Christ Explains Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

Throughout His ministry, Christ was attacked and accused by religious leaders who felt threatened by what He taught.

On one occasion, Christ had healed a blind and dumb, demon-possessed man. The onlookers were amazed when this man could suddenly see and speak. As a result, the scribes and Pharisees “went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Matt. 12:14). Shortly after this, a Pharisee confronted Christ with a question about where His power to perform this healing came from—and accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan: “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (Mt 12:24).

Christ knew exactly what was happening and saw their motives were to deliberately attack and accuse (Mt 12:25). So He explained how Satan’s kingdom could not be divided and survive—“stand.” He continued, “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Me scatters abroad” (Mt 12:30).

Incidentally, this means that Christ’s Church is unified. Some become confused about this. Consider. Even Satan knows that his kingdom cannot be divided and remain “standing.” Certainly, Christ is at least as smart as the devil! People either gather where Christ is gathering, or they are not part of His Church!

This background introduces Christ’s oft-misunderstood statement about the unforgivable sin. Let’s read it: “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 speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Mt 12:31-32).

Mark’s account concludes in a slightly different way, so it is also helpful to read: “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit has never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mk 3:28-29).

Matthew explains that “all manner of sin and blasphemy” shall be forgiven, but that “blasphemy and speaking against the Holy Spirit” are unpardonable—unforgivable. It is critical to know that the Greek word used for blasphemy is the same, whether it is against the Holy Spirit or the Son of man. The key must be who or what is spoken or blasphemed against, not the act itself.

What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Is it simply taking God’s name in vain—swearing? Is any form of swearing “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”?

The key to understanding this is to properly define the word blaspheme. The Greek word, here translated “blaspheme,” means “intentional indignity offered to God or sacred things.” This is important to grasp. Intent is involved.

The scribes and Pharisees knew exactly what they were doing. Remember, they held a council for the specific purpose of plotting against Christ. Their actions were not a result of sudden anger or impulsive, short-sighted thinking. They had intent—pre-meditated and deliberate INTENT—to discredit and murder Christ, even though they knew He was sent from God and acted through God’s power!

Some sins are committed because they have been carefully thought out toward a particular end. Deliberate planning has been involved, as with the Pharisees. When such willful, pre-meditated intent comes into play, one is in grave “danger of eternal damnation.”

Many ask if non-Christians can commit the unpardonable sin. The Pharisees were certainly not converted—not Christians. Yet Christ said their intent placed them in danger of committing this sin. There is the answer! Many religious leaders today, who profess to believe in Christ, are modern “Pharisees.” They deliberately misrepresent our doctrines—and deliberately call us false prophets. This Work of God is reaching people in all countries of the world in ever-increasing numbers. These false prophets, from the false “Christianity” of this world, love to accuse us of being false prophets, because they, like the scribes and Pharisees who were threatened by Christ’s teaching and healing, are threatened by the good works of truth that we are teaching.

Herein lies another irony that will be better understood later in the booklet. All who are still concerned that they have committed the unpardonable sin almost certainly have not. But many who are not concerned may either have committed it or are in danger of doing so!

Anyone can foolishly curse or use God’s name in vain, and almost immediately be sorry about it and repent. But the unpardonable sin is when a person deliberately hardens himself against God’s Spirit, and the power and guidance of that Spirit. Usually, such people become deceived (Heb. 3:13) early in this process, but later willfully choose to continue in their actions until they destroy both their conscience and any further desire to repent.

Willful Sin

Do not confuse willing sin with willful sin. Some, believing that they have committed the unpardonable sin, exclaim, “But I willingly committed this sin.” Certainly it is true that every time a person sins, they were willing to do it. But the Bible does not warn specifically about “willing” sin. Rather, it warns against “willful” sin. Of course, it does warn against all forms of sin.

Let’s now examine Hebrews 10:26-29 to begin to understand willful sin. This is where the misunderstood word is found: “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

Willful sin has to do with ignoring important knowledge—truth.

