THE THREE GREATEST SINS

Written by: De Haan, Richard Posted on: 05/12/2003

Category: Bible Studies

Source: CCN

THE THREE GREATEST SINS

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

If you were asked to name the greatest sin in the world, what would it be--murder, adultery,
robbery, homosexuality? Or would you cite some of the more common evils which work so
much harm in society like gossip, envy, or greed? Perhaps you would not single out one
particular sin as the very worst, for you are appalled at the numerous reprehensible acts and
sordid deeds committed every day.

The Bible, however, does express itself on this subject. It states that three sins--blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin, and the sin unto death--carry with them a note of
finality and sure judgement that does not mark man's other transgressions. The first, the sin
against the Holy Spirit, was a sin of Jesus' day. The unpardonable sin can be committed only by
those who are not children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The sin unto death, on the other
hand, involves only believers.

A careful study of what the Bible says about these three great transgressions will be of rich
spiritual benefit. First, it will lead us into the Word of God. Secondly, it will constitute a
warning to saint and sinner. Thirdly, many who are confused on the subject will receive great
comfort when they realize that nothing they have ever done or said has placed them beyond the
reach of God's mercy.

THE GRAVITY OF THIS SIN

The Lord Jesus clearly expressed the serious nature of sinning against the Holy Spirit when He
said,

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

Don't try to evade the obvious meaning of these words. Jesus declared that "blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit" would not be forgiven. The person guilty of this sin was doomed to be lost
forever. He placed himself on the road to Hell, and for him there was no hope of forgiveness.

THE NATURE OF SIN

Since blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin of such magnitude, it is extremely important that
we know exactly what it is. Everyone who possesses some knowledge of the Bible realizes that
sins like theft, covetousness, envy, pride, gossip, dishonesty--yes, even murder, adultery, and
fornication--are forgiven by God. Then, too, instructed believers know that a true follower of
Christ could never be guilty of an unforgivable transgression. A child of God may grieve and
quench the Holy Spirit, and he may fail to be fully yielded to Him, but it is absolutely impossible
for him to do anything that cannot be forgiven.

What did the Lord Jesus mean when He spoke about the unforgivable blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit? Many different answers have been given by respected and esteemed theologians
and Bible students. Some of the suggestions include (1) continued rejection of Christ, (2)
apostasy in time of persecution, (3) a denial that Jesus Christ is God, (4) a rejection of the deity
of the Holy Spirit, and (5) using the name of the Holy Spirit in vain. None of these suggestions,
however, take sufficient note of the context or the occasion of Christ's words.

In Matthew 12:22 we read that the Lord Jesus had just performed a great miracle. He had cast
out demons from a person who was both blind and dumb, and his sight and speech were
immediately restored. This demonstration of power had a profound effect upon the people who
witnessed it, for Matthew tells us they were "amazed, and said, Is not this (referring to Christ)
the son of David? (Matthew 12:23). The way they framed the question indicates that they were
inclined to believe He really was the son of David. The religious leaders were alarmed at this
reaction, for they saw Christ as a threat to their power. Therefore they gave the blasphemous
charge that Jesus cast out demons by "Beelzebub," and the Lord could not allow this accusation
to go unanswered.

Wherefore, I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven men (Matthew 12:31).

J. R. Thompson comments as follows: "Great men are often misunderstood by reason of their
very greatness. Aims higher than those of others need other methods than such as are commonly
employed by ordinary persons. How much more this must have been the case with the Son of
man! His mission was unique. He was altogether His own. He could not fulfill His ministry
and do the work of Him who sent Him without stepping aside from the beaten tracks of conduct,
and so courting criticism...He could not well conciliate public opinion, for He came to condemn
and to revolutionize it. For the most part He went His way without noticing the
misrepresentations and the calumnies of men. Yet there were occasions, like the present, when
He paused to answer and to confute His adversaries." (The Pulpit Commentary-- Mark, p. 125).

The Pharisees' false accusation had to be answered, for they had deliberately equated the Holy
Spirit with Satan. They had said that Jesus performed His mighty works through the power of
the devil, when in reality He "cast out demons by the SPIRIT OF GOD" (Matthew 12:28). This
grievous blasphemy was uttered in the face of definite evidence that Jesus Christ was in
opposition to Satan, and that His mighty works were beneficial to men, not harmful. In this
sense the sin cannot be committed today as it was by those religious leaders.

The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was both a national and individual sin. The leaders of the
people, representing the nation, had seen Heaven's credentials to the Messiahship of the Lord
Jesus, and had wickedly declared that they had their origin in Hell. This constituted a national
rejection of Christ. Therefore the Lord, after issuing the solemn warning about the blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit, declared that they were "an evil and adulterous generation," and that they
would receive no sign from heaven other than His death, burial, and resurrection. (See Matthew
12:39,40.) He further stated,

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because
they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold a greater than Jonah is here (Matthew
12:41).

NATIONAL

The national character of this sin is also set forth in the parable of the unclean spirit. This spirit
was cast out of a man, only to return with seven other more wicked than himself, making the
"last state of that man...worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation"
(Matthew 12:43-45). The people of Israel and experienced a "house cleaning" through the
preparatory ministry of John the Baptist, but because they rejected the Messiah, their house had
remained empty. Now, by deliberately ascribing the power of the Holy Spirit, as seen in the
works of the Lord Jesus to Satan, that generation os Israelites brought itself into a far worse state
than before John the Baptist. Judicial blindness came upon the nation as a whole, and by A.D.
70, within the lifespan of a single generation, the Jewish people had experienced the most fearful
time in all their history. Although the generation to which our Lord spoke lost claim to God's
national promises because of their blasphemy, individual Israelites could still be saved by
trusting the Lord Jesus. Israel as a nation also will someday be converted and enjoy the blessing
promised by Almighty God.

INDIVIDUAL

This blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was also an individual sin for which there was no
forgiveness. Those people who deliberately, against better knowledge, declared that the works
Jesus performed through the power of the Holy Spirit originated with Satan could not be
forgiven.

...whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age,
neither in the age to come (Matthew 12:32).
One question remains to be answered. Why is it more serious to speak against the Holy Spirit
than against the Son of man? Jesus said,

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the
age to come (Matthew 12:32).

Since Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are both members of the Godhead, why should blasphemy
against one be more serious than against the other? Is one member of the Trinity afforded more
honor than another? Why is the distinction made between sinning against the Son of man and
against the Holy Spirit? Both are co-equal and co-eternal with the father. The answer is found in
recognizing that the Jewish leaders rejected the regal credentials and Messianic claim of the Lord
because of ignorance. Though God held them responsible for seeking Christ's death, He knew
they did not fully understand what they were doing. After the Holy Spirit had come on the day
of Pentecost, Peter said, "I know that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers" (Acts
3:17). Paul expressed the same idea when he said, "Which none of the princes of this age knew;
for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).

The religious leaders of that day were so blinded by prejudice and their own preconceived
notions about the Messiah that they did not understand how the lowly Nazarene could be their
promised King and Redeemer. but those individuals who brazenly said that the miracles of Jesus
were the product of Satan, even though worked by the power of the Holy Spirit, were speaking
against better knowledge, for it directly contradicted the evidence right before their eyes. It was
obvious that Jesus was opposed to Satan, and that his works were destroying Satan's power.
Their declaration that He did these mighty miracles through the power of Satan rather than the
Spirit was a deliberate and inexcusable sin.

Remember, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be committed today in exactly the same
manner as during Christ's public ministry. But this does not mean you cannot commit a sin that
is unforgivable. You can harden yourself against the truth even as the religious leaders of
Christ's day. If you continue to reject Christ until you leave this life, you will have lost all
opportunity for redemption. You should be thankful that you are still alive, and that the door of
salvation remains open for you. The message "whosoever will" (Revelation 22:17) is still a
wonderful truth for your life. You can pass from spiritual death to life, from darkness to light, by
believing on Jesus Christ. You will then know the joy and peace of forgiveness.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...(1 John 5:1).

Receive Him today!

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to
them that believe on his name (John 1:12).
 THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

HAve you ever wondered if any sin is so great that God would never forgive it? Is it possible to
fall so deeply into certain practices or commit deeds so evil and perverse that you are beyond the
limit of God's forgiving grace? The Bible tells us that in Jesus' day people could be guilty of an
unpardonable sin. The Pharisees had accused the Lord of casting out demons by the power of
Satan, and Jesus responded to their declaration by saying,

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies with
which they shall blaspheme; But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit
(Mark 3:28-30).

This sin is also spoken of in Matthew 12:22-32 and Luke 12:8-10. When the average person
thinks of the unpardonable sin, he usually names one of the more base and sordid evils like
sexual perversion, murder, family desertion, drunkenness, drug addiction, or gambling. Instead,
this unforgivable sin was the deliberate declaration that Jesus worked miracles by the power of
Satan, when in reality He performed them "by the Spirit of God," Matthew (12:28). This
blasphemy was committed willfully by the religionists against evidence that could not be
contradicted.

Dr. H. D. Spence says it was "that determined hatred of holiness, that awful love of self,
which...induced the Pharisee leaders to ascribe His...loving works to the spirit of evil and of
darkness. The accusation was no chance one, the fruit of impulse or of passion. They who
accused Him knew better. They had heard Him teach, not once, but often; they had seen His
works; and yet--though they knew that the whole life, thoughts, and aspirations were true, and
were conscious that every word and work was holy, just, and pure--in order to accomplish their
own selfish ends, simply because they felt His life and teaching would interfere with them, they
dared to ascribe to the devil what their own hearts told them came directly from God." The
Pulpit Commentary: Luke, p. 333. Their rejection of Jesus Christ as the true Messiah was at
least partly due to the ignorance brought on by their religious traditions. But this declaration,
that the works He did were brought about by the power of Satan, was completely inexcusable.

Can this offence be committed today? No! Not at all! It could only occur while Christ was on
earth and in actual physical contact with men. Those who were guilty of it had heard with their
own ears His words of wisdom, and had witnessed with their own eyes His mighty works. When
they, having been blessed with this incontestable evidence, deliberately and willfully ascribed the
works of the Lord Jesus to Satan, they were guilty of a sin which no one today can commit in
exactly the same manner.

TROUBLING SIN

In spite of all this, however, I can well imagine someone saying, "But I think I have committed
this sin. It troubles me, and I worry about it night and day. How can I find peace of mind? How
can I know for sure that I am not guilty of the unpardonable sin?" Well, apart from the reasons I
have already given, I would like to point out that the very fact you are anxious about it is
absolute proof that you have not committed it.

Some time ago I read about a certain person who foolishly came to the conclusion that he had
committed this great transgression. He believed he had passed beyond the point of forgiveness.
He went to his pastor and sought for some assurance that he might be mistaken. Unburdening
his heart to the minister, he told him about his morbid fear that he had "crossed the line" and had
committed the sin for which there is no forgiveness. The pastor responded by asking, "And just
exactly what sin did you commit?" The troubled soul quickly answered, "I opposed the Word of
God." "So did Paul," the pastor replied, "and he was saved." "Oh, but, I also denied Christ," the
man blurted out. "So did Peter," said the minister, "and he became one of the greatest and most
effective preachers of all time." "Yes, but I doubted the power of Christ even after I received
strong evidence in His favor." "But," said the wise pastor, "so did Thomas. Wasn't he forgiven?"
The man who had been tormented so long by fears and doubts finally saw the folly of his
anxiety, and realized that this thing he dreaded was a misunderstanding of Scripture. He saw that
even if such a hopeless state were possible in this age, the very fact that he was so concerned
about his spiritual condition proved that he could not have committed this great transgression.
No, the "sin against the Holy Spirit" cannot be committed today.

FORGIVENESS--A POSITIVE TRUTH

Therefore, rather than emphasizing the "unforgivable sin" in the passage we have been studying,
I would rather see the spotlight focused upon the blessed words found in verse 28, which
underscore the wonderful and precious truth of free and gracious forgiveness. Jesus said,

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies with
which they shall blaspheme (Mark 3:28).

That's the message we preach today--"all sins shall be forgiven unto men." Whoever you are, no
matter how far you have fallen into sin, whatever it may be, whom it involves, where it was
done, or how badly you feel, ALL SINS SHALL BE FORGIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF MEN.
You may be bound by lust or chained by habits, or you may be one of the so-called "nicer"
people who engage in the more "polite sins" of society, but you are a sinner just the same, for the
Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." It makes no difference how
you categorize yourself, for "all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men."

Do you remember the time when the scribes and Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to the
Savior? They made the charge,

...Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou? (John
8:4,5).

When they made this hypocritical accusation, the Lord Jesus, ignoring their question, stooped
down and wrote with His finger on the ground. They kept pressing for an answer, however, until
the Savior stood up, looked at them, and threw out the challenge, "He that is without sin among
you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). He stooped down and again wrote on the sand,
and one by one the accusers of the adulteress slipped away, convicted by their own consciences.
Jesus was finally left alone with the repentant woman. Looking at her, the Savior asked the
question, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No
man, Lord..." (John 8:10,11). Now listed to Jesus' wonderful proclamation of grace and
forgiveness. He said to that shameful and guilty outcast of society, "Neither do I condemn thee;
go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). I am happy to declare that this very same forgiveness and
freedom from judgment is given to all who admit their guilt and place their trust in Jesus Christ
for salvation. The Word of God assures us, "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them
who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1). No matter how deeply you have sinned, God extends
to you the gracious offer of complete forgiveness of sins. He says 'All sins shall be forgiven unto
the sons of men.'

