"In
Catholic teaching there are six sins that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. They are:
- Despair (believing that one's evil is beyond God's forgiveness);
- Presumption (glory without merit, that is, hope of salvation without keeping the Commandments, or expectation of pardon for sin without repentance);
- Envying the goodness of another (sadness or repining at another's growth in virtue and perfection);
- Obstinacy in sin (willful persisting in wickedness, and running on from sin to sin, after sufficient instructions and admonition);
- Final impenitence (to die without either confession or contrition for sins);
- Impugning the known truth (to argue against known points of faith, and this includes misrepresenting parts or all of the Christian faith to make it seem undesirable).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that, while no sin is in fact 'unforgivable,' these sins represent a deliberate refusal to accept the infinite mercy of God; a person committing such a sin refuses God's forgiveness, which can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss."
Eternal sin - Wikipedia
In light of the discussion in this thread, what do you think of this?
setst RE:
Blasphemy is a word that means speaking badly about a religion, or insulting a god.
We know an unbeliever can blaspheme the Holy Spirit by rejecting the Spirit after He has revealed Himself in power.
Matthew 11:21 (NIV)
21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
A Christian who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is acting out in thought, word and deed that which clearly insults the Spirit of God by which we are suppose to be sanctified. A Christian can insult the Spirit and grieve the Spirit within them by continually and deliberately sinning against the Spirit who lives in you.
Another way a Christian may blaspheme the Holy Spirit is by not only by acting out our sinfulness, but teaching or coaxing others to do the same, or causing them to join in your sin by taking advantage of their weaknesses, thus Speaking against the salvation the Spirit offers to the world and causing others, and other Christians, to stumble and fall.
Matthew 18:6 (NIV)
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
1 John 5:16 (NIV)
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.
Mark 3:28-30 (NIV)
28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Luke 12:8-10 (NIV)
8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Matthew 12:30-32 (NIV)
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
How does a Christian insult the Spirit of God?
Hebrews 10:26-30 (NIV)
26 If
we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but
only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much
more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has *
trampled the Son of God underfoot, who *
has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has *
insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “
The Lord will judge his people.”
The Lord God judges "
The Lord will judge his people" the blaspheming Christian with even greater punishment "
more severely" than the unbeliever because the unbeliever never had the Spirit or had the wisdom and guidance the Spirit and Word gives.
Hebrews 3:13-15 (NIV)
13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of
you may be
hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14
We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said:
“
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
In saying this, for those who know that you are living in any sin(s), or lifestyle, against what you know is right and holy by the Spirit of God and His Word, and if the Holy Spirit is still convicting you of that sin or sins, then you still have time to repent.
When the time comes that you become hardened by those sins so that you feel no remorse or willingness to repent, then you can know that the Spirit has judged you unworthy of salvation for insulting and grieving Him by your deliberate rejection of His guidance, grace, and counsel.
Despite these warnings in Scripture of clear judgement for those who blaspheme or insult the Spirit of God, my experienced belief tells me that as long as a person still lives their is the possibility of repentance. And if there are those whom no possibility exists - as God clearly did by hardening many of the Jews in Elect Israel for their obstinate resistance to His Spirit - I still do not feel we can judge who those people might be. I say that when we minister to others, treat everyone as if God still holds out salvation to them, for God is patient and forgiving, and will hear the prayers of the faithful.
Many of the Jews, and even Christians, have and will grieve and resist the Spirit and Word and its enlightening, convicting and drawing work, and be lost.
Acts 7 (WEB) 51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always
resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.”
Isaiah 63:10 (WEB) 10 But they
rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.
Psalm 106:32 (WEB) Bolding mine…32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; 33 for they
rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.
Ephesians 4:30-31 (WEB) Bolding mine… 30 Don’t
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
Hebrews 10:29 (WEB) Bolding mine… 29
How much severe punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has
insulted the Spirit of grace?
As the Scriptures say:
‘You must
remain in Christ (the Vine) to be eternally saved.’
‘You
must remain faithful to remain in the Holy Olive Tree to remain saved or you will be cut off’ (
See: Romans 11).
Even when the believer has the Spirit living in them by faith, they still are responsible to live by that Spirit to receive Life....
Romans 8:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh,
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,
you will live.
Galatians 6:8-9 (WEB)
8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let US not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest IF WE do not give up.
