Blasphemy of the Spirit...

[CaptWalker]

So I have a pretty basic understanding of this from what I have heard taught in it, even though that is very little if anything by most Bible teachers/preachers. But, I still feel like there is a lot of confusion about it, such as when you might get very angry about your circumstances and blame it on God for causing/allowing these things to happen, which to many is basically the same thing.

Anyway I myself have also verbally lashed out at God before even after I was saved, but it was more like a momentary lapse of reason kind of thing. Still the real question is what exactly did Christ mean by saying this. Because I have even heard that it's not possible to commit this sin until Antichrist is here and you take the Mark of the Beast and go along with what he will be proclaiming as far as being equal to God the Father, and thus no longer needing the Holy Spirit.

But my own interpretation as to why he said it is from what it says in Mark- 3:30... "Because they said, he has an unclean spirit." Meaning they were accusing him of being able to do miracles by being possessed. Now the way I see it unless you had done anything less than denouncing the miracles Christ performed then you are not guilty of this. But at the same time there are those like I mentioned who believe it has nothing to do with what occurred during Christ's ministry but will be something entirely different.

Now I won't mention where I heard such teachings about this but right now am really just wanting others opinions on it. Thanks...

Edited August 2, 2024 by CaptWalker

[Deborah_]

This is my take on it:

Blasphemy

“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.” (Mark 3:28,29) Sometimes called the “unforgivable sin”, it has attained considerable notoriety – and caused no little confusion over what it actually means.

First of all, what is blasphemy? It’s more than ordinary insults or angry words; it’s a deliberate attempt to destroy God’s reputation through slander. Now people blaspheme against God and against Christ all the time, very often through blindness or ignorance. These sins are serious – but not unforgivable, as the case of Paul proves. “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” (I Timothy 1:13)

So what is different about blasphemy against the Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God engaging with the world, the Person of the Trinity who works with unbelievers to convict them of sin (through their conscience), reveal Christ to them (through Scripture or the Church), and bring them to the point of repentance (see John 16:8-11). Those who set themselves against the Father or the Son are still open to the Spirit; but those who turn knowingly against the Spirit cut themselves off from the Father and the Son as well. The reason that Jesus warns the theological experts from the Jewish Sanhedrin so solemnly about the unforgivable sin is that they are in danger of committing it (note that He doesn’t actually say that they have committed it). They think that by attributing the Spirit’s work to Satan they can dismiss the claims of Jesus (Mark 3:22); but such deliberate and calculated defiance of God’s revelation is the essence of blasphemy against the Spirit.

So ‘blasphemy against the Spirit’ is a sin unlike all others. 

It is NOT the same as ‘grieving the Spirit’ (Ephesians 4:30).

It is NOT a sin committed by a Christian who ‘should have known better’. David sinned like that when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband – but even he was forgiven (II Samuel 12:13)!

It is NOT the same as backsliding. Peter denied Jesus three times – but even he was forgiven (John 21:15-19)!

Someone who blasphemes against the Spirit has passed the point of no return. They have hardened their conscience irretrievably; they have no sense of sin and no fear of judgement. They cannot be forgiven because they cannot repent; they have put themselves forever outside the reach of God’s grace. 

So all those people who worry about having committed the unforgivable sin cannot possibly have done so! The fact that they are concerned about it is proof that the route of repentance and forgiveness is still open to them. The very few people who should worry are the ones who do not care – the ones who are so determined to go to Hell that not even God can stop them…

Poster's Approved Link: Offences against the Spirit | Discovering the Bible (wordpress.com) 

 

[enoob57]

What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.org
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. Blasphemy is also attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him. This particular case of blasphemy, however, is called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 12:31. 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 a demon (Matthew 12:24). Notice in Mark 3:30 Jesus is very specific about what the Pharisees did to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.’”

If one shuts themselves off from life there only remains death or eternal separation from life

Galatians 6:8 (KJV)
[8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

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

 

 

[Marathoner]

21 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

But my own interpretation as to why he said it is from what it says in Mark- 3:30... "Because they said, he has an unclean spirit." Meaning they were accusing him of being able to do miracles by being possessed.