The Bible scholar Ryle comments on Mark 3:22-30 as follows: "We ought to notice...what a
glorious declaration our Lord makes in these verses about the forgiveness of sins. He says "All
sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme."
These words fall lightly on the ears of many persons, who see no particular beauty in them. But
to the man who is alive to his own sinfulness and deeply sensitive to his need for mercy, these
words are sweet and precious. "All sins shall be forgiven". The sins of youth and age--the sins of
head, and hand, and tongue, and imagination--the sins against all God's commandments--the sins
of persecutors, like Paul--the sins of idolaters, like Manasseh--the sins of open enemies of Christ,
like the Jews who crucified Him--the sins of backsliders from Christ, like Peter--all, all may be
forgiven. The blood of Christ can cleanse all away. The righteousness of Christ can cover all,
and hide all from God's eyes. The doctrine here laid down is the crows and glory of the Gospel.
The very first thing it proposes to man is free pardon, full forgiveness, complete remission,
without money and without price. 'Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all thing' (Acts 13:38)." Ryle's Expository
Thoughts on the Gospels, p. 55.

CONTINUED REJECTION IS UNPARDONABLE

In the final analysis, the only thing that will keep you from God and knowing His full pardon and
forgiveness is continued unbelief! Therefore, though you cannot today be guilty of "blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit," you can commit an unpardonable sin by persisting in unbelief.
Although the expression, "the unpardonable sin" is not found in the Bible, I believe we are
justified in using this term because it expresses the Scriptural teaching that there is danger in
delay. If you persist in unbelief, your spiritual sensitivity will become deadened. The longer you
postpone, the less likely your ultimate salvation. Though it is true, "while the candle holds to
burn, the vilest sinner may return," the person who continues to resist the gracious working of
the Holy Spirit may well bring himself into the state of complete indifference. If he dies in this
condition, he will go into eternity as a lost sinner.

Unsaved friend, the SIN question has been settled. You are now faced with the SON question.
All your sins can be forgiven if you will believe in God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible
tells us that God loved the world so much He provided a way to escape the penalty of sin. He
who is God became man to be our substitute in human flesh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was god. And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...(John 1:1,14).

the Lord Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live and went to the cross to die the death we
deserved. That's why 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares that God "made him (Christ)...to be sin for
us." The Lord Jesus arose from the grave, and His resurrection was proof that the sacrifice He
offered was acceptable to God as a full payment for all sin. Salvation, which includes
everlasting life, forgiveness, peace with God, and an eternity in Heaven, is now offered as a free
gift to all who will believe. I am thankful that the door of redemption remains open, and that you
can still receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart,
it's not too late for you. Acknowledge your sinful condition before God, and in simple faith
receive the Lord Jesus for salvation. Trust Him, and Him alone, to save you. The Bible says:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9,10).

THE SIN UNTO DEATH

Many people have been amused and entertained by the popular "happiness is" one-liners. I am
thinking especially of those made famous by the "Peanuts" characters created by Charles Schulz.
Here are a few examples:

"Happiness," according to Linus, "is a thumb and a blanket." Lucy says, "Happiness is a warm
puppy." Linus thinks "happiness is finally getting the silver out," or "the hiccups after they've
gone away." Snoopy sees happiness as "walking on the grass in your bare feet."

Many others might be added. Everyone seems to have his own favorite. In fact, the book from
which I've quoted these ends with: "Happiness is different things to different people."

These little sayings are entertaining, but their intention is not to set forth the deep and
meaningful essence of genuine, lasting happiness. For this you must turn to the Bible, the book
from which the whole "happiness is" idea originated.

In the well-known sermon on the mount, for example, the Lord Jesus makes many statements
regarding happiness. The word "blessed", which begins each of the beatitudes, means "happy",
so they could be translated as follows:

Happiness is being meek. (Happy) are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

Happiness is seeking righteousness. (Happy) are they who do hunger and thirst after
righteousness; for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).
Happiness is being merciful. (Happy) are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew
5:7).

Happiness is being pure in heart. (Happy) are the pure in heart; for they shall see God (Matthew
5:8).

Happiness is being a peacemaker. (Happy) are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons
of God (Matthew 5:9).

But perhaps the most comprehensive Scriptural one-liner describing happiness is this statement
by the psalmist:

Happiness is doing the will of God. (Happy) is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in
his ways (Psalm 128:1).

This verse says plainly that the way to happiness is to respect God and obey Him. Conversely,
sadness is the state of disobedience to God. Since happiness is obeying God, then sadness must
be disobeying Him.

One of the most unhappy of all situations for the Christian is to be guilty of the "sin unto death".
You will recall from our previous studies of The Three Greatest Sins that "blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit" and the "unpardonable sin" cannot be committed by a believer. The first of these
sins was a transgression that could be committed only by those who lived when Jesus walked
upon the earth, and therefore it does not exist today. The "unpardonable sin" is restricted to those
who have not received the Lord JEsus Christ as Savior. The sin unto death, however, is of a
different nature. The apostle John says this about it:

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he
heareth us; And if we know that he hear us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask,
and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say
that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death (1 John 5:14-
17).

Now, just what is this transgression called "a sin unto death"?

A SIN OF THE SAINTS

The sin unto death is first of all a sin of the saints. John says, "If any man see his brother sin a
sin". The person involved is a brother in Christ and therefore a Christian.

PHYSICAL DEATH

Secondly, the consequence of this sin is physical death. Dr. A. C. Gaebelein commented on this
passage of Scripture, saying, "The brother is a believer. On account of sinning he is chastened.
God permits sickness to come upon him and the sinning not having been unto death (physical
death only) he is raised up. However, a believer may go on willfully sinning and remain there
dishonoring Christ. He is to be taken away out of the land of the living, cut off by death. No
request could be made for such of one. The question of death is not eternal condemnation but
only physical death." The Gospel of Matthew, pp. 251,252.

A STATE OR HABIT

Thirdly, the sin unto death is not one single act of transgression, but a state or habit of sin which
a person has willfully chosen and in which he continues. Someone has said it is "constant and
consummate opposition to God."

INDIVIDUAL

A fourth characteristic of the sin unto death is that it is individual in nature. The same sin that is
"mortal" for one does not bring physical death upon another. You see, we tent to categorize
certain sins and rate them as bad, very bad, and extremely bad, but God sees them differently.

...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

He knows our background, heredity, environment, the battles we face, and the spiritual light we
have received. For that reason, while some sins for certain individuals might bring the most
severe judgment, these identical practices in the lives of others, even though sorely displeasing to
God, may not bring forth the same judgment.

WILLFUL AND DELIBERATE

The sin unto death is not only continual, it is willful and deliberate. It is also, very likely, an
open sin that brings reproach upon the cause of Christ. Therefore, for the sake of the Gospel, and
in order that the "spirit" of the one sinning may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1
Corinthians 5:5), God takes the guilty one to Heaven by His chastening hand. But he must still
someday stand before the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10,11).

TEACHING OF THE EPISTLES

The apostle Paul also refers to the same sin, though not specifically calling it "the sin unto
death". In 1 Corinthians 11 he said that unjudged sin in the lives of certain Christians had
resulted in physical ailments for some and death for others. He therefore admonished Corinthian
believers to diligent self-examination and confession of sin before partaking of the Lord's supper.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he
that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we
would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of
the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:28-32).

Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 gives additional information about the "sin unto death".

Part 64: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit — Who Committed

the Unpardonable Sin?

by Pastor J. C. O'Hair
For more articles by Pastor J. C. O'Hair, visit the J. C. O'Hair Online Library.

Print This Article

Many sermons have been preached on “the unpardonable sin,” using as the text Matthew 12:31
and 32.

Before quoting these verses, let us note three other messages to Jews or Hebrews. 1. Note
Stephen’s words to the Jews in Jerusalem, some months after the death of Jesus Christ.

“ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the holy spirit: as your
fathers did, so do ye. which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain
them which shewed before of the coming of the just one; of whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers.” “then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran
upon him with one accord.”acts 7:51, 52 and 57.

2. note paul’s words to the jews, in acts 18:5 and 6:

“paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the jews that jesus was christ. and when they
opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, your blood be
upon your own heads; i am clean: from henceforth i will go unto the gentiles.”

3. note hebrews 10:26-29 to 31:

“for if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no
more sacrifice for sins.” “of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of god, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace? for
we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, i will recompense, saith the lord. and
again, the lord shall judge his people. it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god.”
If any man so despises the grace of God that he refuses to trust Jesus Christ and accept His once-
for-all sacrifice for sins, the vengeance of God will be his portion. But note the salvation
condition, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31.

“THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS.” Do not misinterpret Hebrews

10:26 and teach, as some Christians have believed and taught, that the Holy Spirit said, “if a
Christian sins wilfully after he has been saved, “there remaineth no more FORGIVENESS of
sins.” No such statement is made in the Bible. On the contrary, God’s message to Christians is:
“If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in
us.” I John 1:9 and 10. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” I John 2:1.

The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christians and to unsaved religious Hebrews.
Some of them wanted to supplement the redemptive work of Christ with a religious program,
adding something of Judaism to the finished work of Christ. The priests and religions Jewish
leaders were still carrying on in the temple, at Jerusalem, teaching the religious Jews to continue
their faith in the blood of animals. offered on their altar, according to the law of Moses. It was to
these Jews that the writer wrote, “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.”

As we study the message of Stephen to the Jews, in Acts 7:46 to 56, and Paul’s message to the
Jews, in Acts 18:5 and 6, we see that the Jews were very definitely committing the unpardonable
sin mentioned in Matthew 12:31 and 32. To this we shall presently refer. But first let us note, in
Romans 11:8, Romans 11:11, Romans 11:30 and Romans 11:15, that when and because Israel
committed the unpardonable sin. God sent Paul to the Gentiles with the ministry of reconciliation
and the gospel of grace.

THE GENTILES AND THE GRACE OF GOD

Just a few words about the Gentiles and the gospel of the grace of God. “And hath raised us up
together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; That in the ages to come He
might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:6 to 10.
Here we learn that Gentiles who had been aliens from Israel were saved. How? By grace. What
does this mean? Read verse 4. “But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith he
loved us.” God’s work—God’s workmanship. What was man’s part? Not of yourselves. Not of
works. What was man’s condition? Dead in trespasses and sins. In the world without God and
without hope. Ephesians 2:12. Alienated from the life of God. Ephesians 4:18. What could such a
dead man do for himself? Nothing. What did such a dead man have to do to be saved? Some say,
“repent.” Yes, “repent” means “change your mind.” But God had to work on them. God, Who is
rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith He loved us when we were dead hath made us alive.
Think of all the sins charged to those ungodly wicked Gentiles. They learned the truth of Romans
5:20, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” How many of their sins were
forgiven? Read the answer in Colossians 2:13 and Acts 13:39:

“and you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

“And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses.”

Yes, every sin, thought, word, and deed, including the sin of unbelief was forgiven when those
ungodly Gentiles believed the gospel of grace and received Christ. Note what happened— “But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:13. Their sins were forever put away; all of their sins. Moreover, they stood in the
presence of God as though they had never committed one sin.

All of their sins were pardoned. Which one of their sins was unpardonable? Some one says, the
sin of unbelief. They were all guilty of that sin, but when all of their sins were pardoned that sin
was included. When they believed there was no sin of unbelief, All of their sins were unpardoned
until they were saved by grace. Then all of their sins were pardoned. If they had resisted the Holy
Spirit, blasphemed against Him, and not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, all of their sins would
have remained unpardoned; but none of them would have been unpardonable.

CAN A CHRISTIAN COMMIT THE UNPARDONABLE

SIN?
Let us note what happened to the saints who sinned in Corinth. “For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this
cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. “For if we would judge
ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord,
THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED WITH THE WORLD.” I Corinthians 11:29
to 32.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” These sinning
saints could not be condemned with the world. Note again the sin of the Corinthian saints, in I
Corinthians 6:6 to 8:“But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another.
Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.” In spite of their sins. the Holy Spirit
wrote to them—“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in
you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” I Corinthians 6:19.

But how about Hebrews 6:4 to 6?—“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened,
and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, And have
tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away,
to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”

How about Hebrews 6:17 and 18. God cannot lie. He promised us eternal life before the world
began. Titus 1:2. And note II Timothy 1:9—“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” God wants Christians to know that they have
eternal life. “These things have I written unto you than believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of
God.” I John 5:13.

If a man receives Jesus Christ and accepts His sacrifice on the cross, he receives the Holy Spirit.
If he could fall away, he could not be renewed.

