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Appendix A: It is Possible to Sin
against the Holy Spirit
Since all sin
is against God, there is a sense in which all sin is against the
Holy Spirit, for He is a member of the Godhead. Yet, there are
some specific sins that are directed at the Holy Spirit.
Because He is a person, the Holy Spirit may suffer slights
and injuries which are attributed to a person. In this study we
will examine passages that speak of sin against the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit—Matthew 12:22-37
The background to this incident is important. Jesus was
casting out demons. The Pharisees charged Him with acting by the
power of Beelzebub. Jesus showed two things wrong with their
charge: 1) Illogic--A house divided wouldn't stand; Satan
would oppose Satan, 2) Inconsistency. They acknowledged
their sons cast them out by God's power. Jesus performed miracles
by the Spirit of God, (the finger of God, Luke 11:20). By
casting out demons, Jesus was binding the strong man (Satan).
Jesus warned the Pharisees about blasphemy. Blasphemy means
"to speak a word against." It is used of language that
is hostile to God. It
refers not merely to one's words, but to his attitude. Speaking
against the Son of man shall be forgiven. Speaking against the
Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven. Rejection of the Son during the
ministry of Jesus could be forgiven, but rejection of the Holy
Spirit would be a rejection of heaven's last effort to save man.
Some who rejected Jesus would yet be forgiven on Pentecost, Acts
2:36-38. The exact circumstances of Matthew 12:24
can’t be duplicated today, because Jesus is not on earth and is
not casting out devils. While He was here, Jesus did this by the
Holy Spirit. Those who attributed this to Satan were in danger.
Is it possible to blaspheme the Holy Spirit today? While it
is impossible to duplicate the events of Matthew 12, it is
possible to reject the Spirit’s testimony and be lost! The
gospel age is often called the age of the Holy Spirit, for it was
the Spirit's work in this age to reveal and confirm the gospel. Is
it possible for a man to become so bitter in opposition to the
Spirit's revelation that he cannot be saved? It would seem so.
Though he has not committed exactly the same sin as in Matthew
12, he is in a similar condition. Why would God not forgive
those who blaspheme the Spirit? Was God "really mad at them
and refused to forgive?" Or was the problem in the men who
spoke against the Spirit? Was it a heart condition? A man may
become so hardened that he makes a complete, final and utter
rejection of the Spirit's revelation. When a man completely
rejects the Spirit's revelation, he has rejected heaven's last
effort to save man; rejected the power of God; rejected the
evidence which convicts men of sin; persisted in bold opposition
and rejection, and is lost. Any sin man will repent of may be
forgiven, 1 John 1:9. Sin that is not repented of is a sin
unto death, 1 John 5:16-17. Let us always be of a mind to
accept the Spirit’s testimony. We must never resist His word.
Let us always obey Him.
Special note should be made concerning how Pentecostals and
Charismatics use Matthew
12. Pentecostal preachers will
often cry "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" if their own
members question them. "The Holy Spirit told me to do or
say...." They intimidate them into silence by warning them of
blaspheming the Spirit. The
same men use this text as a weapon against those who question
their so-called miracles. "If you deny I have worked a
miracle, you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit." This is a
misuse of Matthew 12 by false teachers.
Some Other Sins Against The Holy Spirit
Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of lying to the Holy
Spirit, Acts 5:1-11. Stephen accused the Jews of resisting
the Holy Spirit, Acts 7:51. They resisted the Holy Spirit
by resisting the word the Spirit had revealed. The same sin can be
committed today. The Thessalonians were warned not to quench the
Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19. We would understand this to be similar to resisting the
Holy Spirit. When a Christian resists obedience to the Spirit’s
word, he is quenching the effect of the Spirit in his life. The
Ephesians were warned not to grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephesians
4:30. The context of this passage addresses pure speech and
godly conduct on the part of Christian.
We can safely conclude that when Christians conduct
themselves in an ungodly way that Holy Spirit is grieved by that
kind of conduct.
The Corinthians were warned about defiling the temple of
God, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Does this text refer to the
church or to the individual Christian? In the context, it refers
to the church—not the individual Christian. This temple is
defiled through divisions, quarrels and carnality. What is the
temple in 1 Corinthians 6:19?
In this case, it is the body of the individual believer. It
can it be defiled through using it in dishonorable ways. In the
context, Paul talks about the dishonorable use of the body through
sexual immorality.
The Hebrews were warned about insulting the Spirit, Hebrews
10:29. The context of this passage has to do with
apostasy—leaving the Lord. It is always an insult to God when a
Christian chooses the world over the Son of God. When a Christian
does that, he treats everything that is holy as commonplace and
unimportant. He rejects the blood of Christ; he rejects the
covenant of God; he rejects the revelation given by the Spirit. He
is in serious trouble with God
Just as we speak of being obedient to Christ, we must
understand that we are to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. Let us
humbly and reverently submit to the word of the Holy Spirit and be
blessed.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
Franklin
Church of Christ
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