HOFC Sermon Archive: Gospel of Mark Part 20: The Unforgivable Sin

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

3. The Baptism of Jesus

4. Temptation of Jesus

5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I

6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II

7. The First Disciples

8. A Teacher with Authority

9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10. Jesus Cleanses Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

Today is Sunday. June 1^st, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we spoke about the family of Jesus. His mother, adoptive father, and half-brothers and sisters. Next week, we will discuss the true family of Jesus, but right in the middle of these verses in the Gospel of Mark is something that we should all pay close attention to.

Today, we will examine the unforgivable sin as described in scripture.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 3:22-30

“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And 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 he is finished! 27 But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

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

I. THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN DURING THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

a. What the unforgivable sin was

i. Jesus describes it as “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” in Mark 3:29

1. Blasphemy means to speak critically, revile, or against

2. Meaning, speaking evil of the Holy Spirit in some way

ii. In Mark 3:30, we read exactly how they blasphemed the Holy Spirit

1. By saying Jesus had an “unclean spirit.”

2. And by attributing Jesus’ power to cast out demons to “Beelzebub” (Satan)

3. Ba’al-Zebul means “Lord of the High Place” or “Exalted Lord.”

a. Hebrew writers sarcastically mocked Satan by replacing Zebul (exalted or high place) with Zebub, flies.

b. A symbol of filth, decay, and demonic association.

c. Ba’al-Zebub, Lord of the Flies.

4. They spoke evil of the Holy Spirit, by whom Jesus cast out demons.

a. Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

iii. Effectively calling the Holy Spirit a demon! And, in doing so…

1. They denied the evidence that Jesus was truly from God.

2. They deprived themselves of evidence to believe in Jesus.

3. They separated themselves from all hope of forgiveness, which comes only through Jesus.

The unforgivable sin during the ministry of Jesus was to say the Holy Spirit was Satan!

b. Can that version of unforgivable sin be committed today?

i. Probably not. Jesus was physically present on earth, performing miracles and casting out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ii. People who worry about whether they committed the unforgivable sin have not done so. The Bible Beliver’s Commentary states, “The very fact that they are concerned indicates that they are not guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”

c. Three things must be kept in mind.

i. The nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself.

ii. It is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude. Still, it is indeed a settled condition that opposes the Holy Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus.

iii. A person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.

Even if this version of unforgivable sin could be committed today, if you worry that you may have committed it, you haven’t.

Speaking of “unforgivable sin”, we do well to review how we can still fall into a condition where forgiveness is not possible as long as we remain in it...

II. THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN TODAY

a. If we cannot commit that version, what is the unforgivable sin today?

i. Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

1. They have walked away from Salvation and returned to a life of sin.

2. The scripture states, “It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.”

3. For those who choose to return to a life of sin and abandon Christ and the cross, there is no hope and no forgiveness.

ii. This sin is not “backsliding,” faltering, making mistakes, or struggling in faith or deed. It is something else.

b. How do we commit it?

i. This sin (state) is an ONGOING sin and condition of OPEN REBELLION against God!

1. Hebrews 6:6 “having fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

a. It is committed openly!

2. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”

a. It is committed continually!

b. And it’s willfully!

c. Deliberately!

3. Hebrews 6:4 “For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit,”

a. This unforgivable sin is committed openly, continually, willfully, and deliberately by one who has at one time been “enlightened” and “tasted the heavenly gift and become a partaker of the Holy Spirit.”

b. This is a person who has walked away from their Salvation because of their love of sin.

4. This is no accident. Which is why it is “impossible to renew them again to repentance.”

c. What about struggling with sin, backsliding, messing up?

i. This manner of sin is still forgivable because it does not meet the conditions of the unforgivable sin.

1. A person who struggles between the Spirit and their flesh is a work in progress, not openly defying and turning from God. However, they may find themselves in a fallen and desperate state.

2. If a person in this desperate state of backsliding in sin does nothing to correct their course and chooses to “live in it” rather than confess and repent, then they have changed their position from faithfully struggling against the flesh, as Paul describes in Romans 7:14-25, to a very dangerous place where they may reach a point of no return.

3. James speaks of brothers in Christ backsliding and what must take place to restore them to Salvation and keep them from eternally losing their soul to the second death, which Revelation tells us is eternal damnation where Satan and his followers will spend eternity.

ii. James 5:19-20 “My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

1. This is an entirely different condition than trampling the Son of God underfoot.

2. Your struggle with faith and the flesh is NOT treating the blood of the covenant (Jesus’ blood) as a common thing.

3. Your struggle is not insulting the Spirit of Grace but evidence of why God’s Grace must exist to begin with.

iii. However, if left unchecked, your spiritual condition may have grave consequences.

1. Hebrews 10:27 says there should be a fearful expectation of judgment.

2. Fiery anger of God

3. Hebrews 10:28-29 says there will be punishment worse than death.

4. Hebrews 10:30-31 says vengeance and judgment by the Lord will be upon His people.

The unforgivable sin is a sin we knowingly refuse to repent of despite the many opportunities afforded by God’s Grace in our lives.

CONCLUSION

Many today may worry about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The only unforgivable sin. The fact you care whether or not you are sinning against God, it’s more likely you’re not.

People should be more concerned about ANY SIN they are willfully allowing in their lives. They knowingly commit. They refuse to give up. It’s not a struggle between flesh and spirit but an open acknowledgment of their sin and rebellion against God.

James 5 makes it clear that if ANY of us stray from the Truth, we are in danger of the Second Death! However, as long as there is breath within us and a desire for God and Salvation, we can confess, repent, and have all of our sins removed from our account.

Remember, whether one is obeying the gospel of Christ for the first time or has already “tasted the heavenly gift” and “received the knowledge of the truth,” all sins are “unforgivable” unless we repent and put our trust in the gospel.

NEXT WEEK: “Part 21: The True Family of Jesus”

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