Blasphemy Against the Holy SpiritThe Sign of Our Time
November 14, 2008
Last Hope of Salvation
Our nation is in a moral crisis. Religion is being relegated to the private arena and any expression of faith-based morality in the public square is looked upon with disdain. Relative truth, secularized religion, and loss of values, is rapidly replacing traditionally faith-based morality. As the church becomes more isolated and marginalized by the liberal media, as popular prejudice against Christians increase; a complete erosion of the moral fabric of our western civilization is certain. Could this be where the growing anti-Christian consensus in America is taking us? Often the simple truths of the Bible are before our eyes and yet they are not readily seen or understood. Such is the case of the unpardonable sin.
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”(Matthew 12:31KJV)
It is common place to hear Hollywood celebraties, Media pundits and Washington elites scoff at the notion of God and reject anything Christian. Those who spew out this venomous blasphemy are alienated from the Christian hope.
“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”(Ephesians 2:12KJV)
God sent his prophets to deliver the message of salvation and redemption to the world and the world rejected and killed the prophets. Could history be repeating its self? Has the “Elite Media̶ become drum major for a postmodern march to rejection of the Holy Spirit?
“Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.”(Matthew 23:31KJV)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
(Matthew 23:37KJV)
God then sent his son to save the world from their sins and the world rejected and killed him.
“God, who at sundry times and divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1: 1-2KJV)
“For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:”.(1 Thessalonians 2:14-15KJV)
Before his death Jesus spoke of being rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes.
“Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.(Luke 9:22KJV)
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.”(Luke 17:25KJV)
In spite of being rejected Christ promised that after his death and ressurection he would send the comforter, thus extending to man one last hope of salvation!
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;”(John 14:16KJV)
Despite attacks from evil forces to discredit, scourage and crucify him Jesus opened his bowels of compassion and offered one last hope of salvation to man. He promised the comforter. However, the promise came with a woeful warning. Speak out, reject, and rail against the comforter and you shall not be forgiven not in this world nor in the world to come. This “last hope of salvation” is a testmant to his enduring mercy. Have we entered an age of blasphemy? Could it be that privatization amd secularization of the church, humanism, relativism, and pluralism have become precursors to society’s inevitable and utter rejection by God?
To believe that God exist and to know that we can communicate with him is the key that opens the spiritual portal to the life that exists beyond the physical realities of this world, otherwise salvation and redemption are impossibilities. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. We live in the era and sovereignty of The Holy Spirit: consequently if one rejects or denies the power and working of the Holy Spirit there is no hope of forgiveness.
“Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”(Hebrews 10:29KJV)
The unpardonable sin then is that of rejection of the last hope of salvation, which is the Holy Spirit. We live in a world that is perishing and all around us people are rejecting God and his Spirit. Increasingly more people are raised in our society who are without any knowledge of salvation. These people live and die without The Holy Spirit. They do not hesitate to speak harshly against anything Holy or Godly.
̶Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”(Acts 7:51KJV)
As it was with the Son so it is with the Holy Spirit. There were those who spoke against our Lord and Savior saying that he had a devil and that his miracles were by the power of Satan.
“Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me.̶(John 8:46-49KJV)
“Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.”(John 8:52KJV)
“And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?”(John 10:20KJV)
“But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”(Matthew 12:24KJV)
The aforementioned scriptural references serve as vivid examples of blasphemy against Christ. It is the same unpardonable slander that Jesus warned should not be directed against The Holy Spirit. Saying, you can use such abusive language against the Father and you can speak harsh words against the Son, but whoever attacks The Holy Spirit in this manner has forfeited any opportunity of forgiveness.
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men”.(Matthew 12:31KJV)
“And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.”(Mark 15:28-32KJV)
“And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.”(Luke 12:10KJV)
In spite of all these prophetic warnings from Christ, the authority and reality of The Holy Spirit is being rejected and slandered by many. Have you rejected and slandered the Spirit of Christ? Media Beware!
The Bible calls the individual who rejects the very existence of the Holy Spirit, calling it evil and an unholy thing, a profane person.
“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”(1 Timothy 1:10KJV)
An individual who engages in profanity, i.e. blasphemy against The Holy Spirit, is one who’s heart has been harden against God and his workings. Thus the unpardonable sin is a continual resisting and rejection of the Holy Spirit until there is no longer a consciousness of right and wrong, good and evil. In other words they form a cognitive system of beliefs which affirms that all truth is relative. Subsequently, no system of truth is more valid than another one; thereby eliminating any objective standard for truth. This belief system, naturally, denies that there is an absolute truth of which The Holy Spirit is the arbiter. Those who whole and practice such beliefs give up their right to salvation: consequently, they slip deeper and deeper into ungodliness.
“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”(Hebrews 12:16-17KJV)
Since the rebirth of man is essential for salvation and seeing there can be no rebirth without the Holy Spirit, this person is forever deemed unholy, profane and reprobate in the sight of God.
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(2 Timothy 3:1-7NASB)
The Prophet Isaiah describes the nature of these individuals and sends out a warning to them.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel”(Isaiah 5:20-24KJV)
An individual can be characterized as a profane person when their mind has been darkened to the point where it is impossible for them to understand the difference between the holy and the unholy, good and evil or right and wrong.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”(Romans 1:28-32KJV)
This individual may even profess to know God but their works will undoubtedly speak for them.
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”(Titus 1:15-16KJV)
God takes great offense against those who without conscience continually violate his law and never feel the slightest remorse for their sins. “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”(Psalms 7:11KJV) If they refuse to accept the testimony given to them by the Holy Spirit, fight off His conviction of their sin, and never accept the truth, they have no hope of forgiveness. The Apostle Peter Warns of these profane scoffers. “First of all you must understand this: In the last days mockers will come and, following their own desires, will ridicule us.(2 Peter 3:3ISV)” Once again the prophetic tolling of the scriptural bell announces the beginning of a new age. With each slanderous attack on Christian ethics and values in the public arena, by the “Liberal Elites”, the bell tolls louder. We draw closer and closer to a godless society carried away by our own wantonness. “Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.” Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit! The Sign of Our Time?