WhenwedenythattheHolySpiritisathirddivinebeingwearecommittingtheunpardonablesin. WhereforeIsayuntoyou,Allmannerofsinandblasphemyshallbeforgivenuntomen:butthe blasphemyagainsttheHolyGhostshallnotbeforgivenuntomen.Andwhosoeverspeakethaword againsttheSonofman,itshallbeforgivenhim:butwhosoeverspeakethagainsttheHolyGhost,it shallnotbeforgivenhim,neitherinthisworld,neitherintheworldtocome.Mathew12:31,32. Whydon'tyoustoppromotingthishorriblesin?

Answer:
Thisverseisoftenmisunderstoodandmisappliedtomeanthattheunpardonablesinisrejectingthe personoftheHolySpirit.Butisthisthecorrectinterpretation?Whatdoes"blasphemyagainstthe HolyGhost"actuallymean? ThecontextofJesus'speechmustnotbeoverlooked.Letusreadthepassageinitssetting: AndJesusknewtheirthoughts,andsaiduntothem,Everykingdomdividedagainstitselfis broughttodesolation;andeverycityorhousedividedagainstitselfshallnotstand:AndifSatan castoutSatan,heisdividedagainsthimself;howshallthenhiskingdomstand?AndifIby Beelzebubcastoutdevils,bywhomdoyourchildrencastthemout?Thereforetheyshallbeyour judges.ButifIcastoutdevilsbytheSpiritofGod,thenthekingdomofGodiscomeuntoyou.Or elsehowcanoneenterintoastrongman'shouse,andspoilhisgoods,excepthefirstbindthestrong man?andthenhewillspoilhishouse.Hethatisnotwithmeisagainstme;andhethatgathereth notwithmescatterethabroad.WhereforeIsayuntoyou,Allmannerofsinandblasphemyshallbe forgivenuntomen:buttheblasphemyagainsttheHolyGhostshallnotbeforgivenuntomen. Matthew12:2531 TheparallelstoryisfoundintheGospelofMark.Thisshedsfurtherlightonthisquestion: VerilyIsayuntoyou,Allsinsshallbeforgivenuntothesonsofmen,andblasphemieswherewith soevertheyshallblaspheme:ButhethatshallblasphemeagainsttheHolyGhosthathnever forgiveness,butisindangerofeternaldamnation:Becausetheysaid,Hehathanuncleanspirit. Mark3:2830 InMark3:30wereadthatthereasonJesuspointedthepeopletotheunpardonablesinwasBecause theysaid,Hehathanuncleanspirit.AfterhealingtheblindanddeafthePhariseesaccusedJesusof castingoutdevilsbythepowerofBeelzebub(Matthew12:24),inreplytotheiraccusationJesus said: Allmannerofsinandblasphemyshallbeforgivenuntomen:buttheblasphemyagainsttheHoly Ghostshallnotbeforgivenuntomen. WhatdoesaccusingJesusofperformingmiraclesbythepowerofBeelzebubhavetodowith rejectingtheHolySpirit?WhatmovedJesustosaywhatHesaid? ItisclearthatthesinagainsttheHolySpiritiscommittedwhenoneknowinglyanddeliberately attributestheworkoftheHolySpirittoSatan.Whenthereisadeterminedandpersistentresistance totruthandevidence,thenoneissinningagainsttheHolySpirit.Theunpardonablesinisnot rejectingthepersonoftheHolySpirit,ratheritisrejectinglightandrefusingtorepentandheedthe promptingsofGod'sSpirit.BycontinuallyrejectingtorepentandtoacceptthelightthatGodhas shownourway,weareblockingGod'savenuetoreachus.Byplacingourselveswherewecannotbe reachedbyGodwecommittheunpardonablesininthatweleavenowayforGodtoreachus. SpiritofProphecy: ThesinofblasphemyagainsttheHolySpiritdoesnotlieinanysuddenwordordeed;itisthe firm,determinedresistanceoftruthandevidence(MS30,1890).{5BC1093.1} NooneneedlookuponthesinagainsttheHolyGhostassomethingmysteriousandindefinable.

