There is no Unforgivable Sin for the Christian

“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Matthew 12:31)

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been taught all of my life that the only unforgivable sin a Christian could commit was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. But you know what? That verse was spoken to the unbeliever. There is no “unforgivable sin” for the Christian.

The only source by which my statement can be proven is God’s Word. The truth is there is no exception to salvation in any Bible verse. For example, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That verse doesn’t say that some that believe in him will perish. Instead, it promises that whoever believes in him will never perish. There is no exception to God’s promise when it comes to salvation.

Charles Stanley agrees with my observation. “There is no warning in the Gospels or in the Epistles of the New Testament about an unpardonable sin,” he once told his congregation. “Paul, Peter, John, and any of the other writers of the New Testament did not say to us, “Watch out for this one sin. God can forgive all sins but that one.”

Christians can never commit the unpardonable sin because the one sin that God will not forgive is unbelief. That’s why Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Blasphemy is a continued state of unbelief and there is no pardon for the person who dies as a unbeliever.

There are many Christians who believe that occasional unbelief is also unforgivable. I think God had his son choose Thomas as a disciple for that very reason. We know him as the “Doubting Thomas”, but Jesus knew him as someone who frequently fought the sin of occasional unbelief.

Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, so he was reluctant to believe their account of Christ’s resurrection. The Bible records that the other ten disciples could not convince him. In fact, Thomas told them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25)

A week later, Jesus appeared before his disciples again and went straight to Thomas. “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27)

I find it comforting that Jesus had to ask one of his own disciples to believe. I think that God’s way of letting us know those occasional bouts with unbelief are okay.

If we believe in God, there is no sin on this side of the grave that will not be forgiven. Unfortunately, if we don’t believe, there is no sin on the other side of death that he will forgive. Indeed, the Bible tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:26)