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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Dr. Wes Bredenhof > The unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Hymn 75 Psalm 68:1,8 Hymn 84 Hymn 1 Hymn 47:1-3 Scripture reading: Mark 3 Catechism sermon and text: Lord's Day 20 and Mark 3:28-30 Sermon: The unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit We’ll learn about this sin and its:
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Beloved congregation of Christ,
In 1994, 800,000 people were tragically slaughtered in the African country of Rwanda. In his powerful book, Shake Hands With the Devil, retired Canadian general Romeo Dallaire explained how this genocide took place. An extremist radio station in the capital city of Kigali played a key role. RTLM was controlled by the Hutus and they used it as an instrument to stir up hate against the Tutsis. One of the ways they did this was by calling them inyenzi, “cockroaches.” In due time, the call was issued over RTLM to begin exterminating the “cockroaches.”
The seeds for genocide were sown in this name-calling. After all, if your opponents are ‘cockroaches’ then you’ve taken away their humanity. You can do with them as you please. You see it over and over in history: the first steps to holocaust and genocide are always the dehumanizing of the other. First you strip them of their dignity and then you can rob, rape, torture and murder them – all with a clear conscience.
A similar thing was happening with Jesus in Mark 3:28-30. It started with those closest to him. His own family was saying he’d gone crazy. The teachers of the law took things a step further. They said he was possessed by Beelzebub. The teachers of the law claimed Satan was living in Jesus. Jesus looked to the power of the prince of demons to cast out demons. So they claimed.
In the following verses, Jesus gives several reasons why this is ludicrous. His first point is that Satan would never work against himself in this way. Then Christ gives a positive picture of what’s going on. Jesus Christ has Satan all tied up. The healing work of Jesus is positive proof that God’s kingdom is breaking through. Jesus is stripping Satan of all his power and bringing freedom to the captives.
All of this sets the stage for what we hear Christ saying about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Our catechism lesson from Lord’s Day 20 mentions him. It mentions who he is, that he is true God, a person of the Trinity with the Father and the Son. And it mentions his work. He gives us faith to make us share in Christ. But there is much more to say about the Holy Spirit beyond what our Catechism says in Lord’s Day 20. One question people often ask is: what is this blaspheming of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Jesus? I want to look into that with you this afternoon.
The Holy Spirit has been mentioned before in the book of Mark. At the beginning of the gospel, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. We therefore know the Holy Spirit has an intimate connection with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son. The same Holy Spirit led the Saviour out into the desert to be tempted by Satan. Shortly afterwards, we see the power of Jesus over the evil spirits. With all this, the Holy Spirit wants us to be clear about who Jesus Christ is for us. That’s also the bottom line in our passage from Mark 3:28-30 where we’ll learn about the identity, character, and prevention of this unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
We all know blasphemy is bad. Blasphemy is usually understood as talking about God in a disrespectful way, using abusive language to or about God. In our passage, Jesus speaks about blasphemy. The first time is in verse 28. This is where we find good news in our text. Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked. Christ says, “Truly, I say to you, all the sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.” Jesus couldn’t have been more comprehensive than this. Every sin you do, every blasphemy you have spoken, can and will be forgiven. Of course, this forgiveness comes through faith in Christ. Now ponder the depth of God’s grace in this verse for a moment. No matter what you’ve done, there is God’s grace for you in Christ. You may have committed sins that are so shameful they’re known only by God. He promises you grace. Jesus stood among the covenant people as the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He stood there and spoke these words as the ultimate manifestation of God’s grace. He proclaims to his people, also to you, “There is forgiveness for every sin and blasphemy through me.” He really means it: every sin and blasphemy.
Except one. The comprehensiveness of verse 28 draws our attention to that one exception in verse 29. There is a sin that can never be forgiven. That one sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Now let’s explore for a moment what this sin is.
The clue to the identity of this sin is found in verse 30. There Mark tells us that “For they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” Jesus gave the warning in our text because the teachers of the law had claimed he was possessed by Beelzebub. In fact, what was happening was that the Pharisees identified Jesus with the kingdom of Satan. In so doing, they had not merely dehumanized him, but also stripped him of his royal dignity and divinity – they couldn’t believe the Holy Spirit of God would live in this man. In their minds, this Jesus of Nazareth was not worthy of being treated as a human being, much less as the Son of God himself in whom lived the Holy Spirit.
