Is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit the unpardonable sin, and can it be forgiven?
The only sin that condemns a person is unbelief, not any particular spoken word or deed. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin, yet God’s grace reaches beyond every sin. The vilest sinner remains a candidate for grace and must believe; therefore, such blasphemy can be forgiven through faith.
Les explains that people often fear they have committed the unpardonable sin, which most associate with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit from Matthew 12. He agrees that blasphemy against the Spirit is a sin, but argues the only sin that condemns anyone—Jew or Gentile, rich or poor—is unbelief, not a particular word or deed. Because God’s grace reaches beyond every sin, even the vilest sinner remains a candidate for grace, but must believe. He turns to Hebrews 3, where Israel came out of Egypt and God led them toward the promised land, to make the point from the reverse end.