Understanding Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and Forgiveness

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit signifies a hardened heart, rendering one incapable of seeking forgiveness.

### Understanding Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: The Unforgivable Sin
* 🙏 Jesus teaches that all sins can be forgiven except for one: **blasphemy against the Holy Spirit**, a concept rooted in Mark chapter 3, where Jesus responds to the Pharisees' accusations of him being **demonic**.
* 📖 He argues that a "**house divided cannot stand**," emphasizing the absurdity of a demon casting out demons, and highlights that **blasphemy of the Holy Spirit** is a deliberate act of **rejecting God's spirit**.
* 😟 Many Christians live in fear of having inadvertently committed this sin, often worrying about trivial remarks or actions, but blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is more about a **hardened heart and a lifestyle of unrepentance**.
* 🧠 This unforgivable sin relates to a **conscious decision to live contrary to God's will**, akin to Pharaoh's hardening of his heart, leading to a state where one **no longer feels the need for repentance or forgiveness**.
* 💔 The essence of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a **complete disconnection from God**, where an individual becomes so consumed by their desires that they can no longer **recognize their wrongdoing or seek forgiveness**.
* 🔒 It is crucial to understand that **true repentance is always available** to those who desire it, and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit occurs when someone is **entirely indifferent to their need for redemption**.
* ⚖ Ultimately, the unforgivable nature of this sin lies not in a single act but in a **persistent state of unrepentance**, where the individual has **shut themselves off from God's grace and forgiveness**.
* 💬 The conversation around this topic reveals the **complexities and theological challenges** it presents, often leaving individuals grappling with the **nature of God's forgiveness** and the implications of a **hardened heart**.

Jesus says that every sin will be forgiven or can be forgiven except one, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, that is the sin which will never be forgiven. Now Jesus says this, I mean our earlier source will be Mark chapter 3, speaking to the Pharisees and the

Pharisees accuse Jesus of being demonic. They say that the reason he's able to cast out demons of people is because he is, is a demon himself, he is Satan, whatever it is. And Jesus says, "How can this be the case? A house divided cannot

stand. You know, if, if I'm a demon, I can't be casting out demons." But then, then he goes on to say that all sins can be forgiven but blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not and cannot be forgiven. I provide the context there because I'm

told that it's quite important. This is enough to send a shiver down your spine, Jesus saying if you do this thing you will not be forgiven. I've heard stories of Christians who sort of are up at night in a cold sweat thinking, "Have I

blasphemed the Holy Spirit when I made that joke at Christmas about bringing in the Holy Spirit's? Was that, oh my God, you know what is blaspheming the Holy Spirit and why is it unforgivable? Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, I would relate to Romans chapter 1 when

Paul talks about how eventually God gave them over to their own desires. So, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not, I'm driving down the Merritt and all of a sudden I get into this incredible road rage and I curse at somebody or I curse at God and

that those are the last words on my lips and I die in this road rage so it's a sin I'm committing at the end of my life so obviously it's going to send me to hell No, it has nothing to do with that. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is deciding on my own

my own volition. It's like Pharaoh to be honest, that's another example of hardening my own heart and then eventually God hardens my heart, so it's I'm going to live any old way I want to. Romans chapter 1, and then God gives me

over to my own desires and so it's it's not a specific act, it's instead it's grieving the Holy Spirit, living in line with the flesh, not the spirit because if you're living in line with the genuine Spirit, you're growing out the fruits of the spirit

Galatians 5:22, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and in a continual kind of way, it's always shown as fruit. So you're supposed to be growing in these areas. So blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is

the only unforgivable sin.  Is back to your original question, can I just ask for forgiveness at the end of my life and God you'll just grant me my wish to go into heaven?  Kira, nightly live any old way you want. It's so easy for Christians

because then at the end of their lives they can just say, 'God forgive me.' No, Kira, I love Pirates of the Caribbean, but no, Kira, that's completely wrong. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is, 'God, I'm playing a dirty trick with you. I I think you'll

forgive me no matter what, so I'm going to live any old kind of way that I want and then eventually God gives you over to those desires. Now, the thing that really strikes me about this is unforgivable, like forgiveness is something that is done retrospectively

for something that's already been done and now regretted and apologized for. So I understand the idea that like there are people who become so consumed with their own desires that their hearts are hardened. Mhm, that maybe for some reason God then like reinforces that by extra