ThesinagainsttheHolyGhostisthesinofpersistentrefusaltorespondtotheinvitationtorepent. {FLB58.8} Accordingtotheinspiredpen,theblasphemyagainsttheHolyGhostisthesinofpersistentrefusal torepentanddeterminedresistanceoftruthandevidence. WereadintheSpiritofProphecy: ThosewhomadethischargeagainstChristwereonperilousground.Theywerequenchingthelast rayoflightemanatingfromthethroneofGodtotheirprejudiced,benightedsouls.Jesuswarned themoftheirdanger,saying:"Allmannerofsinandblasphemyshallbeforgivenuntomen;butthe blasphemyagainsttheHolyGhostshallnotbeforgivenuntomen.Andwhosoeverspeakethaword againsttheSonofman,itshallbeforgivenhim;butwhosoeverspeakethagainsttheHolyGhost,it shallnotbeforgivenhim,neitherinthisworld,neitherintheworldtocome."{ST,October1,1896 par.5} Againweread: Byrejectingthelightthatwasshininguponthem,byrefusingtoexaminetheevidencetosee whetherthemessageswerefromheaven,thePhariseessinnedagainsttheHolyGhost.Christ,the world'sRedeemer,wasintheworld."Allthingsweremadebyhim;andwithouthimwasnot anythingmadethatwasmade.Inhimwaslife;andthelifewasthelightofmen.Andthelight shinethindarkness;andthedarknesscomprehendeditnot....Hewasintheworld,andtheworld wasmadebyhim,andtheworldknewhimnot.Hecameuntohisown,andhisownreceivedhim not."ThevoiceofhisSpiritcametothem,saying,"ThisistheSonofGod;believeonhim."But turningtheirfacesfromthelight,theyrefusedtolisten,choosing,instead,tocultivatetheirunbelief. Thusthelightwhich,ifreceived,wouldhavebeentothemasavoroflifeuntolife,rejected,became asavorofdeathuntodeath,deathtospirituality.{RH,July27,1897par.2} BrotherP,youaskifyouhavecommittedthesinwhichhasnoforgivenessinthislifeorinthelife tocome.Ianswer:Idonotseetheslightestevidencethatthisisthecase.Whatconstitutesthesin againsttheHolyGhost?ItiswillfullyattributingtoSatantheworkoftheHolySpirit.Forexample, supposethatoneisawitnessofthespecialworkoftheSpiritofGod.Hehasconvincingevidence thattheworkisinharmonywiththeScriptures,andtheSpiritwitnesseswithhisspiritthatitisof God.Afterward,however,hefallsundertemptation;pride,selfsufficiency,orsomeothereviltrait, controlshim;andrejectingalltheevidenceofitsdivinecharacter,hedeclaresthatthatwhichhe hadbeforeacknowledgedtobethepoweroftheHolySpiritwasthepowerofSatan.Itisthrough themediumofHisSpiritthatGodworksuponthehumanheart;andwhenmenwillfullyrejectthe SpiritanddeclareittobefromSatan,theycutoffthechannelbywhichGodcancommunicatewith them.BydenyingtheevidencewhichGodhasbeenpleasedtogivethem,theyshutoutthelight whichhadbeenshiningintheirhearts,andastheresulttheyareleftindarkness.Thusthewordsof Christareverified:Ifthereforethelightthatisintheebedarkness,howgreatisthatdarkness!For atime,personswhohavecommittedthissinmayappeartobechildrenofGod;butwhen circumstancesarisetodevelopcharacterandshowwhatmannerofspirittheyareof,itwillbefound thattheyareontheenemysground,standingunderhisblackbanner.{TestimoniesfortheChurch, vol.5,p.634}