What Is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
May 26, 2009
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Posted by Ray Fowler
We talked about this in Sunday’s sermon from the gospel of Mark. Here is an excerpt from the message:
Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:29) Here we come to the unforgivable sin – blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. If all other blasphemies can be forgiven, this must be exceptionally bad to be singled out as an eternal sin that is beyond forgiveness.
What exactly is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? It is only mentioned here and in the parallel accounts of the gospels, so we need to get the context from this particular event. Mark tells us that Jesus said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.” (Mark 3:30)
And so it would appear that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life to Satan. It is the blasphemous belief that Jesus was not empowered by God through the Holy Spirit, but that he was in fact a servant of darkness and received his power from Satan. Such a hardening of the heart towards God’s work in Christ through the Holy Spirit that you would call it the work of Satan is a blasphemy that will not be forgiven. The person who does so is guilty of an eternal sin.
Sometimes people worry that they may have committed the unforgivable sin. But I would say if you are worried about it, then you haven’t done it. If you had truly blasphemed the Holy Spirit, your heart would be so completely hardened against God that you wouldn’t be worrying about whether God could forgive you.
What I would be more concerned about are forgivable sins. You know what’s worse than committing the unforgivable sin? Committing forgivable sins but never turning to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. That’s really sad.
Related posts:
• Can an Atheist Blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
• What’s Worse Than Committing the Unforgivable Sin?
Categories: Holy Spirit, Sin
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Thank you for this explanation.I have worried over this for years now, because in anger I have said some really terrible things.But after reading your explanation and several others on the Internet tonight I now can rest assured that I have never commited the unforgivable sin.God the Father of Jesus Christ is good and ALL powerful.I some times worry that I have lost His love but I know that this is impossible for He tells us so.
Hi Mitch – I am glad this was helpful to you. It is amazing how forgiving God is. We may have said all sorts of terrible things in the past, we may even have cursed God and blasphemed the name of Jesus, and yet God still stands ready to forgive us in Christ. He is truly full of mercy and loving-kindness.
Wow, thanks a lot for sharing this! I feel your understanding is right on to gods truths on this topic!
LIVE4HIM – Thanks, and all the best.
Hi,
I’d hate to say it, but I think blasphemy of the holy spirit is a 1-time sin of the tongue… Why I believe this to be the case?…because years ago I flew off the handle at God, blaspheming Him, the Son & the Spirit. The result? – I no longer believe…I want to, but I just can’t. I know the Gospel/bible is true, but I just can’t accept it (I know that doesn’t make sense & sounds irrational, but what can I say). My heart is hardened beyond repair I’m afraid.
It is God Himself that grants us a mesure of faith; & it is by grace we have been saved, through FAITH – & if I no longer believe/have faith [even though I want to, but just can't] I can only conclude that the Spirit is no longer striving with me. Needless to say, I’m not looking forward to death (hell).
For example, every time I pray, I just think I’m talking to myself, or to the wall at best (unbelief). I want to believe that there is a God who hears me, & logically I know there is, because there’s no way that evolution is even plausible, let alone possible. But that’s a head knowledge of God; not faith that is coming from the heart.
Before anyone says “well, if you lost your faith that means you never had saving faith to begin with” – let me assure you that I indeed WAS saved, & I had the fruits to prove it. Furthermore, I had [many] answers to prayers – God does not even listen to you if you’re not saved.
However, after cursing the Spirit, calling it evil & screaming for it to get out [of me] & never come back, any faith I had (a gift of God) is gone. I no longer have the capacity to believe God, or believe I can be forgiven.
I think this is 1 of the things “the sin unto death” is [spiritual and physical death). You have full knowledge of the existance of God, & are aware of the consequences of not repenting - but at the same time, it all seems like foolishness, & you are unable to repent.
If you play around with God, & sin willfully [as I have], thinking that you can repent at any time – don’t be surprised if God harden’s your heart…
And yes, I have prayed (and continue to pray) for repentance & faith – but the doubts & unbelief continues. I want to believe that if you are wiling & want to repent, that God would step in & give some kind of assurance that He hears me. When I backslid in the past & came back to the Lord I always KNEW that everything was alright; He did something every time to make it clear to me. However, now, none of this is happening; I’m just plagued with depression & fear. Faith is not a feeling, but being comforted by the Holy Spirit is… Being led or empowered by the Spirit is also a feeling – and I don’t have any of that. Again, nothing but fear and depression. Only now do I realize how short life is. Think about it, I mean how would you feel if you knew you were going to hell, & there was nothing that could be done about it?… This is what it feels like to not have the Hand of God upon your life & heart.
I truly wish I was wrong about my theory about what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but my life experience with regard to this is what it is.
Ralf – Thank you for sharing so openly about your situation. I have taken some time to think through a response. Your story certainly gives one pause and makes us think seriously about this sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. That is a good thing. Let me share my thoughts for what they are worth about your situation.
