Marsha's Musings: The Unforgivable Sin

This week I was reading an article titled "Jesus Challenges the Pharisees" by Jerry Bridges. I was disturbed by what he said. He talks about the passage of Scripture in Matthew 12 where the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Later, a few verses down, Jesus says this:

Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Jerry Bridges comments:

The evidence from the text itself indicates that this blasphemy committed by the Pharisees can only come from a heart that is totally and implacably hardened against God. Obviously, a person with a sensitive heart could not commit that sin.

This brings comfort to me in one way but sadness in another. I believe what Jerry says is true. So it brings comfort to me in that I know I have not committed the unforgiveable sin as evidenced by the fact that I have worried about whether or not I have. Matthew Henry said:

Those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not."

But what brings sadness to my heart is that I have a friend who when I shared the claims of Christ with him he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Nothing you tell me will faze me." Is this friend committing the unforgiveable sin? Has he blasphemed against the Holy Ghost by his refusal to consider the claims of Christ? R.C. Sproul says,

There can be no salvation if the work of the Holy Spirit is knowingly rejected. This act reveals a heart so hard that repentance is impossible (Heb. 3:7-19).

And so, I fear for my friend, but I also wonder, God is able to harden someone's heart against Him and He can also soften someone's heart toward Him. Does God ever soften one's heart that has at one time rejected the work of the Holy Spirit? Can it be changed before one dies or once done, it's done and they will never be forgiven? Is there a chance of salvation for my friend now or has he sealed his doom? These are questions I don't have answers for.