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“You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by a few great things.
If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity, you don’t have to have a high IQ or a high EQ. You don’t have to have good looks or riches. You don’t have to come from a fine family or a fine school. You just have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things, and be set on fire by them.” – John Piper
Prayer
Unforgivable?
Mark 3:28-29
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
As we discuss this passage
Two Things…then one more thing
Remember…we’re coming right out of Jesus being swarmed at the Sea of Galilee and the sick and the demonically possessed are there…
Some are there for the wrong reasons.
We pick up with Jesus investing time and purpose into those who are following for the right reasons (with the exception of 1)
As we do we will run into this passage that seems worrisome.
Mark 3:13-35
[13] And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. [14] And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach [15] and have authority to cast out demons. [16] He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); [17] James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); [18] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, [19] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
[20] Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. [21] And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
[22] And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” [23] And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? [24] If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. [25] And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. [26] And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. [27] But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
[28] “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, [29] but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—[30] for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
[31] And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. [32] And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” [33] And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” [34] And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! [35] For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
The two things….
Crazy or Demonic?
The family thinks he’s crazy. Everybody’s outside looking for you.
….Think of the house being turned upside down and everyone is talking and some are loud, some are panicking. Kinda like Christmas with the kids opening a zillion presents or right before a wedding, etc. It’s so chaotic no one can eat….
And Oh…….The religious leaders think he’s demonic. How do you think that was then? Or what would you think if the neighbors near you thought you were a bunch of Satan worshipers? NOTE: Beelzebub is a lesser god in ancient times. Lord of the Dunghill, (where we get the title for Lord of the Flies book) Lord of filth
Mark 3:20-35 (the Message)
20 Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered-so many making demands on him that there wasn’t even time to eat. 21 His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself.
22 The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power. 23 Jesus confronted their slander with a story: “Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan? 24 A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left. 27 Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.
28 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. 29 But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” 30 He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil. 31
Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him. 32 He was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you.”
33 Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?” 34Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you-my mother and my brothers. 35 Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
One Thing
So what is it?
The one sin…the unforgivable sin? I bet you’ve heard different things over the years. I have.
Here’s what it’s not. It is not taking the Lord’s name in vain, though that is certainly a vile sin. It is not adultery or sexual perversion, or even suicide. It is not murder, even multiple murders, or genocide. ………….Very simply it is the ongoing, continual rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit to the divinity and saviorhood of Christ.
Moses was a murder, Paul complicit in murder of Stephen and others. David is a murderer and adulterer. God can forgive anything, but He won’t just let everyone into heaven because they are “good” no one is good…not even one, right.
- What can God forgive?
- Can you lose it?
- Can He take it back?
If you’re concerned with it, then it means you aren’t subject to it! The issue here is unbelief that is so serious that it is attributing the works of God to that of Satan. That’s really lost. It is dug-in hard-hearted, hard-headed blasphemy, even going so far as to speak out and accuse God of being a devil.
example: I’m called into a hospital visit with a man who is dying. He says I know who God is. I know who Jesus is, but I do not believe it. I’ve lived a good life. I’m a good man and I’ve lived by a philosophy of trying to do my best and believe my works are as good or better than anyone else and if there is a heaven, I’ll get in. I don’t need some imaginary God in the sky to tell me how to live, I’ve done pretty good for myself. I sure don’t need that hippie Jesus telling me what to do. Some of his stuff seems pretty good, but he’s like all the rest Buddha, Mohammed, Ghandi, he’s just kinda crazy and I don’t believe all of the miracle stuff and surely not the died and rose again stuff…….
You say…that’s just unbelief and we’ve all had that. I say yes…..notice Jesus is warning here in our passage.
Mark 3:28-30
[28] “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, [29] but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—[30] for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—that is, the persistent and unrepentant resistance against the work of the Holy Spirit and his message concerning Jesus (cf. Acts 7:51)—this, Jesus says, will not be forgiven. The person who persists in hardening his heart against God, against the work of the Holy Spirit, and against the provision of Christ as Savior, is outside the reach of God’s provision for forgiveness and salvation. Christians often worry that they have committed this sin, but such a concern is itself evidence of an openness to the work of the Spirit
Luke 12:10
[10] And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
So to pick up on our example of the man dying in the hospital bed….he’s not only lived with unbelief, he’s continually told everyone that. He’s campaigned against him. His heart has become so hard that he’s past the point of believing. God knows our hearts, Jesus knows what is in the heart of man. This man is gone.
Should you lose hope for anyone who’s ever spoken against God or Jesus? No!!! We pray. We truly do not know everything, nor everyone’s heart. Note: Jesus is warning them here, but not saying they’ve all done this. Let’s leave the work of the Spirit up to God. We are called to witness and make disciples. We’re called to pray and trust. There’s plenty of unbelievers who have spoken out against God and then been converted. Look up Lee Strobel, go read “a case for Christ”.
Blasphemy is “speaking a word against” It is a verbal sin, committed with the mouth or pen. It involves insulting God, mocking Him, or dishonoring him. Think “opposite of praise” and yes casual use of God’s name is blasphemous “Jesus!”
However; we can be forgiven of that…thankfully.
Luke 23:34
[34] And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Acts 3:17
[17] “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
What the specific blasphemy here is referencing is against the Spirit, and Jesus is saying you are right up to the point of no return. R.C. Sproul says “if you can do this and not care…your heart is hardened” this is not His people, it is the unbeliever, he protects us from ourselves here.
Here’s what comes to mind for me today on this passage.
Do you know that you are forgiven?
If you don’t think Jesus can forgive you, then there is a problem.
- If you are unsaved and think well…I’ve done this or that and he cannot possibly forgive me. Then you have a wrong view of what the Bible teaches.
- If you are saved and know the Lord, but believe He is holding something against you, then you have a wrong view of what the Bible teaches.
Are there consequences for sin? yes
Romans 6:23
[23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Is there forgiveness? Don’t overthink this…..
Colossians 1:13–14
[13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
