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Mark 3:28-29

Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.

“Have I committed the unpardonable sin?” That’s what a prisoner asked me during a service at a correctional facility. He is not the only one who grapples with this question. Some teach that the unforgivable sin is murder—taking another’s life. Others teach that the sin of no return is adultery—violating the marriage union. But as serious as these sins are, King David committed both murder and adultery…and was forgiven.

Jesus says that “blasphemy against the Spirit” is the sin that will not be forgiven. He spoke these words to the religious leaders, who were equating the works of Jesus with the works of Satan. These leaders were attributing to Satan the power of the Spirit exercised through Jesus.

Be assured, you have not committed this sin. Blasphemy against the Spirit is a specific sin that “cannot be reproduced today, for it required Jesus’ presence on earth with His performing miracles through the Spirit’s power.”[1] The only unforgivable sin is a person’s refusal to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior before leaving this earth. That rejection is the eternal sin.

Lord, I pray that no one reading this will commit that final sin. Work in the heart of each reader to bring them to You. In Your name. Amen.

[1] The Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 47.

Today on The Journey Broadcast:

Forgiveness – Part 1