The text is Mark 3:20-35.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (a.k.a. the Unforgivable Sin).

Today we’ve got another one of those “clobber passages” from the Bible that tend to make people nervous when they read them.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, his family, and the religious scribes, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”.

People are terrified at thought that there could even be any such thing as an “eternal” or “unforgiveable sin”. We don’t want to believe there is anything we could do, say, or think that might put us forever beyond the reach of God’s grace. This question is especially important for us Reformed Protestants, who believe so firmly that we are saved “by grace, through faith” and not…