Now read carefully, Galatians 6:1, Luke 17:3 and 4 and I John 2:1. Can a so-called backslider, a
Christian who has sinned, be renewed? Most assuredly. Then why do Christians try to use the
hypothetical case in Hebrews 6:4 to 6 to do their utmost to make the Bible contradict itself?
Every Christian believes that a penitent backslider who confesses his sins will be renewed.
Therefore Hebrews 6:1 to 6 does not refer to such an one.

Now read again Matthew 12:31 and 32. And read with these verses Luke 23:34—Acts 3:15 to 15
and Acts 3:25 and 26.

ISRAEL’S UNPARDONABLE SIN

“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a
word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy
Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

“Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what to do. And they parted His
raiment and cast lots.”

“And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know;
yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
And now brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those
things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer,
He hath so fulfilled.”

“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,
saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you
first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of
you from his iniquities.”

Here then is the story of the pardonable sin of Israel, the sin against the Son of man. Gentiles did
not sin against the Son of man. Note Acts 3:13 and Matthew 15:24.
“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son
Jesus; Whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined
to let Him go.”

“But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Pilate
sinned; but Christ said to him: “Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were
given thee from above; therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

The Jews committed an awful sin when they had Jesus Christ put to death. Israel sinned against
the Son of man. Note I Thessalonians 2:14 to 16—“The Jews who both killed the Lord Jesus,
and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all
men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway;
for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”

The Lord Jesus pronounced an awful judgment upon Israel before He went to His death.

“Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how
can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Matthew 23:31 to 33. “Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate.” Matthew 23:38.

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof
is nigh.” Luke 21:20.

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed
those murderers, and burned up their city.” Matthew 22:7.

This seemed to be the end of the nation Israel. But something happened, for note the difference
in the message of Acts 3:17—“And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did
also your rulers.” Then the first three words of Acts 3:19, “REPENT YE THEREFORE.” Your
rulers did it through ignorance. And note Acts 3:18, the death of Christ had to be. In other words,
the Son of man had to be sinned against.

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves
also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Acts 2:22 and 23.

“The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and
against His Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, Whom thou hast anointed, both
Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. For
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” Acts 4:26 to 28.

So Israel, in fulfillment of Scripture, rejected Christ and slew Him with wicked hands. Note
Matthew 26:24
“The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man
is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Christ’s prayer availed. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” As a result, note
Peter’s message to the rulers who ignorantly sinned against the Son of man.

“‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God
exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and SO IS ALSO THE HOLY
SPIRIT, Whom God hath given to them that obey Him.” Acts 5:29 to 32.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36. Now compare Matthew 23:33 and 38, with
Acts 3:25 and 26.

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” “Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate.”

“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,
saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you
first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of
you from his iniquities.”

Before the Jews killed Christ, they were “serpents.” After their awful deed they were tenderly
addressed as children. That sin was pardonable.

The Holy Spirit was God’s witness to Israel that He had made Jesus both Lord and Christ; that
He had exalted Jesus to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to
Israel.

But now, if Israel sinned against the Holy Spirit, what? The unpardonable sin. They did resist and
blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and sinned. As the result of the unpardonable sin Israel was set
aside. There was a very great difference between “the generation of vipers and serpents” of
Matthew 23:33 and “the children of the covenant and the prophets” in Acts 3:25. Now let us
compare John 12:37 to 40 with Acts 28:25 to 28.

“But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him; That the
saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our
report: and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe,
because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they
should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should
heal them.”

“and when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that paul had spoken one
word, well spake the holy spirit by esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, go unto this
people, and say, hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not
perceive: for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their
eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
understand with their heart, and should be converted, and i should heal them. be it known
therefore unto you, that the salvation of god is sent unto the gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

The judgment of God was postponed until Israel had another chance, the opportunity to commit
the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. Jerusalem was not destroyed until the year 69 or 70
A.D. The Lord’s prayer on the cross caused God to postpone the fulfillment of Matthew 22:7.
Note this verse, “But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his,
armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” Israel’s house was not left
desolate at the time Christ spoke that judgment. Note Acts 11:19 “Now they which were
scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and
Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only.”

For some years after the death of Christ the disciples and apostles preached to none but Jews
only. Christ came unto His own and His own received Him not. John 1:11. Some of His own
received Him while He was on earth. More of His own received Him during the first seven years
after the Pentecost of Acts 2.

But since the judgment of Romans 11:6 to 11 and Acts 28:25 to 28, Israel has been an outcast
nation. But some day there will be the fulfillment of Hebrews 8:10 to 12

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord;
I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to Me a people; And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more.”

Thus we see that no unsaved Gentile in this day of grace ever commits the unpardonable sin.
Israel committed the pardonable and the unpardonable sin, one before Christ went to Calvary and
the other after the Holy Spirit came as a witness to Israel. Acts 5:32.

For more articles by Pastor J. C. O'Hair, visit the J. C. O'Hair Online Library.

THE SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pastor Floyd Koenig

INTRODUCTION
The Persons of the Holy Trinity each have a distinct work to do in the great plan of
redemption. Because their work and appearance is different, we find that sins can actually
be committed against the separate Persons of the Godhead (Mt. 12:32).

The Holy Spirit has the particular work of dealing with men’s hearts and bringing them to
receive the saving benefits of Christ’s work. He indwells the saints and is present with the
Lord’s churches. He also convicts the unsaved and strives with sinners. Because of His
work in our lives and in our midst, the Bible mentions certain sins that are committed
against Him as He carries out His special work.

We need to be sensitive to the dangers of displeasing the Spirit of God.

Let’s consider some ways in which the Holy Spirit can be sinned against.

I. WE CAN LIE TO THE HOLY GHOST

A. Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11).
1. Their sin was not in keeping part of the money, but in pretending to have
given all so that they might receive honor for a sacrifice that they did not give
(vv. 1-4).

2. They were hypocritical in their giving.

3. They wanted to appear more spiritual than they really were.

4. Here is a warning to anyone who seeks praise for a sacrifice that he doesn’t
make.

B. It is a sin against the Holy Spirit for a person to attempt to deceive the church.
1. To try and deceive the church is to attempt to deceive the Spirit who is the
omniscient administrator of the assembly.

2. Men forget that to trifle with God’s House is to trifle with God.

3. In carrying out their sin, Ananias and Sapphira were tempting God (v.9).

4. Their offering was an affront to God.

5. Their execution was God’s work to keep the church pure.

6. This action of God was meant to impress upon each member of the church
the seriousness of sin and rebellion.

C. This passage teaches two important truths about the Holy Spirit.
1. It affirms that the Holy Spirit is a person.
 - He is not a mere influence or impersonal force, since He can be lied to.

2. We see here that the Holy Spirit is God.

- When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, it is stated that he lied to God (vv. 3-
4).

- Here is a clear affirmation of the deity of the Holy Spirit.

II. WE CAN GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. We are commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30).

1. The fact that the Holy Spirit may be grieved implies that He loves God’s
people.

2. He dwells in those He loves to help and bless them.

3. The fact that He seals us until the day of redemption shows that He will
never forsake us.

4. Knowing the Spirit’s love for us should motivate us not to grieve Him.

5. He has done so much for us that, out of gratitude, we ought not to grieve
Him.

B. The Holy Spirit is grieved by sin in our lives.

1. Our bodies are His temple and we should beware of defiling ourselves (I
Cor. 6:19-20).

2. The Spirit is perfectly holy and sin is an offense to Him.

C. Some ways in which we can grieve the Spirit.

1. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by speaking sinful words (Eph. 4:29, 30;
5:4).

2. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by harboring sinful attitudes (Eph. 4:31).

3. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by committing sinful acts (Eph. 5:3).

- May God help us to walk carefully as we remember His presence.

III. WE CAN QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. We are warned not to quench the Spirit (I Thess. 5:19).

 1. We can do this for a time by hardening our hearts against the leadership of
the Spirit.

2. We quench the Spirit when we refuse to follow His gracious leading and
when we do that which is contrary to His will.

B. This sin is sure to bring chastisement and it leaves us open to commit many other
foolish mistakes.
1. We need to beware of stifling the voice of God’s Spirit.

2. Men like David, Abraham, and Jonah seem to have quenched the Spirit for
a time and paid dearly.

C. Some common ways in which the Spirit is quenched.

- We quench the Spirit:

1. When we rebel against the instructions and commands of God’s Word.

2. By stifling the Spirit’s rebukes when we have grieved Him.

3. By resisting the Spirit’s inner leadership for our lives.

IV. THE UNSAVED CAN RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. Stephen accused the Jews of resisting the Holy Spirit as did their fathers (Acts
7:51).

1. Sinners resist the Holy Spirit by hardening their hearts toward God (Heb.
3:7-10).

2. God had given the Israelites ample proof of His power and provision, and
yet they rejected Him and refused to enter into His place of rest.

B. If Israel had more than enough evidence to trust God in Moses’ day, how much
more do we have today?

V. SOME HAVE COMMITTED BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. Jesus warned of the danger of committing the unpardonable sin (Mt. 12:31-32).

1. The Pharisees had accused Christ of working His miracles by the power of
Satan.

2. In doing this, they blasphemed the Holy Spirit by whose power Christ had
worked (Acts 10:38).
 3. Our Lord proclaims this sin to be unforgivable (Mt. 12:32).

B. It is a serious offense for anyone to willfully malign the Spirit of God.

1. However, I don’t believe that the unpardonable sin that is referred to here
can be committed today.

2. The Pharisees had attributed Christ’s miracles, which were performed by

the Holy Spirit, to the devil.

3. Christ is no longer in the world performing His miracles; therefore, this

particular sin cannot be committed in our day.

Return To Main Study Page

Source: http://www.woosterbaptisttemple.org/studies.html

‘Grieve Not the Spirit’: Sins Against the Holy Spirit

March 2007

Rev. Douglas Kuiper

Volume XIV March

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, Even the Spirit of
truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. – John 15:26

Various passages in Scripture speak of sins which one commits against the Holy Spirit. These
passages include Isaiah 63:10, Matthew 12:3 1-32 (and parallel passages of Mark 3:29 and Luke
12:10), Acts 5:3-9, Acts 7:51, Ephesians 4:30, I Thessalonians 5:19, and Hebrews 10:29.

Better to understand this unique class of sins, we will briefly examine these texts in this paper.

We desire to guard ourselves against these sins, and to warn our congregations regarding them.
For not only unbelievers, but also God’s covenant people, are capable of committing these sins.
Some of them can be committed only by God’s people, for they presuppose the Spirit’s gracious
work in us. Even that sin which none of God’s children will ever commit, the sin of blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit, must be held before us in warning, for those who do commit this sin are
the reprobate in the sphere of the covenant.

Our positive goal in examining these sins is that we see better what honor Jehovah God bestows
upon His Holy Spirit, and that we honor the Spirit’s work in our hearts and God’s church.
 THE VARIOUS SINS

Vexing and Grieving the Spirit: Isaiah 63:10 and Ephesians 4:30

Isaiah 63:10 recalls the sinful response of wilderness-wandering Israel to Jehovah’s loving-
kindness: “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore was he turned to be their
enemy, and he fought against them” (63:10). And the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:30, exhorting
the saints at Ephesus to put off the old man and put on the new, says, “And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

These two passages speak of essentially the same activity – that of causing the Spirit to be
grieved, or to sorrow. The Hebrew word translated “vex” in Isaiah 63:10 means to afflict with
pain or grief. The Greek word “grieve” in Ephesians 4:30 means “to make sorrowful.”

God’s children grieve the Holy Spirit whenever we commit any intentional, willful sin by which
fellowship with God is interrupted.

That this is the nature of the sin is evident first from considering the particular work of the Spirit.
As the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity unites Father and Son together in holy
love and fellowship. As the Holy Spirit of Christ, the Spirit unites God and the church together in
holy love and fellowship, applying to the church the blessings which God secured for us on the
basis of Christ’s death. Holy, covenantal, loving fellowship can be enjoyed only in the way of
obedience. The Spirit is grieved when we by willful disobedience do not manifest that
fellowship.

The context of Ephesians 4:30 also indicates that this is the nature of this sin. Living out of the
principle of the new man, and mortifying the old man, the saints were to put aside lying and to
speak the truth (25); to put aside stealing and to labor (28); to put aside corrupt communications
and to speak what is good to the use of edifying (29); and to put away “all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking… with all malice: And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (31-32).
The Spirit is grieved by our deliberate and willful violations of God’s law, and manifests His
grief by taking from us the conscious enjoyment of fellowship with God.

That deliberate, ungodly, unsanctified living is the means by which the child of God grieves the
Holy Spirit is taught by our Reformed fathers in the Canons of Dordt, Head 5. Having referred in
article 4 to the lamentable fall of David, Peter and other saints described in Scripture, the Canons
says in article 5: “By such enormous sins, however, they very highly offend God, incur a deadly
guilt, grieve the Holy Spirit, interrupt the exercise of faith, very grievously wound their
consciences, and sometimes lose the sense of God’s favor for a time, until, on their returning into
the right way of serious repentance, the light of God’s fatherly countenance again shines upon
them.”

