What is the Unforgiveable Sin?

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a topic that has puzzled many believers, and I want to share my thoughts on what it might mean. Let me start by saying that the Bible doesn’t define it clearly, but based on Scripture and reflection, here’s my take.

Before Jesus died on the cross, He prayed to God the Father, saying, “Forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing.” Even in His suffering, Jesus acted as our Intercessor. He stands between us and God the Father, advocating for us.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit was released into the world. It now dwells inside believers. This is why I often remind myself: “It’s not my job to convict or convert people, but to converse with them. The Holy Spirit will do the work of convicting and converting.” Our role is to be effective messengers, and the Holy Spirit handles the rest.

If you think about it, the sequence of events places the Holy Spirit as the “last chance”—Jesus’ helper sent to earth to guide us. While Jesus was physically on earth, His Spirit was confined within Him, limiting His “reach.” When He rose to heaven, the Spirit was released to work in everyone’s hearts. Now, there’s no excuse to say, “I didn’t get a fair chance.” Everyone gets a fair chance.

So what is blasphemy? Blasphemy is the act of offending God—Father, Son, or Holy Spirit—through words or actions, including a lack of repentance in our hearts. To blaspheme, you first have to reject the existence or power of God. Yet, there are countless stories of former unbelievers who technically blasphemed God before they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. They were forgiven and saved.

This brings me to what I believe is the specific term for the “unforgivable sin”: persistent blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. By this, I mean the rejection of God that continues until death. If someone rejects God until their final breath, they’re not asking for forgiveness or seeking to repent. Forgiveness is made available to all, but it has to be availed by one’s own free will.

The sin becomes unforgivable not because God’s grace has limits but because the opportunity for repentance has been exhausted. Once we pass from this life, there’s no turning back.

So yes, I believe you can blaspheme the Holy Spirit and still be forgiven, as long as your rejection doesn’t persist until death. But here’s the key point: If you choose to persist in rejecting Christ, delaying repentance, you’re gambling with your eternity. We don’t know when our time will come.

Let me illustrate this with the story of the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus. One rejected Him, while the other repented in his heart. That man didn’t have the chance to show repentance through his actions because he was already crucified, yet God saw his heart and saved him.

But does this mean it’s wise to live sinfully and plan to repent at the last moment? Absolutely not. For one, we don’t know when our lives will end. And two, Galatians 6:7 warns us, “God will not be mocked.” He knows our hearts and our intentions. If we’re just trying to game the system, we’re missing the point entirely.

Take the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. They tried to lie and steal from the Holy Spirit, and they died instantly. Though the Bible doesn’t explicitly say this, one could assume that their actions reflected a persistent pattern of mocking God. They may have acknowledged His existence but not His power.

Ultimately, the question isn’t about how much we can get away with before asking for forgiveness. It’s about living a life that reflects our faith in God’s power, grace, and love. He sees our hearts, and it’s our hearts that matter most.

Reflection Question: Are you living with a heart that seeks God and His forgiveness daily, or are you putting off repentance, thinking there will always be time later?