Many Christians are asking, “Does God forgive all sins?” While we know that God forgives sins, the operative word is “all.” This article explains why a sin exists that the Lord does not forgive.
Related article: Is Drinking a Sin (A Biblical Perspective)?
The God of Forgiveness
The Bible shows us that one of God’s character traits is that He forgives. 1 John 1:9 says,
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Because God is faithful and promises to forgive us, then He keeps His word. The word confess means “to say the same.” We agree with God’s word and act accordingly.
When you confess your sin to the Lord in prayer, that speaks to the belief that God’s word is true and His ways are right. So you desire to follow God’s will and way.
You have a teachable spirit, knowing that the Lord is committed to restoration, not condemnation.
So when we confess our sins (our part) then God forgives us and cleanses us of all unrighteousness (His part).
As Believers, we come to the Father in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus – not of our own righteousness. After all, we have no righteousness of ourselves!
It is through the gift of salvation that Jesus imparts His righteousness to us. Because the Holy Spirit is responsible for our Spiritual regeneration, then despising Him impedes a person’s ability to receive from Him.
The 1 Sin God Does Not Forgive
The answer to the question, “Does God forgive all sins?” is “No” according to Luke 12:10:
And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.'”
The reason the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the one sin that God does not forgive is based upon the Holy Spirit’s character and role.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead and His titles describe His character:
- The Spirit of Truth
- The Spirit of Grace
- The Spirit of Life
Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption according to Ephesians 4:30.
Because the Holy Spirit is the One who moves upon a person’s heart to convict them of their sin and need of a Savior, then a person who lies against the Holy Spirit is a person who refuses the truth of which He convicts them.
An example of this is found in Mark 3:20-30:
Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
While Jesus did not take offense to the family who said, “He is out of His mind,” Jesus did take exception to the scribes who lied that demonic power was responsible for the healings He performed.
The scribes knew that the healings that Jesus accomplished was only possible through the power of God. Yet rather than giving glory to God, they chose to lie against the truth and call the Holy Spirit, an “unclean spirit”.
For a person to receive salvation, they must receive the truth. The Bible makes God’s desire clear:
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,”
– 1 Timothy 2:3-6
Because Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man, and the Holy Spirit’s role is to convict us of the truth, then a person who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit also rejects truth willfully.
The situation is similar to a terminally ill person who refuses treatment from the only person in the world with the power to help them. Instead, the terminally ill person insults the one who offers help and speaks evil of them to anyone who will listen, even though the person knows full well that they are lying.
The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ and His role as Savior. The person cannot accept Jesus as their Savior without the work of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. The work cannot be done in someone who resists the Holy Spirit.
That is why the Lord does not forgive the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
The wisest thing a person can do is accept the truth and the Lord’s precious gift of salvation. To learn more about establishing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, click here: How to Know God personally.