What Jesus Did! 'Unforgivable' — Mark 3:28-30

Friday, February 23, 2024

[Jesus said,] "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences." He told [the teachers of religious law] this because they were saying, "He's possessed by an evil spirit."
— Mark 3:28-30 NLT

Key Thought

So many people have shared a concern that they may be guilty of an unforgivable sin. Take heart, dear friend, and let Jesus' word come to you clearly. The unforgivable sin is to keep saying that what Jesus did was done by an evil spirit or a demon rather than by the Spirit of God. Even if you may have assigned Jesus' works to something evil at one time in your life, you are not doing so now. You are not guilty. Look on the positive side of this command. If you want to see what the Spirit of God does in a human being when the Holy Spirit takes control, look at Jesus! What Jesus did in his daily life was a demonstration of God's will empowered by the Holy Spirit. If the example of Jesus seems unrelated to us, then consider Paul who assisted in killing Christians before becoming one himself [1] or Peter who repeatedly and profanely denied Jesus, [2] and consider what the Spirit did through them.

[1] Acts 8:1, 26:9-10.
[2] Matthew 26:69-74.

Today's Prayer

Father in heaven, I recognize that the greatest gift given to me by Jesus was my salvation, as demonstrated through the forgiveness of my sins and through the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me. Please help the Spirit's fruit to be seen in my life as your Spirit conforms me to be more and more like your Son. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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3 Related Resources by Heartlight

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[Jesus said,] "Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never....."
Eternal Consequences
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"[Jesus:] "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with..."
SpiritFire - Unforgivable?
Article by Phil Ware
Do you worry about this? Phil Ware shares insight into the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit, or blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and offers a four point way to invite the Holy Spirit into our world each day.

Illustration

Illustration of Mark 3:28-30 NLT — "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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