hardening their heart or whatever, but like locking it in somehow as if to say that, I mean, what does it mean for it to be unforgivable? It means that if that person does that, they live that way. I mean, suppose I've been thinking to

myself, like, well I'm not sure if I should really be living this way, but I'm sure that one day I'll have a religious experience and I can know I'm sure God will forgive me and it'll be okay. I'm starting to live like that, right? I'm

starting to do that and then one day I, what was I thinking? This is this is this is terrible! I I I should never have done that! I'm really sorry about it. Well, tough luck, you can't be forgiven. You don't have to worry about that. Blasphemy

against the Holy Spirit means I have played so many games with God that I've reached the point where my heart is so hard I never hear the voice of God. I am not sorry for the wrong that I've done, therefore the only people who blasphemed the Holy Spirit are those who

could give a rip they're totally unconcerned because they're totally dead towards God in their Spirit Pharaoh six times hardened his heart then we read the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart well you take the first six times out and you're thinking what the Lord hardened

Pharaoh's heart what does that mean no Pharaoh hardened his heart and I can do that we all can do that but if a person has any desire at all to say Lord forgive me of course the Lord forgives them it's only those who have no desire

to ask for forgiveness who have possibly committed that sin so so why does God then harden Pharaoh's heart right his heart he's already hardening his heart why is it that God does this extra thing I'm now going to harden your heart as if

like the imagery I'm getting there if this is indeed what something like blaspheming the Holy Spirit is and becomes the unforgivable sin it's almost like God himself is like locking that in it's like well Pharaoh's been hardening

his heart he's been you know rejecting God's advances and so God says okay I'm going to grab you by a hold of the heart and I'm going to sort of switch off this possibility for you you as if God is like doing that to Pharaoh right no he's

not doing that to Pharaoh it's it's more a statement that Pharaoh you have hardened your heart so much that you are now shutting yourself off from me no the offer of Christ the offer of God for forgiveness is always open to every

single human being and there are countless illustrations of the grace of God working with some of the biggest wretches on Earth so we don't have to worry about that but is it impossible in principle for somebody to have once blasphemed the Holy Spirit and then

regret it yeah that's that's not going to happen because when you blaspheme the Holy Spirit you don't have the ability to repent you don't have the ability to be sensitive towards God because you are so hardened so separated from God there's no hope for you that that

sort of seems to make it worse to me it's like oh whatever I may have done because this the thing is that that you might say well well look you're you hardened your heart you did this you turned yourself away from God and so so

now you're in a state where you can't even possibly come to repentance and I would say but that seems a little unfair you know so well it's your fault you did it but the whole point of Christianity is that like well yeah you did this yeah

you did that you did that for years but I'm still going to forgive you as long as you regret it but you're telling me that there's something a person can do that makes it such that it is literally impossible for them even to want to

repent you know let alone being forgiven for it that that seems like really difficult to square with the with the sort of eternally forgiving God you know like we're talking about something that's unforgivable when you say well if somebody dies in a state where their

where their heart is hardened to God, that's true of any sin. If you die in sin without repentance, you know you're not going to be entered into the, you're not going to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven to say that this is

unforgivable and you're, you're telling me now something like, well, they've done something to the extent that now it does not matter what they do, they will never be able to repent. It's a full LIF style though, just like in Matthew 25 when

Jesus is talking about the sheep and the goats, he's saying, 'I never knew you, depart from me.' Uh, 'I never knew you, depart from me.' The Pharisees, shiny on the outside with the cup, but completely rotten on the inside, their father's the devil. Okay, that's blasphemy

as the Holy Spirit, where it's a hypocritical, hypocritical lifestyle all life long, but there's no way that those Pharisees could ever have snapped out of it and been like, 'I don't know what I was thinking, I was wrong, I regret it, I'm

sorry Lord.' No, Jesus wouldn't forgive them. We may disagree on this point, but Pharaoh, I think God judges Pharaoh. I think it was Pharaoh's free will at first, but then I think judgment came and thank heaven it came. Pharaoh is a nasty

brutish guy, was he not? So, so Judgment Day, I'm looking forward to because I think, I think judgment needs to happen. Um, at the same time, I'm not looking forward to it because I realize I've done wrong, but so, so for me, it's yes God

eventually judges but I I think you keep taking blaspheming as the Holy Spirit is like a one-time thing because you you started off this way you started off making it sound like you're at a Christmas party and all of a sudden you said the wrong thing against the Holy

