24. Question: What is blasphemy of the Spirit?

Answer: Jesus said that all sins will be forgiven except "blasphemy of the Spirit." Matthew 12:31. Many passages of scripture explain what blasphemy of the Spirit means: rejecting Jesus as Savior and Lord God and dying that way. Those who reject Jesus permanently and eternally have committed the unpardonable sin which is blasphemy of the Spirit. Jesus said that those who reject Him will spend eternal punishment in hell separated from Him because they have chosen to reject Him eternally: Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 25:46; Luke 10:16; John 3:16-21; John 8:24,58; John 17:3.

A good example of temporal, forgivable blasphemy is Peter's denial of Christ. Peter was forgiven by Jesus for his temporal blasphemy.

A good example of eternal, unforgivable blasphemy is Judas who committed blasphemy against Jesus. Judas rejected Jesus and died that way. Jesus called Judas "the son of perdition" which was evidence that he died having rejected Jesus and having committed blasphemy of the Spirit, the only unpardonable sin (John 17:12).

A seminary professor once told me, "If a person worries about committing the unpardonable sin...they probably have not committed it!" Only those who make the conscious, deliberate decision to reject Jesus Christ permanently, eternally and die that way have committed the unpardonable sin and have chosen to be separated from Jesus forever. If you fear you have committed blasphemy against the Spirit, you have not because ONLY those who die rejecting Jesus (like Judas) have committed blasphemy of the Spirit.

Some persons in the Bible chose to intentionally, permanently and eternally reject God before they died; this is called "hardening of the heart." The Pharoh of Egypt chose to reject God permanently and God hardened his heart. Those who harden their heart toward God have no remorse for their sin, no desire to know God, no desire to serve God and no fear of God, death nor hell. They just don't care. If you worry that your heart may be hardened, it is certain that your heart has not been hardened since YOU DO STILL CARE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF YOUR SOUL! 

Those who choose to harden their heart against God also die that way; then when they die rejecting Jesus, they have committed blasphemy of the Spirit.

Some commentators believe that all "apostates" have hardened hearts. The word "apostate" does not appear in the Bible. The word apostate describes those who appear to be Christian, they believe the Bible, they obeyed the Bible for a while but they were never born again; therefore, when temptation came they fell away from God. Luke 8:12-13; Hebrews 6:4-6. Apostates who choose to permanently fall away choose to harden their heart and when they die they have chosen to reject Jesus and they have eternally blasphemed the Spirit of God.

Others who fall away choose to later receive Jesus as Savior, God and Friend and become truly born again, forgiven forever children of God (Peter and Jonah temporarily fell away from God and came back to Him). Apostates who have hardened their heart never again care about the condition of their soul.       

If you have doubt you are a Christian and/or have doubt you are eternally forgiven by God, please click on the icon to the left entitled "How to Become a Christian" and trust Jesus to forgive you forever. Jesus promises "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13.

After receiving God's free gift of eternal forgiveness read Romans 8:31-39 and Hebrews 13:5. Read the answer to the above question number four: "Why do I doubt my salvation?" Click on the icon to the left entitled "Eternal Security."

When you are certain that you have become an eternally forgiven child of God, click on the following website, click on the word "WATCH," make your computer screen full screen, then watch and listen to the loving and affirming Words of Jesus to you: www.fathersloveletter.com