The Unpardonable Sin; Before and In the Age To Come
By Tom Gaston
The "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" cannot be committed today in the same context as it was committed by the Pharisees when Jesus was upon the earth during His first advent, nor can it can be committed by any Christian at any time. Jesus is NOT presently upon the earth today performing miracles. And since Christ is no longer here in the flesh upon the earth performing miracles, then there is no one who can falsely accuse Him "face to face" of performing miracles by the power of satan, which is declaring that God's power ( which Jesus was demonstrating ) is the power of the devil being initiated. That sin which is mentioned in Matthew 12:22 - 32 was in relationship to the "Pharisees" who hated Jesus and who accused Him of healing people by the power of the "devil." Therefore they were making God out to be the devil Himself. They were blaspheming God when they attributed the "power of the holy Spirit" which healed the "demoniac", to the power of the devil.
John 3:2 ( Nicodemus )....this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
You can see in the Scripture above that out of the mouth of a Pharisee himself ( Nicodemus ), acknowledges that "we" ( Himself and the Sanhedrin included ) knew that God was with Him ( Christ ) as He was performing these miracles. The devil himself did not have that kind of power and ability and they knew it. They were therefore attributing God's power to the power of Satan. The pharisees knew that "no man" except he be "divine" and God sent could ever perform such miracles in which the "demons" were even subjected to Him and His authority. There were in total denial and gross unbelief.
Matthew 12:22 - 32 ......."Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought toJesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw...................All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” ...............And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand...........If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?..............If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges............. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you......... Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house................ “Therefo
Notice that last verse of this Scripture above......... 'it shall not be forgiven him, either in... this age ....Which was the time in which Jesus was present upon the earth and under the "law" during His first advent, ....or in the age to come" which is a reference to "His kingdom age" which He will establish when He returns to the earth at the end of the tribulation period.
How do I know this?
Well, notice carefully that Jesus did NOT say..."In this age or in the "ages" ( plural form ) to come" which would therefore have to include the Church age of grace also. But Jesus only mentioned "two ages", and that was "His age" ( in the present tense ) and in the "age to come" which is future tense. Notice that the term "age" is in the "singular form" ( age and not "ages" ). For this statement to have any application to the "Church age" which was unknown at that time, and of which was a "mystery" according to the apostle Paul in Ephesians and Colossians, then Jesus would have had to state......."It shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the "ages" ( plural ) to come", which would be all inclusive of all ages which would have to include the Church age which began on Pentecost. Therefore the "age to come" ( singular form ) has to be a reference to the "kingdom age" when Christ will have set up His kingdom upon the earth following the tribulation period.
Blasphemy is simply "unbelief " and total denial of God and the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ whom He had sent. Jesus is not present upon the earth at this time performing miracles by the power of His Father in heaven in order for someone to accuse Him "face to face" of doing such miracles by the power of the devil. All sin had NOT been paid for UNTIL the cross and so this sin which the pharisees committed was done PRIOR to the cross "under the law" ( Levitical and Mosaic law ). The "age of grace" did NOT begin UNTIL Jesus cried out " IT IS FINISHED" ( John19:30 ) and thus gave up "His Spirit" on the Cross. And the Church did NOT have its inception and beginning UNTIL Pentecost, which was 50 days later following His resurrection.
In the case of the Pharisees in Matt. 12:22 - 32 who committed the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" ( Which was done under the dispensation of the "Law" ), they witnessed this miracle which Jesus performed and they knew that no one could perform such a miracle ( the casting out of demons who were subjected to Him ) unless "God be with him." Therefore they were not only in denial of God's Son, but they were accusing Christ who was the Son of God and His Father of using the power of the devil to perform such miracles. In doing so they were making God's power and God Himself out to be the devil Himself. This is not the kind of behavior of a "true believer." And such an action of denial can NEVER be performed by one who has been truly "born again" of the Son of God.
Blasphemy is simply a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel, which is the unpardonable sin, because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief they are voluntarily excluding themselves from the pardon of their sin, which is attained ONLY through faith in Christ and His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of them. And if anyone rejects God's Son, then they are literally rejecting God Himself who is the One sent Him. The Pharisees were demonstrating their hypocrisy, denial, and "unbelief" before the Son of God face to face. Jesus Himself stated the following:
Luke 10:17.......“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
So you can see that the sin of the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit " cannot be committed today during the Church age under the "same context" inwhich it was committed by the Pharisees at the time of Christ. Jesus died for ALL sin for ALL TIME ( Hebrew chapters 9 and 10 ) and therefore there is NO SIN WHATSOEVER which cannot be forgiven through the blood of Christ today during the "Church age of grace" or in the "age to come" ( Kingdom age ). Again, the ONLY sin which cannot be forgiven is the rejection of Christ and His gospel. That's the "unpardonable sin." Even the most vile and demonic people in the world who have blasphemed, cursed, hated, and rejected God have been mercifully saved and are continuing to be saved by the power of Christ and delivered from the powers of darkness even to this very day.
NO believer who has been truly born again, who is therefore "in Christ", and who is sealed by the Holy Spirit who will never leave them ( John 14:16, 17; Eph. 1:13, 4:30 ) and who has baptized them into the body of Christ ( 1 Cor. 12:13 ) can NEVER, nor will they EVER deny and walk away from "The faith which was once delivered to the saints" ( Jude 1:3 ) as it is divinely impossible to do so! The believer has been "born of God" ( 1 John chapters 4 and 5 ) and has become a "new creation" in Christ ( 2 Cor. 5:17 ). Eternal life and the "new nature" which the believer in Christ has received is forever and cannot be reversed because there is NOSIN of anykind whatsoever which was not paid for in "full" at the cross where Christ completed our salvation with the shedding of His blood. It is finished once and for all!
Here below is a precious and powerful verse of Scripture which reveals that NO believer who is "in Christ" can ever walk away from God or "the truth" of the gospel of Christ which has been "implanted in their hearts", and of which will remain with them forever.
2 John 1, 2......."The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all those who "know the truth", for the sake of "the truth" ( the gospel of Jesus Christ ) which "abides in us" and "will be with us forever."
Question: How then can any true believer ever "walk away from THE TRUTH ?"
Answer: They can't!
All those therefore who think that they can "walk away from God" and from His truth whichabides in the believer forever are believing and following after a "false gospel." They are simply following "their own beliefs" and "teachings of men" which are NOT of God, and of which are "absent" from the pages of the New Testament epistles. You cannot walk away from anything which will "never leave you." The Holy Spirit never leaves the believer under NO circumstances whatsoever! Therefore the believer is forever "sealed" by God's Holy Spirit ( Eph. 1:13,14 4:30) which makes them "eternally secure in Christ" forever.
1 Corinthians 6:19,20......."Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own ?" For you have beenbought with a price ( the precious blood of Christ ): therefore glorify God in your body."
We who know Christ NO LONGER belong to ourselves, but we are God's property, being bought with a price, which is the blood of Christ.
In Christ, Tom Gaston
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