As Believers, it's important that we know and understand how the Gospel categorises sin. In the Gospel, sin is described as:

  1. A refusal to believe the Gospel, a rejection of the Gospel or a rejection of the Christ
  2. A deliberate or intentional practice of lawlessness
  3. A conditional practice of lawlessness

Now, every of these categories have their corresponding effects/consequences on the one who commits them. The first two (2) categories of sin as seen above fall under the Deliberate category. Now let's look into the Bible:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16 vs 15 - 16 {King James Version}

  • he that believeth not shall be damned

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3 vs 18 {KJV}

  • but he that believeth not is condemned already

Not to believe the Gospel is a sin, and it's the only sin that cannot be forgiven!

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." - Matthew 12 vs 31 - 32 {King James Version}

  • whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him

Remember, the Son and the Holy Ghost are One (united in purpose); and a word spoken against the Son shall be forgiven, but a word spoken against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven! If we interprete that literally, it gives an impression that the Son and the Holy Ghost are two (2) distinct personalities! But that's not so! The Word tells us that the Lord is the Spirit:

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." - 2 Corinthians 3 vs 17 {KJV}

  • the Lord is that Spirit

You see... This clearly tells us that the Lord Jesus was not speaking of a literal word spoken against the Holy Ghost, but rather, the Lord was addressing a resistance of the work of the Holy Ghost! What's the work of the Holy Ghost? To bear witness in men that Jesus is the Christ! And how does He bear this witness in men that Jesus is the Christ? By miracles, signs and wonders! See what those Pharisees said:

"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 
And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."-  Matthew 12 vs 22 - 24 {King James Version}

  • But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils

You see... We've established that the Holy Ghost bears witness in men that Jesus is the Christ by performing miracles, signs and wonders. Here, the Lord Jesus by the Holy Ghost worked a miracle, and that miracle was to convince the people that the man (Jesus) they are looking at is the Christ which the prophets spoke of, but the Pharisees resisted that work of the Holy Ghost by not accepting that that miracle was done by the power of God. That statement which the Pharisees made was the reason the Lord said what He said in verse 31 and 32. Let's look at it again:

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." - Matthew 12 vs 31 - 32 {King James Version}

You get it now... So the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the sin of rejecting Christ; it's the sin of rejecting the Gospel—that's what it means to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, it means to reject the Gospel. That's what the Pharisees by rejecting the witness which the Holy Ghost bore by that miracle which the Lord performed.

Remember, without the Holy Ghost, there can be no miracle:

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." - Acts 10 vs 38 {KJV}

Without the Holy Ghost, there is no power!

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1 vs 8 {KJV}

Without the Holy Ghost, there is no power!

So you see, the Pharisees sinned by rejecting the Christ in that they rejected the witness which the Holy Ghost bore by that miracle which the Christ performed. This sin cannot be forgiven, because it is the sin of unbelief! The Bible is clear on the sin of unbelief, let's take a look at it again:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16 vs 15 - 16 {King James Version}

  • he that believeth not shall be damned

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3 vs 18 {KJV}

  • but he that believeth not is condemned already

This is the sin of unbelief or the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the only sin that cannot be forgiven! Not to believe is to intentionally and willfully choose damnation!


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Jenning Uweye
Teacher,
Global Bible Study Community
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