Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:16 pm Post subject: sin against Holy Spirit
The only example of an unbeliever blaspheming the holy spirit is that given by Jesus. (Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 12:10) In this instance, the work of the holy spirit through Jesus was claimed to actually be work of Satan, and yet Jesus indicated that these religious leaders actually knew, or had the knowledge to know, that the works Jesus performed was as the Son of God, and was but the power of God's holy spirit, but refused to acknowledge -- "know" -- him as such, since they did not actually even acknowledge -- "know" -- Yahweh as the Father of Jesus who had sent Jesus. -- Matthew 21:38; Luke 12:56; John 7:28; 11:47-53. In this case, these Jewish leaders were deliberate in their false accusation that Jesus' works were of the devil, and in this manner they blasphemed, spoke evil against, the holy spirit, attributing the works of the holy spirit to Satan rather than to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This the only instance given where the blasphemy of the holy spirit is mentioned, and it is mentioned in connection with these unregenerated Jewish leaders.
However, the principle could possibly apply to the regenerated in two ways (1) in blaspheming of the holy spirit as attributed to a sin of the flesh -- partially willful and partially due to the sinful flesh, of the old man, and (2) of blaspheming the holy spirit attributed to the new creation itself. The former, although it is a sin that could lead to the second death, even as Jesus posed the problem of escaping Gehenna to the unregenerated Jews (Matthew 23:33), such sin may need a deal of purgation, as shown in the parable of the four servants (Luke 12:47), while the latter actually results in the second death, the death of the new creature. (1 John 5:16,17) In the latter case, the new creature is dead, and there is no more sacrifice for sin, so it would be of no avail to try to bring such to repentance, for to do so would be like trying to sacrifice Christ all over again to pay for the sin of the new creature, rather for the sin of Adam. -- Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26.
Indeed, any sin actually attributed to the new creation would a blasphemy against the holy spirit, since that sin would be an 'insult' against the indwelling holy spirit. (Romans 8:9; 2 Timothy 1:14; Hebrews 10:29) The degree of responsibility in this regard was much greater in the first century than today since many of the first century church had been given special gifts of the holy spirit, so as to miraculously heal, raise the dead, speaking in foreign languages, etc. Additionally, the apostles were evidently given some special power of the holy spirit in the first century to judge matters so as to know whether one had committed a sin that would cause the second death -- a sin that can only committed by the new creature -- or not. We today do not have that power. Overall, however, I would say that there are very few -- if any -- today who would fall into the category of committing the sin that invokes the death of the new creation, due to the fact of the vast amount of deceptions and influence on the flesh. I would say that most Christians (not tares) would fall into the two categories spoken of in Luke 12:47,48.
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