Blasphemy

[DazzleKitty]

Hello everyone!
I am new to these forums. I look forward to chatting with you all!

I have been very worried and stressed over something. I was raised to be a Christian and went to a Christian high school. I graduated last year. I have found myself gradually drawing away from my faith because of a major worry I have. It may seem silly to you, but I don't know what to make of this situation.

The Bible says God will forgive you of all your sins as long as you ask and have faith in Him.
Yes....all sins but blasphemy.

What is blasphemy? I can never get a clear answer. And this is is why I just get so frustrated.

Is blasphemy going throughout your life and never accepting God as your savior, and then passing on still without accepting him? Or is it something more?

I went through a phase several years ago where I just hated everything about Christianity. And even today, I still sometimes have a sarcastic attitude. I would make fun of God and the Bible, preach that it's not true, or bend the rules to fit my personal desires. I disagreed with many things in the Bible, and I would say bad things about God and say He did things wrong. I'd get into arguments with people and say they were wrong for being Christians. My brothers agreed with me, so we'd make fun of it together.
According to a definition I read of blasmphemy a while back, the above paragraph fits that. So, since it's unforgiveable, will I never be able to go to heaven?

And if this is true, wouldn't a majority of the people in this world never make it to heaven? Because a lot of people have committed blasphemy before they got saved.

This is one of the things that drove me away from Christianity. I just figure I am going to hell, and there is nothing I can do for it. But I just can't accept this.... Do you guys know if I have the right definition of blasphemy? Can I still go to heaven?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Onlythingavailable]

If you are referring to the unforgivable sin, it is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to be precise. Jesus spoke of this when he was accused of using the devil's powers to perform miracles. I believe that accusation was much more than the blasphemy you speak of. Make no mistake, though, blasphemy is never good, and I urge you to ask for forgiveness from God.

One account of the event can be found in Matthew 12:22-31 ( http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Mat+12%3A22-31&version1=9 ).

There are several opinions regarding blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Some say it's rejecting Christ and salvation. I suppose that would be not believing. You need to remember that those who accused him did believe in God, they saw Jesus' miracles but still they accused him of being in league with the devil.

 

[Elijah2]

Hi DK,

If you want to dump, then give me a call on the PM, and we will find out how blasphme fits into your life.

Now do you use His Name in vain?

Do you continually swear, using foul language?

Do you do things that you shouldn't be doing?

I could go on, so PM me.

 

[LilLamb219]

DazzleKitty, didn't you get taught this in confirmation class?

Blasphemy is basically unbelief...rejection of Christ and his work on the cross for our justification.

If you're still a believer in Christ and the forgiveness of sins won at the cross then you have no worries at all. Your sins are forgiven and you shall have eternal life with God.

 

[hsilgne]

What is blasphemy?

Is blasphemy going throughout your life and never accepting God as your savior, and then passing on still without accepting him? Or is it something more?

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is denying Christ's salvation which in essence is willingly refusing to repent of your sins.

Not every person that does not repent is in this situation. For example, there are some people who may be mentally ill and do not feel remorse. IMO - this is not a willfull decision so Gods mercy(IMO) will overcome.

So, since it's unforgiveable, will I never be able to go to heaven?

As a Christian, we are forgiven when we repent. If we do not repent then we are not forgiven.

Are you sorry for offending God? This is the question you need to ask yourself.

And if this is true, wouldn't a majority of the people in this world never make it to heaven? Because a lot of people have committed blasphemy before they got saved.

God offers forgiveness to anyone who is truly repentant - that is His promise.

God knows our hearts and knows if we are truly sorry for offending Him. Establishing and building our relationship with God is how we overcome our fleshly desires and sin.

Can I still go to heaven?

Yes.

Thanks in advance.

You are welcome...

Glad you could join us on CF.

Gods Peace.

 

[ephraimanesti]

The Bible says God will forgive you of all your sins as long as you ask and have faith in Him.
Yes....all sins but blasphemy.

MY DEAR SISTER,

You appear to be worried that you have committed "the unforgivable sin" as per Matthew 12:32. As a rule of thumb: IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT HAVING COMMITTED THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN--YOU HAVEN'T! (Those who have committed this sin don't even think about it--let alone worry about it!)

"Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit--the accusation that Jesus healed by demonic power rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every sin against the Son of Man can be forgiven, because the Jews do not yet know much about Him. But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity they know from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven. This blasphemy is willful hardness of heart. It attributes the saving action of the Spirit to Satan and refuses to accept God's forgiveness and mercy." (from "The Orthodox Study Bible)

Soooo . . . as far as YOU are concerned--the only unforgivable sin is the sin you do not ask forgiveness for. i would suggest you ask God to forgive your unwise words spoken against Him in the past, accept His forgiveness for your past indiscretions, enjoy the welcome-home party He will throw to celebrate His prodigal daughter's return, and get on with your Christian walk.

