I HAVE met with quite a number of persons who think that they have sinned the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. I have before me a letter from a man who has been in sore distress of soul for months, and in it he says, “I have thought so much about what a great sinner I have been; and when I was a lad I was tempted to curse God. I shall never get pardon; it is the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. I shall never get to heaven; I cannot see the least hope for me.”
The Holy Ghost is a person, and He is God. This is very clear from what Peter says to Ananias in Acts 5:3, 43But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:3‑4): ACT 5:3-43But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:3‑4) "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? ... Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God," therefore all sin is sin against the Holy Ghost.
The man from whose letter I have quoted, and all to whom I have ever spoken who have been troubled about this matter, confound between sin against the Holy Ghost, and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
If you will turn to Mark 3:2222And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. (Mark 3:22) to 30, MAR 3:22-3022And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily 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: 30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. (Mark 3:22‑30)the subject is simply and thoroughly entered into, and the difference between sin and blasphemy carefully distinguished. Enemies of Christ, the scribes from Jerusalem saw a wonderful power in Christ, which with all their learning and influence they had not; and not knowing the source of this power—the Holy Spirit—in Christ, they, in their jealousy and wickedness, attributed it to the devil. They said of the blessed and holy Jesus, “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils." The Lord condescends to reason with them, and shows them the folly of such a wicked and blasphemous remark by asking them, “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.”
And now having shown them the utter folly of their reasoning, He goes on to distinguish between "sin" against the Holy Ghost (which is forgivable), and "blasphemy” against the Holy Ghost (which is not forgivable).
“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.”
Should any read these lines whom Satan has tempted to believe that they have been guilty of "the unpardonable sin," I would ask them a question I have often asked those similarly troubled: "Do you believe Christ cast out devils by the power of the devil, or by the power of the Holy Ghost?”
I am sure you will give the same answer that they have all given. "Not by the power of the devil, but by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
T hen, dear friend, thank God you are not guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, for blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is saying that Christ cast out devils by the power of the devil, whereas He cast them out by the power of the Holy Ghost, as He Himself says in Matt. 12:2828But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28): MAT 12:2828But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28) "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
God the Holy Ghost, a real divine person, is down here on the earth in God's house called Christendom, and consequently all sin is sin against Him. But how blessed to hear Jesus saying, "All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men." On what ground? Christ died, and God says His blood cleansed' us from all or every sin; and what you have to do, poor troubled soul, is to have "faith in His blood" (Rom. 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25)). ROM 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25)