The sin that cannot be forgiven

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

CHRIST mentioned this kind of sin in that episode where he was accused by some scribes that he cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. (cfr. Mk 3,22) He said: “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men…but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin.” (Mk 3,29) That’s because they accused him of having an unclean spirit.

Obviously, it is an unforgivable sin since it involves a deliberate and complete rejection of God’s mercy, making it impossible for the person to repent and receive forgiveness. This kind of sin is committed when we attribute God’s miracles to the devil, when we refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah, and when we reject God’s offer of salvation.

This unforgivable sin is precisely the sin of the demons themselves who refuse to believe in God in spite of everything God would do to help them. In other words, one who commits this unforgivable sin, that is, who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, is like the demon himself.

Let us always remember that God always likes to forgive. Remember Christ offering forgiveness to those who crucified him just moments before his death: “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23,24)

In this case, those who crucified him did not really know what they were doing. And, in fact, they were converted when after Christ died, they confessed that he was truly the Son of God. (cfr Mt 27,54; Mk 15,39) But in the case of those who saw the miracle on the Sabbath, they persisted in their disbelief.

We have to see to it that we avoid falling into committing this unforgivable sin. We may not understand everything in our life and that is why we commit sins, but let us not directly, formally and openly reject God in the face of the many good things and blessings that we also enjoy.

Let us make our sins an occasion to get closer to God instead, to understand better his will and ways, and even to attain sanctity. Sin, of course, does not cause sanctity. But if handled well, it can occasion the way to holiness. It can trigger a strong impulse toward developing a greater love for God and for others, which is what holiness is all about.

It’s really a matter of how we react to our sinfulness. If we are sorry for our sins and try to make up for them, then sanctity would be at our reach. God, always a loving father to us, will never deny his mercy. Neither will he deny his grace to make us as we ought to be—true image and likeness of his, and a good child of his.

In fact, if we go by the reasoning of St. Paul, God seems to have the habit of choosing the foolish things of the world, the weak, the lowly and the despised, in order to confound and shame the wise, the strong and the proud of this world. (cfr 1 Cor 1,27-28) Along this line, He can also choose a sinner to confound those who pride themselves in a worldly way as saints.

Let’s be quick to ask forgiveness the moment we realize we fall into sin. And when faced with a mystery that is hard, if not impossible, to understand or to cope despite all our efforts, let’s be humble enough to abandon ourselves in God’s hands, in God’s providence.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com