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“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:30-32, TNIV)
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven all their sins and all the blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:28-29, TNIV)
Recently, a group of atheists actually encouraged people to “deny the Holy Spirit” online by saying the words “I deny the Holy Spirit” and uploading a video! Of course, the passages above say nothing about ‘denying’ the Holy Spirit. Clearly there is more to it than merely speaking certain words; if that were all it took, everyone who read that Bible verse aloud would have committed it!
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It is not merely an academic question; it’s something many Christians agonize over. Rev Dr Victor Shepherd, who has also been a pastor for several decades, describes some of his congregants’ fears:
I have been a pastor for 27 years. In that time I have had scores of people huddle in my study and confess what they could barely bring themselves to mention: falteringly they have croaked out what they regard as heinous, so heinous as to have been mentioned to no one else. They have poured out vile mixtures of vice, immorality, folly, even criminality. And I have told them with conviction that as wide and deep as their depravity is, God’s forgiveness is wider and deeper still. And I have assured them that however inexcusable, horrific, and even despicable the sin they have committed, they have not committed the “sin against the Holy Spirit.” And I have told them that Jesus Christ himself authorizes me to press all of this upon them.1
How is it possible that Dr Shepherd knows these people have not committed this “sin against the Holy Spirit”? In order to determine that, we first must understand exactly what Jesus was referring to.
First we should be careful to note that calling this “sin against the Holy Spirit” is misleading, as Dr Shepherd himself points out. What Jesus actually says is that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven” (Mark 3:29). Clearly “sin” and “blasphemy” are different since in Matthew 12:31 Jesus refers to “sin and blasphemy” separately. So what Jesus is talking about here is not merely sin but blasphemy. The Greek blasphe?mia means “vilification (especially against God): – blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.”2 So here the properly termed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit seems to refer to speaking evilly about God; not merely as a one-time utterance but as an active and ongoing opposition. It is to witness God’s goodness and call it (and continue to call it) evil.
What specific evil was spoken about God in Matthew 12 (Mark 3)?
In context, Jesus has been performing miracles, and the Pharisees, who have witnessed these miracles, claim that Jesus did these good works “by the power of Beelzebub [Satan]” (Matthew 12:24). Thus these Pharisees denied the power and authority of the Holy Spirit and attribute it instead to Satan! These Pharisees, “who, though they knew the miracles of Christ were wrought by the Spirit of God, yet maliciously and obstinately imputed them to the devil, with a view to obscure the glory of Christ, and indulge their own wicked passions and resentments against him.”3
This reinforces what we already know: That someone who has consciously rejected God cannot be saved, because they have rejected their only path to salvation: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Since the power of God’s Holy Spirit is the means by which we are saved, a person who rejects Him cannot be saved.
Biblical scholar Ron Rhodes explains:
The Holy Spirit brings conviction upon people and leads their hearts to repentance, making people open and receptive to salvation in Jesus Christ. So the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit effectively separates himself from the only one who can lead him on the path to salvation in Jesus Christ.4
What does this mean for the Christian who is worried that they have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Doubt or weak faith are not the same as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Dr Shepherd concludes:
The weakest faith; the most faltering discipleship; the most hesitant, doubt-filled following; honest doubt and genuine perplexity; all of this our Lord sees and notes and helps. None of it will he scorn or dismiss. And none of it must we ever, ever suggest to be anything approaching the blasphemy against the Spirit. Weak faith he strengthens; faltering faith he makes resolute; genuine perplexity he addresses. … He has nothing but compassion and help for all who cry that their struggle for faith is just that: a struggle.6
Friend, if you have accepted God’s glorious offer of forgiveness, confessed your sin, and pledged to give your life over to Him in faith, you are reborn. “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26, TNIV). And for those who are in Christ there is no condemnation. (Romans 8:1) Therefore, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, TNIV)
If your soul has been tormented by fear that you have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, know today that if the Spirit of God lives within you, you who are a new creation, you must not fear.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
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Notes:
1. Rev Dr Victor Shepherd, “The Sin Against The Holy Spirit,” n.p. Cited 28 January 2009. Online: http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/sermons/the%20sin%20against%20the%20holy%20spirit.htm
2. Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries entry G988, “blasphemia”
3. John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, commentary on Matthew 12:31
4. Ron Rhodes, Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses (Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 141.