MAY YOU BE BLESSED IN RETURNING HOME!
​

IN CHRIST'S LOVE,
ephraim

 

[DazzleKitty]

Hello again everyone,

I want to thank you all for your responses!

I have always felt guilty about speaking against Christ like that, but I was under the impression that I would never be forgiven.

So if I were to never ask for forgiveness and never accept Christ, that would be blasphemy? I still worry.....how will I know if God forgave me or not?

But from the sounds of it, I had the wrong definition of blasphemy and I may still be forgiven. Thank you all for pointing this out to me. I feel a little better about this now.

Oh, and at my school, we did not have a confirmation class. I went to a very tiny school (about 60 students in high school and jr high combined), so we didn't have many of the things bigger schools had. There were also people of several different denominations there.

 

[QuiltAngel]

Read Matthew 12: 22-32, especially 31-32:

1Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And 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. ESV

In Luther's Catechism blasphemy is also defined as you have in the Second Commandment. Here it is talking about Cursing by God's Name. Now, when we jump to the end of the Ten Commandments in the Explanation in the Small Catechism we find Questions 84 and 85 where it explains Law and Gospel. I am sure you remember that the Law Shows us Our Sins and The Gospel Shows us Our Savior.

85. What is the difference between the Law and the Gospel.
A. The Law teaches what we are to do and not to do; the Gospel teaches what God has done, and still does, for our salvation
B. The Law shows us our sin and the wrath of God; the Gospel shows us our Savior and the grace of God.
C. The Law must be proclaimed to all people, but especially to impenitent sinners; the Gospel must be proclaimed to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of their sins.

There is good news! You are troubled by some things you have said and done. Jesus died for those. He took those very sins of DazzieKitty on the cross and have wiped them away. You are forgiven! Read John 3:16 and put your name in there.

 

[seajoy]

Hello again everyone,

I want to thank you all for your responses!

I have always felt guilty about speaking against Christ like that, but I was under the impression that I would never be forgiven.

So if I were to never ask for forgiveness and never accept Christ, that would be blasphemy? I still worry.....how will I know if God forgave me or not?

But from the sounds of it, I had the wrong definition of blasphemy and I may still be forgiven. Thank you all for pointing this out to me. I feel a little better about this now.

Oh, and at my school, we did not have a confirmation class. I went to a very tiny school (about 60 students in high school and jr high combined), so we didn't have many of the things bigger schools had. There were also people of several different denominations there.

Welcome DazzleKitty!

When I had the fear I had done the very same thing, my Pastor said "Just the fact that you are concerned about it, means you didn't do it." A person who committed the unpardonable sin, is an unbeliever, because the only way to Heaven is through Christ Jesus.

My advice is for you to speak with your Pastor. Allow him to give those words of comfort directly from Scripture. He could also answer some other questions you may have. Pastors love to do that kind of stuff. PM me if you would like.

God Bless you, and may you have a closer walk with our Lord.
seajoy

 

[DaSeminarian]

Hello everyone!
I am new to these forums. I look forward to chatting with you all!

I have been very worried and stressed over something. I was raised to be a Christian and went to a Christian high school. I graduated last year. I have found myself gradually drawing away from my faith because of a major worry I have. It may seem silly to you, but I don't know what to make of this situation.

The Bible says God will forgive you of all your sins as long as you ask and have faith in Him.
Yes....all sins but blasphemy.

What is blasphemy? I can never get a clear answer. And this is is why I just get so frustrated.

A very good question. Blasphemy by the context in which it is used in the New Testament is directed to our Lord in the mock trial just before he was crucified. He claimed to be God. Throughout his life he did things that only God can do. He forgave people their sins and healed them. The Jews knew this and yet they were looking for a Political messiah who would come in and lead them in a war to defeat their enemies and occupiers the Romans. Jesus came instead to lead them against a much more pervasive occupier, SIN.

To claim that you are God when you are not is blasphemy, but also to deny that Christ is God is also blasphemy. When you deny Christ that is blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Is blasphemy going throughout your life and never accepting God as your savior, and then passing on still without accepting him? Or is it something more?

It is also having known him and then turning against him and denying him. Kind of what Judas did in the Garden of Gethsamane.

I went through a phase several years ago where I just hated everything about Christianity. And even today, I still sometimes have a sarcastic attitude. I would make fun of God and the Bible, preach that it's not true, or bend the rules to fit my personal desires. I disagreed with many things in the Bible, and I would say bad things about God and say He did things wrong. I'd get into arguments with people and say they were wrong for being Christians. My brothers agreed with me, so we'd make fun of it together.

According to a definition I read of blasmphemy a while back, the above paragraph fits that. So, since it's unforgiveable, will I never be able to go to heaven?

