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.
I have been having one of those terrible thoughts on the spirit of God.I do not mean it because I was one time saved but grew back into sin.At one time I mentioned that If you could call the spirit of God A DOG YOU COULD NEVER HAVE FORGIVENESS. From then one this terrible things have been disturbing my head since sep 2006 and causing anxiety in me.i always think i have commited this sin.I am afraid to die.I have read mary kathryn’s baxters book on hell and o.m.g makes me nervous.
Kamau – The most important thing you need to do is make sure that you are trusting Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. You can find a good explanation of who Jesus is and how he saves us here: Two Ways to Live. Also, I would not read anything more by Mary Kathryn Baxter. Please read the Bible instead. If you’re not sure where to start, I would suggest the gospel of Mark.
Hello,
I am saved by Jesus Christ and I’ve been raised in a Christian family. I was at a bible study one day and we were talking about blasphemy. And a bad thought entered my mind. I know it wasnt me thinking it though. Satan sent me the thought to speak something terrible against The Holy Spirit. I immediately stopped myself, rejected the thought, and prayed to God, asking Him to forgive me and help me to stop myself from these thoughts. I was horrified. And just as I prayed, the thought came right back. Oh btw I just recently accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, so maybe that’s why Satan is tempting me, because I’m still “new”? And how can I stop satan from sending me these thoughts? I hope that you can answer my question. I’d really appreciate it. Thank you and God Bless You Sir..
Sarah – We can’t control the thoughts that pop into our head, but we can control what we do with them. As Billy Graham once said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”
So when a thought that horrifies you pops into your head, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If the proper response to an evil thought is horror, and you are horrified by the thought, then that is a good thing!
Congratulations on your recent decision for Christ. I pray that God will strengthen and encourage you in your faith daily.
okay well i think that i have spoken in other tounges, and the other night i felt for sure but after i took communion and told my friend i finally accepted that i had spoken in tounges and been filled with the holy ghost i felt like i commited blasphemy? would that be considered it or is that just saten playing mind tricks?
Kiele – I don’t know whether you spoke in tongues or not, but blasphemy would be something different (see article above).
As far as speaking in tongues, some Christians believe this gift is still for today while others believe it was just while the early church was being established. If you’re not sure about speaking in tongues, I would encourage you to continue to study the Scriptures on this issue and spend more time praying in your native language. Whatever we do, we need to be able to do it in faith and with a clear conscience. Romans 14:3 says, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
Hello Ray. I am afraid that I may have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
I have always wondered if people speaking in tongues were really speaking in tongues or if they were just saying random things to pretend like they were speaking in tongues. Well, a few months ago I witnessed someone who I believe is saved speaking in tongues while praying for a sick loved one, and I again wondered if she was really speaking in tongues from the Holy Spirit, or if she was somehow deceived by the devil. I hadn’t thought about that anymore until today because I have recently been trying to grow in my relationship with Christ and reading/studying my Bible and other commentaries on the internet to help me understand the Bible, and I have been praying that God won’t let me be deceived into believing something false. I was reading some descriptions of hell and became afraid that I may be going there if I committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which I really hope I haven’t and did not mean to because I love the Lord but sometimes I don’t know how to tell what is from the Lord and what is not. I have also been having a difficult time understanding the Trinity because it’s not mentioned in the Bible and I know we should not worship anyone before God, so I’m afraid I don’t know if I should worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or just the Father. I’m so confused and scared of going against His word. Please help! Thanks!
In addition, since I started trying to truly walk with the Lord and study my Bible and pray and turn from the worldly things, I have been having thoughts about what if this isn’t true and another religion is true instead. I know that is a lie and the devil is trying to deceive me into not following Jesus, but why can’t I stop these thoughts from entering my head. Also, while I was reading the testimonies on what hell is like (some Christians say that Jesus showed it to them so they could tell everyone hell is a real place), I kept wondering about all those people in other religions who truly believe that their religion is right. Just as I reject all other religions as deceptions from the devil, so to do the people in those other religions. What if I was them, then I’d believe the false religion just as strongly as I now believe Jesus. That is what has me scared and wondering if another religion may be right instead and that I am going to hell because I don’t believe it. I have been praying that God help me get rid of these thoughts and just trust in Him. What should I do? Maybe I should stop reading about hell. Please help!!!