Israel was guilty of this sin in a specific way. While all her rebellions in the wilderness vexed the
Spirit, it can be argued defensibly that Isaiah refers especially to that moment when Israel
refused to enter Canaan, after the report of the ten evil spies (Numbers 14), and determined to
return to Egypt. By this rebellion particularly, the congregation refused to be guided by “the
angel of his presence” (Isaiah 63:9), that is, the preincarnate Christ, who guided His church by
His Word and Spirit. By this rebellion particularly the congregation refused to be brought to
Canaan, there to enjoy covenant fellowship with God as deeply as was possible for her to do on
this earth, but preferred fellowship with wickedness in Egypt. This vexed, or grieved, the Spirit.

A refusal to live out of the power of the Spirit, choosing instead to live out of the principle of the
old man of sin in us, is this vexing of the Spirit. Clearly office-bearers and all of God’s people
are capable of committing this sin and must guard against it.

Lying to the Spirit: Acts 5:3,4,9

Even children know that the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was that of lying. Not to be overlooked
is that it was the sin of lying to God and to His Spirit.

This the apostle Peter declared to be their sin. In the authority of his apostolic office, Peter said:
“Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the
price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in
thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men,
but unto God” (Acts 5:3-4). And in verse 9, he asked Sapphira: “How is it that ye have agreed
together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?”

Ananias and Sapphira lied against the Holy Ghost by lying to the apostles, God’s office-bearers,
whom the Holy Spirit called to office and through whom the Holy Spirit worked in the early
New Testament church.

In lying to the apostles, Ananias and Sapphira “tempted” the Holy Spirit, or put the Spirit to the
test. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira did not understand that this was what they were doing; but
they did it nonetheless. Their lie was a test whether there really was a Holy Spirit, whether He
really worked through the apostles, and whether He really had any power in the church.

The sin of lying to the Holy Spirit, as it might be manifest in the church today, would consist of
lying to the office-bearers of the church, as they go about the work to which God has called
them. How important it is that the people of God know that, when questioned or investigated by
the pastor, elders and deacons as these seek to carry out their office in the church, God’s people
speak the truth!

Resisting and Quenching the Holy Spirit: Acts 7:51 and I Thessalonians 5:19

In Acts 7:51, Stephen accuses the Jews: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye
do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye.” And the apostle admonishes the
saints in Thessalonica, “Quench not the Spirit” (I Thessalonians 5:19).

A correct understanding of both of these passages is essential for the Reformed believer, for both
are used in support of the Arminian conception of resistible grace. After all, it is argued, Stephen
speaks of resisting the Holy Ghost – of opposing and striving against Him; and Paul speaks of
quenching Him, of extinguishing His power and influence. So it is possible, the Arminian says,
both to oppose the attempts of the Spirit to regenerate us and, once we are saved, to destroy His
saving work in us. This idea of the Arminians is rejected in our Canons, Heads 3 and 4, Rejection
of Errors article 8.

The Arminian emphasizes that man is said to resist the Holy Ghost. The crucial question is this:
to what work of the Holy Spirit do these passages refer? The answer is that both texts are
referring to the work of the Spirit in and through prophesy, the preaching of the gospel. Stephen
says in verse 52, explaining his accusation that the Jews resisted the Holy Ghost: “which of the
prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the
coming of the Just One: of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.” The Jews
resisted the Holy Ghost by killing Christ, the true prophet of God, just as the Jews of old resisted
the Holy Ghost, by hating the prophets. Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:20, explaining his
admonition of verse 19, “Despise not prophesyings.”

Yet the sins against the Holy Spirit which these two texts mention are not exactly identical. The
texts are similar in that they both speak of the work of the Spirit through the preaching. They are
different in that, while Stephen speaks to the apostate, unbelieving element in the nominal church
of the day, Paul addresses elect sinners who by grace have become believing saints.

One aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit in prophesy or preaching is that of testimony – He
testifies of Christ’s existence and of the uniqueness, power and completeness of Christ’s saving
work. Jesus said in John 15:25: “But when the Comforter is come, …even the Spirit of truth, …
he shall testify of me.” Unbelievers reject the Spirit’s testimony to Christ. Thus they resist the
Holy Ghost. It is not the case; however, that those who resist are those whom the Spirit wanted to
bring to saving faith, so that by resisting man frustrates God’s purpose. Rather, this resistance
manifests a hard heart of unbelief, and is the evidence which God will bring forth in the Day of
Judgment for condemning them for their iniquity. A refusal by the nominal church or Christian to
heed the teachings of God’s Word is this resisting the Holy Ghost.

Another aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit in prophesy or preaching is the internal application
of this testimony to the individual child of God, by working and strengthening saving faith. It is
the Spirit’s work in this sense which Paul tells saints not to “quench.” Again, the idea is not that
regenerated believers can really cause the Holy Spirit to cease working in us. Rather, by our
believing use of the means of grace we experience more strongly the Spirit’s work in us, and by
our despising of the means of grace we lose the conscious experience of faith and of the Spirit’s
work in us. That the Spirit still works in God’s children who are quenching Him is evident from
the fact that God uses this loss of the conscious experience of salvation to work in His people a
true sorrow for sin, a desire to persevere in the use of the means, and a longing to experience
anew the joy of salvation.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: Matthew 12:31-32, Hebrews 10:29

This sin is more commonly known as the “unforgivable sin,” based on Jesus’ words in Matthew
12:31-32: “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. 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.”

The context of Matthew 12:31ff enables us to understand rather clearly what this sin is. Jesus had
just healed one who was possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb. The Pharisees’ response to this
astounding miracle was to allege: “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the
prince of the devils” (Matthew 12:24). Jesus’ response in verses 27-28 was: “And if I by
Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your
judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
In other words, the Pharisees accused Jesus of working miracles by the power of the devil; Jesus
asserted that He did so by the power of the Spirit.

The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; therefore, is the sin of attributing the works of the
Spirit to the devil. More particularly, it is the sin of attributing to the devil the saving work of the
Holy Spirit through Christ. One slanders the Holy Ghost by denying His sanctifying power.

This sin is committed by those who, being in the sphere of the covenant, have heard of and
witnessed in others this sanctifying power of the Spirit. So Jesus warned the Pharisees against
this sin. It is described in Hebrews 6:4ff as consisting of those falling away, who “were once
enlightened, …and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.” The writer to the Hebrews again
alludes to it in Hebrews 10:29: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” To
do despite unto the Spirit is to insult the Spirit. Such insults of the Spirit originate in a derogatory
view of Jesus Christ and a despising of God’s grace.

Thus the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is very serious. It is possible that some people born
and raised in Protestant Reformed Churches become guilty of it, who are hardened against God
and the doctrines of sovereign grace.

THEIR GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The mention of such sins in Scripture is significant.

First, they demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is a person. Sin is always committed against living
persons, not against mere objects. The specific activities of which these passages speak also
indicate that the Holy Spirit is a person: He is vexed (Isaiah 63:10), grieved (Ephesians 4:30),
blasphemed against (Matthew 12:31ff), and lied to (Acts 5:3). Only a person can be vexed and
grieved; only a person can be blasphemed and lied to. These actions are not committed toward
impersonal beings.

Second, these passages demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is God. That God will not forgive the sin
of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, even though He is ready to forgive all blasphemies against
man and even against the Son of man, indicates that the Holy Spirit is no mere creature or
attribute of God. That He is God is made plain by the words of the apostle Peter to Ananias:
“Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost… thou hast not lied unto
men, but unto God” (Acts 5:3-4).

Third, these passages demonstrate that the Holy Spirit works powerfully through the Word of
God to save the church. He testifies of Christ in the preaching of the gospel, and applies the word
of the gospel to the souls of God’s children. We are called to believe and confess this, and not to
resist, oppose, or deny this work of the Spirit.

Fourth, they emphasize the holiness of the Holy Spirit. So essentially does holiness characterize
the Spirit, that it is part of His name. So holy is He, that He is completely devoted to God’s work
of glorifying Himself, and sanctifying His church. God’s judgments on those who commit these
sins are just, inasmuch as they minimize, ignore or deny the holiness of God and of His Spirit.

That the Holy Spirit is vexed and grieved is especially instructive.

It reminds us of the love of God and of the Spirit for us. The sins of those we hate do not cause
us grief, so much as the sins of those whom we love. The Holy Spirit is not grieved by the sins of
the world. He is grieved by the sins of God’s people. This grief manifests God’s love for us, His
desire to fellowship with us.

This love of the Spirit motivates Him in the service of the Father and Son to work in us sorrow
for our sins and to bring us back to the enjoyment of fellowship with God in the way of true
repentance and confession. Let us not think that the grieved Spirit acts as a child who pouts and
cries in a corner; or that the Spirit helplessly watches us go on in sin, perhaps pleading with us to
cease but admitting that we have to make that choice; rather, the Spirit irresistibly works in the
children of God to restore us to fellowship with God.

THEIR HEINOUS CHARACTER

That God considers these sins most heinous, Scripture clearly indicates.

Scripture speaks of God’s judgment on the sinners. For vexing and grieving the Holy Spirit,
those in Israel who were 20 and older, except Joshua and Caleb, could not enter Canaan. For
their unbelief, they were kept out of the promised land where Israel would dwell with God in
covenant fellowship! For lying to the Holy Spirit, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead.

Jesus promised the just judgment of God upon those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit: “it shall not
be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:32). This sin is
not forgiven men, not because God cannot forgive it, nor because it is as to its outward nature a
worse sin than other sins, but because it manifests a heart that is hardened in unbelief and
despises God’s grace.

This heinous character of these sins is not minimized but underscored by the fact that some who
commit them are God’s people, chosen to everlasting life through sanctification of the Spirit. The
ground of our salvation is the atoning work of Christ – bearing God’s wrath against sin, against
these sins in particular. The process by which God brings us to heaven involves conversion and
sanctification, manifested in us by an increasing hatred of such sins, a complete breaking away
from them, and living a new and godly life.

We must emphasize this heinousness today. God’s judgments for sin are not always as startlingly
immediate as was His judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. It is not that God is not able to strike
one dead for such sins; but He generally does not do so. The effect might be that one thinks the
sin is not so heinous! But two points impress on us that these sins are most heinous.

First, God will surely judge them publicly and openly in Judgment Day, and in that day, for those
whose guilt is not covered by Christ’s blood, the punishment will be death – the same judgment
which Ananias and Sapphira received.

Second, even though God’s judgments are not always manifested outwardly and publicly toward
individuals, yet He does judge His children who sin against the Holy Spirit. He who quenches
the Holy Spirit, or grieves that Spirit, loses the assurance of God’s favor for a time. No child of
God with a holy hatred for sin will minimize the severity of this judgment.

THEIR IMPLICATION FOR OUR LIVES AND WORK

Before speaking of the implications of such for our work, we must speak of their implications for
our life.

If these sins are so heinous, then we as office-bearers must certainly avoid them. Called to be
examples to God’s people, men who must be filled with the Holy Spirit, we will both suffer
personal injury to our soul and be ill-equipped to serve God’s church if we commit these sins.
Publicly blaspheming or resisting the Spirit would make us worthy of deposition. Apart from that
judgment on our person, our commission of these sins could be an occasion for others in the
church to commit them as well.

Avoiding these sins means fighting against them, for by nature we are prone to them. So we are
reminded of the need to diligently use the means of grace for our own souls; to live godly,
sanctified lives to show our gratitude; to submit readily to the Word of God; and to speak the
truth always.

We, who are husbands and/or fathers, are required to warn our family members against such sins
and to enforce obedience to God’s law and honor of the Triune God in our homes.

These sins also have implications regarding our work.

We must of course warn God’s people against such sins. As warnings, Paul commanded the
saints in Ephesus not to grieve the Spirit and the saints in Thessalonica not to quench Him. The
warning is enforced by the ungodly example of Israel in the wilderness. We must deliver these
warnings from the pulpit, in the catechism room, on family visits, and by individual admonitions
– God’s people must face up to the fact that our sinful nature is prone to such sins.
When God’s people have committed such, we must rebuke them. The apostle Peter did as much
to Ananias and Sapphira, and Stephen did as much to the unbelieving Jews. By such rebukes it
pleases God to turn His own to the way of obedience again.

We must be ready to discipline God’s people, who continue impenitently in such sins. That God
judged those who committed this sin is evidence that such sins are (in the New Testament)
church worthy of ecclesiastical censure, especially when they are committed blatantly and
willfully.

Yet our work in this regard must have a positive aspect as well.

We must teach our congregations about the Holy Spirit! We must hold before them His deity, His
special place in the Trinity, the glorious work He performs as the agent of salvation. The
Charismatic’s charge that Reformed churches grieve the Holy Spirit by neglecting to give Him
His proper due in our teaching and theology. I don’t believe the charge is true of us, who are
sincere about preaching the whole counsel of God. But then let us teach our people about the
Holy Spirit! Diligent study on the pastor’s part in preparation to preach on Lord’s Days 20-21 of
the Catechism will enable him to grow in his own understanding of the Holy Spirit and to teach
the people afresh.

That God is present with us by His Holy Spirit, and that we worship God in the Spirit, we must
remind our people. The church must be conscious of this divine presence and spiritual worship!
To teach and understand this is not at all to place more emphasis on the third person of the
Trinity than on the Triune Godhead; it is merely to give the Spirit His due and just place in the
doctrine of the Trinity.

