Don Carson on the Unforgivable Sin

Don Carson, research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, on the unforgivable sin.

[canonviewer]

Thank you, I seriously needed this. This has been more or less torturing me for the past couple days or so, and you were the first one to put it in black and white for me.

[scatoutdebutter]

D. A. Carson treats the Bible with integrity and the conclusion he reaches seems to me to fit and harmonize with the teaching of the entire Bible. If I fear that I have committed the Unpardonable Sin, then I must go to Christ anyway. Where else is there to go? I must take ALL my sin -- even my Unpardonable Sin -- to Jesus.

[TexicanAg]

Hard truths like these are desperately needed in the pulpit today.

[kutya]

Such clarity! Praise the Lord for giving us this good man is all I can say after watching this!

[davidmaddox]

Carson is my favorite speaker. I've listened to hours of his stuff. What he's describing here is me though. I tasted the spirit then rebelled in unbelief for 6 years. I've repented now but Heb 6 and this topic have troubled me. I'm even more troubled now that my favorite person says I've done the unforgivable.

[jewishbride]

I, Annelies Bakker, agree, believe and declare I understand what Don Carson is talking about, in Jesus Christ his name: amen!

[AnimatedBibleandTheology]

Love the Carson videos! Keep them coming! I enjoy when it is a such a specific topic and interpretation like this too. Hard to disagree with Carson!

[johnny]

3:23 "When a person gets to that stage, they don't want to be forgiven. They want to walk away and they feel self-righteous in so doing. There's no sign of contrition or brokenness or faith anymore in them. They are lost and damned."

[ramonawhitaker]

I think it means if you no longer desire to be forgiven, and choose to die in that state. I hope that is right. I have been blasphemous but repented. I need His mercy desperately.

[craneinsaneusa]

satan is the father of lies and he is the one who condemns. The Good News is, Jesus Christ came to save the world for those who believe in him. If you truly believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Love Jesus Christ, with all your heart, you are not condemned. You are Saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, and washed clean! Amen! Hallelujah! Praise Jesus Christ, our Lord!!!

[striker]

Absolutely clear and understandable, thank you!!!

[FennyWhopper]

From what I have learned. We can’t commit the unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin Jesus refers to speaks of the Pharisees who claimed Jesus had an “unclean spirit” during his time on earth. Jesus isn’t here anymore in the flesh. We can’t claim he has an “unclean spirit” since he is in heaven. Therefore, we cannot commit the unpardonable sin. This is what I have learned tho so feel free to disagree! God bless

[danielberger]

I love Don Carson too but I find it hard to marry Apostacy in its varying degrees and 'the unforgivable sin'. I would like to ask Don where one would then draw the line? Do kids that grow up in Christian households and go through a period of rebellion before heading back to Christ have a lesser or no faith/relationship with God? Being someone who didn't grow up in a Christian household but did have an experience with the Holy Spirit as a teenager, excepted Christ and then lived with much rebellion (although not really a rejection of Christ) for a number of year years before returning to him more deeply - I too struggle with this at times. It does seem to contradict the all powerful grace of the cross..

[giovanni]

Revelation 14:12

(King James Version)

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

[Infernus_Dante]

I think I’ve done it, I was talking to a Jewish man who said he only saw Jesus as a miracle man because all throughout Old Testament all sorts were performing signs and wonders and for some stupid reason I asked didn’t the priests of Baal do signs too and after he said “yeah” I said “that’s fair” and ever since I’ve felt completely hopelessly damned and having constant panic attacks that I’m no longer forgivable

[пламенбонев-си]

The unpardonable sin is losing faith in Christ or wilfully rejecting him by not believing in him in the first place

[KeepingWatch]

What is the unpardonable sin? - It is un-repentance. (God's Holy Spirit is the only spirit that will guide sinful man to repentance.) Not following the Holy Spirit's guidance to repentance is the unpardonable sin. Not repenting of sin to the Holy Spirit's calling is akin to blasphemy.

[Jeffreykum]

wow . i hope i never get too this stage . Its like a doctor treating you and you do not take the meds he prescribes

[durl]

I know someone who was a Christian who 1 day in a fit of anger said she hated God, wished she never became a Christian and would follow Satan. She never did but has never been the same. She does not feel God's presence any longer. She firmly believes she has committed the unpardonable sin, She loves God and wants Him with all of her heart but feels that she is eternally condemned & there is no consoling her. She believes Don Carson's interpretation confirms it.

[urbantreesteve]

Here in lies the issue with religion; Mr Carson has done an excellent job here of explaining this very interesting and important point and yet, many feel the need to further clarify, twist, or put their own spin on it (smiling). Even more interesting that the good Lord made us this way! This is why there are so many different sects of Christianity and religious beliefs. And, many come from splits in the first church as pointed out in scriptures. In His Grip, Steve