People quench the Holy Spirit by overriding the way it guides them over a long period of time! Hebrews 3:13 reveals that some become “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” But this hardening process does not occur overnight. It takes time. People have to persistently choke God’s Spirit. Eventually, this ongoing action becomes “willful,” or premeditated, deliberate. Chapter 10, Heb 10:29 explains that those who practice sin have “trodden (Christ) under foot.” They have counted His “blood” as “unholy.” This leads to the all-important statement that they “have done despite unto the Spirit of grace [forgiveness].” The key is they have committed willful sin—meaning full of will!

Let’s consider for a moment the attitude of the Pharisees. John 8:30 records, “As He spoke these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed” (John 8:30-31).

This is basic Christian instruction. Christians believe in (on) Christ’s sacrifice, and then they practice—“continue in”—His word!

Some stop at the “believe on” stage. They do not go on to practice Christianity. They do not actively copy the life of Christ. Their thinking—and “Christianity”—comes from entirely different motives.

Six verses later, Christ confronted the very ones who just “believed on Him.” Notice how hostile and murderous their attitudes quickly became: “...but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you...But now you seek to kill Me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God...And if I say the truth, why do you not believe Me?” (Jn 8:37, 40, 46).

These are extraordinary statements! They reflect the attitudes of so many today. Many who claim to “love Jesus” do not obey “His words.” These are deceived and unconverted. They have been seduced into believing in a false conversion. On the other hand, the few truly converted Christians today are seen as un-Christian by the world because they reject popular, but false, doctrines.

The Pharisees and certain others appeared to want to follow Christ—maybe even initially thought themselves sincere—but holding deceitful, murderous thoughts under the surface.

To intentionally plot, act or move against God’s Spirit is also to consciously know what you are doing in attributing the power of God to the devil. Christ was warning the Pharisees that this is what they were in danger of doing. When one deliberately—with knowledge—ignores, squelches, or quenches the warning pricks coming from the Holy Spirit within a converted mind, they are passing the threshold of the unpardonable sin. They are making a “willful” decision not to respond to God’s Spirit. This blasphemes the work of His Spirit.

Therefore, ANY sin that is continued (practiced) and remains unrepented of—by willful choice—becomes unpardonable. God will not forgive it because it has not been preceded by repentance!

But there is much more to understand!

The Battle in the Mind

Many Bible passages describe human nature. None is more powerful than Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Pause and think deeply about this verse. God says your mind is “deceitful above all things.” Though it is “desperately wicked”—and that is obviously very bad—it is even more deceitful. No wonder the verse concludes, “who can know it?”—or “who could possibly believe it is that bad?” Very few believe this of themselves. They have no idea of the great capacity within their own minds to deceive themselves about practically everything!

The greatest deception almost always involves compromise with sin. Peter recorded that Paul wrote “some things hard to be understood” (II Pet. 3:16). This is true. But there were times when God used Paul to write very clearly—and even poignantly and dramatically—about certain matters. The Christian conflict in overcoming sin is perhaps the greatest case-in-point.

Paul described the continual struggle within his mind as a war! This war is best introduced by the instruction he wrote to the Galatians: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would” (Gal 5:16-17).

The RSV puts Gal 5:17 a little differently: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.”

Make no mistake—Christianity is war! It is not a toboggan ride down a gentle slope. It is trudging uphill, battling the pulls of the flesh.

God’s Spirit leads. It never possesses, as would a demon spirit. It will not force you to do what is right, but will rather lead you in the right direction. Deceit and lack of vigilance can cause people to slip backwards into sin, often without noticing it.

The seventh chapter of Romans is virtually a textbook on how Christianity is a daily war within the mind. Let’s examine it.

Rom 7:7 states, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.” Paul understood that God’s Law is what showed him sin for what it was. He recognized that the law was “holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good...For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Rom 7:12, 14).

Most “ministers” believe the Law IS sin—that it is unholy, unjust and bad! To this thinking, God inspired Paul to write, “God forbid.” Yet Paul explains that the carnal mind (Paul acknowledged he still had human nature) is naturally contrary to God’s Law (Rom. 8:7). This caused Paul to struggle continually with the impulses to do wrong, when the Holy Spirit within him told him to obey God’s spiritual Law: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will [the desire to do what is right] is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:18-19).

These verses picture a man doing battle—and at WAR! Paul continues to develop what he is describing. Now notice: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Rom 7:22-23).