rejection of the Spirit means you have never accepted Christ. With no true knowledge of Christ, one cannot be forgiven. To blaspheme Christ, means you must know Him, so forgiveness is available. Therefore, I totally agree with your comment that Christians cannot commit the unpardonable sin. I would love to hear your comments on this question.
Thanks for the encouragement that your blog has already given me.
Chris,
Thank you for your comment! As for answering your question, I believe you did it in your own post. The Holy Spirit is the One who calls us to faith in God through Jesus. If a person ignores the prompting/conviction of the Spirit, they will not trust in Christ as the way to God. Thus they cannot be saved. You nailed it.
Ron
I have suffered great fear for years,because I heard a TV minister named Ernest Angley give a frightening teaching about the unpardonable sin. He is a “faith healer,” and I think he is sincere. He said that Jesus told him the following:that anyone who says Angely’s miracles are not from God has committed the unpardonable sin. That includes Christians, according to him. I have criticized him for false teachings, and doubted his claims of miracle healings. I can’t shake this fear that I may now be damned to Hell forever. I am a Christian. My mother has idolized Angely for 30 years, thinking he is God’s finest minister. Maybe that is why this has been able to scare me so much. I wish I had never heard his teaching. He has a whole book on the unforgivable sin.
Alease,
Thank you for your comment! I remember watching Mr. Angley when I was young. Please know this, he is not to be believed about the unpardonable sin. He used that as a fear tactic to scare people into continually supporting him financially. He may be sincere, but he is sincerely wrong… at least about what the unpardonable sin is! Of that I am 100% confident!
It is IMPOSSIBLE for Christians to commit the unpardonable sin! The unpardonable sin is this… disbelief in Jesus as the son of God and the way of salvation. Since Christians have trusted Christ for salvation, it is impossible for them to commit the unpardonable sin. Nothing can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Nothing can snatch them out of God’s hands (John 10:27-28).
The way to shake the feeling you have committed the unpardonable sin is to ignore what people say and believe God. Mr. Angley… and your mom… are wrong about not believing the healing he performed was committing the unpardonable sin. In fact… there will be people who will be sent to hell themselves EVEN THOUGH they healed people in Jesus’ name! This is found in Matthew 7:22-23, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”
Dwell on what is required to be saved, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).
If you have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin, you are saved… AND NOTHING CAN EVER CHANGE THAT! Just in case you missed it… Mr. Angley was WRONG about what the unpardonable sin is!
Ron