We must see how greatly God honors His Spirit. As He honored His only begotten Son so much
that He exalted Christ at His right hand, so He honors the Spirit of His Son also, and the work
that the Spirit does. That the work of the Spirit through the preaching and in our souls is the work
of God unto salvation, must always be emphasized.

Acknowledging His majesty and glory and living in the consciousness of His presence, we are
honoring Him and guarding ourselves against these heinous sins.

Topics: Holy Spirit, sin, spirit

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What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and how do I know

I've not committed it?
33 Answers

Linne DVhee, Am a Messianic/Christian

Answered 94w ago

If you claim that something attributed to God is of the devil, instead, or something of the devil is
of God but it is not of God, you have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is also,
usually, called reprobate sin, where one's attitude or spirit sees as dark what is of the light, and
what is the light, as darkness. That person with such a condition or state would not repent nor
could he/she repent, thus, belief that would save him/her remains unavailable to her/him.

In ancient times, the (hybrid) people of Noah's period committed this, and only Noah and
family were saved in the ark. In Lot's period, only he and his children were saved, for his wife
from the deadly Sodom and Gomorrah backtracked...and in Yshuo's time, the pharisees and their
supporters who chose to undermine His work with the demonized and the sick (by helping them
etc.) were examples of a reprobate attitude/mind. They were guilty of sin against the holy Spirit
of God. If you say something good is evil and something evil is good, and even injure someone
for it, you are reprobate and guilty of this sin against God's Spirit.

To disbelieve is already sad, but to choose to insult so as to keep disbelieving is ,indeed a

violation that recognizes no mercy even if it be extended, and so, thus, no mercy/forgiveness is
ever meted out, not now nor in the age/s to come. As Yshuo said. (Mark 3:29)

IF you haven't done any of the above, then I wish you well. You can follow the cautions so as to
ensure that it could ever happen to you.
2.2k Views · 8 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

 Why can't you be forgiven for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
 What are some examples of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

 Who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and why do they do it?

 Is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit a one-way ticket to Hell?

 Can you be forgiven for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Ask New Question

Jon Hilderbrand, A faith much maligned and misunderstood, but "the gates of Hell will not prevail against
it!"

Updated 96w ago

First, let's look at what the Bible says. "Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and
every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven;
they are guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me
before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever
disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks
a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven."

The Holy Spirit is the person of God who convicts one of their sinful state. When a person hears
the Gospel, and understands their condition before God is one of spiritual death ("...for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23; “There is no one righteous, not even
one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they
have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they
do not know.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18...and many others).
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is calling unholy that which is holy, that is, rejecting the
saving work of the Holy Spirit as unnecessary, a sham, a "fairy tale". It is the Holy Spirit who
pricks the conscience, opening up the person's spirit to the awareness of its state of death. The
person can, at that point, obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit and repent, accept the Lord Jesus
as his savior and God as his father and be saved, or he can reject it. He can accept or reject
perhaps many times throughout his life, but one thing is clear: There comes a point, known only
to God, when the Holy Spirit will stop striving after the person's soul. I believe this usually
happens at death, when there is no more opportunity to be saved; but it can happen earlier (as
with Pharaoh or Judas). Here is a good summation of the sin: UNPARD

"Louis Berkhof said this of the unpardonable sin: 'In those who have committed this sin we may
therefore expect to find a pronounced hatred to God, a defiant attitude to Him and all that is
divine, delight in ridiculing and slandering that which is holy, and absolute unconcern respecting
the welfare of their soul and the future life. In view of the fact that this sin is not followed by
repentance, we may be reasonably sure that they who fear that they have committed it and
worry about this, and who desire the prayers of others for them, have not committed it.' "
(Systematic Theology, pp. 253-254.) I have emphasized this final sentence for your benefit. I
went through a similar phase once and was told by a wise pastor that the simple fact that I was
worried that I might be guilty of committing the unpardonable sin was proof that I had not!

Whatever sins in your life, I encourage you to confess them; to God if they are against him only;
to individuals and God if they are against persons; make restitution if necessary, and repent. "If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John
1:8-9

Don't be afraid. God loves you immensely, and has provided a way out for you. Accept it and
move on. Grow. I wish you well with many prayers! God bless you!

3.2k Views · 15 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

David McKay, generic Christian who sees the teachings of Jesus as the missing cornerstone

Answered 97w ago

I've been through the seven answers that were here when I arrived, and only one appealed to me.
That's the one that says that if you feel worried about your relationship with God it probably
means that the Holy Spirit is still dealing with you, and so you still have hope.

But I think there is another aspect of the answer that has not (at least so far) been mentioned.
Notice that Jesus said that we could say anything we like against him and be forgiven. In other
words, you can genuinely think that Jesus was a total imposter and still be forgiven for that. He
accepted that some people might not feel they had enough evidence yet to accept him.

But there is this other thing, that is, the voice of God speaking inside of you. At some point, the
Holy Spirit (or just genuine honesty, if you like) starts to tell you that this guy really is telling the
truth, that he needs to be taken more seriously, that he really is who he claims to be. That voice
is the Holy Spirit, and if you put up the barriers to the Holy Spirit, you cut off your hope of being
forgiven.

If you deny the truth at any one point in your life, it will soon spread, and eventually you will
end up a total mess. No matter how much God wants to forgive you, that decision to gag the
Holy Spirit blocks you from ever receiving forgiveness. He won't force you to back off.

On the other hand, if you realise at some stage that this decision to deny the truth is not working,
and you are just getting more and more lost, then you can choose to STOP resisting the Holy
Spirit. When you do that, you open the door for God to come to you, not only with the truth, but
also with forgiveness.

I realise that this explanation fails in one tiny area with regard to the passage, but I think it's
probably more to do with translations and interpretations. That area is the assumption that even
if you are sorry for having blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and even if you beg God for forgiveness,
he won't give it... because of what the verse says. Nevertheless, I'm saying that if you are sorry
and if you beg for forgiveness, then it must be the Holy Spirit which is leading you to do that,
and that it makes sense that it's only WHILE you are gagging the Spirit (as the Pharisees did
when they argued that Jesus was of the devil even after the Holy Spirit had revealed the truth to
them) that you can never be forgiven; whereas listening to the Holy Spirit and being forgiven are
almost instantaneously linked.

To be sure, we have all resisted the Holy Spirit at times, and the passage is a dilemma for
virtually all Christians because it seems obvious that there are degrees, and so we would all
naturally worry about where the line is after which forgiveness is never going to be available.
But, to restate my position, I'm saying that at ANY stage, forgiveness is NEVER going to be
available while we're resisting (or "blaspheming") the Holy Spirit, but that it WILL be available
when we STOP resisting the Holy Spirit.

And just one last sobering thought. That is that the longer we resist the Holy Spirit, the less
likely it becomes that we will ever change, because we build up habits that are hard to break, and
we sear our conscience until it eventually won't operate at all.

1.1k Views · 6 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Lazarus Kotum, Former atheist....!!!

Answered 97w ago

Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for (a) God(s), to religious or
holy persons or sacred things, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable.

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 such sins
as cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God. It is also attributing some evil to God, or
denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him. This case of blasphemy, however, is a specific
one, called "the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" in Matthew 12:31. In Matthew 12:31-32, the
Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy
Spirit, claimed instead that the Lord was possessed by the demon "Beelzebub" (Matthew 12:24). Now
notice that in Mark 3:30Jesus is very specific about what they did to commit "blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit."

This blasphemy has to do with someone accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of
Spirit-filled. As a result, this particular incidence of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be
duplicated today. Jesus Christ is not on earth"He is seated at the right hand of God. No one can witness
Jesus Christ performing a miracle and then attribute that power to Satan instead of the Spirit. The closest
example today would be attributing the miracle of a redeemed person's changed life to Satan's power
rather than to the effects of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The blasphemy of the Spirit today, which is the same as the unpardonable sin, is the state of continued
unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief. Continual rejection of the Holy Spirit's
promptings to trust in Jesus Christ is the unpardonable blasphemy against Him. Remember what is
stated in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Further on in the same chapter is the verse
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's
wrath remains on him" (John 3:36). The only condition wherein someone would have no forgiveness is if
he is not among the "whoever believes in Him," for it is he who "rejects the Son."

http://www.gotquestions.org/blas...

Apart from this there are several other instances where christians blaspheme Holy Spirit. They
blaspheme when fellow christians speak in tongues or when they prophecy. In depth, blasphemy is a
result of we judging others. Even in the case where christians tend to judge non-believers.

456 Views · 3 Upvotes

Timothy Blaisdell, Software engineer, reader, thinker, family man

Answered 97w ago

I can't really give a definitive answer to this question, but I can offer a bit of a different
interpretation of the passage about it.

In the passage, Jesus says that "all manner of sins people commit will be forgiven them, but
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this world, or the next."

The interesting thing about this is that he's saying this to people still under the Law of Moses.
He's telling these people (and quite casually, it seems, as if it were just an unsurprising fact) that
all the sins they ever committed or will commit will be forgiven. He's still in "Old Testament
times", telling them this, before he's died and resurrected.

Now, what did Jesus come to do? Why did he have to die? The Bible says he bore the
punishment for our sin. Our sin, not sins. The iniquity of us all, not iniquities.

Sins that are forgiven don't need to be punished! Imagine if you got a letter from your bank
saying they'd "forgiven" you debt. You'd be pretty excited! But if the following month you got a
bill from them for the usual monthly payment, you'd probably be pretty upset! You don't still
have to pay on a debt that's been forgiven!

So, the point I'm trying to make is, by this logic, the reason Jesus had to die, was to take the
punishment for all of that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit everyone's been doing! Everything else
is already forgiven, after all, even before Jesus did his big thing.

And if "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is a loose translation of something like "rejecting or
refusing God's spiritual guidance", then yeah, that's pretty much what everyone does.

It's like a police officer who pulls you over and says "look, you were speeding, you don't have
your seatbelt on, your registration is out of date, your license plate is missing and you failed to
properly signal that last lane change. But I'm going to overlook all of that because the real
problem is, you're drunk."

See? Jesus is saying "look, all those sins you people do all the time aren't really the issue. God's
just decided to give you a blanket pass on all that, because the real root of the problem is not
those sins. Those are just the natural effect of the fact that you've rejected God spiritual
guidance. God only has one way to communicate with you, and it's through his spirit. You've
rejected that, and that's the one real issue God has with you." But of course, that the one thing --
the sin of the world -- is what Jesus came to help us with.

So what all this boils down to is: don't sweat it, Jesus has your back.

637 Views · 3 Upvotes

Maggie Eriksson, Pastor, Bible Scholar-Teacher, Christian Counselor 48 years

Answered 88w ago

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to renounce Him and His work, or to see His miraculous
work for good for the people of God and attribute it to Satan. You can deduce this from Jesus'
response to the Pharisee's criticism of Him at Matt. 12:22-32

"Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He
healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed ... when
the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebub the ruler of the
demons." And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is
laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. [referring to Himself as
the representative to humanity of the Kingdom of God] "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is
divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? ... "if I cast out demons by the Spirit
of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you... Therefore I say to you, any sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And
whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall
speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him."

497 Views

Jonathan Javid, Lifelong Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Answered 93w ago

Answer from an LDS perspective:

“Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms “denying
the Holy Ghost” or “the unpardonable sin.” Other scriptures provide further understanding of the
unpardonable sin (see Hebrews 6:4–6; D&C 29:43–45; 76:30–37; 88:32).

The Prophet Joseph Smith defined this blasphemy: “What must a man do to commit the
unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and
know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no
repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to
deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of
salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy” (in
History of the Church, 6:314).
 President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) noted that few will commit this sin: “The sin
against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and
file [members of the Church] to commit such a sin” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 123).

President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles similarly reassured Church
members: “Save for those few who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no
habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of
complete forgiveness” (“The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 19).

The Joseph Smith Translation makes clear that in Matthew 12:43–45, the Savior is discussing the
sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, for when a person commits this sin, the Holy Ghost
does not return to him:

“Then came some of the scribes and said unto him, Master, it is written that, Every sin shall be
forgiven; but ye say, Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven. And they
asked him, saying, How can these things be?

“And he said unto them, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest and findeth none; but when a man speaketh against the Holy Ghost, then he
saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth him
empty, swept and garnished; for the good spirit leaveth him unto himself” (Joseph Smith
Translation, Matthew 12:37–38 [in the Bible appendix]).

348 Views · 2 Upvotes

David Bailey, Seeking lasting joy

Answered 95w ago

The Holy Ghost is the method by which God speaks to our hearts. Angels and even Jesus Christ
are externally perceived beings, but the Holy Ghost testifies of God within us. (Not that speaking
with an angel or Christ wouldn't also be accompanied by the Holy Spirit... obviously, it would.)

Once we understand God to the extent that we no longer just believe, but know him, and we
willfully turn our back on him, we commit the unpardonable sin. There are actually very few in
the history of the world that could ever have committed this sin.