Hello, I have been so scared that I blasphemed the holy spirit. I honestly don’t even know exactly what it is. I am a new believer in Christ and has finally had felt forgiven for my past. The other day I was going to look at bibles because I didn’t have one. I spent Sooooo long looking between all the different bible versions, and study bibles, and reference bibles. I had talked to some people on what bible to get and basically someone told me to stay away from the NIV because there were verses taken out of it and things like that. Well later i was talking to my friend about the different versions and telling him what people had told me about the NIV. And jokingly i said something like “that’s the devil bible version” or “thats the devils bible”. I wasn’t even thinking about what I was saying. I was completely joking just because people were talking about it like it was so bad. Immediately i felt horrible for saying that because i don’t/didn’t believe it. I said sorry out loud, to god and haven’t stopped praying about it and asking for forgiveness. I’m just so scared. I know that no bible version is the devils i was just making a stupid joke. I’ve felt horrible ever since. I’ve been so scared that I’ve blasphemed the holy spirit… My mind has been going crazy ever since and I’ve been so scared that i screwed up by joking about that. My words have been haunting me. I don’t know what to do. I still believe completely that God exists and Jesus died for our sins. I am just so scared that I have ruined everything. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me and give me guidance. Thank you so much.
Steven – Don’t worry, what you describe is not what the Bible calls blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Basically it was a dumb joke that you regret saying, but if you are trusting Christ, then God has already forgiven you for that. You can’t blaspheme the Holy Spirit on accident. A person has to willingly choose to attribute the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ to the work of the devil. And when a person does that, they are not going to be worrying about whether or not they are saved, because they do not believe Jesus is from God anyways. They believe Jesus is empowered by Satan and therefore evil and should be avoided. I hope that helps, and I pray you will continue to grow in your new faith in Christ.
Good morning Ray!!
Here is my situation—many years ago (late 80′s) I fell into a very serious depression over getting fired from a job for misconduct. I was in a depression for several months then one day I completely felt free and I truly believe it was the power of the Holy Spirit. Fast forward 20 years later ( year 2008–after a major sow wild-oats period) I lost some money on an investment and had an overpowering spiritual experience. I subsequently went back to the church. But I backslid again and not only did I continue to sow wild oats but I also started reading books on Buddhism and promoting them (really out of vanity to show people how “smart” I was.)while being critical of the church. Several weeks ago I had a panic attack–thinking that I had blasphemed the Holy Ghost through my actions. I am more detemined than ever to get right with God and truly want in my heart to do so. Many people, when they hear my story believe I’m being way too hard on myself–but I feel very badly. I truly have love in my heart and want to live the rest of my days in communion with God. Am I guilty of apostasy and blasphemy?? These actions were really done (I believe) in a state where I fell out of awareness—something I vow never to ever do again!!
Stephen – It sounds like you walked away from the Lord for a while and away from the truth but now are seeking God once again. God is a God of grace and forgiveness, and he is a God of second chances. Just look at Jonah and Peter. Jonah ran away from the Lord and Peter denied Christ, but God never gave up on them and I don’t believe he has given up on you either. Continue to trust Christ and seek God first, and you will be fine. All the best! Ray
If you just say those attributes that the Pharisees did, but do not mean them, have you still blasphemed?
**I always worry I commit the sin by thoughts that pop up in my head, but I reject them
Joe – I believe you would have to mean those words to truly blaspheme the Holy Spirit. But it is still wrong to say them and you should ask God’s forgiveness through Jesus.
I wanted some thoughts on my slip of the tongue and would like to know if it’s considered blasphemy. Me and my wife were having a heated debate about eating at Hooters and she said, “Would God go there?” and I said, ‘He might.” I’m not sure what I meant, but it was more of a snap at her than anything. I know it’s not like some of the other posts on here, but the second it came out my mouth I got this deep sense of uh-oh. What did I just do? I’d appreciate some clarity either way.
William – We all sin in many ways and a slip of the tongue is not the same as blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It is still sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, but blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the settled conviction that Jesus’ power came from Satan rather than God.
