If one subject has brought fear to a multitude of hearts, it is the unpardonable sin. Many lie awake at night troubled and sincerely perplexed, wondering if they have committed that sin. Because they do not understand what constitutes the unpardonable sin, they fear that perhaps any and every error, mistake, or act of presumption could constitute the sin which no one wants to commit. Interpreting the unpardonable sin in the light of the law, rather than the light of the gospel, has led some to unwarranted conclusions about the nature of this sin. Indeed, there is a sin which is unpardonable--a sin which Jesus said "shall not be forgiven, ... neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (Matthew 12:32). Can this be the key to explaining why many will be lost, in spite of the sacrifice of Christ?
Several Scriptural passages mention the unpardonable sin. Matthew chapter 12, Mark chapter 3, and Luke chapter 12 are among them. The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. That much is clear. What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Why is this sin "unpardonable?" How does this sin relate to the good news of the gospel: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3)?
Toward answering these questions, let us examine the official work of the Holy Spirit. In John chapter 16 Jesus described the work of the Comforter. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). If one pauses to consider them, one realizes that these are rather strange expressions. Why did Jesus say, "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come"? Was not the Spirit already here? Many passages tell us that He was already here (see Matthew 3:16, Matthew 4:1, Matthew 12:28, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1). So, why did Jesus say that He needed to leave so that the Spirit could come? Could they not both be here together? Why did Jesus say that it was expedient for us that He go away? Most of us would rather have had Him stay. Our initial thoughts are, "These are rather mysterious statements." They most certainly were perplexing to the disciples.
What If Jesus Were Here?
Yet this all becomes rather logical, if we stop to consider what would happen if Jesus were here. Yes, the Holy Spirit was here while Christ was here. Jesus said the Father gave Him the Spirit without measure (see John 3:34). Yet the question is: What would we do if Jesus were still physically present on earth today? Would we not want to see Jesus? Of course, we would! Everyone would need to "see" Jesus, whether they recognized that need or not, and many multitudes of people would want to see Him. Therein lies the problem. With millions, perhaps billions of people on the waiting list to see Jesus, we could not have the access that we need.
Jesus is one with the human family (see 1 Timothy 2:5). Before He ascended, He made this fact very clear. He said to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John 20:17). He is still Immanuel, "God with us." That means He can only be in one place at a time. He can only converse with one person at a time. Even if only one million people wanted to see Him for one hour each, if you were the last person on the waiting list, it would take 114 years before you could see Him. That is assuming He never slept, or stopped to eat, or took a break.
It was expedient for us that He go away. If Jesus were here, who would avail themselves of the Holy Spirit? Our one desire would be to see Jesus face to face, when we could have access to the Spirit, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Could the Holy Spirit really work with power while the whole world waited in line to see Jesus? His office would have been ignored and neglected even more than it is today, while Jesus is in the heavenly sanctuary. This is why Jesus said the Spirit would not come unless He went away.
The Spirit's Primary Work
Now that the Comforter has come, what is His primary work? We must understand His mission, if we are to understand what it means to sin against Him. Jesus said, "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). Notice that Jesus said the Comforter, will "reprove" or "convince" the world concerning three issues: "sin," "righteousness," and "judgment." Every Bible student thinks he or she knows what sin, righteousness, and judgment are about. However, the definitions that we have in mind may not coincide with the definitions Jesus had in mind. If we are going to understand the work of the Holy Ghost, we must accept the definitions Jesus gave for these terms, in the context in which the description of the Holy Spirit's work appears.
Jesus continued, "Of sin, because they believe not on me" (John 16:9). First John 3:4 says, "Sin is the transgression of the law," but this is not the definition of sin which Jesus gives in the context of His description of the work of the Holy Spirit. Here is one of the places where our preoccupation with the law has not served us well. He says that the world will be convinced of sin by the Holy Ghost, "because they believe not on me." Here we find the first clue to understanding the unpardonable sin correctly. It must be understood in the light of the gospel.
Next, He addresses the subject of righteousness. "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more" (John 16:10). At first glance, one must wonder what Jesus' going to the Father has to do with the definition of righteousness.
Finally, Jesus enlightens us concerning judgment. "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:11).
We must understand the descriptions that Jesus gave for "sin," "righteousness," and "judgment," if we are to understand the work of the Comforter and what it means to commit the unpardonable sin. First, Jesus says, the world will be convinced of sin, "because they believe not on me." Here we have the most important description of the work of the Holy Spirit. We will examine this concept last.
Let us take a look at righteousness first. Jesus said, "Of righteousness, because I go to the Father." What does Jesus' going to the Father have to do with righteousness?
