I AM going to read for you one of the most encouraging announcements in the Word of God, and along with it one of the most solemn. You will find them both in Mark 3:28, 2928Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: (Mark 3:28‑29), “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.” What a statement And it is the highest authority who makes it. “All sins” forgiven!
But let us first notice the opening words of this gracious sentence, “Verily I say unto you.” It is this that makes it so blessed, this “Verily” of Jesus― “Verily I say unto you.”
Next notice the two words that follow, “All sins.” Do you hear that, drunkard? Do you hear it, dishonest man? “All sins,” even yours. What news for you, yea, for every class of sinners, in every degree of sin. Even the adulterer’s sin is included, and all the other sins that usually go with it. Yes, and the swearer’s sins too; for note what follows, “and blasphemies wherewith so ever they shall blaspheme.” Surely this is enough to encourage men to come to Christ, even if there was not another verse of similar import in Scripture. “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.” However degraded and horrible their character, however deeply dyed, however foul, Jesus declares they shall be forgiven. Sins against light, and under the protests of an upbraiding conscience; sins against the God of all grace, and sins against your fellow-men―all, all may be forgiven, and if you repent and believe the gospel they shall be. Could mercy go further? Could she extend her welcoming arms more widely? “Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43))―ALL SINS.
Perhaps you have said before now, “I have never done anybody any harm, and therefore feel no particular need of forgiveness.” But are you quite sure of this? I wonder what God has thought of that sentence as it has fallen from your lips. You will do well to remember that He who listens to your words is well acquainted with your history also.
Take an illustration. You are a witness in a court of justice at the assizes. An acquaintance of yours stands in the dock, tried for murder. While the trial is proceeding (of course I am only supposing the case) the murdered man comes back to life. Entering the court, he looks round as if in search of someone, and finally fixes his eye on you. Then pointing his finger directly at you, he says, with thrilling earnestness, before judge and jury and the whole assembled court, “He helped to do it! Yes, he did; he helped the man in the dock to do it!” What would your feelings be, think you, under such circumstances? And is it not possible that more than one in this very room has, to say the least, helped the great “murderer” to ruin some precious soul? Your accomplices in sin may have gone. She may be in a Christless grave tonight: he beyond the reach of mercy. Yet each, if they could return to this room this moment, could point to you on this side, and to you on that, and say, “He helped to do it; she helped to ruin me!” You have been spared, it is true, but how can you, in the hearing of God, say that you never did anybody any harm? Oh, may God have mercy upon you, and bring you to true repentance this very hour, for the news in our text extends even as far as to you. Is it not marvelous? Oh, listen again! It is Jesus Himself who holds out to you a friendly hand and says, “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sous of men, and blasphemies wherewith, so ever they shall blaspheme.”
But there is another side to tell. Our text shows that there is such a thing as God’s forgiveness being beyond a man’s reach. Let us read the next verse in Mark 3 (vs. 29), “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost Hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” It is not surprising that people have gone raving mad, and been sent to lunatic asylums, when they really believed, however mistaken they may have been, that there was no forgiveness for them.
If you knew for certain that some person in this room tonight would never be forgiven―say, some young man, in a certain dress, on a certain seat―would you not pity him? yea, would you not, from your very heart, pity him? Let us hope there is not, but let us not forget, that for the one who dies in his sins there never will be forgiveness (John 8:2121Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. (John 8:21)). We are bound to tell you, as plainly as words can convey the fact, that if you are that one you will be lost forever. Oh, how can you treat your soul so lightly? Why, if you only cut your little finger, I venture to say you would have it carefully dressed; yet if you lost it entirely you would still have others left, but soul loss means eternal loss!
But return to our text. “Hath never forgiveness.” To whom, then, do these terrible words apply? Let us briefly consider. When the Jews of old saw the Lord Jesus casting out devils they could not deny the reality of the power displayed; but, as they hated Him, they attributed it to the power of darkness. They said, “He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils.”
But it may be asked, How was this the sin against the Holy Ghost? Well, they were wickedly attributing to Beelzebub what was really the work of the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “I cast out devils by the Spirit of God.” They said, “He casteth out devils by Beelzebub.” So that they were virtually calling the Holy Spirit of God the prince of devils.
Perhaps there is someone here who is in fear that he has been guilty of this unpardonable sin. I only ask, Do you then believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, in doing what He did on earth, was energized by Satan?
“Bad as I have been,” you say, “and bad as I still am, I can, with all the energy of my heart, truly say, No, to this. I want Him for my Savior, and this desire would be impossible if I really believed that He was energized by the wicked one. Why, if He had not been all love, all grace, all goodness, He would have sent me to hell long ago.”
Look to Him then at once. He, who knows what you are, wishes this moment to have you as His own. He is looking through this world for needy, dying sinners such as you, that He may bless them.
A beloved, aged servant of Christ, Mr. Wigram, once told me of a gentleman who was for a long time in deep distress of soul. On one occasion his butler, a Christian man, was kneeling in one corner of the dining room, while his master, in the other corner, was pouring out his burdened heart before God. “Oh, what a great sinner I am Can there be mercy for me? What a great sinner I am!” This was his cry. He evidently seemed to think that his sins were too great to be forgiven. His faithful servant likened in silence till he could bear it no longer, and then, on his knees, crossed the room to where his master was kneeling, and said in earnest, tender tones, “Jesus is a great Savior, master!” This turned the troubled one’s thoughts from what he was to what Christ was, and his soul found peace.
Not only does a great sinner, when he repents of his sins, need a great Savior, but the great Savior rejoices to bless a great sinner.
Hear the Savior’s gracious announcement once more, “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so ever they shall blaspheme.” Will you not come to Him? Can you still neglect His great salvation? If you continue to turn a deaf ear to His message, it must be at your own peril, and we solemnly warn you that “forgiveness never” will, in such case, as surely and indelibly be stamped on your life-record as upon that of the blaspheming Jew whose eternal doom this verse contemplates.
But wherefore should it be thus? Christ died that we might be forgiven; He has been raised again for our justification. He is well worthy of our trust. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin; but without shedding of blood is no remission. God seeks, and by His grace we seek your present blessing. May you receive it as freely as He desires to bestow it, for His name’s sake.