Are Intrusive Thoughts of Blasphemy Unforgivable?

Will you be judged for intrusive thoughts about God?

Intrusive thoughts can be shocking and unsettling. You hate them, and yet you might wonder if you are accountable for them.

It can be reassuring to know that intrusive thoughts are very common. Brain scientist Dr. Caroline Leaf says that 94% of people have them.*

I’ve had intrusive thoughts for most of my life (including ones of blasphemy) and God has not held me accountable for them; He has always kept working in my heart and life, showing that He is with me.

When I was 13, I was terrified that I had committed the unpardonable sin because of blasphemous thoughts. But I realized Romans 10:13 promises that anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved, and as long as I was able to call on Jesus for salvation, that must mean I was not unforgivable.

Ironically, at the time when I was fearing hell the most, I thought of myself as a good person. The fear of hell that I had was not based on conviction of sin, even for actual sins (since intrusive thoughts are not intentional).

I believe I was truly saved at age 15, because that was my first noticeable experience with God, and ever since then, I’ve seen Him working in me.

The thoughts continued, but my point is that I was not unforgivable; therefore, I did not commit the unforgivable sin, and was not accountable.

The thoughts that go through your brain are not always thoughts of your heart. Some people struggle with flashbacks of traumatic memories; they are totally unwanted, yet the brain brings up those memories, probably because the mind is drawn to things that you are afraid of. In my own experience, intrusive thoughts have hit the hardest during times of insecurity.

One woman began suffering from intrusive thoughts after hearing about the unforgivable sin. Since she had fear, therefore her mind imagined the very thing she was afraid of. Fear was the cause.

What is the unforgivable sin?

Think about this carefully.

The Bible promises that anyone who wants to be saved through Jesus can be saved (Romans 10:13, Revelation 22:17), so logically, the only people who will not be forgiven are the ones who are so hardened against Jesus that they would never trust in Him (John 5:40).

Notice two things in what Jesus said about the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:22–37:

(1) He was speaking to nonbelievers.

They were people who wanted to kill Him. That in itself is forgivable, but they were hardened past that point, and had hardened themselves so much that they committed blasphemy against the Spirit.**

What if you feel like your heart is hard? A partially hardened heart is actually normal before salvation (Ezekiel 36:26). That does not mean you are “too far gone.” The fact that you are even worried about Jesus’ warning at all, shows that you do believe Him. And God recognizes even the smallest amount of faith (Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:24).

If you take Jesus’ warning about blasphemy seriously, that proves you do believe Him. You are not in the same category as the people He was referring to.

(2) The people were verbally and publicly professing their beliefs.

He said, out of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, what you are saying verbally shows what you really choose to believe. That is different from accidental speech, of course, because God knows your heart; some people say the opposite of what they mean and immediately correct it, and that is different.

The non-believers in this passage were not simply struggling with blasphemous thoughts, and not speaking by accident, but purposefully choosing to reject Jesus- which they did publicly, and showed no remorse for it.

Similarly, Romans 10:10 says, “with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”

One person said she felt that she was like those who honor God with their mouths while their hearts are far from Him. That may be the case, but it is not unforgivable, and you can also confirm your own choices to yourself in the words you say.

So, you may often have unwelcome thoughts go through your mind, but what you are consciously choosing is different; in your heart, you truly do have faith in Jesus.

Can you prevent the thoughts?

There is a helpful saying: “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair.” In other words, you might not prevent the thoughts, but don’t tolerate them.

On the other hand, you don’t need to panic or fight the thoughts, because that can actually make them stronger, by giving them validity, especially if you are fearful, since fear intensifies them.

Instead, focus on something good, to help you “drown” them out, especially at night. Try reading a book, watching testimonies online, praying for persecuted Christians, listening to music, or focusing on something else that occupies your mind.

Finding assurance

For years, I struggled with assurance of salvation. Then, when I realized how much God has worked in my life, I saw that my fears were irrational. If you are still worried that you are unforgivable, consider my experience and that of other people who have the same exact thoughts that you have, and know that God does not hold us accountable. Think of ways He has worked in your own life, and let it sink in that He is with you. Most of all, remember His Word, because He has promised to never leave you or forsake you.

*“Is There a Cure for Intrusive Thoughts?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPbTbLMvvM

**See “What Exactly Is the Unforgivable Sin?” by Mike Winger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmCHX8-2Smo