And if this is true, wouldn't a majority of the people in this world never make it to heaven? Because a lot of people have committed blasphemy before they got saved.

This is one of the things that drove me away from Christianity. I just figure I am going to hell, and there is nothing I can do for it. But I just can't accept this.... Do you guys know if I have the right definition of blasphemy? Can I still go to heaven?

Thanks in advance.

I don't think that you are in danger of this as you are concerned about it. If you were truly blaspheming the Holy Spirit and denying Christ, you wouldn't care that you were doing it. You would relish in doing so, but the fact that you are worried that you have possibly done so is a good sign that you have not committed blasphemy.

I would call your Pastor and see if you can meet with him a few times to discuss this. Don't seek counsel with fellow laymen as they are not very learned about this. Also, remember your Baptism and that God's word attached to the water saved you from sin. It was salvation delivered to you from Christ who won this victory on the cross.

I hope this helps

Scott

PS Please come to www.christianforums.com/f367 and meet with the rest of us Lutherans. we can answer your questions better than most.

 

[RegularGuy]

Dazzlekitty:

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unforgiveable sin. Blasphemy is calling good evil. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to deny that God can forgive your sins. Do you deny this?

What seajoy says about "if you worry about it, you haven't done it" is true.

God bless you.

 

[DazzleKitty]

Hello again everyone!

You may call me overly paranoid about this matter, and it's true that I am. I am very pessimistic at times. I am still worried I may not be able to be forgiven.

Back when I went through my rebellious phase, I did relish those times I spoke against God. I cursed and used his name in vain and many ways. I mocked Him and made fun of the Bible and those who believed in it. I didn't care that I was doing it and I enjoyed it.

I seem to be getting some mixed ideas on blasphemy. I am quote this verse that someone here posted earlier:
"1Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And 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."

That sound exactly like what I did. I spoke against the Holy Spirit. I said many horrible things about it.

So, if I were to ask forgiveness for this, would God grant it? Would the only way I would not be forgiven was if I were to die soon without asking for forgiveness for these things?

I am sorry for so many questions. I am a worriesome person and it's hard to convince me of things.
I really appreciate all of you who took your time in helping me with this.

 

[Jim47]

DazzleKitty, didn't you get taught this in confirmation class?

Blasphemy is basically unbelief...rejection of Christ and his work on the cross for our justification.

If you're still a believer in Christ and the forgiveness of sins won at the cross then you have no worries at all. Your sins are forgiven and you shall have eternal life with God.

This is an excellant starting answer. Simply put blasphemy is anytime we refuse to repent of our sins, for by refusal we are working against The Holy Spirit which is un forgivable, but the fact you are worried about tells me that you still have faith and that The Holy Spirit is working on your heart.

The danger is when we love our sin more then we love our Lord. If in other words premaritial sex, as an example, is your weakness, then you must turn to The Lord and ask for forgiveness and strength to overcome your sin. This can be very hard to do. We all have pet sins that we constatantly struggle with, but don't be discouraged if this has happened to you.

Satan will be very quick to tell you that your sinful and unforgiveable. He is only trying to trap you into despair and depression. All sins are forgiveable if you want forgiveness. When you no longer desire forgiveness then The Holy Spoirit has given up on you.

What we need to do is draw close to The Lord and His word. By daily bible study, confession and prayer asking for forgiveness and strength we are defeating Satans attempts to overtake us and have us fall away into unbelief.

I have to leave now but if I can help please feel free to PM me.

 

[QuiltAngel]

This is an excellant starting answer. Simply put blasphemy is anytime we refuse to repent of our sins, for by refusal we are working against The Holy Spirit which is un forgivable, but the fact you are worried about tells me that you still have faith and that The Holy Spirit is working on your heart.

The danger is when we love our sin more then we love our Lord. If in other words premaritial sex, as an example, is your weakness, then you must turn to The Lord and ask for forgiveness and strength to overcome your sin. This can be very hard to do. We all have pet sins that we constatantly struggle with, but don't be discouraged if this has happened to you.

Satan will be very quick to tell you that your sinful and unforgiveable. He is only trying to trap you into despair and depression. All sins are forgiveable if you want forgiveness. When you no longer desire forgiveness then The Holy Spoirit has given up on you.

What we need to do is draw close to The Lord and His word. By daily bible study, confession and prayer asking for forgiveness and strength we are defeating Satans attempts to overtake us and have us fall away into unbelief.

I have to leave now but if I can help please feel free to PM me.

The only thing I can say is that I agree with what Jim said.

 

[porterross]

Hello again everyone!

You may call me overly paranoid about this matter, and it's true that I am. I am very pessimistic at times. I am still worried I may not be able to be forgiven.

Back when I went through my rebellious phase, I did relish those times I spoke against God. I cursed and used his name in vain and many ways. I mocked Him and made fun of the Bible and those who believed in it. I didn't care that I was doing it and I enjoyed it.