Hey! I’m going through the same thing! It’s been three months for me so far! It’s only thoughts, I’m going crazy!!! I’m so close to giving up. I’m confused too! My uncle prayed for me very hard the first time I did it. The next day he prayed and prayed and prayed to give me an answer. He felt prompted to look on the bible answer man’s website and it just so happened that the question of the day was about this sin. My uncle hadn’t been on that website for two years! About a month ago I went to church and the holy spirit spoke to him about me and my sister! A girl (who spoke in tongues) told me that God told her that he’s with me, a woman prayed for us and felt the holy spirit. My sister (who’s went through the same thing) experiences the holy spirit. She prayed for me, asked God to give her something to tell me, he told her to tell me “My beloved daughter, don’t worry.” Oh, I can also say that my uncle also went through the same thing a long time ago. I’ve seen prayers be answered for him. As for me, I barely became a Christian 3 months ago and I feel exactly like Ralf, though I have no idea what it means to have the holy spirit. :/
A benevolent God that is incapable of forgiving our tiny blasphemies, bit of an unlikely story.Personally I believe in God, I just think us humanists and atheists are morally superior to Christians. Simply because we have chosen to do what is right because of what we feel ourselves, not because of some imaginary bogeyman in the sky and his threats of terrible consequences.
David – It sounds like you disbelieve in a different God than I believe in.
Hi,
I have been in so much pain for the past few days. I read something on the unforgivable sin and ever since then I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I kept reading these things that said that if I am truly concerned that I commited this sin then that means that I haven’t done it.
I know how wonderful God is amd I love him with all of my heart but sometimes when things get stuck in my mind I can’t get them out of my mind. Today I broke down and I was crying and begging God to foegive me and telling the devil to leave me alone, but I feel like my thoughts have ruined my chances for forgiveness. I was talking to God, while I was in the car and asking for forgiveness and it started raining really hard and hailing, as soon as that thought came into my mind the fisrt thing I thought was “that’s the devil trying to scare me” I didn’t mean to think that. I didn’t mean to thing that the Devil causes the rain which is something that God created and right after I started crying harder because I didn’t mean to think that. And When I was talking to God I was telling him how amazing he is and everytime I would say “God you are Amazing” evil blasphemous thoughts would pop into my head. Ive been trying to reassure my self that only someone who’s heart is hardend could commit this sin, but it’s hard. Sometimes the thoughts pop up and I don’t mean for them to. I honestly know in my heart that God is everything and can save anyone from anything. But the more these uncontrollable thought come into my mind the more I want to cry and the more I want God to forgive me. ANd when I do that, i start to doubt how much I really love Jesus. i know I love Jesus. I wouldn’t ever want to be a place that was without him, and I don’t want to live my life knowing that he wont forgive me. all I want to do is cry and know matter how much I try to reassure myself, I can’t. My heart isn’t hardend and I want to be with God in Heaven one day, but I just cant see how he could forgive me. I need help. I’m confused and I just want some explaination. I really want GOd to forgive me. It was a complete accident me thinking all of those things. I honestly didn’t mean to. I know I love Jesus and people are telling me that all of those thoughts are just the Devil trying to trick me, but I always believed that I could control my thoughts.I didn’t mean to think those things about the rain. If Iwouldn’t never known about the unforgivable sin, I wouldn’t be thinking about it. I’m so scared and all Iwant to do is die. Iwant God to forgive me I really do. But every time I ask for forgiveness I start to question myself. I’m terrified. I want to live in Heaven when I die, with my family. I love GOd so much, and I do care. I didn’t mean to. I know God sees the inside of my heart, but what if the inside of my heart is really not good. I want it to be, I just don’t know. Please help me. BE honest with me. Where do I stand with GOd. Is it too late. Sorry for the long message.
Just to add… I do completely reject the thoughts, and have cried hard ever since they came up. But also when my grandmother asked me what was wrong, I explained to her the thought, and then was afraid because I had said it. I don’t believe the thoughts, I was just explaining to my grandmother what it was that popped into my head, so she could understand why I was so afraid. Did I commit this sin? I really do love God and I believe in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. i have always believed in God. I have strayed, but I would never want to commit blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It’s not in my heart to do so, and the thought of it terrifies me. Please tell me Where I stand with God.
9:25 pm I have the same problem. I have blasphemous thoughts about the Holy Spirit, God, Jesus and their holy works. I spoke to MANY people about my problem. I keep having random thoughts and it scares the living day lights out of me.I’m just a teen trying to have it easy, but yeah, ever since i knew about the unpardonable sin. Anyway you really didn’t commit the unpardonable sin because you don’t have the intention in trying to commit it. I think that if you wanted to, you would have to be a christian/convert and THEN start to hate God or anyone or everyone in the Holy Trinity. Since you would hate him (even though you obviously don’t), it would cause hardness of heart. When that person blasphemes the holy spirit and really means it and hates them or him so much, they can NEVER return because they have fallen away and thus committed the unpardonable sin. You have not done that because you are not hardened of heart. Shoot, im not hardened of heart. At least i don’t think so and hope not.