Defining "Righteousness"
In Romans 3:10 we are told, "There is none righteous, no not one." This is why we need a Savior--because we are not righteous. Righteousness is perfect obedience to God's law from the day of birth. None of us has this to offer. Jesus came to earth to be our righteousness. When Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized of him in the Jordan River, initially John tried to prevent Him. He said, "I need to be baptized by You, and are you coming to me?" (Matthew 3:14, NKJV). Jesus said to him, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him" (Matthew 3:15).
Here we discover one of the primary purposes of Christ's coming to earth. He came to earth, "to fulfill all righteousness." He had to do this in order to be our righteousness. "This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 54:17). We have no righteousness of our own. "There is none righteous. No not one" (Romans 3:10). That is one of the primary reasons for His coming to this world. He truly took human nature, and thus taking humanity into Himself, He became our representative, that He might become our righteousness. "And this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6). Therefore, while we recognize that Jesus came to earth to die for us, we must also understand that He came to live for us. He is our righteousness.
Since one of Christ's primary missions was to fulfill all righteousness, He could not go back to the Father until He had accomplished that mission. Thus, He said, "I must work the works of him that sent me" (John 9:4). When He came to the end of His life on earth, He said to His Father, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). Finally, upon the cross, He cried, "It is finished and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30).
At that moment, the righteousness which He came to "fulfill" was perfect and complete. Jesus did not die, and He could not go back to the Father, until His mission, to fulfill all righteousness, was "finished." That is why He said, the Spirit of truth will convince the world of righteousness, "because I go to the Father" (John 16:10). The very fact that He has returned to the Father is conclusive evidence that "all righteousness" has been "fulfilled."
This is good news. It means that all of the righteousness that will be required in order for us to have a home in heaven, has been produced. We could not produce it--that was the work of God. Nevertheless, the work is "finished." Christ has become "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." All that is left to be done is for us to demonstrate this truth to the world by receiving the robe of His righteousness and revealing that to the waiting universe. "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19).
Jesus once said to the Jews, "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20, NKJV). In Christ we now have righteousness that meets the law's requirement. It far "exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees," for it is the very righteousness of God which was revealed in Jesus Christ.
Defining "Judgment"
Now concerning judgment, Jesus said, "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:11). Just as there are three major divisions of the plan of salvation, there are also three phases of "judgment" in that plan.
The first phase of judgment culminated at the cross. The second phase began in the heavenly sanctuary and culminates at the second advent of Christ. The third phase will begin at the second advent of Christ, continue during the millennium, and culminate at Christ's third advent, at the close of the millennium. To be more precise, there are actually three phases of investigative judgment and three phases of executive judgment.
First Phase of Investigation
The first phase of investigative judgment took place in the Garden of Eden, when--in response to the corporate failure of humanity "in Adam"--God asked a series of questions. The Hebrew term Adam actually means, "mankind." Therefore, we must not miss the universal implications of the events that were transpiring in the Garden. God asked a series of questions during this first phase of investigation. He asked:
"Adam ... where are you?" (Genesis 3:9, NKJV)
"Who told you that you were naked?" (Genesis 3:11, NKJV)
"Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" (Genesis 3:11, NKJV)
And to the woman, God said: "What is this you have done?" (Genesis 3:13, NKJV)
After the investigation came the verdict in God's words to the serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15, NKJV). God already knew the answers to the questions He was asking. He knew where Adam and Eve were hiding. He knew why they were hiding. The investigation was for our benefit. They were for the benefit of Adam (mankind) and the watching universe. We should also see that God's words, spoken apparently to the serpent, are far-reaching in their implications and much more than a rebuke to a mere serpent. Rather, they were God's verdict and sentence upon mankind and his enemy, that old serpent called the devil and Satan.
Second Phase of Investigation
The second phase of investigative judgment began in 1844, when the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 concluded and the thrones mentioned in Daniel 7:9 were put in place.
God appointed a day of judgment which was also spoken of in the book of Acts.
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 (Acts 17:30, 31).
In 1844 "The court was seated. And the books were opened" (Daniel 7:10, NKJV). John the Revelator tells us, "The hour of His judgment is come" (Revelation 14:7). We now live in the time of the second phase of investigative judgment. One more phase of judgment is yet to come.
Third Phase of Investigation
During the millennium, we shall together with Christ review the records and determine the fate of the wicked. Paul spoke of this phase of the investigative judgment in his first letter to the Corinthian believers.
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3)?
This phase of judgment is also mentioned in the book of Revelation.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).
First Executive Judgment
Each phase of investigative judgment has a corresponding phase of execution. The sentence or reward having been determined during the investigation and announced at its conclusion, the judgment must be executed.
The first phase of executive judgment took place at the cross. Jesus' heel was bruised, and the serpent's head was also bruised.
Second Executive Judgment
The second phase of execution concerns the reward of the righteous. This phase of investigative judgment is conducted for the sake of the saints. Daniel tells us the verdict.
I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom (Daniel 7:21, 22, NKJV).