That's my own understanding. The standard is as follows: someone who witnesses the power of the Spirit of the Lord and attributes His agency to unclean spirits or our adversary. What blaspheming the Spirit is not:

Denying that the Lord exists, speaking ill of Christ, or even our Father. Those can be forgiven. You give some examples of those in your OP; that is attributed to ignorance and/or afflictions on our part. For example, I was enraged that the Lord spared my life instead of letting me die many years ago. I wasn't seeing nor understanding His purpose in doing that. I only dwelled upon the horrible things I had suffered because of illness and related factors, so dying would end that. I had endured terrible things and of course the Lord knew this --- He knows all things --- and He never chastised me for those outbursts. He soothed my soul instead. He wasn't going to leave me, and He certainly wasn't going to leave me with brain damage and infections. He healed me of those things.

Blaspheming the Spirit is a terrible thing that requires understanding on our part. One has to know what they are doing. Ignorance or affliction aren't excuses... instead, they are part of the weakness we men and women walk in on this earth. The Lord is neither harsh nor uncaring. 

[Debp]

22 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

But my own interpretation as to why he said it is from what it says in Mark- 3:30... "Because they said, he has an unclean spirit." Meaning they were accusing him of being able to do miracles by being possessed

That is what I believe to be the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

[Tristen]

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not a flesh tantrum against God.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit entails being fully informed regarding God's truth (i.e. being "once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come" - Hebrews 6:4-5), and yet, making a fully informed decision to reject the truth in favor of the path of evil.

That is - Not a hot, emotional decision, but rather a cold, calculated, cognizant, deliberate decision - having full knowledge and understanding of the truth, but still choosing to live and promote the lie. 

Note: the full knowledge/fully informed aspect is very important. Therefore, not some dumbass who thinks they are being hardcore against God in a moment of arrogance or anger, but rather someone who is fully aware of the meaning and consequences of their decision -and yet still chooses to reject the truth and advocate the lie.

The implication: If you are concerned about it, you haven't done it.

 

[TheBlade]

You know Christ said if you were blind you would have no sin. You say you see your sin remains. Now what was Christ doing when He said that? Getting mad at GOD and I mean mad.  ;) He can take it trust me. As Tristen said "not a flesh tantrum against God." Amen. 

"if" it was making fun of those that we see the gifts flowing through then many Christians have blasphemed the holy Spirit. Well some get stuck stuck when Christ comes sets foot on the earth and gathers the nations that just came out of the great tribulation. Sheep and goats. What did He say to those that seemed to do all these things in His name? Never new you. See it was not what they did in His name. If we truly know Him that name always works always. It was "I never new you". 

Yet like I asked what was Christ doing before He said this? Who did He say it to? It was not to believers. 

[missmuffet]

On 8/2/2024 at 2:59 PM, CaptWalker said:

So I have a pretty basic understanding of this from what I have heard taught in it, even though that is very little if anything by most Bible teachers/preachers. But, I still feel like there is a lot of confusion about it, such as when you might get very angry about your circumstances and blame it on God for causing/allowing these things to happen, which to many is basically the same thing.

Anyway I myself have also verbally lashed out at God before even after I was saved, but it was more like a momentary lapse of reason kind of thing. Still the real question is what exactly did Christ mean by saying this. Because I have even heard that it's not possible to commit this sin until Antichrist is here and you take the Mark of the Beast and go along with what he will be proclaiming as far as being equal to God the Father, and thus no longer needing the Holy Spirit.

But my own interpretation as to why he said it is from what it says in Mark- 3:30... "Because they said, he has an unclean spirit." Meaning they were accusing him of being able to do miracles by being possessed. Now the way I see it unless you had done anything less than denouncing the miracles Christ performed then you are not guilty of this. But at the same time there are those like I mentioned who believe it has nothing to do with what occurred during Christ's ministry but will be something entirely different.

Now I won't mention where I heard such teachings about this but right now am really just wanting others opinions on it. Thanks...

Maybe they can explain it better for you here:

https://www.gotquestions.org/blasphemy-Holy-Spirit.html