What is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” anyway?
This troubling verse is found in Matt 12:31.
Let’s look at the context that starts in verse 22.
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David [the Messiah]?”
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
Knowing their thoughts, [Jesus] said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”
A couple of verses later he called them a brood of vipers and told them they were evil.
This is because Jesus knew that the way the Jewish leaders responded with contempt against the Spirit of God was the way they wanted to respond. When they committed conspiracy to have Him condemned knowing He was completely innocent, it was what they wanted to do.
I cannot possibly overemphasize the importance of desire in our lives. What is it you want?
Desire is a theme I wrote about in my first Untwisting Scriptures book back in 2016, and it is a theme I see again and again as I continue to get to know God and His Word.
So for you or your loved one, the question to ask regarding whether you’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit and committed the unpardonable sin:
What is it you actually want?
It’s an important question. Life and death, I would say.
Some people believe they’ve committed the unpardonable sin because they have intrusive thoughts that are blasphemous. They are deeply ashamed of these thoughts and often are terrified to speak of them to anyone. Surely, they think, I’ve committed the unpardonable sin and must be damned to hell. I’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit and can never be redeemed.
But what is it you actually want?
If you don’t want those thoughts, then something else is going on. You’re not like the Pharisees. You aren’t chasing after evil because of a seared conscious commitment to darkness and the father of lies.
But still . . . it can be complicated.
If you don’t want those thoughts, then I see two possibilities for why you have them. (I’m open to seeing more and look forward to your comments.)
The first possibility:
There is demonic involvement. I’ll make no apologies and do no foot-shuffling for saying that. As Diane Hawkins has so clearly explained, and as I’ve also taught, there are 5 types of demonic influence, and even fervent Jesus followers can be subject to four of them.
The second possibility:
The thoughts are leaking out of past abuse, perhaps childhood abuse that has been dissociated.
And of course, there is the possibility that the problems come as a result of a combination of the two. There is dissociated childhood abuse, even of an extreme nature, and there has been demonic involvement, even perhaps as part of the abuse.
I believe if you think about it for a minute, you’ll see how “naturally” these two things would go together. Those who commit extreme child abuse are motivated by something more than just their fleshly nature. Either directly or indirectly, they’re choosing involvement with the demonic.
Though it doesn’t seem fair, the victims of these criminal acts have to deal with the aftereffects. One of the aftereffects can very often be blasphemous intrusive thoughts.
Finding a compassionate helper who understands these things will go a long way to being able to deal with them.
One more thing to add, if you’ve trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior:
You may feel like you don’t want this blasphemy and feel ashamed of it, but for some strange reason, part of you does seem to want to focus on it.
Take heart.
It’s important to get help with that from someone who understands dissociation and parts of self, but you can keep going back to the knowledge that if you’ve trusted in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God. Something bad may have happened that needs to be dealt with, but you, in your spirit, do not want this. You want to follow Jesus.
Though there may be much untangling to do, you can know, at least, that you haven’t committed the unpardonable sin.
Jesus gave the Jewish leaders every opportunity to turn from their sinful, self-centered, demonic ways to Him. But–with very few exceptions–they actively chose to turn against Him instead.
This is who He was talking to. Those people who have chosen evil.
If you or someone you care about is thinking thoughts that feel like blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, against the works of the Lord Jesus Christ, the key question is, “Is this what you want to be thinking?”
If it isn’t, or if you can at least say, “Part of me doesn’t want to,” then you can be sure that you’re not committing the unpardonable sin.
It can be difficult coming out of the trauma, but that’s one fear that can be put to rest.
God be with you, and I’m praying for you.
Rebecca
*****
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I don’t think intrusive thoughts are always because of demons or trauma. Scrupulocity ocd culd just be a brain wiring issue, but if intrusive thoughts are only blasphemy and don’t go away with basic measures, I’d agree something else is going on. Some intrusive thoughts seem to be because you don’t want to have them, so your brain ends up bringing it up. Like, if someone tells you to not think about purple elephants, you end up thinking about purple elephants. God obviously knows if we intend to have a thought or not.
Yes, when church bosses focus so much on sin, people end up thinking about sin a lot. True.
What are the 5 types of demonic influence?
I pray for healing with people and continue to learn what needs to be addressed.
This is a brief description of the 5 types; you can read more at rcm-usa.org.
1. The demonic influence that is throughout the world all the time that everyone experiences, the pulls to darkness, etc.
2. Curses.
3. Demonic presence in an infested geographical or physical area (an area that has been given over to evil in the past).
4. Demonic attachment, which is especially challenging in those who have DID as a result of SRA.
5. Complete demonic possession, which in my understanding happens only when a person willfully gives himself or herself over to evil.
