Matthew 12:22 - 32
ESV - 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?
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The concept of "blasphemy against the Spirit" is mentioned in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32. The term blasphemy may be generally defined as "defiant irreverence." The term can be applied to suc...
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I am really worried about this. I am a Christian and I have been baptized but I believe a demon of guilt and fear has been terrorizing me about committing this sin. How can I be sure I have not committed the unpardonable sin? The above was a question that was merged with this thread, but I wanted to respond to it directly, I will also address the primary question. The very first thing you need to recognize is that guilt is never from the Lord. If you are struggling with guilt, the first thing you need to do is claim the freedom from guilt that you have in Christ. The Holy Spirit, who resides in you, will never use guilt as a tactic to deepen your relationship with Christ. He will convict you of sin, but being tormented by your conscience through guilt and fear is not of the Lord. Also, there is probably no demon terrorizing you. It may very well be your own flesh. Guilt and fear may honestly simply be something you struggle with. I have friends that struggle with fear. They have to be constantly claiming to the promises of Christ so that they don't operate out of a position of fear. You need to do this as well. I think the easiest way to know that you haven't committed the unpardonable sin is the very fact that you're afraid that you have! The unpardonable sin - the only sin that Christ cannot forgive, is the sin of unbelief. To put it simply, no Christian commits the unpardonable sin, and all non-Christians do commit the unpardonable sin. No sin is beyond Christ's redemptive work on the cross. Nobody can sin so bad that their sin is more powerful than Christ's love. Christ's work on the cross was more than enough to cover you and all your sins. Simply put, if you are a Christian, you cannot commit the unpardonable sin. Here are some Scriptures that you and anyone else struggling with this fear can lean on: Ephesians 1:13,14 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. Philippians 1:6 - For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one thing. It is the only unforgivable sin. All sins can be forgiven but one. And we always wonder what that is and can Christians commit it. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of rejecting what Jesus did on the cross. For us not to receive the free gift of God is to reject the sacrifice. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us to God and is the one that convicts the world of sin. When He convicts a sinner He will show Him the Way (Jesus) He will lead him to Jesus. There will be a point at which the sinner either accepts or rejects what the Holy Spirit is showing him. If he accepts then he receives Jesus' sacrifice and is then saved, if not then he will not be forgiven for that sin nor for any other sin that was committed. He has chosen to believe his good works are going to get him into heaven and we all know that is not true. So blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to reject His calling, leading, wooing or whatever word may be appropriate. Not receiving Jesus' sacrifice. If you are a born again believer then you have not and will not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, He resides in you and He will not deny Himself. Emma you may have a demon tormenting you, there are spirits of fear and they will try and create doubt and throw you off. You must remember what Jesus did for you and walk in that by faith. He loves you and will not let you go. The thing to avoid is getting into good works mentality. You are saved by grace through faith. You did nothing to get it and can do nothing to keep it. Just relax and trust God. When He said grace and peace, He was saying Grace= it's all done and provided for, the debt is paid. Peace= Rest in what He has done for you so you don't have to do good works to get into heaven. I hope this helps :)
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is to hear the gospel, understand it and still reject it, just like the Pharisees did. It is the work of the Spirit to move within you when you hear the gospel and not allowing that is to blaspheme the Spirit. When you think about it, rejection of salvation through Christ is the only thing God cannot/will not forgive.
The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is speak a word directly against the evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit operating in Christ, a Servant of God, or any Christian moving in the Gifts of the Spirit. In the case with Christ being accused of being inspired by the chief devil Beelzebub it is also noted that Jesus said they of the household of Christ will also be accused as being demon inspired when the work is the Holy Spirit operating. Mat 10:25.It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? When Jesus had ascended up into heaven Peter was moving in the powerful Inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Acts ch 5 and when Ananias and his wife lied. Peter said this, Act 5:3.But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Act 5:4.While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own authority? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. If a person is moving in the powerful Gifts of the Holy Spirit and be accused of having a devil, it's the same as it is when Jesus was on earth. It can happen today when the true servant of Christ moves in that powerful Holy Spirit ministry. In China God is working many many miracles when those humble people express their simple faith. I was so thrilled yesterday after having prayed for a precious sister who could not have a child. Her womb had been closed and she could not fall pregnant. I laid my hands on her and commanded her womb to open and receive power to bear a child In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Yesterday her sister sent me a message, she is now pregnant. To say this was the inspiration of the devil is the same as blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not part of the New Covenant, it was under the Old Law. It was defined as, to declare something God did through the Holy Spirit as an act of the devil. We can blaspheme against the Holy Spirit as Christians only if we condemn or accuse another Christian as doing something outside of the Holy Spirit's work. We have to be sure of what we accuse our brothers and sisters of and make sure we are following the Scriptures. An unsaved person cannot truly blaspheme the Holy Spirit by one act as their entire life is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit through their rebellion against the holiness of God. The unpardonable sin is different. It is the sin of rejecting and snubbing one's nose in the face of God as a habitual way of life. We all know these types, who spend their lives looking for opportunities to smear their hate and anger in Christ's beautiful face. The only sin that cannot be forgiven by the work of Christ on the cross is the sin of unbelief in Christ by the unsaved. Only God saving you can free you from this damnation. if you are truly saved, you are not able to commit this sin, you are sealed and sanctified and declared holy in God's eyes. Remember the devil cannot tell the truth--he can only lie. Whatever he says to you, turn it around and use the truth against him. If he says, you are going to hell, then turn it on him and tell him that obviously the opposite is true and I'm going to heaven! He hates this!