It is very good that it is so difficult to commit this sin, because if all it took was a little disrespect,
or even great disrespect, very few of us would ever qualify for forgiveness.

We all profane the holy things of God. We all sin, we all treat God's Spirit as nothing at times in
our lives, however much we may wish otherwise and repentance we perform later. This is what it
means to be a fallen and imperfect mortal.
There is a scripture that states, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man."
In other words, if you turn away from God long enough, you will no longer feel God's Spirit
trying to teach you. Now this is not the unpardonable sin, but having the Holy Spirit strive with
or teach us is surely one way to know we have not committed it.

And that is certainly one way of knowing. If you follow God's commandments, learn of him
through his holy scriptures, and feel his peace and love, or feel bad about something wrong that
you have done, then you can be sure that you have not committed the unpardonable sin.

508 Views · 3 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Related Questions
 Can the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit be committed today, and can it be committed in
thought?
 What is the meaning of the unforgivable sin, "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" mentioned in
the Bible?

 Luke 12-10 how do you speak blasphemy on the holy spirit ? Examples..

 If I stop believing in God and then start to believe again, is that blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit?

 How do we know that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be committed today?

 Have I blasphemed the Holy Spirit?

 I am 16 and I committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I don't know what to do! I feel pretty
hopeless. Any advice?

 Doesn't the idea that the Holy Spirit somehow impregnated Mary go against science?

 What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

 Why is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit unpardonable?

What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and how do I know

I've not committed it?
33 Answers

Linne DVhee, Am a Messianic/Christian

Answered 94w ago

If you claim that something attributed to God is of the devil, instead, or something of the devil is
of God but it is not of God, you have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is also,
usually, called reprobate sin, where one's attitude or spirit sees as dark what is of the light, and
what is the light, as darkness. That person with such a condition or state would not repent nor
could he/she repent, thus, belief that would save him/her remains unavailable to her/him.

In ancient times, the (hybrid) people of Noah's period committed this, and only Noah and
family were saved in the ark. In Lot's period, only he and his children were saved, for his wife
from the deadly Sodom and Gomorrah backtracked...and in Yshuo's time, the pharisees and their
supporters who chose to undermine His work with the demonized and the sick (by helping them
etc.) were examples of a reprobate attitude/mind. They were guilty of sin against the holy Spirit
of God. If you say something good is evil and something evil is good, and even injure someone
for it, you are reprobate and guilty of this sin against God's Spirit.

To disbelieve is already sad, but to choose to insult so as to keep disbelieving is ,indeed a

violation that recognizes no mercy even if it be extended, and so, thus, no mercy/forgiveness is
ever meted out, not now nor in the age/s to come. As Yshuo said. (Mark 3:29)

IF you haven't done any of the above, then I wish you well. You can follow the cautions so as to
ensure that it could ever happen to you.

2.2k Views · 8 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

 Why can't you be forgiven for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
 What are some examples of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

 Who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and why do they do it?

 Is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit a one-way ticket to Hell?

 Can you be forgiven for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Ask New Question

Jon Hilderbrand, A faith much maligned and misunderstood, but "the gates of Hell will not prevail against
it!"

Updated 96w ago

First, let's look at what the Bible says. "Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and
every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven;
they are guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me
before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever
disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks
a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven."

The Holy Spirit is the person of God who convicts one of their sinful state. When a person hears
the Gospel, and understands their condition before God is one of spiritual death ("...for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23; “There is no one righteous, not even
one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they
have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they
do not know.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18...and many others).

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is calling unholy that which is holy, that is, rejecting the
saving work of the Holy Spirit as unnecessary, a sham, a "fairy tale". It is the Holy Spirit who
pricks the conscience, opening up the person's spirit to the awareness of its state of death. The
person can, at that point, obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit and repent, accept the Lord Jesus
as his savior and God as his father and be saved, or he can reject it. He can accept or reject
perhaps many times throughout his life, but one thing is clear: There comes a point, known only
to God, when the Holy Spirit will stop striving after the person's soul. I believe this usually
happens at death, when there is no more opportunity to be saved; but it can happen earlier (as
with Pharaoh or Judas). Here is a good summation of the sin: UNPARD

"Louis Berkhof said this of the unpardonable sin: 'In those who have committed this sin we may
therefore expect to find a pronounced hatred to God, a defiant attitude to Him and all that is
divine, delight in ridiculing and slandering that which is holy, and absolute unconcern respecting
the welfare of their soul and the future life. In view of the fact that this sin is not followed by
repentance, we may be reasonably sure that they who fear that they have committed it and
worry about this, and who desire the prayers of others for them, have not committed it.' "
(Systematic Theology, pp. 253-254.) I have emphasized this final sentence for your benefit. I
went through a similar phase once and was told by a wise pastor that the simple fact that I was
worried that I might be guilty of committing the unpardonable sin was proof that I had not!

Whatever sins in your life, I encourage you to confess them; to God if they are against him only;
to individuals and God if they are against persons; make restitution if necessary, and repent. "If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John
1:8-9
Don't be afraid. God loves you immensely, and has provided a way out for you. Accept it and
move on. Grow. I wish you well with many prayers! God bless you!

3.2k Views · 15 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

David McKay, generic Christian who sees the teachings of Jesus as the missing cornerstone

Answered 97w ago

I've been through the seven answers that were here when I arrived, and only one appealed to me.
That's the one that says that if you feel worried about your relationship with God it probably
means that the Holy Spirit is still dealing with you, and so you still have hope.

But I think there is another aspect of the answer that has not (at least so far) been mentioned.

Notice that Jesus said that we could say anything we like against him and be forgiven. In other
words, you can genuinely think that Jesus was a total imposter and still be forgiven for that. He
accepted that some people might not feel they had enough evidence yet to accept him.

But there is this other thing, that is, the voice of God speaking inside of you. At some point, the
Holy Spirit (or just genuine honesty, if you like) starts to tell you that this guy really is telling the
truth, that he needs to be taken more seriously, that he really is who he claims to be. That voice
is the Holy Spirit, and if you put up the barriers to the Holy Spirit, you cut off your hope of being
forgiven.

If you deny the truth at any one point in your life, it will soon spread, and eventually you will
end up a total mess. No matter how much God wants to forgive you, that decision to gag the
Holy Spirit blocks you from ever receiving forgiveness. He won't force you to back off.

On the other hand, if you realise at some stage that this decision to deny the truth is not working,
and you are just getting more and more lost, then you can choose to STOP resisting the Holy
Spirit. When you do that, you open the door for God to come to you, not only with the truth, but
also with forgiveness.

I realise that this explanation fails in one tiny area with regard to the passage, but I think it's
probably more to do with translations and interpretations. That area is the assumption that even
if you are sorry for having blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and even if you beg God for forgiveness,
he won't give it... because of what the verse says. Nevertheless, I'm saying that if you are sorry
and if you beg for forgiveness, then it must be the Holy Spirit which is leading you to do that,
and that it makes sense that it's only WHILE you are gagging the Spirit (as the Pharisees did
when they argued that Jesus was of the devil even after the Holy Spirit had revealed the truth to
them) that you can never be forgiven; whereas listening to the Holy Spirit and being forgiven are
almost instantaneously linked.
To be sure, we have all resisted the Holy Spirit at times, and the passage is a dilemma for
virtually all Christians because it seems obvious that there are degrees, and so we would all
naturally worry about where the line is after which forgiveness is never going to be available.
But, to restate my position, I'm saying that at ANY stage, forgiveness is NEVER going to be
available while we're resisting (or "blaspheming") the Holy Spirit, but that it WILL be available
when we STOP resisting the Holy Spirit.

And just one last sobering thought. That is that the longer we resist the Holy Spirit, the less
likely it becomes that we will ever change, because we build up habits that are hard to break, and
we sear our conscience until it eventually won't operate at all.

1.1k Views · 6 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Lazarus Kotum, Former atheist....!!!

Answered 97w ago

Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for (a) God(s), to religious or
holy persons or sacred things, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable.

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 such sins
as cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God. It is also attributing some evil to God, or
denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him. This case of blasphemy, however, is a specific
one, called "the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" in Matthew 12:31. In Matthew 12:31-32, the
Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy
Spirit, claimed instead that the Lord was possessed by the demon "Beelzebub" (Matthew 12:24). Now
notice that in Mark 3:30Jesus is very specific about what they did to commit "blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit."

This blasphemy has to do with someone accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of
Spirit-filled. As a result, this particular incidence of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be
duplicated today. Jesus Christ is not on earth"He is seated at the right hand of God. No one can witness
Jesus Christ performing a miracle and then attribute that power to Satan instead of the Spirit. The closest
example today would be attributing the miracle of a redeemed person's changed life to Satan's power
rather than to the effects of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The blasphemy of the Spirit today, which is the same as the unpardonable sin, is the state of continued
unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief. Continual rejection of the Holy Spirit's
promptings to trust in Jesus Christ is the unpardonable blasphemy against Him. Remember what is
stated in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Further on in the same chapter is the verse
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's
wrath remains on him" (John 3:36). The only condition wherein someone would have no forgiveness is if
he is not among the "whoever believes in Him," for it is he who "rejects the Son."

http://www.gotquestions.org/blas...

Apart from this there are several other instances where christians blaspheme Holy Spirit. They
blaspheme when fellow christians speak in tongues or when they prophecy. In depth, blasphemy is a
result of we judging others. Even in the case where christians tend to judge non-believers.

456 Views · 3 Upvotes

Timothy Blaisdell, Software engineer, reader, thinker, family man

Answered 97w ago

I can't really give a definitive answer to this question, but I can offer a bit of a different
interpretation of the passage about it.

In the passage, Jesus says that "all manner of sins people commit will be forgiven them, but
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this world, or the next."

The interesting thing about this is that he's saying this to people still under the Law of Moses.
He's telling these people (and quite casually, it seems, as if it were just an unsurprising fact) that
all the sins they ever committed or will commit will be forgiven. He's still in "Old Testament
times", telling them this, before he's died and resurrected.

Now, what did Jesus come to do? Why did he have to die? The Bible says he bore the
punishment for our sin. Our sin, not sins. The iniquity of us all, not iniquities.

Sins that are forgiven don't need to be punished! Imagine if you got a letter from your bank
saying they'd "forgiven" you debt. You'd be pretty excited! But if the following month you got a
bill from them for the usual monthly payment, you'd probably be pretty upset! You don't still
have to pay on a debt that's been forgiven!

So, the point I'm trying to make is, by this logic, the reason Jesus had to die, was to take the
punishment for all of that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit everyone's been doing! Everything else
is already forgiven, after all, even before Jesus did his big thing.

And if "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is a loose translation of something like "rejecting or
refusing God's spiritual guidance", then yeah, that's pretty much what everyone does.
It's like a police officer who pulls you over and says "look, you were speeding, you don't have
your seatbelt on, your registration is out of date, your license plate is missing and you failed to
properly signal that last lane change. But I'm going to overlook all of that because the real
problem is, you're drunk."

See? Jesus is saying "look, all those sins you people do all the time aren't really the issue. God's
just decided to give you a blanket pass on all that, because the real root of the problem is not
those sins. Those are just the natural effect of the fact that you've rejected God spiritual
guidance. God only has one way to communicate with you, and it's through his spirit. You've
rejected that, and that's the one real issue God has with you." But of course, that the one thing --
the sin of the world -- is what Jesus came to help us with.

So what all this boils down to is: don't sweat it, Jesus has your back.

637 Views · 3 Upvotes

Maggie Eriksson, Pastor, Bible Scholar-Teacher, Christian Counselor 48 years

Answered 88w ago

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to renounce Him and His work, or to see His miraculous
work for good for the people of God and attribute it to Satan. You can deduce this from Jesus'
response to the Pharisee's criticism of Him at Matt. 12:22-32

"Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He
healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed ... when
the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebub the ruler of the
demons." And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is
laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. [referring to Himself as
the representative to humanity of the Kingdom of God] "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is
divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? ... "if I cast out demons by the Spirit
of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you... Therefore I say to you, any sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And
whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall
speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him."

Answer from an LDS perspective:

“Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms “denying
the Holy Ghost” or “the unpardonable sin.” Other scriptures provide further understanding of the
unpardonable sin (see Hebrews 6:4–6; D&C 29:43–45; 76:30–37; 88:32).
The Prophet Joseph Smith defined this blasphemy: “What must a man do to commit the
unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and
know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no
repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to
deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of
salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy” (in
History of the Church, 6:314).

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) noted that few will commit this sin: “The sin
against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and
file [members of the Church] to commit such a sin” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 123).

President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles similarly reassured Church
members: “Save for those few who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no
habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of
complete forgiveness” (“The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 19).

The Joseph Smith Translation makes clear that in Matthew 12:43–45, the Savior is discussing the
sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, for when a person commits this sin, the Holy Ghost
does not return to him:

“Then came some of the scribes and said unto him, Master, it is written that, Every sin shall be
forgiven; but ye say, Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven. And they
asked him, saying, How can these things be?

“And he said unto them, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest and findeth none; but when a man speaketh against the Holy Ghost, then he
saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth him
empty, swept and garnished; for the good spirit leaveth him unto himself” (Joseph Smith
Translation, Matthew 12:37–38 [in the Bible appendix]).

