RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-03-11	Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit
		Mat 12:31  "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Mat 12:32  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Jesus' announcement that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a sin that will never be forgiven seems hard at first. First, it seems to contradict other Scripture that tells us Christ's blood can affect forgiveness for every sin (1Jn.1:7,9). Second, that slander against Jesus can be forgiven, but no against the Spirit seems to exalt the dignity of the Spirit over the Son. The gospel of Mark does give us some help in explaining why this sin is unforgivable. Mar 3:28  "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; Mar 3:29  but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"— Mar 3:30  because they said, "He has an unclean spirit." These Jewish scribes were attributing to Satan the Spirit's power by which Jesus expelled demons. What sets the slander of the Spirit apart from forgivable sins is the KNOWLEDGE and WILLFULLY REBELLIOUS mind-set of the scribes. Their charge that Jesus derived His power over demons by His alliance with the demon's evil prince was absurd. Jesus pointed out that Satan is not so foolish as to war against himself. Here the scribes' resolve to contradict what they KNEW FULL WELL to be true could move them to utter such an accusation. In the face of such indisputable evidence that in Jesus, God's Spirit was establishing God's kingdom by defeating Satan, they hardened their hearts to a point of no return. Remember Paul called himself “a blasphemer” as he acted out of ignorance (1Tm.1:13). Forgiveness is possible for one who slanders the Son has nothing to do with the Son having less glory than the Father or Holy Spirit. Receiving forgiveness is in the attitude of the one who resists the work of the Spirit. It is the work of the Spirit of God to regenerate you. If you resist the working of the Spirit of God when He speaks to you, there is no forgiveness. There is no forgiveness because you have rejected salvation made real to you by the Holy Spirit. If you resist the Holy Spirit, there is no forgiveness because He is bringing forgiveness. If a man is dying from a disease, and the doctor tells him there is a remedy for it. But the man refuses the remedy and dies. Did he die from the disease or from refusing to take the remedy? He died for not taking the remedy. There is a remedy for the disease of sin, and the Holy Spirit applies it; but if you resist it, there is no remedy. Is it possible to commit a sin today, that you come under conviction of it tomorrow, come to repentance, and God will not forgive you? Christ died for all sin, not just some sin. He did not die for all sin except one, the unpardonable sin. There is no such thing as being able to commit a sin today that He will not forgive. The attitude and state of the unbeliever is unpardonable—not the act. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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