The Unpardonable Sins

November 28, 2004

Introduction

            One of our requests was for a lesson on Matthew 12:32 & 36.  (Mat 12:32 NKJV)  "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.  How does one become guilty of committing this Unpardonable sin?  Is this the only unpardonable sin?  How can we understand this and other verses?

Body

I.        We need to understand the circumstances.

A.     Jesus had just cured a man who was blind and mute.

(Mat 12:22 NKJV)  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

B.     What was the reaction of the crowd?

(Mat 12:23 NKJV)  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

1.      “Son of David” and Messiah were virtually the same for many of them, but they were not all clear on Who Jesus really was.

                    (ALT)  And all the crowds were amazed and said, "This is not the Son of David, is it?"  Mat 12:23

2.      They may have been reminded of what was said in Isaiah.

(Isa 35:5 NKJV)  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

a.      For these people, their thoughts are moving in the right direction.

b.      They are at least pondering matters.

c.      They are giving consideration to what is happening.

C.     What was the reaction of the Pharisees?

            1. Their reaction was one of total rejection.

(Mat 12:24 NKJV)  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

            2. They had missed.

(Mat 12:28 NKJV)  "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

          3.  They caused others to miss as well.  

(John 12:42-43 NKJV)  Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; {43} for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

 II.     What is so serious about what they had done?

A.     Jesus is the only way to the Father.

(John 14:6 NKJV)  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

1.      They had rejected Jesus.

2.      They had rejected the Holy Spirit working through Jesus to bring them to God.

B.     The Jews missed the message because they refused the message.

1.      Their demand is for a sign.

(Mat 12:38 NKJV)  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.

       2.      They had just witnessed a sign.

            a.      It was a great sign that amazed the multitude.

b.      They had rejected the One Whom God had sent to get their attention.

 III.   If you noticed the title of our thoughts, it was The unpardonable sins.  Is that correct?

    A.     What is the Hebrew writer talking about?

(Heb 10:26-27 NKJV)  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, {27} but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

        1.      Obviously, these verses follow verse 25.

(Heb 10:25 NKJV)  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

     Thayer: “1b) totally abandoned, utterly forsaken”

a.      In other words, they turned their back on Christ completely.

b.      It may have been to escape persecution, but the why doesn’t really matter.

2.      Peter seems to be addressing the same problem.

 

(2 Pet 2:20-22 NKJV)  For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. {21} For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. {22} But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

 

B.     So what can we say?

 

1.      To reject the message of the Gospel leaves one hopelessly lost.

2.      It can be a rejection of the miracles of Christ which were to bring conviction.

3.      It may be the pressures of persecution.

4.      It may be the lust of the flesh and the desire for ease and pleasure.

5.      They reason doesn’t matter.

 

IV.  Is there one more unpardonable sin?

    A..  What about the sin of unforgiveness?

(Mat 6:14-15 NKJV)  "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

B.     While I’ve never heard this referred to as the unpardonable sin, I ask, why not?

 V.     What about the age of accountability?

A.     When does a child leave the age of innocence and become accountable to God?

B.     I really like what Al Maxey had to say on the subject in one of his reflections.

1.      He said, he didn’t believe it was so much an age as it is an attitude.

2.      Is there a time, when young people know what they should do, and they do not want to do it for whatever reason.

3.      At that point, I believe that soul is in extreme danger.

Conclusion

I.        Jesus sacrifice is the only one sufficient to save us.

II.    We show our acceptance of His sacrifice by being baptized into his death.

 

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