How People Commit the Unpardonable Sin

This article is a sequel to “The Unpardonable Sin or  The Sin That Will Not Be Forgiven?” Reading them in that order is advised for consistency and development.

So far, we have gone to the point of establishing what the Bible teaches about Unpardonable sin. Instead of being a sin that cannot be forgiven, it is a sin that will not be given, and this is because it is not repented of. Instead of being a type of sin, the unpardonable sin is a degree of sin, a continuous refusal to yield to the promptings and convictions of the Holy Spirit until we no longer hear Him speak to us. We create a barrier prohibiting and preventing the multitudinous ministry of the third person of the Godhead, and cannot hear Him anymore. 

The danger is that we will never accept that we are wrong and need Savior. Like King Saul, after disobeying God in the battle with Amalekites (1 Samuel 15), we will be claiming that we have done what God requires us to do, and in case Samuel asks us about Agag and bleating sheep, we will have explanations for that and refuse to see our wrong. If we have no sin, we don’t need a savior neither will we see any reason to repent to God, whose law we are breaking with careless blindness. 

God is willing to forgive any Sin we are willing to repent of. The Unpardonable sin is unrepented of and thus not forgiven. When we refuse the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we resist and Grieve Him:

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. KJV Acts 7:51

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. KJV Ephesians 4:30

So, why is the sin against the Holy Spirit unpardonable?  Here is the simplest explanation: The Holy Spirit is God teaching us, God guiding us, God convicting us, and God uniting us together.  When we say “no” or “not now” to the Holy Spirit, we’re saying “no” or “not now” to God.  And God will not force anyone.  Force is the last resort of every false religion.  Any religion that tries to force people to accept its teachings is not a true religion.  God honors our free will.

So when we say “no” or “not now” to God, God says, “Alright, I accept your choice.” And He backs off. But in His mercy, He often calls to our hearts again on the same point, but maybe not quite as strong.  And if we again say “no” or “not now,” God says, “Alright, I accept your choice.” You see, little by little, we push God out of our lives. 

Committing unpardonable sin is like powering off your phone when you are tired of people calling you. 

Credits: iStock

 What have you done?  You’ve cut the channel through which people can communicate with you.  It’s not that people don’t try to call you; you’ve laid a stumbling block on their way by powering off your phone.  It’s just like that when someone commits the unpardonable sin. It’s not that God isn’t calling, but they’ve cut the connection and cannot hear the call. 

Let me give you another illustration you could be guilty of. It’s like when you keep hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock.  What happens if you hit that button enough times?  You will sleep right through the alarm.  Not that the alarm isn’t ringing; you’ve gotten so used to tuning it out that you no longer notice its sound. That’s what happens when a person commits the unpardonable sin.  They have gotten so used to ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit that they no longer hear His call to their hearts.

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How Do People Commit The Unpardonable Sin?

There could be many ways; we will examine the three most common ones.

1. Covering Sins

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. KJV Provers 28:13

Could you be covering your sins? It is dangerous. It will grow and blow you out into bits and pieces. Some cover their sins skeptically, excusing themselves from accountability to God and holiness.  

2. Procrastination

Procrastination is refusing to do what you are supposed to do now, thinking you will be more excited to do it later or it would be easier to do it later. Procrastinators usually have good intentions…  

They plan to do right someday—to follow the truth, keep the Sabbath, get baptized—but not now! “Maybe after I retire,” they say, “or after I have all my bills paid, or maybe after all the children are out of the house, or maybe after I have all my questions answered. I will someday. You watch, you wait; I’ll follow the truth someday.”

Procrastinators believe that, but the fact is, tomorrow, it may be too late!  Tomorrow might never come.  We don’t even know whether we’re going to be alive tomorrow.  Today might be our last opportunity to make the decisions God wants us to make!  Procrastination is very dangerous!   People nowadays die unexpectedly. 

Have you not had incidences where a taxi driver pulls a gun and starts broadcasting shots to the unaware public? On the 2nd of June, 2010, it happened in West Cumbria, England. None of the 12 people who died prepared for death on that particular day. Like all of us, they knew they would die, but not that day. 

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King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. KJV Acts 26: 27-28

This is King Herod Agrippa.  Paul had been talking to him; Here it says he says he is almost persuaded…  To be almost saved means to be what?  It means to be not almost but totally lost. You cannot be almost saved!  You either are saved, or you’re not. There will be millions of people in hell that were almost saved.   What about you, friend? Are you almost saved?  