9:32pm I NEED help too.
9:37pm Did I commit the unpardonable sin? PLEASE ANSWER!
9:51pm Sorry if im typing too many messages but, did i have ANY blashemy in my paragraph? if i did then pardon me.
Cierra and Sean – Thank you for sharing your concerns here at the blog. I hope you will find the post above and the previous comments helpful. I also encourage you to talk with your pastors.
Hello. I am from Bulgarq. First of all I want to apollogaise if I have some erros. I have the same problems like Ralf. Before a few monts ago I imagine in my mynd how I blasphem against the Holy Spirit. But I will never do such thing I will do it ohly If I do not believe in God (I do not know how to write in english this word). Sins then I was very scared and I talk wiht many pepople – friends and even with one pastor. They said thath I do now commit this sin. But sins than the firs moment of scare a feel cold and fallen from the faith. Yes I do believe that there is God , I cry when I watch the ” Passion of the Crist ” but in the other time I am cold. Yes I read the Bible , alsow read in internet about God , but I feel like this is in my mind , not in my heart. I pray God and I told Him in the prayer that I would never do such sin (because there are a sins that I would do but this one I would never do). Pless tal me what to do , beause I do not know what to do?
I need help when was little I screamed I hate you to God. But I just don’t remember if i said anything else and when my dad told me about blaspheme about a month ago I have been so scared that I did blaspeme against the holy spirit. In so scared I’m going to hell. My dad told me that blaspheme is a continuous process of blasphemes. I read on a website that if you are scared that that you have commuted blasphemies that you haven’t cause when you do your heart is hardens against god and you wouldn’t be worried about God forgiving me. Tell me what you think.
Hi, I am a strong believer in Christ, which is why I am scared that I have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. I got “saved” at the age of 4 or 5. Which in my opinion, I was too young to understand. I would say I really got saved at around 11 or 12 years old. I started to read the Bible thoroughly for the first time ever. That’s when I first read about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. A bad thought had entered my head against the Spirit. I knew in my heart it must have not really counted. I prayed for forgiveness and just kinda let it go. Now I am 15 and have gone deeper into the Bible. I read again in the Bible about this type of blasphemy. A horrible thought entered my head. It wasn’t cursing him, just imagining the Spirit doing something horrible. This thought was supposed to be “funny.” I didn’t think it was all that funny after I thought it. I didn’t want to think it really. But now that I look back, maybe I did. I hope that made some sense. I prayed about it, but this horrible thought keeps entering my mind. I hate these thoughts. I don’t want them. I believe what the Bible says, and according to the Bible, does this mean I will go to hell? I’m now starting to doubt my own faith even when I came to Jesus when I was 12 or so. I mean, was it real? I don’t believe a Christian can commit this sin. Isn’t it once saved always saved? I mean, unless you leave him? I’m just horribly scared. I love Jesus though. Before I did this horrible, sickening thing, I believed that God was telling me to go out and be a missionary for him. I am willing to die for His name if it must be. I believe everything that the Bible says, which is why this sin of mine scares me so much. I have done lots of internet search on this, and I’m still not completely convinced I am okay because I haven’t found Bible evidence. Please pray for me. I need advice and I need someone to talk to about this. The thought of eternal hell and never seeing God is mind numbing. Thank you for reading.
Hello, I am 12 years old and come from a family who believes in God. I learned of the idea of accepting Jesus as your savior last year in a christian school that my parents signed me up for. My parents never told me anything about trusting Him personally before and the first time our teacher said you must ask him to forgive you your sins I immediately asked him to at home. I told him I was sorry and I really was and that I wanted to have Him as my very own savior, because I did.
I wasn’t sure if I “did it right” or if he even heard me or not. I asked him repeatedly, over and over, still not sure if I was saved because I didn’t feel forgiven or anything, I still felt guilty of my sins. I cried many times I can’t remember when it was, but I at some point I just forgot about it I guess.
I am worried I am not saved right now and unsure about myself.
I also worry for my family.
I told my dad about accepting Christ and being forgiven and he said believing in Jesus IS being forgiven. What do you think?
