In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus says the following words: “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” For some, these words have caused a lot of worry. It is easy to start wondering, “Is this a sin that I have committed? Is this something that I have done? Have I blasphemed the Holy Spirit and placed myself in a position where there is no forgiveness, either in this age or in the age to come?” Since we are studying about the Holy Spirit on Sunday morning, I thought that it would be helpful to spend a few moments considering the topic of “blasphemy against the Spirit.” What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and what does it mean for us today?
In order to understand the meaning of Matthew 12:31-32, we must acknowledge that Jesus spoke them in a very specific context. After hearing about Jesus miraculously casting out demons from a man (Matthew 12:22), the Pharisees claimed, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons” (Matthew 12:24). They could not dispute that Jesus had performed an authentic miracle, so they disputed the source of the miracle. After showing the Pharisees’ irrationality (Matthew 12:25-26) and hypocrisy (Matthew 12:27), demonstrating the true source of His empowerment (the Holy Spirit) (Matthew 12:28) and superiority to Satan (Matthew 12:29), and standing against neutrality (Matthew 12:30), Jesus speaks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:31-32.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? The answer to this question is found in the context. Jesus casted out a demon from an individual by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees saw the miracle and willfully credited the power behind it to Satan. I believe that shows us what the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is in this context. In this particular setting, blasphemy against the Spirit is intentionally speaking evil against the Holy Spirit by crediting His power to Satan. As this miracle happened right before their eyes, the Pharisees were intentionally speaking evil against the Spirit by crediting His power to Satan. Individuals could speak evil against the Son of Man in ignorance to who He was while on earth; they could witness the miracles that He performed, come to an understanding of who He actually is, and turn from their blasphemy. However, after they saw the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, to speak against the Holy Spirit was not ignorance; it was willful and intentional.
Is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit truly unforgivable? Jesus says that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Since the Pharisees had just committed that sin, does this mean that the Pharisees were without hope? I don’t think that is the way to think about this, especially considering that Jesus goes on to talk to them about what they need to do in order to repent of this sin (Matthew 12:33-45). I believe that Jesus is telling them that, as long as they lived in this mindset and attitude of intentional rejection, they could not be forgiven. As long as they willfully rejected the Holy Spirit and His power, they would not be forgiven.
Can the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit be committed today? I believe that the answer to that question is both “yes” and “no.” First, I would answer this question by saying “no” because the circumstances in which the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit happened in this passage are no longer present. Jesus is not on earth right now casting out demons from people. Because of that fact, we cannot commit this sin in the same exact way that the Pharisees did. But I would also answer this question by saying “yes” because we can choose to intentionally and continually reject the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy against the Spirit is not just a one-time sin. It is a lifestyle of intentional and willful rejection. What if we choose to live that way? There will be no forgiveness, either in this age or the age to come. Thanks be to God for His grace. Thanks be to God that we can always choose to make a different choice. Instead of speaking or living against the Spirit, may we choose to love, cherish, and embrace the Spirit and His awesome power.
-Tyler Alverson
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