Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

[Fez]

Grace IS unconditional and wholly free, but that does not mean that God does not test us, and it certainly does not mean that God has taken His hands off of the world. God is intimately involved with every sphere of existence in this world, according to Scripture. He keeps and sustains it. Nothing happens that He is not aware of it. A corrrect understanding of grace should spur us on to holy living.

There is a difference in not believing in the modern operation of supernatural gifts (known as cessationism) and genuine unbelief. Unbelief in Scripture is tied primarily to the claims of Christ and our acceptance or rejection of His claims. A person who rejects Christ is in a state of unbelief. Skepticism by the modern Christian of modern supernatural events is not "unbelief" as the Bible uses that term.

Unbelief cannot be forgiven due to the fact that a person in unbelief is unable to repent or seek forgiveness.

Ok. I agree that nothing happens that God is not aware of. Everything, even our future actions. What is being proposed is that by taking His hands "off" He will not change the course of events, He allows us to do that, even though he knows the outcome.

[Botz]

Well I am going off of the ONLY available context that Scripture offers. We bound by that limitation in our interpretation.

There is a difference between challenging what may see as false ministries purporting to operate under the power of God and the actions of the Pharisees. The Pharisees KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why what they said was blasphemy. Blasphemy is a conscious attempt at injuring God's reputation. It is a form of slander. You cannot compare that with justified skepticism about healing and deliverance ministries due to the numerous charlatans who have operated under the auspices of Christ and claim to cast out demons, raise people from the dead and heal sicknesses only to be discovered to be frauds.

Yes I can understand the difference, but I cannot see how you can emphatically say that the Pharisee's KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit...maybe I have missed something...from what I see, just like many Orthodox Jews today...the Pharisee's and other Jewish leaders, did not believe that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah, because they wrongly interpreted the Scriptures, and were jealous that this imposter should draw so many people to Himself and his ministry.

I think we all operate out of justified skepticism in this day and age, as there are so many imposters and fraudulent ministries...although it is better to have discernment because you have hidden the word of G-d in your heart.

God is not afraid of being challenged, questioned or tested. His shoulders are broad enough to handle our skepticism at some of the supernatural things that He does. Better to test the spirits and not be led astray, than to accept what comes down the pike because some false teacher has everyone cowed in a corner afraid that they will go to hell for daring to have the temerity to challenge false teachings.

Yep...total agreement my dear brother.

[Fez]

Well I am going off of the ONLY available context that Scripture offers. We bound by that limitation in our interpretation.

There is a difference between challenging what may see as false ministries purporting to operate under the power of God and the actions of the Pharisees. The Pharisees KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why what they said was blasphemy. Blasphemy is a conscious attempt at injuring God's reputation. It is a form of slander. You cannot compare that with justified skepticism about healing and deliverance ministries due to the numerous charlatans who have operated under the auspices of Christ and claim to cast out demons, raise people from the dead and heal sicknesses only to be discovered to be frauds.

Yes I can understand the difference, but I cannot see how you can emphatically say that the Pharisee's KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit...maybe I have missed something...from what I see, just like many Orthodox Jews today...the Pharisee's and other Jewish leaders, did not believe that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah, because they wrongly interpreted the Scriptures, and were jealous that this imposter should draw so many people to Himself and his ministry.

I think we all operate out of justified skepticism in this day and age, as there are so many imposters and fraudulent ministries...although it is better to have discernment because you have hidden the word of G-d in your heart.

God is not afraid of being challenged, questioned or tested. His shoulders are broad enough to handle our skepticism at some of the supernatural things that He does. Better to test the spirits and not be led astray, than to accept what comes down the pike because some false teacher has everyone cowed in a corner afraid that they will go to hell for daring to have the temerity to challenge false teachings.

Yep...total agreement my dear brother.

I can only think of one scripture where God says "test Me". I guess it depends on ones interpretation of "testing?"

[Guest shiloh357]

Yes I can understand the difference, but I cannot see how you can emphatically say that the Pharisee's KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit...maybe I have missed something...

the committed the sin of blasphemy. Blasphemy is an intentional act of slander. It is never done on acciddent. It is always done in full knowledge of the truth. When you slander someone it is with the intent of injuring their reputation. Even in US, slander is condisdered an intentional act of malice done in the full knowledge that one is perpetrating a falsehood for the purpose of publically defaming an individual and doing so with the knowledge that such an act has the potentional to bring them to public humiliation from which they may not recover, but also to financial ruin as well. You can go to prison in the US for it.

from what I see, just like many Orthodox Jews today...the Pharisee's and other Jewish leaders, did not believe that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah, because they wrongly interpreted the Scriptures, and were jealous that this imposter should draw so many people to Himself and his ministry.

There may have been some in the pharisaical crowd about which that might have been true, but not of those who committed blasphemy. They knew what they were doing. They knew Jesus was Messiah and they hated Him for it. They were comfortable in the the posh positions provided to them by the Romans and a Messiah would upset the relationship they wanted to maintain with Rome.