5. Shepherd. “The Sin Against The Holy Spirit.” n.p.
6. Ibid.
Tags: Bible, Christians, darren hewer, faith, forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, religion, sin, spiritual growth, spirituality, unforgivable sin
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The only person who can blaspheme the Holy Spirit is the believer. Hebrews 6:4-6
A person who does not know the Holy Spirit or thinks it is some mythological religious creation cannot harm the Holy Spirit. Hebrews clearly states that a person who has tasted of the heavenly gifts and has been partaker of the Holy Spirit—if they fall away, they will not be brought back to repentence because they have crucified Christ all over again. This has to be somebody who knew the Holy Spirit otherwise God would reject anybody that didn’t come to Christ at any altar call.
The Christian who rejects the power of the Holy Spirit after he is saved is lost forever. God will not let him come back to repentence.
How can you possibly crucify Christ over again if you never believed in Him to begin with?
Your brother in Christ, Morris
Morris, I agree wholeheartedly with what Hebrews 6:4-6 says. Obviously, someone who knows and has experienced God (through His Holy Spirit) and then proceeds to turn his or her back on God cannot be forgiven, because they have rejected God’s offer of grace.
But nowhere in Hebrews 6:4-6 does it mention blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This passage is therefore not referring to the same circumstance as the gospel passages. When Jesus talks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:30-32 and Mark 3:28-29, he is speaking against the skeptical Pharisees who accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Satan’s power! (Matthew 12:24) Clearly these men are not followers of Christ. This is who Jesus accuses of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
So it seems that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not what Hebrews 6:4-6 is referring to; rather that passage is describing a different circumstance, which is equally tragic and saddening to God. I think we should lament both circumstances and pray for all those who don’t truly know God.
Thank you Morris for your comments and giving me the opportunity to clarify!
It seems to me that the only ‘unpardonable sin’ would be to decline God’s offer of forgiveness by rejecting His Son as one’s atoning sacrifice. Before the second coming of Christ, the world will have been ‘told’ of Jesus’ work on the cross for the forgiveness of sins for those who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. God’s Word tells us that His creation has revealed the truth about Him to all peoples, that none are deemed innocent, without knowledge. It is when Jesus is denied as the ONLY means of satisfying God’s requisite for forgiveness, that forgiveness is withheld. This is the ‘unpardonable sin,’ to reject Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior. And, one can only do that by rejecting the Holy Spirit, Whose divine purpose is to glorify Christ.
I just blasphemed the holy spirit…felt good, man. Too bad I’m not a Christian.
Dear Steve,
I was a bit confused by your post. If someone is not a Christian, they would not believe that the Bible is true, and would not believe what Jesus said. And since you have said you are not a Christian, it stands to reason that therefore you would not believe what Jesus said.
However, in this specific instance, you seem to be taking seriously what Jesus said about a particular topic, namely blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But that makes no sense unless you believe what Jesus said.
So it’s hard to make sense of your statement. The only way I can think to reconcile it is like this: What if, on some intuitive level, you know that there’s something special about Jesus’ words, and that they are in fact true, but rebellious human nature is causing you to reject them? This makes sense of why you would be taking Jesus’ words seriously, but also why you might be so quick to reject Him.
Something to think about. Please feel free to respond, or contact us privately if you feel like talking.
Darren, Psalm 1:1 tells us,”Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” As it is clear that Steve is mocking God, it might be wiser to leave him to his foolish ways. The Book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom on identifying a ‘fool’ according to God’s definition, and, as the “tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly (Prov 15:2)” we are instructed “not to speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.” (Prov. 23:9) Such impiety does not deserve the honor of a response.
those who play down or doubt this warning have not experianced it. Many young Christians have been derailed and crippled for years because of believing that they have committed the unforgiveable sin. Go to your pastor or elder or trusted brother or sister and get on your knees with them and go back to that place you first believed and were saved. Ask for grace and forgiveness in Jesus name and the peace which passes understanding will once again cover you with love and forgivness. Please dont delay because God longs for you to be free once again.