What Is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Most believers have wondered if they have committed the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit through their words and action.

Therefore, they are crippled with the fear that they might have crossed the line and be heading to hell without any opportunity for repentance.

However, the reality is that it is almost impossible for a believer to commit the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as this sin finds its root in chronic unbelief and flagrant rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit, which are conviction of sin and the leading to sincere repentance.

This article will explain what is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin, and some examples of blasphemy in the Bible.

What does blasphemy against the Holy Spirit mean?

It is vital to understand the meaning of the word “blasphemy.” Blasphemy is the act of speaking sacrilegiously about God. It is the act of disregarding and disrespecting what is holy.

In the biblical context, blasphemy means rejecting God or the Holy Spirit. That is, to take, with levity, the workings of the Holy Spirit despite seeing the evidence of His power, truth, and reality.

Blasphemy is primarily the state of the heart. When your heart is hardened to the truth in God’s Word, even when the Holy Spirit is always prompting you towards repentance, you are on your way to committing the sin of blasphemy.

As long as you have rejected the Holy Spirit through thoughts or actions, you have blasphemed against Him. You must not speak loudly for the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to happen. It can happen in your mind.

Why is blasphemy considered an unforgivable sin?

The case of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was mentioned in Matthew 12:22-32 and Mark 3:28-29, where the Pharisees accused Jesus of using demonic powers to heal a man. Jesus responded that speaking against the Holy Spirit is an unpardonable offense. “Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men” (Matthew 12:31)

But why did Jesus say that? Jesus worked miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit upon Him. This is true even today. God’s Spirit works through us to do miracles and great works (Zechariah 4:6). Therefore, attributing this power to the devil is rejecting the Holy Spirit and disregarding it, hence an unforgivable sin.

The Pharisees knew precisely what they were doing. They were not ignorant that Jesus was the Messiah and that what He did what influenced by God’s power. However, they rejected the truth because and deliberately lived unbelief and went the extra mile to attribute Jesus’ miracle to the devil.

Therefore, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is considered an unforgivable sin because it is born from attributing the work and power of the Holy Spirit to demonic forces, rejecting Jesus and remaining resolute in that belief for the rest of one’s life.

Examples of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in the Bible

Jesus’ encounter with the Jewish spiritual leaders, Pharisees, and Sadducees, in Matthew 12:22-32 and Mark 3:20-29, opens up the discussion about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man. The people who experienced it marveled and started to believe in Him. They asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” (Matthew 12:23). But the Pharisees said Jesus’ miracle was influenced by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.

Therefore, they did not only reject Jesus; they rejected the Holy Spirit and attempted to change the minds of the people the Holy Spirit was working on.

The Bible did not state whether the people around believed what these religious leaders said. But based on the authority they hold and the respect people have for them, the chances of believing what they said were high. They rejected the Holy Spirit and hindered it from working in people’s hearts.

Jesus defended Himself, stating that “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25). Jesus said this to clearly state that using the spirit of the devil to chase out an evil spirit is counterproductive and foolish.

Jesus then told them the consequence of their words by saying, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men… whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32)

These men saw Jesus and experienced His mighty works firsthand. However, they continued to reject Him despite knowing He was the Son of God. They had decided not to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. They chose the way of destruction in place of salvation (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, James 4:17).

How can we avoid blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Since blasphemy is directly linked to hardening the heart to repentance and rejecting the Holy Spirit, opening your heart and obeying God is the only way not to fall into blasphemy.

The Bible says in John 16:8 that the Holy Spirit convicts us of the sin of unbelief. To be convicted of sin is to feel guilt and understand that what we have done is wrong. However, being convicted of sin does not stop with feeling sorry. It must lead to repentance.

Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). After you have recognized sin as being wrong, you must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit by giving your life to Christ.

You must understand that delay is dangerous when it comes to avoiding the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because the more you continue in sin and refuse to repent, the more your heart becomes hardened (2 Corinthians 6:2). You will soon get to a point where sin becomes a lifestyle, and you do not feel any form of guilt. That is a sin that the Holy Spirit is no longer at work in you, and you’re heading to eternal damnation (Romans 6:23)

Will God forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Blasphemy is not a curse from God; it’s a self-inflicted curse, a life sentence to hell by hardening your heart and constant rejection of the Holy Spirit to work repentance in you and lead you to the cross.

This is how blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and its consequence work. Since you do not believe in the Holy Spirit, God withdraws it from your heart. You’re no longer convicted of your sin nor being prompted to accept Christ. You become blind to God’s way and deaf to the call to salvation as you walk down the path of perdition.

A Christian cannot blaspheme against the Holy Spirit because you have been redeemed and sanctified in the name of Jesus. However, a person who has chosen not to repent despite knowing the truth cannot be saved because they would never come to repentance.

God’s mercies are new every morning and His arms are always open to receiving a sinner. However, such a sinner must play their role by forsaking sin and accepting Jesus. Therefore, there’s no forgiveness for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit until a sinner returns to God.

Final Thoughts

A true believer of Jesus cannot commit this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because you have already accepted Christ into your heart. As a matter of fact, feeling afraid that you have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit is a sign that you are on the right track. A person who has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit is numb to sin and willfully sins. They have unrepentant spirits and stony hearts.