[Fez]

Yes I can understand the difference, but I cannot see how you can emphatically say that the Pharisee's KNEW that Jesus was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit...maybe I have missed something...

the committed the sin of blasphemy. Blasphemy is an intentional act of slander. It is never done on acciddent. It is always done in full knowledge of the truth. When you slander someone it is with the intent of injuring their reputation. Even in US, slander is condisdered an intentional act of malice done in the full knowledge that one is perpetrating a falsehood for the purpose of publically defaming an individual and doing so with the knowledge that such an act has the potentional to bring them to public humiliation from which they may not recover, but also to financial ruin as well. You can go to prison in the US for it.

from what I see, just like many Orthodox Jews today...the Pharisee's and other Jewish leaders, did not believe that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah, because they wrongly interpreted the Scriptures, and were jealous that this imposter should draw so many people to Himself and his ministry.

There may have been some in the pharisaical crowd about which that might have been true, but not of those who committed blasphemy. They knew what they were doing. They knew Jesus was Messiah and they hated Him for it. They were comfortable in the the posh positions provided to them by the Romans and a Messiah would upset the relationship they wanted to maintain with Rome.

They knew Jesus was Messiah and they hated Him for it. They were comfortable in the the posh positions provided to them by the Romans and a Messiah would upset the relationship they wanted to maintain with Rome.

Shiloh, is this not a bit of a stretch? The Bible does not tell us that they knew He was the Messiah does it? Are you working off inference or a scripture I have missed? Not arguing brother, just interested in the way this post has been going (in a good way).

[Guest shiloh357]

Shiloh, is this not a bit of a stretch? The Bible does not tell us that they knew He was the Messiah does it?

Yes because they committed the sin of blasphemy. They knew the truth. That is why blaspemy amounts to slander. You do it in full knowledge of the truth.

[Fez]

Shiloh, is this not a bit of a stretch? The Bible does not tell us that they knew He was the Messiah does it?

Yes because they committed the sin of blasphemy. They knew the truth. That is why blaspemy amounts to slander. You do it in full knowledge of the truth.

Well the conventional wisdom points to them knowing, but scripture does not state it does it? The only inference we can draw, is because of His words, Jesus knew that they understood who He was.

[Shiloh62]

Can someone explain how one can blaspheme the holy spirit?

Good question; I think the scripture is over in Matthew, and I've pondered this question my whole adult life, hoping that I haven't committed it.

[Shiloh62]

Can someone explain how one can blaspheme the holy spirit?

First of all, no Christian can blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rooted in unbelief, thus precluding a Christian from committing it.

The only people in the Bible who committed that sin were unbelievers. There is NO record in Scripture of a Christian committing that sin, and there are no warnings to Christians in any of the epistles about that sin.

Blasphemy is an act of conscious defiance against God. To Blaspheme the Holy Spirit is a conscious and deliberate attempt to defame and injure the Holy Spirit's reputation. What's more, it is done in full knowledge of the truth.

I said that it is rooted in unbelief because it stems from a irretrievably, delibrate impenitent heart, which is also why it cannot be forgiven. The heart of a person engaged in this sin is characterized by a stubborn, unreprentent, wicked heart that will not seek forgiveness, and that is why it is unpardonable.

The only time the sin was committed was during the earthly ministry of Jesus and applies only to the context of casting out of demons. The Pharisees who were Jesus' enemies accused Jesus of operating by the power of the prince of demons AND accused Jesus of being indwelt by the prince of demons, therefore, accusing the Holy Spirit of being a demon.

This was done in full knowledge of the truth. Jesus' enemies knew JHe was operating under the power of the Holy Spirit, but they were so wicked and so completely given over to that wickedness, they deliberately defamed the Holy Spirit in order to discredit Jesus' ministry.

I feel a litle more at ease after reading this. So, as long as the Holy Spirit can convict of of our sins, that we may repent, and we are believers in Jesus Christ, we have not committed the sin, right, Shiloh?

[Guest]

The ONLY context we have in Scripture for this sin is the earthly ministry of Jesus. I am open to being wrong about the possibility of it occurring outside of that context, but I guess my biggest point is that even if it could be committed today, it cannot be committed by Christians because it is rooted in unbelief in and a rejection of Christ.

Thanks for the clarification.

I am not sure that what you have written in the passage above is entirely true, because I have seen those that believe in Jesus and preach Jesus, but have not only denied the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but also attributed the anointing and manifestations of His presence to devils because it does not fit in with their theology and experience.

I can see that this is somewhat different from the deliberate denial that some of the Jewish leaders pursued...but the emphasis is specifically on the Holy Spirit...maybe it's a work of the flesh, when those that know G-d the Father, and are saved by G-d the Son, cannot see G-d the Holy Spirit, and deny Him....again it seems the antithesis of Jesus' example of a house being divided against itself...this time the house of faith.

It's A Matter Of Trust

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. Psalms 73:25

And Of Heart

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms 42:1

See

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

Yet

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

We

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:17

Know

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

God Intimately

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Galatians 4:6

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The Joy

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Isaiah 60:1-3

Of A Glance

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:13-15

Or The Dismal Despair

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:24

Of Proud Men Walking In The Counsel And The Might Of Self-Deceit

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

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All Men Will Choose

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36

Choose Wisely

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. Jeremiah 17:7

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Merry Christmas Beloved

Love, Joe