The Wednesday of the Eleventh Week after Trinity

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s Gospel lays before us a difficult topic—namely, the sin against the Holy Ghost, or the so-called “unforgivable sin.” This sin troubles the consciences of many Christians because they do not understand what it is. And so, more than a few Christians live their lives in fear of committing this “unforgivable sin” or in fear that they have already done so. But today’s Gospel text gives us opportunity to dispel any misconceptions and to lay out the clear teaching of Scripture on this doctrine. Therefore, let us now consider how in today’s Gospel, our Lord offers us: A warning and a promise regarding sin against the Holy Ghost.

But first, let us begin with a definition of the sin against the Holy Ghost. This definition comes from the great Missouri Synod dogmatician, Francis Pieper:

The sin against the Holy Ghost is committed when, after the Holy Ghost has convinced a person in his heart of the divine truth, that person nevertheless not only rejects the truth he is convinced of, but also blasphemes it…This sin is committed not against the person, but against the office of the Holy Ghost; it is the willful and determined suppression of the inner conviction wrought by the Holy Ghost.

Notice Pieper’s choice of words. He says that the sin against the Holy Ghost is “the willful and determined suppression” of the Holy Spirit’s working in one’s heart and life. As we said before, many Christians worry about having accidentally committed the unforgivable sin. But Pieper’s definition helps us to see that this is not a sin which one commits accidentally. In verses 31 and 32 of the Gospel text, our Lord speaks of the sin against the Holy Ghost as “blasphemy”. And He differentiates between blasphemy against Christ and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Now, since the person of Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit are coequal in majesty and glory, as the Athanasian Creed teaches us at length, we can conclude that the difference in blaspheming the Holy Spirit and blaspheming Christ is the office or work of the persons. Christ’s office is that of Redeemer. It is His work to atone for and forgive sins, which is why the Apostle Paul was able to be forgiven of his blasphemy and persecution of Christ and His Church before his conversion. But the work of the Holy Spirit is to grant and sustain faith in the hearts of men. To blaspheme and reject the Spirit’s work is to reject God’s Means of Grace.

If you did not follow the nuances of that argument, let this summary suffice: Christ can take any amount of blasphemy and rejection—that’s why He went to the cross. But a blasphemy and rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work is far more dangerous. Such rejection of the Holy Spirit is enough to leave one condemned eternally because rejecting the Holy Spirit means rejecting the means by which salvation is offered.

So it is that Christ offers us both a warning and a promise regarding this sin against the Holy Ghost. The warning is regarding the danger of such a sin. Christ tells us that the sin against the Holy Ghost “will not be forgiven…either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32b). It is a sin which bears eternal consequences. Which is to say, there can be no forgiveness for committing the sin against the Holy Ghost. This is why this sin is often called “the unforgivable sin.” Now, as we have said, this sin is not something you are accidentally going to stumble into. For every resistance of the Holy Spirit’s work does not constitute the so-called “unforgivable sin.” If every sin against the Holy Spirit were unforgivable, then there would be no believers in Christ’s Church. For the Apostle testifies that “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). No, the sin against the Holy Ghost is a special blasphemy, that is, a speaking against or a condemnation of the Holy Spirit’s work by someone who should know better. In short, this is the sin of the Pharisees, which is actually what Christ is warning against in the larger context of the Gospel text.

Still, there is an important warning for all Christians in this text. Christ goes on to speak of the good tree bearing good fruit and the bad tree bearing bad fruit. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. And you will be judged for your words on Judgment Day. So it is that the Christian ought to be warned that the path of apostacy and unbelief is a slippery slope. Any Christian can go down this path if he does not humble himself by daily contrition and repentance and allow his heart to be converted from sin again and again. The dangers of sin are real, and the consequences can be eternal. So, be warned!

But there is also a promise implicit in our Lord’s words. He says: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” (Matthew 12:31). The sin against the Holy Ghost is the one exception to this statement that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven. But this so-called “unforgivable sin” is not truly unforgivable. For every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men. No, the sin against the Holy Ghost would be better called “the unforgiven sin.” For when one sins against the Holy Ghost, He is rejecting the means by which Christ’s forgiveness is extended to sinners. But so long as one does not reject Christ’s forgiveness, he will be forgiven.

This, dear friends in Christ, is the promise in our Lord’s words. When you confess your sins, you will be forgiven. Your sins have been atoned for by the precious blood of Christ upon the cross. He has paid the debt that you owe. And there is nothing that you could ever do to change this fact, short of rejecting His free gift of grace through the Holy Spirit. So, be warned. The dangers of sin are real. But also be encouraged by His promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

In Jesus’ name. Amen.