Do I believe that a person can blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Yes. Do I believe that a person who has blasphemed the Holy Spirit is permanently hardened against God and will not be forgiven? Yes. Do I believe that you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit? No. I believe in a fit of rage you said some terrible things to and about God, terrible sinful things, but things that can be forgiven through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for you.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.” (Mark 3:28) The only exception he made was for the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. You said some terrible things about God and the Holy Spirit, even calling the Holy Spirit evil, but you did not attribute the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life to Satan like the Pharisees did. And so you did not blaspheme the Spirit the way Jesus talked about it.
The other reason I believe you have not committed the unforgivable sin is that you are still bothered by it and seeking God. I do not believe a person whose heart has been hardened beyond forgiveness would be seeking God the way you are.
Rather, I believe Satan (the great accuser) is using your past sin to hold you back spiritually. I pray that God will open your eyes to the truth of his love for you in Christ and his all-sufficient grace so that you may know and receive God’s willing forgiveness for your sins.
God bless you, brother. Keep on praying for repentance and faith. Ask God to help you in your unbelief. Hold on to the words of Christ who said: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)
Ray, thank you for your response.
I agree with you, except for 1 thing – in this fit of rage (or whatever iyt was), I did attribute the works of God to satan – I remember screaming at the top of my lungs: “the resurrection was done in the power of the devil, not you God – You’re a joke!” “I HATE you, get OUT – I denounce you!” I went on to say [still screaming]: “I invite the devil into my life, I serve the devil, & am a child of the devil”. For this, I don’t know if there is forgiveness, but I hope so… I could have stopped at any point, and in fact, I had a gentle voice inside my head, saying: “stop, stop stop” – but the more I heard that voice, the more I went on & the more enraged I became. Only after I have calmed down, did I stop & think: “oh my, what have I done…” That day has been haunting me ever since. I don’t know what came over me that day, all I know is that I regret it & take it back.
I want to repent & believe, but given my present state I don’t think God will allow it.
It doesn’t help that the same week this happened I received a vision (weather it was from God or not I don’t know). But I was in church, praying & seeking Him – when all of sudden I found myself standing before a blinding light [I was very afraid!], & all of a sudden I was set on fire.
Ralf – Hang in there, keep seeking God, make sure you are part of a good church and Christian fellowship group, and I believe you will find yourself back on track with God again. Blessings, Ray
Hi, all. You’re not alone there. I’ve felt horrible in my mind, that I could have done it, and not known about it. But I’m convinced now, that it is NOT something you can do accidentally, without knowing about it. It’s not an accidental slip of the tongue, or some kind of magic words, or some random thought that appears in your mind.
It’s a condition that one gradually gets into. One never feels any remorse or concern about it, if one truly had done it. It is a very advanced state of spiritual rejection. It cannot happen at the snap of your fingers. And you’re obviously concerned about it right there, which alone shows you are nowhere near that sin.
Jay – Thanks for sharing your testimony about this.
1. I’m often worried. It’s just sometimes there are random blasphemies thought or random false things about Bible in my mind and sometimes after it went off to far, I said “STOP!”
and these things really make me fear that God may not forgive me. I want to believe that God has forgive me but it’s just… i don’t know… like I’m not really convinced?
I DON’T want God to take His Holy Spirit away from me!!
2. I just REALLY want to live FOR GOD and live a good Christian live. But I live as a teen and yes I think i’ve commited quite many sins everyday.
3. I’m afraid if I will start to loss belief! I DON’T WANT IT! BUT I’M STARTING TO FEEL IT! AND I STILL TRY TO CONVINCE MYSELF TO BELIEVE! BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO STOP BELIEVING! BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT FATHER IN HEAVEN, JESUS CHRIST THE SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT WHICH IS THE TRINITY! IT’S JUST I’M SOMETIMES WORRIED THAT I’VE SINNED TOO MUCH!
4. I’M AFRAID I’VE COMMITTED THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN!
PLEASE REPLY FOR ME!!
Michelle – It sounds like these thoughts in your mind are not active thoughts, that is thoughts that you actually believe, but rather passing thoughts that you reject. In this case, they are more temptation and confusion from Satan, and I would not worry about them so much. Whenever these thoughts pass through you rmind, just give them to God, and tell God that you reject these thoughts and choose him.
And as far as sinning every day, welcome to the club!
We all sin every day, although of course that does not excuse the sin. So when we sin, we need to confess it to God as sin, make a conscious choice to turn away from it (repentance), receive God’s forgiveness, and move on. And then we need to make sure that we are doing those things that will help us grow in our Christian walk – daily prayer, Bible reading, Christian fellowship, and asking the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.
I hope that helps! God bless you, and know that I prayed for you today.
