PONDERING... Is There An Unforgivable Sin? (Mark 3:22-30)

Is There An Unforgivable Sin? (PM Lesson Outline)

(The discussion tonight really took off. This was just a launching pad. It’s great to see God’s people hungry for and digging into His Word.)

GIST: Yes. Unrepentance.*

SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:22-30

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

1. What are the scribes saying?

• Jesus is satanic.
• Beelzebul=Lord of Poo.
• Beelzebub=Lord of Flies
• Both=Vernacular for Satan.

2. How does Jesus  refute this claim?

• He gets to the heart of the matter, which is the heart of this passage.
• Logic.  (Vs 23-27)
• Jesus’ not Lincoln’s ☺
• Jesus came to bind Satan, not work for him.
• Forgiveness and Compassion (Vs 28)
• Before we get to the “unforgivable” question, let’s not miss out on the context in which it is framed. Jesus says all blasphemies uttered will be forgiven. Not automatically, of course, but when they are repented of. That is huge. Blasphemy is more than being rude; it’s speaking evil of God. And that is exactly what we see in this context. I think sometimes we like to jump on the negatives, but let’s not miss the emphasis that started this admonition.
• Warning (Vs 29)
• So, why is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit said to be unforgivable? Or, is it? The scribes are looking at Jesus. They have seen His miracles. They have heard His message. They looked directly into the face of God and called Him Satan. His work was done, we have been told, through the Holy Spirit. So they were seeing God’s work, and directly rejecting it and calling it evil. For this, there would be no forgiveness. Not because they would seek it and not find it, but because, if they continued this way, they would not be seeking it because they were refusing to recognize who Jesus is.

TAKEAWAYS

1. This is not a specific act.
2. Unrepentance is unforgiven.
3. Adage: If you’re concern that you have committed it, you likely have not.
4. Still, this is a serious warning, especially for those who have heard the truth clearly!

*Side Note: There is always that temptation to be ambiguous in my GIST statements, so people have to “wait until the punchline” to fully understand what I’m trying to say. However, in spiritual matters, this is neither kind nor beneficial. People are busy. If all you are able to read is that one line, I pray it points you to the truth of God’s Word.