Spirit you're going to hell well that's radically different from what we're talking about we know it's not that right but but I think there are things that you can do I mean all kinds of you could be in a in an adulterous affair

for 10 years it's something you do over 10 years and then on you know the very next day you could suddenly realize it was wrong suddenly repent of it and if as long as you're genuine you're forgiven mhm you're telling me that

there's something people can do not asking for forgiveness but like that's I mean yeah you don't if if I steal your wallet and you say Cliff I offer to forgive you and I say forgive me for what I haven't done anything wrong oh no Cliff you stole my

wallet well so what yeah so so then I say that what you're doing there is unforgivable right I I'm not going to forgive you for what you're doing right now and so then tomorrow when you come to me and say you know yesterday when I

was sort of like refusing to even acknowledge I I I I was wrong I'm sorry about that and I say hey man I already told you I'm not forgiving you for that Christ will always forgive the person who is repentant blasphemy against the

Holy Spirit is an unrepentant, hardened heart. There's no need, there's no understanding of my need for forgiveness. And once you get into that state, there's no possibility for redemption, correct? So, like I mean, what are you imagining? Like how old is a person in

this day, like how long does it take? What do they have to do? You know, we don't have the finest idea because, because people are or what they've done, we don't know that. That's between them and God. I find that so, so difficult, like it, it's sure

it's difficult, unforgivable because they're not asking for forgiveness, correct? You cannot be forgiven unless you ask for forgiveness, you humble yourself, something. It's unforgivable to not ask for forgiveness. The, the problem is there's sort of two levels here, right? There's

like, there's not asking for forgiveness, which of course, you can't be forgiven if you don't ask for forgiveness. But we're saying here now it's not you can't be forgiven if you don't ask for forgiveness, it's you can't be forgiven

for the state of not asking for forgiveness. If not asking, if blaspheming the Holy Spirit is something like not asking for forgiveness, to say that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable is not to say that when you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you know you

like, you, you're not going like, okay, you're not being forgiven right now because you're not apologizing. It's one thing to say you're not being forgiven for not apologizing. It's another thing to say that you will not be forgiven, like full stop, ever for the fact that

right now you're Unforgiven you see what I'm saying the only person who's committed that sin could care less.  God is irrelevant. God is not part of the equation. My sin is not part of the equation. I'm totally shut off. It's a

lifestyle not a one-time thing. Right?  CU it sounds like you keep taking it back to a one-time thing, but we're saying it's a full lifestyle.  Sure, age of accountability you bring in 12 years old, so after 12 maybe, but it's the sheep and

the goats, Matthew 25. I understand it's a terrifying passage. We've had some students come to us crying. I I get it. We need safe spaces for them, but I think for us it's a matter of what are your motives. When I am sitting in an Uber with a Hindu going

to a temple with a Hindu and sitting in an Uber with a Muslim, I hear very similar things when it comes to I have to do X, Y, and Z to get out of this caste in order to get out of a certain cycle. I have to do X, Y, and Z for my heart to

be lighter than a feather to get to Paradise. It's all me, me, me. I have to do these things versus I'm doing these things, but what is my true motive? Motives don't matter here with these two. It's just you have to do good things.

Here it's a heart motive in the sense of who am I doing it for? Why am I doing it? God, am I genuine in my relationship with you? Am I genuinely loving you? Am I genuinely loving others? Or is this simply just a a sick game where it's a

hypocritical lifestyle and I think we all know let's be real I think we all know when we're living in a hypocritical kind of way and the answer is if you if you do that for long enough then you just enter into a state

where now for the rest of your life no matter what you do no not no matter what you do if you repent you'll be forgiven but these people can't repent right because they blasphemed the Holy Spirit it's impossible for them to repent they have so hardened their hearts that they

have no interest in repenting if you have a slight interest in repenting Christ will forgive you do you think it's possible to be in a state where you have no interest in repentance for 10 years and then the 11th year regain it somehow Good sure

that happens to many people Yeah so they those people didn't blaspheme the Holy Spirit for 10 years and they were sinners but they chose to repent and that's that's well that's a thief on the cross the thief on the

cross just remember him Yeah I mean I must admit it's one of the most theological theologically troubling things I mean there's there's troubling and then there's troubling right like I find the Old Testament passages more troubling they're kind of they're kind