2 Corinthians 10:5 about bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ has been very helpful to me. As believers we must train our minds with the truth of Scripture in order to battle practically the ungodly thoughts we will experience as we walk, in faith, through life this side of eternity.
Thank you.
Helpful to have it summarized.
I don’t think there is any unpardonable sin, something that cannot be forgiven however much you regret. I see that it is easy to understand this text that way, and many have done so, but I nevertheless think it is a misunderstanding.
Then, Matthew and Luke probably also understands this a bit differently. But you are quoting from Matthew here, and I think that what Matthew means to say is this:
The miracles that Jesus performed were actually done by the Holy Spirit, they were the Spirits testimony to who Jesus was. It was understandable that some people – notably the pharisees – didn’t believe Jesus based only on what he himself said. That could be excused. But when they also saw the miracles, the Holy Spirit’s testimony, then they had no excuse anymore. No stronger sign that Jesus spoke the truth could be given. To not believe Jesus in the face of these miracles was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps one should translate «excuse» rather than «forgive» here.
The pharisees, then, committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But they could, one could say, «undo» this blasphemy by regretting it and starting to believe Jesus after all. Then, they too would be forgiven.
I think Paul is an example of this. He was himself a pharisee. He is never mentioned in the gospels, and if he ever saw Jesus before Jesus died, we don’t know. But at least he saw the disciples of Jesus performing much of the same signs as Jesus did, yet he didn’t believe their testimony. Then he had his dramatic experience on the road to Damascus, and had a complete turnaround. He became one of the most ardent spreaders of the gospel about Jesus. He had been forgiven.
Interesting thoughts. Thank you.
I thought blasphemy was more overt, rather than sinful thoughts? Like, speaking in disrespectful or discrediting ways against Jesus, God or Holy Spirit, or denying their power. I dealt with this when I came into the reality of the Holy Spirit at age 30. I was saved at 11 but in a legalistic tradition that denied the full power of the Spirit for today. I grew up arrogantly scoffing at other denominations who displayed any outward manifestations, from raising hands to speaking in tongues, or made claims of healing, miracles or prophecy. So later when I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit, it completely changed my heart and mind. But I then dealt with the guilt and possibility that I had been blaspheming the Holy Spirit my whole life prior. I’ve repented and sought counsel since. But I still don’t feel completely at peace about that passage.
I grew up in a tradition like that too, fundamentalist Baptist. I trust that the Lord Himself, through His Holy Spirit, will help you see the truth about what happened in the past, before He brought you to Himself.
Hi Rebecca,
My friend and I were just talking about this very subject and I agree with you. The blasphemy is ultimately a hardened heart to the Lord. It is made clear in this text that what was in their heart was coming out in what they were saying agains Jesus Christ calling him the devil. Their hearts were hard and they believed lies. They had a form of godliness (religion) but there was no power in their lives. They ultimately had no love of God and could not love or believe in Christ who is God in the flesh. It reminded me of Isaiah where it says -“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink (they were drunk in power), who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.”
Isaiah 5:20-25 ESV
In the end we can know them by their fruit because their fruit is evil. God’s word says that the enemy will attack and throw arrows and accuse the brethren but the Lord is greater in His children and faithful to do and keep those who are His and protect us from the evil one.
Thank you for all you share!
My prayer-
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:9-11 ESV
Excellent thoughts. Thank you!
Years ago, after coming out of a spiritually abusive church, I was told that if I was worried I had committed the unpardonable sin, I probably hadn’t; as those who have wouldn’t be worried by it.
It can still be a trigger sometimes.
I think this scripture is used to control and manipulate, along with many other scriptures, and can twist our thinking to such a degree that even “renewing our mind by the washing of the word” may not necessarily be helpful until heart healing and untwisting has taken place.
There is no humility in it. The enemy will use it to torment us, especially when we have heard more about sin and punishment than the love of the Father and who He is as demonstrated by Jesus. “Those who have seen me (Jesus) have seen the Father”.
Rebecca, you ask the question “What is it you actually want?”
Do we want to please the Lord? Do we want to share with others about Jesus? Do we want to be transformed? Do we want to be around other believers? Do we want to worship God? Do we want Jesus to heal us and help us? Would we rather listen to Christian songs/music? and so on.
We may not always get things right, but I think questions like these help to show us our own heart.
Yes. I’ve heard that response too, and I do agree with it. Someone who is concerned that s/he has committed the “unpardonable [or inexcusable] sin” surely hasn’t, because the only ones who do that are so hard-hearted as to have no openness to the nudgings of conscience or Spirit. That is the difference.
“What is it you actually want” is another way to look at it that has certainly been helpful for me and I wanted to pass on in case it might be helpful for others. Thank you for your thoughts!