348 Views · 2 Upvotes

The Holy Ghost is the method by which God speaks to our hearts. Angels and even Jesus Christ
are externally perceived beings, but the Holy Ghost testifies of God within us. (Not that speaking
with an angel or Christ wouldn't also be accompanied by the Holy Spirit... obviously, it would.)

Once we understand God to the extent that we no longer just believe, but know him, and we
willfully turn our back on him, we commit the unpardonable sin. There are actually very few in
the history of the world that could ever have committed this sin.

It is very good that it is so difficult to commit this sin, because if all it took was a little disrespect,
or even great disrespect, very few of us would ever qualify for forgiveness.
We all profane the holy things of God. We all sin, we all treat God's Spirit as nothing at times in
our lives, however much we may wish otherwise and repentance we perform later. This is what it
means to be a fallen and imperfect mortal.

There is a scripture that states, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man."
In other words, if you turn away from God long enough, you will no longer feel God's Spirit
trying to teach you. Now this is not the unpardonable sin, but having the Holy Spirit strive with
or teach us is surely one way to know we have not committed it.

And that is certainly one way of knowing. If you follow God's commandments, learn of him
through his holy scriptures, and feel his peace and love, or feel bad about something wrong that
you have done, then you can be sure that you have not committed the unpardonable sin.

508 Views · 3 Upvotes · Answer requested by Austin Hawkins

Related Questions
 Can the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit be committed today, and can it be committed in
thought?
 What is the meaning of the unforgivable sin, "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" mentioned in
the Bible?

 Luke 12-10 how do you speak blasphemy on the holy spirit ? Examples..

 If I stop believing in God and then start to believe again, is that blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit?

 How do we know that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be committed today?

 Have I blasphemed the Holy Spirit?

 I am 16 and I committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I don't know what to do! I feel pretty
hopeless. Any advice?

 Doesn't the idea that the Holy Spirit somehow impregnated Mary go against science?

 What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

 Why is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit unpardonable?

WHAT ARE THE SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND HOW CAN
ABORTION FEED INTO EACH?

The six sins against the Holy Spirit are listed below. We’ll begin with the most well-known one
of all.

1. Final Impenitence
When someone thinks of sinning specifically against the Holy Spirit, the one, unforgivable sin
most often comes to mind.

Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever
blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,
but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:28-30).

What is this one, unforgivable sin? What does it mean to blaspheme against the Third
Member of the Trinity?

The answer is final impenitence.

This occurs when someone just refuses to accept forgiveness and mercy for the sins they have
committed. The person is unwilling to allow the Holy Spirit to free them from the bondage of
their sin.

Most often, it seems, this type of person believes she is unworthy to be forgiven.

It is easy to see how this applies to abortion.

I have read of mothers who have obtained abortions and have refused to see a priest or a
minister. On their deathbed, they express their regret over choosing to put their own children to
death.

They know, in their heart, it violates their natural order as women. They think they must pay
for what they did… in the next lifetime. God, have mercy on such folks.

The humanity of the unborn is undeniable at this point. With 3D ultrasounds, premature
babies surviving at greater rates than ever before, and so forth, no one can pretend not to know.

2. Presumption

The next of the sins against the Holy Spirit is just the opposite of the first.

When someone presumes the forgiveness of God, they sin gravely. They know God is
merciful, so they sin deliberately. They presuppose His mercy.

But in so doing, they do not obtain God’s mercy, but rather his wrath.

For, in order to obtain forgiveness, one needs to say one is sorry. A presumptuous person is
not contrite for his sin, but revels in it.

Such a person will not only remain guilty of the sin committed, but also the sin of presumption.
In place of being rendered free of guilt, he finds himself guilty of twice as many sins.
Applying this to the abortion industry, think of those who give counsel to pregnant mothers. I
have heard stories of abortion clinic counselors dealing with faith-filled girls.

The girls express doubt that they are doing the right thing. Sometimes the counsel they receive in
return is that God is merciful, so He’ll forgive them anyway.

3. Despair

The third of the sins against the Holy Spirit is a lot like the first. To despair is a sin against the
Holy Spirit. To despair means to lose hope.

Hope is a theological virtue whereby one confidently expects to obtain a future good.

Those considering abortion can despair in their circumstances. In fact, that is why a vast
majority of them seek an abortion in the first place.

Such women can think there is no way out of their poverty, or difficult situation, so abortion
seems like a possible solution. It never turns out that way, of course.

4. Resisting the Known Truth

Jesus told His apostles, shortly before ascending to Heaven, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

The Holy Spirit’s job is to lead all men to the truth.

Yet, as the cliché goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

The humanity of the unborn is undeniable at this point. With 3D ultrasounds, premature
babies surviving at greater rates than ever before, and so forth, no one can pretend not to know.

Yet some people just assume keep their heads stuck in the sand. In turn, they advocate for
murdering children. As if that could possibly solve a single problem in our human condition.

5. Envy of Another’s Spiritual Good

Be happy with what you get. Contentment is a lost virtue in our culture.

Watch television commercials or listen to the Democrats speak for five minutes. What do you
hear?

You’re told you ought to be envious. You don’t have that supermodel’s good looks. Buy Product
X to change that. Or, you don’t have the Top One-Percent’s wealth. Vote Democrat, so they can
rob Peter to pay Paul.
The abortion industry and their supporters impugn those of high character and good
morals. They know their advocacy for child murder makes them spiritually deprived.

Rather than rejoice at others’ good fortunes, they try to convince everyone not to listen to pro-
lifers of good will.

One of my favorite Bible verses comes to mind:

“A friend will not be known in good times, and an enemy will not be hidden in adversity”
(Sirach 12:8).

6. Obstinacy in Sin

The last of the sins against the Holy Spirit includes those obstinate enough to remain in their sin.

Rather than have the humility to admit she is wrong and needs to repent, she persists.

This gives the Holy Spirit no room in which to work. It pushes Him out completely. The person’s
pride grows, as well.

Those in the abortion industry who publicly stump for their baby-killing ways come to mind. Not
only are they unwilling to stop themselves, but their guilt for their misdeeds compels them
to justify themselves for everyone to hear.

It is the Big Lie they tell themselves. They repeat to themselves over and over, almost convincing
themselves it is true.

YOUR TURN

So, have you run into people who have committed any of these sins against the Holy Spirit?
What examples come to mind for you (without naming names)?
I look forward to hearing from you below on any of your thoughts on this topic!

Have You Sinned Against the Holy Spirit?

“There is a sin that does incur death.”—1 JOHN 5:16.

1, 2. How do we know that it is possible to sin against God’s holy spirit?

“I HAVE been obsessed with the thought that I have sinned against the holy spirit.” So wrote a
woman in Germany, although she was serving God. Can a Christian actually sin against God’s
holy spirit, or active force?
2
Yes, it is possible to sin against Jehovah’s holy spirit. “Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be
forgiven men,” said Jesus Christ, “but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven.”
(Matthew 12:31) We are warned: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate
knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful
expectation of judgment.” (Hebrews 10:26, 27) And the apostle John wrote: “There is a sin that
does incur death.” (1 John 5:16) But is it left to the one who has sinned seriously to determine
whether he has committed “a sin that does incur death”?

Repentance Brings Forgiveness

3. What is likely true if we are deeply grieved over a sin we have committed?
3
Jehovah is the final Judge of wrongdoers. Indeed, all of us must render an account to him, and
he always does what is right. (Genesis 18:25; Romans 14:12) Jehovah determines whether we
have committed an unforgivable sin, and he can withdraw his spirit from us. (Psalm 51:11)
However, if we are deeply grieved over a sin we have committed, it is very likely that we are
truly repentant. What, though, is genuine repentance?

4. (a) How would you define repentance? (b) What is so comforting about Psalm 103:10-14?
4
To repent means that we change our attitude toward past or intended wrongdoing. It means that
we feel sorrow or regret and turn away from a sinful course. If we have sinned seriously but have
taken the necessary steps to show that we have really repented, we can draw comfort from the
psalmist’s words: “He [Jehovah] has not done to us even according to our sins; nor according to
our errors has he brought upon us what we deserve. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
his loving-kindness is superior toward those fearing him. As far off as the sunrise is from the
sunset, so far off from us he has put our transgressions. As a father shows mercy to his sons,
Jehovah has shown mercy to those fearing him. For he himself well knows the formation of us,
remembering that we are dust.”—Psalm 103:10-14.

5, 6. Give the substance of 1 John 3:19-22, and explain the meaning of the apostle’s words.
5
Comforting, too, are the apostle John’s words: “By this we shall know that we originate with the
truth, and we shall assure our hearts before him as regards whatever our hearts may condemn us
in, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Beloved ones, if our hearts do
not condemn us, we have freeness of speech toward God; and whatever we ask we receive from
him, because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in
his eyes.”—1 John 3:19-22.
6
We “know that we originate with the truth” by the fact that we display brotherly love and do not
make a practice of sinning. (Psalm 119:11) If we feel condemned for some reason, we do well to
remember that “God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.” Jehovah shows us mercy
because he is aware of our “unhypocritical brotherly affection,” our battle against sin, and our
efforts to do his will. (1 Peter 1:22) Our heart will “not condemn us” if we trust in Jehovah,
display brotherly love, and are not guilty of practicing deliberate sin. We will have “freeness of
speech toward God” in prayer, and he will answer us because we observe his commandments.

They Sinned Against the Spirit

7. What determines whether a sin is forgivable or not?
7
What sins are not forgiven? To answer this question, let us consider some Biblical examples.
This should prove comforting to us if we are repentant but are still sorely distressed over our
serious errors. We will see that it is not so much a matter of what kind of sin a person has
committed; rather, it is the motive, the heart condition, and the degree of willfulness involved
that determines whether a sin is forgivable or not.

8. How did some first-century Jewish religious leaders sin against the holy spirit?
8
First-century Jewish religious leaders who maliciously opposed Jesus Christ were sinning
against the holy spirit. They saw God’s spirit at work in Jesus as he performed miracles that
honored Jehovah. Yet, these enemies of Christ attributed this power to Satan the Devil.
According to Jesus, those who thus blasphemed against God’s holy spirit were thereby
committing a sin that would not be forgiven in the present “system of things nor in that to
come.”—Matthew 12:22-32.

9. What is blasphemy, and what did Jesus say about it?

9
Blasphemy is defamatory, injurious, or abusive speech. Since the holy spirit has God as its
Source, saying things against his spirit is the same as speaking against Jehovah. Unrepentantly
resorting to speech of that kind is unforgivable. Jesus’ words about such sin show that Jesus is
referring to those who willfully oppose the operation of God’s holy spirit. Because Jehovah’s
spirit was at work in Jesus but his opposers ascribed this power to the Devil, they sinfully
blasphemed against the spirit. Hence, Jesus declared: “Whoever blasphemes against the holy
spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.”—Mark 3:20-29.

10. Why did Jesus call Judas “the son of destruction”?

10
Consider also the case of Judas Iscariot. He pursued a dishonest course, stealing from the
money box entrusted to his care. (John 12:5, 6) Judas later went to the Jewish rulers and arranged
to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Yes, Judas felt remorse after the betrayal, but he never
repented of his deliberate sin. Consequently, Judas is not worthy of a resurrection. Jesus
therefore called him “the son of destruction.”—John 17:12; Matthew 26:14-16.

They Did Not Sin Against the Spirit

11-13. How did King David sin in connection with Bath-sheba, and what comfort may be drawn
from the way God dealt with them?
11
Occasionally, Christians who have confessed their serious sin and who have received spiritual
help from congregation elders may still be plagued by concern over past transgressions of God’s
law. (James 5:14) If we are personally troubled in this way, very likely we will benefit from
considering what the Scriptures say about those whose sins were forgiven.
12
King David sinned gravely in connection with Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah. Having seen this
beautiful woman bathing as he looked down from his nearby rooftop, David had her brought to
his palace and had sexual relations with her. Later informed that she was pregnant, he schemed to
have her husband, Uriah, sleep with her to cover up the adultery. When that plot failed, the king
arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle. Thereafter, Bath-sheba became David’s wife and bore
him a child who died.—2 Samuel 11:1-27.
13
Jehovah handled matters involving David and Bath-sheba. God forgave David, apparently
taking into account such factors as his repentance and the Kingdom covenant made with him.
(2 Samuel 7:11-16; 12:7-14) Bath-sheba evidently had a repentant attitude, for she was
privileged to become the mother of King Solomon and an ancestress of Jesus Christ. (Matthew
1:1, 6, 16) If we have sinned, it is good to remember that Jehovah takes note of our repentant
attitude.

14. How is the extent of God’s forgiveness illustrated in King Manasseh’s case?
14
The extent of Jehovah’s forgiveness is also illustrated in the case of King Manasseh of Judah.
He did what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. Manasseh set up altars to Baal, worshipped “all the army
of the heavens,” and even built altars to false gods in two temple courtyards. He made his sons
pass through the fire, encouraged spiritistic practices, and caused the inhabitants of Judah and
Jerusalem “to do worse than the nations that Jehovah had annihilated from before the sons of
Israel.” The warnings delivered by God’s prophets were not heeded. Eventually, the king of
Assyria took Manasseh captive. While in captivity, Manasseh repented and humbly kept praying
to God, who forgave him and restored him to the kingship in Jerusalem, where he promoted true
worship.—2 Chronicles 33:2-17.

