Today, I want us to spend some time sharing along these lines. It will help you clear your mind and let you know whether you’ve committed the unpardonable sin before or not. If you have, what should you do? And if you have not, what should you also do?
Matthew 12:22–26 (KJV)
22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
One of the best ways to understand something is to first find out what it is not. When you are defining a subject, it’s good to define it by contrast—it helps you understand it better.
So, let’s begin by understanding what the unpardonable sin is not, because many people have misconceptions about it.
One of the things the unpardonable sin is not—and many people often think it is—is talking against a man of God. That is not what the unpardonable sin is.
Attributing God’s Work to the Devil
In the passage we read, the Pharisees were attributing what Jesus did to Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. You still see people doing that today. As dangerous as it is to attribute the work of a man of God to the devil—or to criticize a man of God—this was exactly what they were doing to Jesus. They were trying to say that Jesus got His power from the devil.
Jesus addressed that accusation directly. He said:
Matthew 12:26–27 (KJV)
And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
At this point, Jesus was responding to what the Pharisees had said. As dangerous as such accusations are, it is still not the unpardonable sin.
The Danger of Speaking Against God’s Servants
Let me show you the gravity of this matter, because many Christians do not understand how serious it is to speak against a man of God. It is very dangerous. As dangerous as it is, it is not the unpardonable sin.
Let’s look at Numbers 12. I want to share from that passage so you can understand how dangerous it is to speak against a man of God.
In Numbers 12:1, the Bible talks about Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses because of a certain woman he had married—a woman who was black in nature. They spoke against Moses disrespectfully.
Numbers 12:2 (KJV)
And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
God heard it—and He was not happy at all.
If you read from verses 1 to 16, you will see the full story, but let me show you what God said. God was not pleased, and He made that very clear.
Numbers 12:8 (KJV)
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
It is very, very serious. You must never speak against a man of God. Just leave them to God. If you see them on TV and you don’t want to watch them, simply change the channel—watch Animal Kingdom instead of saying something bad about them.
God spoke to Aaron and Miriam, and as a result, Miriam became leprous. Many Christians today are experiencing a kind of “leprosy” in their lives because of speaking against God’s servants.