Lily,
As Paul states in Romans 10:9, “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you have done that, then you are forgiven. I struggled with doubting my salvation for years until I finally accepted that God had forgiven me and saved me. I learned it is about faith and not feelings, because if it was based on our feelings, then we would be responsible for our own salvation and Jesus would not have had to die for us. Of course He did pay for our sins and ” All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37. So if you have gone to Jesus and truly believed in your heart and have confessed that He is God’s only perfect Son who died for your sins, then you are saved. God’s Word, not mine. Take John 3:16 for example. “For God so loved Lilly, that He gave His only begotten Son, that if Lily believes in Him she should not perish but have everlasting life” As I mentioned about John 6:37, if you keep going to God, He will not turn you away. Ever!!!! If you fall down spiritually, get up and go back to God and confess whatever sin you committed and you will be forgiven if you truly repent (turn away) of the sin/sins. If you keep committing the same sins, keep confessing them to God, and ask Him to help you stop committing them. I have struggled with various sins for years and I am at last seeing results because I have consistently gone back to God and asked from the bottom of my heart for His help. I have told Him, that I, Erik cannot change myself. He has to change me. That is what God is looking for, reliance upon Him. He loves you and is not willing that any (you Lily) should perish. 2 Peter 3:9. Keep seeking Him. Do not stop. I have prayed for you.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit you did not do because 1 Timothy 1:13 SAYS, 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.
Here’s the crux of the matter: Since Jesus came to ‘save’ sinners, he would never turn one away who was sincere. Firstly, he was addressing the hypocritical attitudes of his detractors and not the average person on the street. These religious ‘leaders’ were trying to destroy his witness because they were jealous and because they feared him. Finally, I believe that the statement he made was equally powerful. He was saying, in essence: You call yourselves believers but you are really changelings or apostates. Many in the church do not believe that once one becomes a believer they can lose their salvation. This is true but it is not true that once a believer one can never cross over to unbelief. Well known bible experts do believe that this can does and will happen. God would never leave us but we can leave God. These men were leveling the most insulting and damaging critique against Jesus witness that they could come up with. He in turn nailed them to the wall. He called a spade a spade. “You represent all those who call themselves believers but in reality have become God’s enemies.”
This whole unforgivable thing really scares me. I searched a lot about it on the internet and almost everyone said the same thing.. some said this sin cant be commited anymore since Jesus is no longer on earth.. i dont know. It really scares me. Sometimes some thoughts just pop in our heads as you said and its not our fault. Its not like we really mean to offend Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Still its not a great feeling.
I wonder.. what if someone says that blasphemy, willfully, and then read the bible and regrets?
What if someone really thinkst that Jesus was possesed by the devil but then realize its not like that? Is this person still going to hell? I believe God forgives whoever repents but i wonder if He would forgive someone who repents from THAT sin, since He said theres no forgiveness for that… you may say whoever commits that unforgivable sin wont repent it but.. what if he does? I mean God’s word doesnt change so what would happen? Would He forgive the person as he promised to forgive anyone who repents or would He let the person go to hell since He said theres no forgiveness for that sin?
Hope you answer. Thanks.
Uh.. did i use the word “commit” properly?
Luca,
As Ray Fowler has said, if you are worrying about it then you probably have not committed it. The fact you are concerned shows you still have spiritual sensitivity. If you had committed the unpardonable sin you would not bother nor care to post your concerns here. That shows deep down you want to know you have been forgiven. Someone who’s heart has been hardened beyond all hope would not have the slightest bit of concern over what they have done. I had the same concern when I first became a Christian. Just keep seeking God and He will let you know that He has already forgiven you. If you admit to Him that you have sinned, it means you are a sinner and in good company, because Jesus came to die for and forgive sinners. See First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Thank you, Erik.
I’m extremely worried. Several years ago, I said something I didn’t mean. I was really depressed and stressed out, and I told my friend that I had a demon inside me and that I was the antichrist. I have no idea why I even said that, because I definitely didn’t believe it. It just slipped out of my mouth. I’ve been worried about this for a really long time, and can’t stop worrying about it. I’ve asked God to forgive me and told Him that I still love him and want to be in Heaven with him when I die. Now, I’m scared to die because I think I’m going to hell. Several months after this happened, I started to fall away from the Lord and got into drugs and drinking. I’m now starting to get out of it and wanting to follow the Lord again. I just feel like God won’t forgive me for what I did.
