Observation: As Jesus instructs and rebukes those questioning his authority, he explicitly gets into this teaching about the Holy Spirit. God can and will forgive all manner of sin. However, when someone explicitly denies the very spirit of God, you are cutting off the actual source of forgiveness.
Some have called this "blaspheme of the Holy Spirit" and said this passage describes it as the "unforgivable sin". However, there is some added logic to this description here. It isn't explicitly that the sin is unforgivable, but that - by denying the Lord, his Holy Spirit, and in fact all his authority - there is no longer any source through which to seek forgiveness. If a person denies the Lord's authority to judge, then they have denied themselves the right to seek mercy from the Lord. And as the Holy Spirit is the element of the Lord that dwells within us and acts on behalf of the Lord every day, denying the Holy Spirit is the act of denying the Lord ... it is actually much more 'final' in action than that of doubting God, or failing to (yet) believe in Jesus.
It isn't that the sin is unforgiveable per se, but rather that a person who is actively rejecting the existence, power, and authority of the Holy Spirit has removed themselves from any possible context of forgiveness.
Application: The analogy that comes to my mind is a criminal fugitive. They may believe they are avoiding judgment, but not being arrested and tried does NOT mean they didn't commit the crime. It does mean they are now going to live a difficult life, full of paranoia and restlessness, when what COULD have happened is for a judge - the judge, the Lord - to declare them pardoned and free.
My mother-in-law, for some reason I cannot understand, worries that she once "blasphemed the Holy Spirit" and is somehow not forgiven. My wife has told her over and over that her once doubting God's love in her life when she was young is not what this is about. On the other hand, we just had a conversation last night about my two sisters, and how they are interacting with their faith. One declares herself a strong and faithful Christian, while actively supporting the questionable lifestyle of her son. The other would say she's a Christian, but openly embraces "spiritualism" and attends generic "faith centers" that pray to "any natural protector you believe in". I worry these activities are somewhere on this spectrum of "rejecting the Holy Spirit", especially with my youngest sister.
I do not see where one-time doubt is unforgivable. I do see where persistence in rejecting the Holy Spirit disqualifies one from the option to be forgiven. But certainly "there's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven" ... there must be a way back.
Prayer: Lord, please be with my family. I am concerned, and I don't really know what to do or say about it. As I said last night, my family has had to find their way to you on our own, and perhaps we haven't all gotten there yet. Please, do not give up on any of us, and help us all to discover the truth of your love, your forgiveness, and your mercy. Amen.
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