God remains unforgiving to those described as unrepentant, who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and who are themselves unforgiving. Being unforgiving and demonstrating true love are mutually exclusive.
The unforgiveness of God
Towards the unrepentant
Deuteronomy 29:18–21 See also Exodus 23:21, Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Joshua 24:19; 2 Kings 24:4; Isaiah 30:12–14; Jeremiah 5:7; Lamentations 3:42; Hosea 1:6; Luke 18:10–14; Hebrews 10:28–31
Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit, because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven and single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
Towards those whose hearts are hardened
Joshua 11:20; Matthew 13:13–15 parallels Mark 4:11–12, Luke 8:9–10; Isaiah 6:9–10; John 9:39–41, John 20:23
Towards those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit
Matthew 12:31–32 parallels Mark 3:28–29, Luke 12:10 Blasphemy against the Spirit probably involves attributing the authenticating miracles of Jesus Christ to the work of Satan rather than to the power of the Holy Spirit. See also 1 John 5:16
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
Towards those who are not forgiving
Matthew 6:14–15; James 2:12–13 See also Matthew 5:23–24, Matthew 7:1–2 parallel Luke 6:37–38; Matthew 18:32–35, Matthew 23:23; Mark 11:25–26 NIV footnote at verse 26; Romans 14:9–13
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
God's people call upon him not to forgive the wicked
Jeremiah 18:23 See also Nehemiah 4:5; Isaiah 2:9
But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.
True love is forgiving
Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 See also Psalm 86:5, Psalm 130:3–4; Daniel 9:9; Micah 7:18; Acts 13:38; Romans 15:7; 2 Corinthians 2:5–11; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.