An answer to this question is one that I have pondered much of recent and here is my 'simple take' and contribution: Remember the thief on the cross just next to Jesus --and--many, untold numbers of humanity that finally responded positively to "His calling, prodding, nudging to "accept and receive His calling" in a large variety of situations" since that blessed day He sent The Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost! Jesus came and comes to "save that which was lost" and "redeem unto Himself whom The Father hath sent". "He delights in and of the presence of the work of His Holy Spirit", which of course, is the never ending love and Holiness and divinity of our precious Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST! Again, I point out that He is able and Just to save, search out and find "even that last missing sheep that which was/is lost and save unto Himself." Our Lord Jesus never gives up, even if it takes up to that last breath on our hospital bed, --or elsewhere-- He has the door open to welcome with His arms open wide! Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the rejection of His Holy Spirit's calling, prodding, etc...even up to a lost person's last breath. --Andy--
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is an act that happens at a specific time and not a habitual sin that you may die in. Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. This word was spoken of the Pharisees and the sin is described as the sin of unbelief. Does that mean the sin of unbelief is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? No it isn’t. It’s the sin of unbelief. The only time unbelief is unforgivable is after death. How do I know that? Roman’s 11 has the answer. Rom 11:23….And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. Clear and plain truth that declares that unbelief can be forgiven if those committing it choose to no longer abide in it. The context of this Scripture is a warning to Christians that are standing by faith to fear and not be boastful and arrogant about their grafting into the Church because as the Jews had been cut off from God for their unbelief so would any of them that were standing by faith, receive the same punishment if they no longer continued in the goodness of God. The unpardonable sin is speaking a word against blasphemously not disbelieving the Gospel. The sin of unbelief can lead one to blaspheme the Holy Spirit that is true but in itself it isn't that sin. Because the miracles and teachings of Christ continued with the apostles and are continuing up until this present day the same sin can certainly be committed by people anyone observing. Jesus warned the disciples that if they accused Him of being the prince of devils they can expect the same accusation. Mat 10:25…It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? So of course Blasphemy is the act of speaking not the attitude of unbelief. Jesus was accused by them that His power to cast out devils was from the chief devil, and that is what cancels immediately any hope of eternal life, and they would also blaspheme the Holy Spirit when seeing those disciples do miracles in His Name and some are even doing it in our present day. This cannot be forgiven ever. Anyone dying in their sin’s that are not repented of and are not the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will also never have forgiveness in the next life but in this life there is always time to repent. There is no hope of repentance for the one "speaking a word of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit".
Blashpheming the Holy Spirit today means the same thing it did when Jesus said it. So, lets look at the scene back then. What was really happening? 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. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt:for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things:and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (KJV) After warning the hypocrites concerning their wickedness, Jesus goes on to give us all we need to read in order to understand what He meant. It's a heart issue. Look at verse 34 and 35. A person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit has a wicked and evil heart. A righteous person will instinctively recognise who Jesus is. A wicked person expects a different Jesus. Jesus was just going along and doing His thing. The religious leaders expected the Savior to come through them. He'd have to come to them, convince them first that He was the Christ, then they would have accepted Him. Jesus didn't need their approval. He had God's approval. There are all kinds of religious leaders around today as well. They are going to tell you what to believe. According to them, anything else must be of the devil. Religious hypocrites are so full of the devil themselves that they can't recognise the devil when they see him. Instead they call what's good evil. They call what is evil good. Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! (KJV) Look in verse 23 at the word "justify". Who dispenses justice? A judge does. The issue with the wicked heart is that it clouds the mind of right judgement. The wicked person just isn't thinking right. They are reprobate as a matter of fact. Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (KJV) It's like God has given up on these people. They are just so far gone. They aren't worth our time. It's a lost cause. The ship has sailed. So, when a person blasphemes the Holy pirit, they have identified themselves. They are not our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's probably best to ignore them and spend our time on people who might get saved. Why beat a dead horse? Who is that person who can be saved? They are a person with discernment. They judge righteously. When they come into contact with the truth, it rings true in their ears. Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
In my opinion, those professing as Christians but who believe Christ is only man, not God and man, commit sin against the Holy Spirit. They blaspheme. There is one 100-YEAR OLD sect in the Philippines whose membership is now world-wide with approximately 3-4 million members. If only their members read the four (4) GOSPELS whose authors lived side by side with the Lord Jesus for more or less 3 years and therefore were the living testimonies that Christ is God and man. Unfortunately, their church LEADERS prohibit them to read the bible without the presence and guidance of a minister.Pity that there are still educated but gullible people! They are being prohibited to read and experience the truth that Christ is both God and man. Pity they are committing the UNFORGIVABLE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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