The Unforgivable Sin
Series: Gospel of the Kingdom
Speaker: Lead Pastor Dustin Aguilar
Scripture: Matthew 12:29-32, Luke 11:21-22, Mark 3:28-30, John 3:1-2
“The strong man”
v.29 - “or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?”
This is a continuation of the sermon last week, where we looked at 2 arguments Jesus gave after people accused him of casting out demons by the power of Satan. This week, we look at a 3rd argument - the binding of the strong man.
Luke 11:21-22 - parallel passage
Satan is the strong man who is fully armed and guarding his palace (the world).
Question - Is the binding of the strong man something that happens every time Jesus does deliverance? OR is the binding of the strongman something bigger that Jesus already did (and when we cast out demons, we’re just giving the eviction notice)
Dustin leans towards option 2.
That said, Dustin has found it to be very expedient to “call out” or bind the strongest spirit.
But overall, he believes the binding of the strong man happened in Jesus’s ministry.
WHAT WE BELIEVE:
Spiritual warfare in Jesus’ ministry was the binding of Satan and the plundering of his goods.
Spiritual warfare in our day is enforcing what Jesus has already accomplished in the authority He has given.
We don’t have to be strong in spiritual warfare, we are merely enforcing what God has already done.
v.30 - “whoever is not with me is against me”
The power of Jesus demands a decision. You’re either for Him or against Him, but there’s no room for mere appreciation.
THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
Can you accidentally commit the unforgivable sin? (Many people come to Dustin with this fear. This is one of Satan’s textbook plays on Christians!)
You should be able to clearly know if you’ve committed it.
If we determine logically that you haven’t committed it, but you still feel like you have… that is likely an attack of the enemy.
What some people say/believe:
Some teach it is not coming to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, and dying in your sins.
That is not what Jesus is saying HERE.
The idea that there is any sin Jesus won’t forgive is uncomfortable to theologians, so they make a mental leap.
Jesus says the unforgivable sin is blasphemy against / speaking against the Holy Spirit.
This does not sound like refusing to come to the son of man for forgiveness.
Mark 3:29-30 - parallel passage
A Few Scenarios - Questions People Asked When Fearing Committing this Sin:
Scenario 1: What if you accidentally call the work of God a work of Satan. (Like a miracle by a false teacher.
Scenario 2: What if you were raised in a cessationist church? And you look at things like tongues and call them emotionalism or works of a demon?
Scenario 3: What if you do the inverse and call a work of Satan a work of God? And follow someone who says they do miracles in the name of Jesus, but it turns out it was actually sorcery?
Scenario 4: What if you were born a Jew, and in your zeal for the truth, you stick to the Talmud and claim Jesus’s miracles were not from God? But then you accept Jesus as Messiah LATER? Will you stand before God later and realize you’re doomed?
^All of these - the answer is NO, you are not condemned!
John 3:1-2 - Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, confesses they (the Pharisees) know Jesus is a teacher from God because of His signs. The Spirit He has is from God.
The Jews know Jesus is from God and He has the Spirit. The Jews go on to proclaim his work is not from God anyway.
If they know Jesus’s Spirit is the Spirit of God, why do they go on to proclaim and try to convince people it’s the spirit of Satan? — EXACTLY!
But then we ask, could you accidentally call the work of God the work of Satan and be condemned? Dustin believes no.
A person who willingly blasphemies the Spirit from hatred of God, is unlikely to ever repent and return. Dustin’s thought: the Unforgivable Sin is probably really the FRUIT of a bad heart.
But it’s not just about hating God — God saves people who hate him, and satanists all the time.
Interesting Example: Alex on YouTube taking the “blasphemy challenge” intentionally trying to blasphemy the Holy Spirit. SURELY someone TRYING to do it would be condemned right? Well, God saved him later. Blaspheming the Spirit is not done in ignorance.
WHAT WE BELIEVE (definition): Blasphemy of the Spirit is intentionally calling the Spirit of God the spirit of Satan.
God is a good and holy and forgiving God. Some people still “feel” like what they’ve done can’t be forgiven. But even if you’ve done things you’re afraid to confess because you don’t think it can be forgiven. That’s Satan playing a game so you don’t come to the light.
If you feel tormented that you’ve committed the blasphemy of the Spirit (in your affliction, your mind says “yeah but…” with overwhelming guilt) — you can be set free from this affliction! Ask for prayer.