The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in our text was a deliberate and intentional mischaracterization of Jesus and his work. The teachers of the law could see Satan was being deposed. They knew their Old Testament and in their hearts they knew Christ’s true identity. Do you remember what Nicodemus said to Jesus in John 3? The Pharisees knew Jesus had been sent by God. They deliberately and willfully distorted the truth about who Jesus is. They purposely characterized his work and the work of the Spirit as being the work of the evil one. They were filled with a hatred for God’s grace being shown to the demon-possessed, the sick, and the sinful. They couldn’t handle God’s compassion being manifested in Christ. So they turned against him with a wild and demented passion.
That was no accident or mistake. No, the teachers of the law knew very well what they were doing. You can imagine Satan’s joy at this turn of events. The Son of God was being caricatured as a partner with demons. The Spirit of God was being portrayed as a demon. Without knowing the final outcome of the story, one might wonder: what would become of God’s promise to crush the head of the serpent? It looked like things were moving in the opposite direction. But this was the irony: God would use even this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to deliver the final crushing blow. The people would believe the dehumanizing and degrading comments about Jesus and deliver him up to death – but this would ultimately serve for the salvation of God’s elect. Then the true Israel of God would know their Saviour. They would know how Christ came to bring forgiveness for all the sins and blasphemies of men. All the true Israel of God would know his grace.
So, the identity of this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a deliberate identifying of the person and work of Jesus Christ with the evil one. Now, let’s look at the character and seriousness of this sin.
We all know how people are inclined to exaggerate. We sometimes use words like “never” rather flippantly. Our kids would never do something like that. And lo and behold, our kids can and did do something like that. “Never” is a pretty strong word and sometimes we forget that. However, in our passage Jesus uses the word “never” and he means it. He says whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. Just in case we missed the point, he adds: he “is guilty of an eternal sin,” or, as the New King James Version puts it, “he is subject to eternal condemnation.”
“Never” and “eternal” are both strong words and it’d be good to think about why this sin is unforgivable. We could approach this question from the angle of election and reprobation. In God’s sovereignty, he has chosen some people to eternal life – we call that election. Likewise, we believe that God has passed over others – we call that reprobation. Though the exact names and numbers are known only to God, there are two and only two kinds of people in this world, the elect and the reprobate.
The elect were chosen by God before the creation of the world. They were predestined to come to faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. They’ll be preserved in their faith until the day of their final glorification. The elect of God may at one point or another in their lives actually be opposed to God and his work. You need only read the biographies of our forefathers in the faith to see this. Think of somebody like Abraham Kuyper. He was a famous church leader in the Netherlands, eventually he even became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Before Kuyper’s conversion, he didn’t believe in the literal, historical resurrection of Christ. When he was a seminary student, he stood up and applauded a professor who denied this pivotal event in redemptive history. You can also see that in the life of the Apostle Paul. In 1 Timothy 1:13, Paul says he was formerly a blasphemer. But he was shown mercy. God brought him to faith and he repented of his opposition to the gospel.
Not so with the reprobates. The reprobates were passed over by God. They’ll never believe the gospel message. At certain points they may seem to soften in their opposition. At times, they may seem to be open to the gospel, but in the end they will remain outside of Christ. We can be sure that all who blaspheme the Holy Spirit in the manner spoken of by Jesus in our text are reprobate. However, the reverse doesn’t necessarily hold true. Not all those who are reprobate will blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Here we can think of the countless millions who have died without even hearing about Christ. They were reprobate, but they didn’t blaspheme the Holy Spirit. They couldn’t because they weren’t able to form an opinion of Christ and his work.
What we can say for certain is that blasphemers against the Holy Spirit are reprobate – our text tells us as much. But why? We have to be careful here, because we’re coming close to the secret things of God. Nevertheless, consider that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is like stubbornly believing something against all the evidence to the contrary. No matter what anyone else says, you’re going to hold your head high, you’re going to hold to your position to the bitter end. In your pride, you become completely blind to the truth. In the case of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, you believe Jesus Christ is the devil, or at least on the side of the devil and you believe his works are evil. You believe his Spirit is a demon.
It’s like you have a life-threatening illness requiring surgery. However, you firmly decide that the only doctor who can give you a life-saving operation is really a sadistic murderer. Moreover, you know this for certain, because you’ve studied all the psychological characteristics of sadistic murderers and you know one when you see one. You’re the expert. Once you pridefully commit yourself to that belief, you’ll never give it up. You’re locked into a position from which there is no exit.
You see, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin because it is so utterly heinous and evil that it can only come from a heart that’s been entirely given over by God to unbelief – a reprobate heart. This sin can only come from those who have totally and utterly set themselves against Jesus Christ. Such people are consumed with their hatred for Christ and his works. That’s why this sin can’t be forgiven – such people will never be led to repentance and faith, because God has given them over to their unbelief.