Ray, I’m so worried that I’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit now. Because I was listening to a Christian Radio. And then the priest start to speak with the Language of the Holy Spirit. Then, suddenly there’s a thought that really blaspheme the Holy Spirit saying ‘devil language’. Now I’m really afraid. I’m afraid I’ve committed the unforgivable sin. Then I said to myself, no it’s the language of Holy Spirit, the holy language which is gift from the Holy Spirit. Will Jesus forgive me for this? I’m afraid seriously. I really DON’T WANT to attribute the holy work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. I still pray to God and read the bible, listening to Christian Radio, and ask the Holy Spirit to fulfill me. Will God forgive me? I usually bit my tongue when those blasphemies thought came, so it won’t come out to my tongue. Seriously worried.
Michelle – Once again, these seem more like passing thoughts that you reject rather than active thoughts that you believe. If you were writing to me and telling me that you believed Jesus Christ was possessed by a demon and did his miracles by the power of Satan, then I would be concerned that you had committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Instead, I believe Satan is throwing these tempting thoughts at you to confuse you.
When thoughts like those come, stand strong in Christ and simply say you reject those thoughts as evil “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
Thanks so much. I read these and felt better, because the devil is like in my head telling me to do stupid
little things, or I will
lose something dear to me.
I
want him to leave me alone and I don’t quite understand James 4:7
. I also have a question. Does
committing the sin mean you go to hell?, no
questions asked or what?
Email
me
back or
something.
I myself thought that I committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I was hearing a voice in my head to curse the Holy Spirit about three years ago. At first, I can’t understand it, but as days go by, it became louder and louder in my head. I was very depressed one day, and I was alone in my room when I uttered the words ” I hope the HOly Spirit did not exist.” After that, I was very, very afraid. I kept it to myself, and I knew I am doomed to go to hell. I did’nt seek help from my family or from the church, because I was afraid they can’t understand me. I became paranoid of dying. But I continued attending Sunday services with my family , hoping that God will reveal to me that He can still forgive me.
I was in that awful situation for more than 3 years. Last year, I attended a retreat in ou church, and GOd did a miracle. During the first day , I wrote in a small piece of paper and prayed that God would send someone to tell me that God still loves me. When the pastor laid his hands on me, I began to spoke in tongues. In the third day, a fellow churchmate who didn’t know about my problem approached me and told me God’s message for me- that HE never left me during those times, and that HE loves me very, very much. Thank God I was freed from that bondage!
Joe – I am glad this article was helpful to you. I would be glad to email you and help you with any other questions you might have.
Annabelle – Thank you for sharing your story. God is so good. There is forgiveness for everyone who comes to God through faith in his Son Jesus Christ.
I believe it is NOT a one-time thing…and it cannot happen spontaneously. It’s not some kind of magic words that do it, or a random thought. It’s a gradual state one enters. And one WILLFULLY does it. It cannot happen accidentally, or without one knowing it.
Jay – Interesting thoughts. Are there certain Scriptures you are thinking of in particular to support your view?
I too have been plagued at times that I’ve comitted this unpardonable offense. Once when I was a young child, my father had mentioned this and very sudden thoughts entered into my mind that I had to banish. And then about 6 or 7 years ago I read that it was attributing Jesus’s work to Satan and a few months later when I was actually doing bible study the very thoughts entered my mind wonder if it was and a great fear came over me. I really didn’t believe it but by actually thinking it, is it the same? I quickly asked God for forgiveness and eventually got over it but just this week also during Bible study the same thoughts came to me when Peter and John were healing. And the same fear came over me. I really don’t believe this by why do the thoughts pop up like that? I would like to believe that it’s an actual evil heart that would really believe in something like that. All my life I had never dreamed thinking something like that and then when I really start to intently study the Bible, I have thoughts that scare me at times. I push them away though almost immediately. I would love some insight.
Also, I really didn’t believe it when the thought came over me but sometimes when you’re out in the world and people come at you from many different beliefs, it does make the mind go in overdrive, doubts. etc, but I’ve always loved God all my life. (I’m in my forties) and accepted Jesus at a very young age. I’ve backslidden at times but the past 7 years have found a wonderful, more personal relationship with God. That’s why these awful thoughts hurt so much when I’ve had them. And I deep down I know God knows my heart but I still hate that I’ve had such unwanted thoughts pop into my head at times.
Many sources…do you believe it’s a one-time thing, Ray, or accidental?
Julie – Unwanted thoughts can be troubling but are not sin if we reject the thoughts when they come. You clearly do not accept or believe these thoughts. In fact, it sounds like you are horrified by them. The fact that you are seeking God and rejecting these thoughts tells me that you have not blasphemed the Spirit. Talk to God about how troubling these thoughts are to you and ask him to help take them away. In the meantime, keep seeking God and enjoying the relationship you have with him through Christ.
Jay – I don’t think it can be accidental. I think of it more as a culmination of disbelief rather than a one-time act.
Right, something like that sounds like it could be OCD.
Thanks Ray for your comments. I really don’t know if it’s my mind or Satan and his attempts to get at me when I’m really trying to study. But it’s hard at times to get back on focus. But the one thing it does let you know is that there’s nothing more important than God’s love and the saving power of Jesus. If you feel like you’ve lost that, the rest of the world is nothing.