A post on quora.com from a person in despair prompted me to write the following post. I should point out that this person expressed fear that he or she had committed the unpardonable sin, and there were other answers to his post that I felt were inadequate for assuring him about the love of God. Here is my response:

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is a very difficult concept that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, in great part becuase Satan, the father of all lies, wants it to remain unknown and drive people into despair. Despite what many others who have answered this question have postulated about the nature of this sin, it is not, and has never been, attributing Christ’s healing power to Satan, which, while sinful, can be forgiven. The Apostle Paul, who once persecuted the disciples of Christ as agents of Satan, believing they used that power to perform miracles, repented of this sin and became one of Christ’s most loyal followers. He did commit a form of blasphemy, that of attributing that which is of God to Satan, but is against Jesus Christ, not the Holy Ghost, and he did repent.

What makes blasphemy against the Holy Ghost unforgivable is that it is an altogether greater crime, built around taking a sure knowledge of God that has been granted by the Holy Ghost and turning fully against it, denying it in such a way that it becomes the catalyst of sins committed in full defiance of God. The requirements for committing this sin are so specific and so absolutely atrocious that there is no room left in the heart of the blasphemer to even think of repenting of his sins, let alone feel remorse for his victims, or even think of his victims as people, chosing instead to regard them as objects. He who commits blasphemy against the Holy Ghost has no thoughts other than his own selfish whims, no desires but for his own selfish benefit, no joy, just a deep seated hatred for anything that might threaten his pleasure, and no consideration for how his actions affect others.

The blasphemer against the Holy Ghost seeks only to make others as miserable as he himself is, convinces himself that his fellow man is beneath him, that he is not worth his time to consider. When he murders, it is done simply for revenge against some slight, real or imagined, that the victim has committed against him, or because the victim has no value in his eyes, and is therefore expendable. When he steals, it is because he believes the object to be of worth to him or to be worthy of destruction for some reason known only to himself, and he thinks nothing of the owner of that object. He feels no remorse for his actions, only disdain for those who object to his behavior, sees no value in others, only himself, and believes himself to be greater than everyone else. While this sounds like the narcissist, he differs in that he once knew and accepted that all that he now disregards as rubbish had true value.

In answer to your question, I can say that you do not reflect the mindset I have described above, as you are now in an earnest quest to lift yourself above that which you formerly believed. You see value in others, you see others as better than you in some respect, else you would not be seeking an answer to this concern. Satan is working hard to convince your that you have no hope of receiving God’s forgiveness for what you have done, but as you now desire to repair the damage you have caused, God’s infinite mercy is able to restore you. The unforgivable sin is a rejection of God’s power after being shown as much of its extent as is humanly possible to endure, and it is impossible for you to have gone to this extent and still desire to set things straight. He who first committed this sin is desirous that all men sink into the pit of despair and become as he is, full of hatred and fury. He wants to strip men of their love toward others, to become carnal and uncaring, and to give up any effort to return to God.

You have expressed true concern for your actions, and have a genuine fear of God in your heart, and because of this have transcended the unforgivable sin. Your path is not yet secure, but you are on your way toward accomplishing that fete, and escaping the vile grasp of the adversary. Christ loves you and wants to help you succeed, and he has never ceased reaching out to grasp your hand and pull you back to safety. Even those who have committed this sin that you are afraid of having committed, that of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, are beyond his reach. What is different about them, however, is that they have turned their backs on him and have no wish nor desire to correct anything that has resulted from their misdeeds. To the contrary, you seem most desirous to repair that which you have done, and as such, you are reaching toward him.

Accept that Christ is willing to bring you back from the precipice of sin and despair, and has no desire to turn away from you, to reject you as you seek to receive his forgiveness. Christ himself has said that he wants nothing more than to bring all men back to his Father, but understands that he cannot do that to those who refuse to seek him out, to improve themselves. You are working toward that goal, however, so you are not beyond his reach, but what he requires of you is a willingness to meet him ‘half way,’ to put forth some effort. By ‘half way,’ I don’t intend to suggest that he needs you to truly do half of what is necessary to reach out to him, but only that you must make some effort to correct the consequences of your actions.

I wish to bear my solemn testimony that repentance is not only possible, but significantly easier than committing that sin which caused the heavens to weep, and compelled he who was without sin to descend below everything, giving his very life for the salvation of others. Christ has not given up on you, so please don’t give up on him, and strive to correct the errors of your ways, so that you may be lifted up into his warm, loving embrace and enjoy what you most desire, forgiveness for all of your sins, no matter how severe. In the name of Jesus Christ, I testify that despite the harsh fury of the evil one, you are not beyond His reach if you but seek him out in humility.

PS. I provided another, shorter answer to this question that I thought hadn't been received, which is why I composed this. Hopefully one of my submissions will be accepted, but this was more substantial, so I'm reposting this here.