Why do you think Jesus gave us these strong words? It isn’t so we can look around us and try to point fingers or figure out who has committed this sin. Nor did the Lord give us these words to scare us. No, Jesus wants us to focus on him in the right way. Christ wants us to love him and think rightly about his person and his works. That’s where we’re going with our last point as we look at the prevention of this sin.
It’s well-known that many Christians have found this passage troubling. To take just one example, the Puritan author John Bunyan struggled deeply with the question of whether or not he’d blasphemed the Holy Spirit and so committed the unforgivable sin. A long period of time passed before he finally had the peace of knowing he was safe in Christ. A good number of us have been raised in Christian homes and have likely never consciously been opposed to Christ and his work, so this might not be a concern among us. Nevertheless, as we reach out into the community with the gospel, we may encounter situations where someone comes to faith in Christ after a life of kicking against the goads. What will you tell a new believer who worries that they’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit and are therefore counted among the reprobate? Or maybe you will encounter a brother or sister who grew up in the church and has doubts. Regardless, all of us should be interested in keeping this sin as far away from us as we can. We shouldn’t want to even come close to this sin.
As we’ve been looking at this passage, you can see how Christ’s concern here is his self-revelation. Mark 3:28-30 is about who Christ is and what he does for his people. The teachers of the law say one thing about Christ while they know the truth is the polar opposite. The passage is telling God’s people to pay attention to who Christ says he is and what he does. Christ was telling the covenant people that the way to prevent blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to listen, watch, and believe.
Today, the same Christ is still speaking to his covenant people. He tells us to read our Bibles and observe. Hear what Christ said about himself. Look at the miracles and healings he performed. Marvel at his perfect obedience – that obedience which now belongs to you. Believe in this Lord Jesus. Faith is the sure antidote to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The one who has true faith in Christ, the one who loves Christ, will never, ever blaspheme the Holy Spirit or even come close to it. Think about it -- faith in Jesus Christ comes from the Holy Spirit who lives in the believer – and to turn Christ’s picture around: why would the Holy Spirit ever turn on himself?
A true child of God who has faith in Christ would never be able to commit a sin that can’t be forgiven. John Bunyan eventually recognized it: if someone is worried that they’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit and committed the unforgivable sin, the fact that they are worried about it shows they haven’t done the sin. You see, a person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never worry about it. They’ll never be concerned about it. They simply don’t care about offending Christ and his Holy Spirit. If you do care, it shows you esteem Christ and the works he did.
You can hardly imagine anything more heinous and evil than degrading Jesus Christ and his works. Imagine what the teachers of the law were doing: they were stripping Christ of his inherent dignity, leaving him lower than an animal – preparing him for the suffering and death to come. We shudder at the thought. Then let’s also shudder at the thought of even approaching this sin by degrading Christ’s ongoing work today through his Holy Spirit.
For example, shudder at the thought of degrading or minimizing Christ’s work in your fellow brothers and sisters. People will sometimes do that. Somebody says something good and positive about a brother or sister and then someone else has to pipe up: “If you only knew the real story about so-and-so. Let me tell you…” And away they go. Slanderously pointing out all the negative things in the lives of your brothers and sisters is moving in the direction of the sin described in our text. Instead, look for Christ’s work in them. Give glory to God when you open your eyes and see what Christ is doing in your church through his Spirit.
We ought also to shudder at the thought of degrading or minimizing the work Christ is still doing through the mission of the Church. Make a determined effort to see what Christ is accomplishing in our own country and overseas. Give glory to God for it and praise Christ and his Holy Spirit. Christ is still at work, gathering, defending and preserving believers everywhere by the power of his Word and Spirit. If we’re to stand on guard against blaspheming the Holy Spirit, let’s be open to seeing that work for what it really is.
We’re called to see Christ rightly. Our passage calls us to see Christ’s work rightly. As we do this, there’s enormous comfort given to us. It’s the comfort of knowing that the “never” of verse 29 doesn’t apply to us. It’s the comfort of knowing that the “all” of verse 28 does apply. It’s the comfort of knowing how Christ suffered this humiliation and degradation at the hands of the teachers of the law, so we can belong to him and fully experience his grace. AMEN.
PRAYER
Heavenly God and Father,
We thank and praise you for the work of your Son and the work of your Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. We praise you for the sufferings and obedience of Christ our Saviour. We’re grateful for all that he accomplished for us. Help us to listen, watch, and believe in him as he is revealed in your Word. Please grant that there would be no one among us who would ever commit this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We pray that we would never even come close. Help us to see the work of the Spirit of Christ in others both near and far. Please give us more grace so that our eyes would be opened to your marvelous works among us and others.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Dr. Wes Bredenhof, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
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