David Diga Hernandez - What is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Have you committed this unpardonable sin? The Word of God has the answers, so let’s take a look at the context in Matthew chapter 12. Jesus delivers a demon-possessed man. Matthew chapter 12, verse 22 says, «Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.» The crowd was amazed and asked, «Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?» The Pharisees, who had heard about the miracle, looked for a way to discredit the miracle that Jesus had performed. In Matthew chapter 12, verse 24, the scripture says, «But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, 'No wonder he can cast out demons; he gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.'» Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, «Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. If Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself; his own kingdom will not survive. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger, someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.» After revealing the source of his power and authority—the Holy Spirit—Jesus gave the Pharisees a sobering warning. Matthew chapter 12, verse 30 says, «Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.» Firstly, either the Pharisees had committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit or came very close to committing it. I suspect they came close to committing the unpardonable sin; otherwise, why would Jesus give them a direct warning? Secondly, look at the term that’s used here: blasphemy. Blasphemy is a sin committed by speaking, so we know that the Pharisees were being warned because of the words they had spoken. In fact, in verse 32, Jesus warns, «Anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.» Since blasphemy is a sin that you commit through sinful words, we can rule out sins that are commonly mistaken for the unpardonable sin. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not suicide, murder, cursing, witchcraft, backsliding, or sexual sin; it is a sin committed by what you say. Thirdly, we know that the unpardonable sin can be committed in this lifetime, for Jesus said that the one who commits it will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come. Some say that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is simply the rejection of salvation or the stubborn refusal of the gospel up until death. Still, that cannot be the case since the unpardonable sin is unforgivable even in this lifetime. So the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is most certainly not just the rejection of salvation or the gospel. Judging by what Jesus said to the Pharisees, we can conclude that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is speaking against the Holy Spirit or attributing the Holy Spirit’s power to demonic power. On this thought, it’s important to add that this sort of speaking against the Holy Spirit is a very deeply rooted act, and remember we still don’t know whether the Pharisees had actually committed it or were merely close to committing it. The biblical text implies a very deep-rooted form of sin; you can’t commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit by accident. Yet we should still tread carefully; after all, I don’t want to inspire ease where Jesus sought to inspire fear. This is very important to note: not all verbal expressions of skepticism, anger, disobedience, or disrespect toward the Holy Spirit can be categorized as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit can only come from a conscience that is completely seared. I’ll prove that to you with Scripture. Now, John chapter 6, verse 37 says, «However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.» Nobody comes to Jesus unless they are drawn by the Father, and the Father certainly would never draw someone who couldn’t be forgiven. Therefore, if there is a desire in you to be forgiven and to be right with God, then you are being drawn by God, and Jesus will not reject you. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, we discover that it is not possible for the Spirit-filled believer to commit this sin, and those who commit this sin couldn’t possibly have any interest in repentance, nor would they have any fear of having committed the unpardonable sin. All Scriptures have to be harmonious with one another, so think about it this way: if someone commits the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, they will always be rejected by God. Jesus promised never to reject anyone who comes to him, because those who come to him have been drawn by the Father. If the one who committed the unpardonable sin ever came to the Lord, then the Lord would have to break his promise of never rejecting anyone who comes to him. Therefore, the one who has committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit…