We know without a doubt, from Jesus’s own statements, that some sins will be forgiven after death. This is directly contrary to the false teachings of the Protestants. I’m not calling anyone to become Catholic, and I’m not calling you to become Orthodox. I’m not an advocate for either of those churches. I am an advocate for following Jesus’s teachings and what He said.

In Matthew 12:32, in the context of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says:

“And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come.”

Now, this isn’t a very good translation. The New King James Version actually does better here in terms of rendering the Greek more accurately than the King James in this case. I’ll read it to you:

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age (which is literally what it says, ‘age,’ not ‘world’) or in the age to come.”

In Greek, the last part says: “Neither in the current or present age, nor in the one of greater interest or intention,” pointing toward what we are most concerned about, which is the age that is coming. That’s how they get the phrase “the age to come.”

What Jesus is saying is that this sin will not be forgiven now, nor later. This implies that there are other sins that can be forgiven later. There’s no way around that. By excluding the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit from being forgiven in the next age, after life here on earth, Jesus implies that some sins will or may be forgiven.

There’s no way around that, based on what He said right here alone. When you compare this with Peter, where he says that Jesus, by the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead, went and preached to the spirits who were held in prison since the time of Noah, it’s clear. These spirits had been dead since the time of Noah. You have these little pieces here and there, and while some may say it’s not enough, it is enough. The way these things are said leaves no way around the conclusion that some sins can or may be forgiven after the death of this body.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we’re not supposed to live holy lives—we are. It doesn’t mean that we should disregard what we do in this life and simply pray to God that we’ll be forgiven afterward. Absolutely not. But, we also don’t go the other way and nullify what Jesus said in order to try to scare people into living a holy life. Obviously, that doesn’t work—just look at the Protestants. It’s a disaster when it comes to holiness.

So, you need to listen to what Jesus says, to what He teaches, and believe what He said. Live a holy life as well, preparing for that next age. Then, there will be no question about your sins.

Because if you haven’t stopped sinning, then there are questions about those sins. Will I be forgiven? Are these some of the sins that can be forgiven after I die? You don’t know, so it’s better to stop them now.

May the Lord bless you as you seek Him with all your heart.