of given away can't be you know I'm oh this seems immoral this seems wrong right uh but maybe it fits in maybe maybe that was just fine maybe whatever you know um know the women verses I find those challenging Yeah but maybe you know maybe women shouldn't speak in

church maybe that's just true fine but with this the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit it's not just because I think it's like oh that's really immoral or that's kind of evil I I just firstly I don't really understand what it means

and secondly it seems just like so it's it's the reason it sends a shiver down your spine is because it seems so out of character for Jesus you know it's like you know come to me child and forgive and go into no more you will never be

forgiven out of and you whoa you know what are you talking about and so I I must say that of all the things we've spoken about so far it's been the it's it's it's the most theologically challenging to me watch the full

conversation with Cliff and Stuart by clicking the link on your screen to get Early Access add free to videos support the channel by subscribing to my Substack at alexocon.com thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one

Jesus Said This is the ONLY Unforgivable Sin

Hi, I'm Alex O'Connor, host of the Within Reason Podcast. For the curious. New episodes every Sunday from the likes of Richard Dawkins, William Lane Craig, Bishop Robert Barron, Peter Singer, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Alex O'Connor

Unforgivable Sin: Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

Jesus states that all sins are forgivable except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

Pharisees accuse Jesus of being demonic due to his ability to cast out demons.

Jesus explains that a house divided cannot stand, implying he cannot be demonic if he casts out demons.

The unforgivable nature of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit causes concern and confusion.

The speaker clarifies that blasphemy is not a single act but a state of being.

Understanding Blasphemy: Not a Single Act, but a Lifestyle

Blasphemy is not about a single curse or action but a willful rejection of God.

It's likened to Pharaoh's hardening of his heart, a continuous rejection of God's grace.

It involves grieving the Holy Spirit and living according to the flesh, not the spirit.

Living in line with the spirit involves exhibiting the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.).

It's not about a last-minute request for forgiveness; it's about a persistent rejection of God.

The Nature of Unforgivable Sin and Repentance

Blasphemy is described as playing a game with God, expecting forgiveness regardless of actions.

Forgiveness is retrospective, requiring regret and apology; blasphemy involves a hardened heart.

The discussion explores the concept of God hardening a heart already hardened by choice.

The inability to repent is central to the concept of unforgivable sin.

Those who have blasphemed the Holy Spirit are unconcerned with God and show no remorse.

God's Judgment and the Possibility of Repentance

The speakers discuss whether God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart is a separate action or a consequence.

The offer of forgiveness is always open, even to the worst sinners.

The question of whether repentance is possible after blaspheming the Holy Spirit is addressed.

Blasphemy prevents repentance due to the hardened heart and separation from God.

The speakers discuss the apparent unfairness of an irreversible state of unrepentance.

Blasphemy as a Lifelong State and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

The concept of blasphemy is linked to Matthew 25, the parable of the sheep and the goats.

The Pharisees are used as an example of a hypocritical lifestyle leading to unforgiveness.

The possibility of the Pharisees repenting is discussed and deemed unlikely.

The speakers discuss God's judgment, acknowledging both the need for it and personal wrongdoing.

The discussion clarifies that blasphemy is not a single event but a persistent lifestyle.

Forgiveness, Repentance, and the Irreversible State

An analogy of stealing a wallet is used to illustrate the concept of unforgivable actions.

Christ's forgiveness is conditional on repentance; blasphemy is characterized by unrepentance.

The speakers discuss the duration and nature of actions that constitute blasphemy.

The difficulty of understanding the unforgivable nature of blasphemy is highlighted.

The discussion clarifies that unforgiveness is not just about not asking but about the state of not asking.

Motives, Hypocrisy, and the Irreversibility of Blasphemy

The conversation shifts to the importance of motives and the concept of a hypocritical lifestyle.

The speakers draw parallels to other religions' emphasis on actions for salvation.

The focus is shifted to the heart motive—doing good for God or self.

The speakers discuss recognizing and acknowledging hypocritical behavior.

Prolonged hypocrisy can lead to a state of unrepentance.

Even with a hardened heart, repentance opens the door to forgiveness.

The speakers discuss the theological challenges of the concept of unforgivable sin.

They compare the difficulty of understanding blasphemy to other potentially troubling passages.

The seeming contradiction between Jesus's teachings of forgiveness and the concept of unforgivable sin is highlighted.

The concept of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is presented as the most theologically challenging aspect of the discussion.