15. What incident in the apostle Peter’s life shows that Jehovah forgives “in a large way”?
15
Centuries later, the apostle Peter sinned grievously by denying Jesus. (Mark 14:30, 66-72)
However, Jehovah forgave Peter “in a large way.” (Isaiah 55:7) Why? Because Peter was
genuinely repentant. (Luke 22:62) There was clear evidence of God’s forgiveness when on the
day of Pentecost, Peter was privileged to give a bold witness about Jesus. (Acts 2:14-36) Is there
any reason to believe that God would be less forgiving toward truly repentant Christians today?
“If errors were what you watch, O Jah, O Jehovah, who could stand?” sang the psalmist, “for
there is the true forgiveness with you.”—Psalm 130:3, 4.

Allaying Fear About Sin

16. Under what circumstances does God grant forgiveness?

16
The foregoing examples should help to allay our anxiety about having sinned against the holy
spirit. They show that Jehovah does forgive repentant sinners. Of prime importance is earnest
prayer to God. If we have sinned, we can plead for forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ ransom
sacrifice, Jehovah’s mercy, our inherited imperfection, and our record of faithful service.
Knowing Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, we can seek forgiveness, confident that it will be
granted.—Ephesians 1:7.
17. What should be done if we have sinned and need spiritual help?
17
What if we have sinned but are unable to pray because our sin has made us spiritually sick? In
this regard, the disciple James wrote: “Let [such a person] call the older men of the congregation
to him, and let them pray over him, greasing him with oil in the name of Jehovah. And the prayer
of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has
committed sins, it will be forgiven him.”—James 5:14, 15.

18. Why is a person’s sin not necessarily unforgivable even if he is expelled from the
congregation?
18
Even if a wrongdoer is at the time unrepentant and he is expelled from the congregation, his sin
is not necessarily unforgivable. Concerning a disfellowshipped anointed wrongdoer in Corinth,
Paul wrote: “This rebuke given by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the
contrary now, you should kindly forgive and comfort him, that somehow such a man may not be
swallowed up by his being overly sad.” (2 Corinthians 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5) To be restored
spiritually, however, erring ones need to accept the Bible-based spiritual help of Christian elders
and give evidence of true repentance. They must “produce fruits that befit repentance.”—Luke
3:8.

19. What can help us to remain “healthy in faith”?

19
What might contribute to the feeling that we have sinned against the holy spirit?
Overconscientiousness or a weak physical condition may be factors. In such a case, prayer and
added rest may be helpful. Especially should we not let Satan discourage us, so that we stop
serving God. Since Jehovah has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, he surely takes no delight
in the loss of any of his servants. So if we fear that we have sinned against the spirit, we should
continue feeding on God’s Word, including such comforting portions as the Psalms. We need to
keep on attending congregation meetings and sharing in the Kingdom-preaching work. Doing so
will help us to be “healthy in faith” and free from anxiety over the possibility of having
committed the unforgivable sin.—Titus 2:2.

20. What reasoning may help a person to see that he has not sinned against the holy spirit?
20
Any who fear that they have sinned against the holy spirit might ask themselves: ‘Have I
blasphemed against the holy spirit? Did I genuinely repent of my sin? Do I have faith in God’s
forgiveness? Am I an apostate who has rejected spiritual light?’ Very likely, such individuals will
realize that they have not blasphemed against God’s holy spirit, nor have they become apostates.
They are repentant, and they have abiding faith in Jehovah’s forgiveness. If so, they have not
sinned against Jehovah’s holy spirit.

21. The next article will deal with what questions?

21
What a blessing it is to be certain that we have not sinned against the holy spirit! Related to this
matter, however, are questions to be considered in the next article. For instance, we might ask
ourselves: ‘Am I really being led by God’s holy spirit? Is its fruitage evident in my life?’
What Is Your Reply?

• Why can we say that it is possible to sin against the holy spirit?

• What does it mean to repent?

• Who sinned against the spirit when Jesus was on earth?

• How can anxiety about having committed an unforgivable sin be overcome?

[Picture on page 17]

Those who said that Jesus performed miracles with Satan’s power sinned against God’s holy
spirit

[Picture on page 18]

Although he denied Jesus, Peter did not commit an unforgivable sin

uestion
What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Have I committed this sin? Can I be forgiven?

Answer
Thank you for your interesting and honest enquiry about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
This sin was spoken of by Jesus himself, recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke in these ways:

"Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy
against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will
be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or
in the age to come". (Matthew 12:31)

"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they
utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an
eternal sin"— for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:28)

"And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will
acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied
before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be
forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven". (Luke 12:8)
Two things are clear in these verses. The first is that 'every sin and blasphemy' can be forgiven by
God if we repent of doing it. This is the plain teaching of the Bible. For example, the apostle
John said

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:8)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2)

There is no such thing as a sin from which we cannot repent even if we want to; any sin of which
we repent to God will definitely be forgiven.

So, what is this 'blasphemy' against the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven? The word
'blasphemy' means in the Bible 'to speak against' or 'to defy'. To defy the Holy Spirit is to reject
fundamentally His work in our lives to bring us to repentance and faith, that is, salvation. Jesus
described this work of the Holy Spirit by saying that "when he comes, he will convict the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgement" (John 16:8). In other words, the Holy Spirit
reveals to us that we are sinners, tells us the righteous way we should take to find and know God,
and convinces us that God will one day judge us if we refuse to listen.

The sin against the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven is, therefore, to reject the gospel by
refusing to repent from sin and place our trust in Jesus for salvation.

Imagine that you are a bully and your parents or brothers and sisters told you again and again
about it as you grew up. Then you get married and your husband or wife experiences your
behaviour and they tell you again and again about it. Imagine that you know deep down they are
all right, but as the years go by you justify yourself and tell yourself over and over again that the
problem is not in you but in everyone else being stubborn when you try to force them to do what
you want. By the time you are old, nobody tries to tell you any more because everyone around
you knows you have hardened your heart against the truth and you refuse to face it. Then
imagine the day you die and even the people who loved you say to each other, 'He would never
listen.' That's like the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. You know deep down that you are a
sinner in need of God's forgiveness and that the way to find it is to accept the salvation offered to
you by Christ through his death on the cross for your sins. But you harden your heart against
God's voice over and over again and so it goes on till the day you die. Then it is too late to repent
because you have finally defied the voice of the Holy Spirit, deciding that it wasn't the voice of
God at all.

It is possible that God might stop speaking to a person well before their death, having decided
that they have shown their true heart by repeatedly refusing to turn to Jesus for salvation. No-one
knows if or when that might happen, but it is certainly unsafe to assume that it never will; that
there will always be a 'tomorrow' with God in this way. God's day is always 'today' and God's
time is always 'now'.
In summary, all of our sins will be forgiven is we are truly repentant of them; that we turn our
back on our old ways. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is when a person rejects the gospel of
Jesus Christ and refuses to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. If you have never accepted
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then I encourage you to do so today.

Here are some more Bible Verses for your further consideration:

 Hebrews 4:1-6

If you long to have peace and forgiveness from God, then turn to Christ Jesus as your Lord and
Saviour today, while the opportunity is 'now'. If you want to know more about what Jesus has
done for you please watch the video on the main part of our site: Watch the video

I encourage you to attend a local Bible believing church and speak to the leader about your
question. If you want to find a local church, our Church Finder may help you: Find a Church

Please feel free to submit a question to us or to read our answer database: Ask a Question

*All Scripture references are taken From The English Standard Version of the Holy Bible unless
stated otherwise

*If anything in this answer affects you directly, then please feel free to call our confidential
prayer line in the UK on 0845 4567729, where trained Christian volunteers will take your call
and pray both for you and with you. If you are outside of the UK then you may submit your
request for prayer on line at www.ucb.co.uk/prayerline

Lesson 24 - Holy Spirit and Unpardonable Sin

A pastor was approached by a young man who nervously asked, “May I talk with you privately?”
The pastor learned that this young man feared he had committed the unpardonable sin. He
wondered whether forgiveness was possible. Could he have gone beyond God’s mercy? This
young man is not an isolated case. Many people are perplexed regarding this vital subject. What
is the unpardonable sin? Will an individual know if and when they commit it? Why is it
unforgivable? Is there a sin so great that even God Himself cannot forgive it?

If the unpardonable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit, it is extremely important to understand
how the Holy Spirit works on our hearts. This lesson will clearly reveal what the unpardonable
sin is and how to avoid rejecting the claims of the Holy Spirit upon our lives.

1. How does Jesus describe the unpardonable sin? Matthew 12:31

Answer: The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven.
This is a fascinating Bible passage. The Pharisees attributed Jesus' miracle working power to
Beelzebub (another name for Satan) rather than God. Why did they do this? For one simple
reason. If they accepted Christ's miracles they must accept Him as divine. This would mean a
dramatic change in their lives. The unpardonable sin is not a specific sin like adultery, murder,
stealing, or cursing. Jesus clearly states "every sin" will be forgiven. The unpardonable sin is the
refusal to accept Jesus for who He is, our loving, forgiving, life-changing Savior. As we shall
discover in today's lesson, it has to do with a hardened, unrepentant heart.

2. What conditions does God list for forgiveness? Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:9

Answer: Repent, and be baptized.

All sins that are repented of and confessed will be forgiven. The unpardonable sin is not a kind of
sin. It is a degree of sin. The person refuses to repent. They close their mind to the influence of
the Holy Spirit. The unpardonable sin is a state of open rebellion in which the promptings of the
Holy Spirit are at first ignored, then resisted, and finally rejected totally until they are no longer
perceived.

3. How does the Bible describe the personality of the Holy Spirit? John 16:7, 8

Answer: When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin.

The Bible calls the Holy Spirit our "Helper" (NKJV). In three places in this passage Scripture
refers to the Holy Spirit as "Him" or "He" with the third-person pronoun. The Holy Spirit is not
an "it." The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the
Godhead.

4. How does Jesus describe the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead? Matthew
28:19

Answer: Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

5. What is the prime function of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit? John 16:8

Answer: When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin.

6. If sin is cherished and the prompting of the Spirit rejected, what ultimately occurs?
Ephesians 4:30

Answer: Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are saved.

7. When had virtually a whole generation committed the unpardonable sin? Genesis 6:3-8

Answer: And God saw that the wickedness of man was great...and every imagination of the
thoughts was only evil continually.
During the time of the Flood a whole generation rejected the pleading of the Holy Spirit.
Consequently, there was nothing more God could do. After He appealed through Noah for 120
years and sent His Spirit in mighty power, men and women made their final, irrevocable
decision. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. The Holy Spirit leads us to repentance and
confession. Whenever we resist the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, we are hardening our
hearts. Whenever we refuse to surrender sin the Holy Spirit points out that we are hardening our
hearts.

8. How was the Bible written? 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16

Answer: Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

9. What person of the Godhead leads us into the truths of God's Word? John 16:13

Answer: When He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.

The Holy Spirit revealed the truth of the Scriptures to the Bible writers. The Holy Spirit leads us
to understand these truths. It is extremely dangerous to reject any truth in God's Word. To do so
is to resist the Holy Spirit, who leads us into truth. Since the Bible was written by men and
women under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to resist any clear teaching of the Bible is to
harden the heart against the influence of God's Spirit.

10. What attitude does God desire us to have as He reveals "new" light and truth to us?
John 12:35

Answer: Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you.

The Holy Spirit has revealed many truths that are new to you in these lessons. He has led you to
an understanding of the truth about salvation, the second coming of Christ, the Sabbath, the
state of human beings in death, healthful living, baptism by immersion, God's true church, and
much, much more. It is no accident that you have studied these lessons. The Holy Spirit has
drawn you. He has revealed truth to you. He has convicted you of these scriptural truths.

11. Whom is the fullness of the Holy Spirit promised to? Acts 5:32; John 14:15, 16

Answer: ...to them that obey Him.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is given especially to those who lovingly obey God.

12. What difference does the Holy Spirit make in our lives? Galatians 5:16, 22-26

Answer: ...in the Spirit...ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh; produce the fruits of the
Spirit.

The Holy Spirit makes a dramatic difference in our lives. Through the Spirit we are convicted of
sin and led into truth. The Spirit transforms our hearts, giving us a new desire to serve God. New
power flows into our lives through the Spirit, and we are resurrected from spiritual death to
spiritual life.

13. What does the Holy Spirit write in our hearts and minds? Hebrews 10:16

Answer: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.

14. What gracious invitation does the Holy Spirit give us? Revelation 22:17

Answer: And the spirit and the Bride say, come...whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely.

The Holy Spirit invites us to give ourselves totally to God. He invites us to come with all of our
guilt, our weakness, and our doubts. When we come, He promises to give us a fresh new start in
a new life.

* Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1979, 1980, 1982
by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.