Kaitlyn,
I use to go through life thinking that God would never forgive me because I kept messing up, and that was after I was saved. I believe your desire to do what is right is from God. All such desires for goodness come from God. You can think of it this way, (I am paraphrasing a preacher who said this) what pushes you away from God is not God but your flesh or Satan, and whatever pulls you or pushes you towards God is the Holy Spirit. Since you have a desire to follow God again, it can only be God calling you back to Himself because Satan certainly would not cause you to go towards God but away from Him. John 3:16 is familiar to most but most may not be familiar with John 3:17 which says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” So He is not waiting to condemn you but to forgive you. Just call out to Him and keep doing so. Jesus said in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” That along with 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” as well as 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”, shows He is waiting to forgive you. One verse that really sticks with me and shows God’s loving Spirit toward me is Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” While you still have breath, call upon the Lord and He will forgive you.
Hello everyone,
Sorry I haven’t been able to comment, but life circumstances keep me from being actively involved in the blog these days. Thank you all for commenting, and it is nice to see all the interaction still taking place.
Ray Fowler
i got saved a month ago and it completly changed my life with the holy spirit then i had this thought, “the bible says the devil is the great deceiver i hope he is not tricking me to thinking im saved” then after that i cannot feel the holy spirit anymore and i feel lost this really concerns me!!!
After reading Erik’s response to my post, I felt like the Lord was comforting me because I didn’t seem so worried about it. All of a sudden, I am feeling how Ralf described in his post. When I pray, I feel like God isn’t listening and that he can’t hear me. I feel like I am just talking to myself and that God has nothing to do with me anymore and that the Holy Spirit has left me. This sounds weird, but I now feel like I don’t need to worry anymore about what I had done. I feel that maybe my heart has been so hardened and that is why I don’t feel so concerned. What I am trying to say probably doesn’t make any sense at all. It’s just really hard to describe what I am feeling. I feel maybe either the Lord is comforting me or my heart has been hardened. Maybe I’m just not having enough faith. I’m just really worried now because I had a dream that I was burning in hell. In the dream, I was on a bridge that was over hell, but the bridge somehow broke and I fell in a pool of lava and burned, and I knew that I would never be able to get out of it and I would be burning there forever. When I woke up, half my body felt like it was on fire. I was in physical pain for about 15 minutes. I have no idea what is going on, and it is hard for me to explain how I feel. I don’t know what to do now. I just keep praying that He will forgive me, but I just still feel as if He won’t forgive me and that I have been completely separated from Him.
Brad,
I went through the exact same thing when I was first saved. Satan immediately began attacking me with thoughts of doubt of whether I was saved at all. I can tell you it is more likely than not he is attacking you to get you off track and away from God’s will for your life. Do not go by your feelings but go by faith. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8,9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” So you have been saved not by your feelings but by your faith in what Jesus Christ has done for you. I went by my feelings for many, many years until God made me realize through His Word, my wife, my pastor and other Christians that my feelings will not keep me in God’s good graces, nor did they save me, so if you have trusted in God’s plan of salvation through Jesus with all your heart and have repented of your sins (lifestyle) (you will still sin since you live in this corrupt world)then you have not lost your salvation. The feelings of excitement will come and go, but God’s love for you will not. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “The LORD has appeared of old (from afar) to me, saying: “Yes I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
Kaitlyn,
I believe Satan is playing tricks on you and causing you to doubt and live in fear. As the Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The spirit of fear then is coming from the great deceiver and liar, Satan himself. Satan puts thoughts of fear and doubt in our minds, but we must fight them with prayer and the Word of God. If those thoughts come into your mind, block them out by praying to God to help you. I know it will not be easy, but do not give up. I lived through doubts of not knowing if I was saved and might have set the all-time record for times accepting Christ. Over time God worked on me and the thoughts lessened and eventually went away. Now when I have thoughts contrary to God’s Word, and yes I do have ungodly thoughts after 21 years, I take the attitude of, “Pff, you have got to be kidding me Satan, that does not work anymore. You have lost, Jesus has defeated you. You no longer have power over me. Get lost!” Remember, Satan has lost and that makes him a loser. You are the victor through Christ. From whence comes your help? Psalm 121:1,2 says, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills- From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
Dear Ray, over the past five months i have been hearing blasphemous voices against jesus christ and the holy spirit. voices would say the holy spirit is “demonic” repeatedly. and that jesus is “Demonic” voices would also say things such as i blasphemed the holy spirit. i am going to hell.
i hear the voices repeatedly. over and over again i hear them. and they do not go away. i believe i have “Committed” the Unforgiveagle sin
this has Affected my Relationship and Possibally my salvation