Before meeting with Agrippa, Paul had an encounter with Governor Felix. 

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. KJV Acts 24:25

Here Paul is talking with Governor Felix.  It says, “And as he (Paul) reasoned of righteousness, (that’s doing right) temperance (taking care of our health), and judgment to come (in other words, put away your sins and start living a holy life because the judgment is coming.  In our days, the message today is that the judgment has begun), Felix trembled…”  Here Governor Felix is so deeply convicted by the Spirit of God that he begins to tremble with conviction. That is a solemn experience!  

But did he make a decision?  Well, he made one, but it was the wrong one. He said, “Go away, Paul.  I don’t want to hear your voice anymore.  You’re making me uncomfortable— I’m trembling, man.  Why are you pushing me so hard for a decision?  You are making me feel nervous. Go away for now; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. Paul, I know what you’ve told me is the truth. I believe you, Paul, and I will do it.”  When?  When it is convenient.  If you miss everything else, don’t miss this one point:

It will NEVER be convenient to obey God!  If you wait until it’s convenient to obey God, you will never do it because the devil will ensure it’s NOT convenient.  If you wait till it’s convenient to give up some bad habit, you’ll never give it up.  If you wait till it’s convenient to keep the Sabbath, you’ll never keep it.  If you wait till it’s convenient to get baptized or rebaptized, you’ll never do it.  Many people will miss Heaven, simply because it wasn’t convenient to obey God.  It’s never convenient to obey God. 

Christain life is a battle and match! The battle is lifelong. 

To all procrastinators:

Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: KJV Psalms 95:7-8

3. Church Members

You never expected this, right? So how could church members be committing unpardonable sin? People come into the church through baptism or rebaptism and settle down. They say, “I’m in the church now.  I’m saved now,” and they forget an important fact: truth always advances. 

Jesus says in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.  Now God doesn’t lead us to all the truth all at once.  He doesn’t operate on the “dump truck” method. 

He leads us step by step. And as you share the truths you’re learning with your family and friends, do it that same way—step by step.  If you unload the truth on them all at one time, they might turn away.  Lead them to the truth step by step.  God doesn’t dump the truth on us all at once.  He leads us step by step. 

Maybe He leads us to the first step, accepting Jesus or the inspiration of the Bible. And if we take that one, there will be another one.  Maybe the step of confessing our sins to Jesus.  What if we take that, another, and the next step?  There’ll be another.  The Holy Spirit guides us step by step into all truth. Here’s what happens: As Christians follow the Holy Spirit’s leading step by step,  they come to a step they don’t like. And they say, “O, No Lord, I can’t take that step; that’s too hard.  Have you found yourself in such a situation?

While for every truth we don’t know, God does not require obedience; He excuses no one who neglects revealed truths. 

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. KJV  Acts 17:30-31

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. KJV Hebrews 10:26-27

The Holy Spirit cannot (will not) remain in the life of someone who is willfully breaking God’s law.  

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So what is the unpardonable sin?

It is ANY SIN that we continue to practice until we no longer hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us. Do you have such in your life?

Two Ways To Peace

You see when the Holy Spirit convicts us, we often feel a fierce conflict within us. The reason is that God is pulling one way, and the devil is pulling the other way.  And many times, people say, “Well, I’m going to wait until all this conflict is over to make my choice.”  No.  The reason you’re having these conflicts is that God is leading you.  If you wait until the conflict is over, then maybe God is no longer working in your life.  

There are only two ways to peace: 

1. Surrender All to Jesus

When you do that, you will have true peace. A peace that passes knowledge.  You might have problems in your family and all kinds of conflicts outside, but you have peace in your heart.  But there’s a second way to have peace. This is the deadly way to have peace…

2. Commit Unpardonable Sin

When you commit the unpardonable sin, you can do wrong; you can sin, without feeling guilty, because the Holy Spirit is no longer working in your life and has left you alone.  Not because God has given up on you but because you have told God to leave you alone, and He left you in your sins.  The Bible says:

“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” KJV Hosea 4:17

And eternal night settles on that soul whenever God says that about an individual.  They have peace, but it’s deadly because God has left them in their sins. 

I pray that you never get to that point. Fruitful walk and a lifetime of walking with God, dying daily, and repenting whenever you are wrong. We are all wrong, but the difference will be made by our willingness to be corrected and molded by God.