The pre-advent investigative judgment concludes "in favor of the saints..." (Daniel 7:22, NKJV). Christ is not in the process of searching for something or someone to condemn. He is in the process of vindicating the saints and determining the reward they shall receive. When that work is completed, He will return to take them to heaven with Him. The execution of this phase of judgment takes place at the Second Coming of Christ. Just before He comes, Christ will say:
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Revelation 22:11, 12).
Third Executive Judgment
The third and final phase of executive judgment takes place at the third advent of Christ, after the millennium. At that time the Holy City comes down from God out of heaven (see Revelation 21:2). The wicked are raised to life (see Revelation 20:5). The books are opened, and the wicked receive the verdict of the 1,000-year investigative judgment (Revelation 20:12). Then they will surround the city, determined to destroy the saints and take the city, as the executive judgment will proceed. Concerning that time, the Bible says:
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them (Revelation 20:9).
Satan and his followers were not destroyed at the time of the rebellion in heaven, when there was war in heaven and they sought to overthrow the government of God but were defeated. And they were not destroyed after Satan had revealed His desire to murder the Son of God at the cross. Nevertheless, when they shall seek to destroy all who remain loyal to Christ, the time of their final judgment shall have come. Then, they will finally be seen by the entire watching universe to be unfit to live. Only then will God destroy them and all who join with them.
Thus, we see that there are three phases of investigative judgment and three phases of executive judgment, corresponding to the three phases of the plan of salvation. All of the issues of the contest between Christ and Satan will not be made clear until the third phase of the plan.
Now we can clearly answer the question which opened our discussion of "judgment": What did Jesus mean when He said, "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:11)? From our discussion of the three phases of executive judgment, it should be clear that the prince of this world is Satan and that he was judged at the cross of Christ. When Christ was crucified, the world was also judged at the cross. We were judged in the person of our Representative. However, neither Satan nor the world has yet faced the final phase of the judgment. The outcome of the final judgment was assured at the cross. Nevertheless, the final phase of executive judgment awaits the explanation of the issues of the great controversy. These issues have not yet been sufficiently defined, and thus the controversy continues.
Two events will ultimately unfold simultaneously--the revealing of the sons of God, and the revelation of the children of the devil. These events are what the final proclamation of the gospel is all about. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Matthew 24:14). When this final "witness" is given, via a demonstration of the power of the gospel, then the end will come. That final "witness" awaits an understanding of the message of the latter rain. Temporarily, God has withdrawn His Spirit, because His truth was not accepted. When His truth is received, the latter rain outpouring of the Spirit will come, but we do not need the Spirit to produce the "loud cry," as long as we do not have the message of the latter rain.
Defining Sin
Thus far, we have seen that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convince the world of righteousness, as it relates to Jesus. He is also to convince the world of judgment, as it relates to Jesus. Now, we return to the first aspect of the Spirit's work. It also relates to Christ. Jesus said that the Comforter would convince the world of sin "because they believe not on me" (John 16:9).
In the Bible we find two categories of sin defined: sins which can be forgiven, and a sin which cannot be forgiven. Both categories are explicitly described in 1 John: "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death" (1 John 5:16, 17).
The question is: Which sin did Jesus have in mind, when He said, "Of sin, because they believe not in me"? What is the sin which is "unto death"? In Mark chapter 16, Jesus spelled it out. "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 16:15, 16). Here, Jesus identified the sin which causes one to be lost--the sin "which leads to death." He said, "He that believeth not shall be damned." The sin of refusing to believe is the one that leads to death. Refusing to believe what? Jesus did not speak those words in an information vacuum. He prefaced His statement with the command to "Go ... and preach the gospel." Therefore, He must have meant that whoever hears the gospel and then refuses to believe it, that person "shall be damned."
What is the gospel? We saw the essence of the gospel in chapter 3. That is, "Christ died for our sins." In Romans chapter 1 Paul describes the gospel outline in a little more detail. We shall skip verse 2, since it is a parenthetical clause.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God...concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:1-4).
Here, we are told that the gospel "concerns" Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus' incarnation, genetic inheritance, divinity, life, death, and resurrection are the essential elements of the gospel. In other words, Jesus is the Gospel. Therefore, to refuse to believe the gospel means simply to refuse to believe in Jesus. "He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). This is the sin which is unto death, the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit's primary purpose is to convince the world concerning "sin," as it relates to Jesus. The Spirit is also to convince the world of "righteousness," as it relates to Jesus. Finally, the Spirit is to convince the world of "judgment," as it relates to Jesus. In other words, the Holy Spirit's work is to convince the world concerning Jesus. Jesus is "the truth" (see John 14:6). That is why He said, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself ... . He shall glorify me" (John 16:13-15). Thus, to reject Jesus, who is "the truth," is to sin against the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth. His primary work is to convince us concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable sin. Therefore, we now must consider the question: How does a refusal to believe in Jesus result in a charge of "blasphemy"?