I seem to be getting some mixed ideas on blasphemy. I am quote this verse that someone here posted earlier:
"1Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And 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."

That sound exactly like what I did. I spoke against the Holy Spirit. I said many horrible things about it.

So, if I were to ask forgiveness for this, would God grant it? Would the only way I would not be forgiven was if I were to die soon without asking for forgiveness for these things?

I am sorry for so many questions. I am a worriesome person and it's hard to convince me of things.
I really appreciate all of you who took your time in helping me with this.

What did Peter do? Did Jesus not predict his denial, forgiving him in advance by also foretelling of his ultimate defeat of the evil in Peter's heart?

Luke 22:31-32
And the Lord said,“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Luke 22:59-62
Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”
Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly

Have you done any worse than Peter or Judas?
Aren't we all equally responsible for Christ's crucifixion?

Don't you know how much God loves you?
He loves enough that He sent His Son to die in your place for your sins, just as He did for Simon Peter and every one of us.
I think you've forgotten how much God loves us, including YOU. Please, don't let your lack of understanding confuse this simple truth.

 

[DazzleKitty]

Hey everyone!

Thank you all again so much for helping me with this, and providing words of encouragement and comfort.
It really sounds like I am not committing true blasphemy then. But, there seems to be so many different ways to explain blasphemy. I still get parnaoid what I did was wrong. But I guess, from what I hear from you guys, as long as you are alive and you realize you are sinning, you can be forgiven, right?

Jim47 actually brought up another point that I wanted to make another post for, but I'll try to save space by posting it here.
It's another concern of mine.

I would rather not talk about it openly what it is, but there is a sin I have in my life that I can't give up. It's something I enjoy doing. It's nothing that is really major sin (I know all sin is equal to God, but this sin isn't something that a human would go nuts over), it's just a type of reading material I enjoy that is defitinitely not something God would approve of.
Can you do these things in life, and still go to heaven? Like, pray in advance and ask for forgiveness in all the instances that you indulge of this sin?
I actually feel like a bad person asking this. It's like saying I love the sin more than God. But I try to put things into perspective. For example, my mom would nag me about not spending so much of my money so fast. I do it anyways because I enjoy it. It doesn't mean I love my mother any less, it's just something I do because it brings me joy.

And there are teachings in the Bible I disagree with. I can't help myself. I've tried to see it God's way, but then I let my own personal feelings get in the way. I'm just not sure what to do in this situation.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

 

[Onlythingavailable]

I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. How can we be repentant and at the same time willfully choose to commit a sin? In order to be forgiven we need to confess, repent and ask for forgiveness. Jesus didn't die so we could get a license to sin. We are all weak, and God forgives, but that doesn't mean we should willfully sin. And remember, God knows your heart.

I don't know what it is you are reading, but based on my own experience, it is a temporary high. What you read feels so important right now, and you have a hard time giving it up. But it's all just an illusion. You can live without it, it's only fun right now. God is for life, and not just that, eternal life. Focus on the "big picture", not on the small things. God has our best interest at heart. There are reasons why sin is sin, it's not just some rules.

 

[Jim47]

Jim47 actually brought up another point that I wanted to make another post for, but I'll try to save space by posting it here.
It's another concern of mine.

I would rather not talk about it openly what it is, but there is a sin I have in my life that I can't give up. It's something I enjoy doing. It's nothing that is really major sin (I know all sin is equal to God, but this sin isn't something that a human would go nuts over), it's just a type of reading material I enjoy that is defitinitely not something God would approve of.
Can you do these things in life, and still go to heaven? Like, pray in advance and ask for forgiveness in all the instances that you indulge of this sin?


And there are teachings in the Bible I disagree with. I can't help myself. I've tried to see it God's way, but then I let my own personal feelings get in the way. I'm just not sure what to do in this situation.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Asking for forgiveness and then going ahead committing the sin does't mean we will be forgiven just because we have admitted that it is wrong.

True repentance is necessary, and this means a concience effort to leave the sin and repent. Repent means to turn away from, so what The Lord is asking us to do is to turn away from our sin. Unfortunately we are weak and may fall into that sin again. Satan knows our weaknesses all too well and will keep assualting us to sin again and again.

"But", The Lord will also help us if truely seek His forgiveness and ask Him to help us come to full repentance. This may not come overnight, but we should make an ever increasing effort to leave it in our past.

So if you have a sin of weakness, then seek The Lord's strength, seek it with all your heart and work daily to turn away from it.

 

[DaRev]

Hello everyone!
I am new to these forums. I look forward to chatting with you all!

I have been very worried and stressed over something. I was raised to be a Christian and went to a Christian high school. I graduated last year. I have found myself gradually drawing away from my faith because of a major worry I have. It may seem silly to you, but I don't know what to make of this situation.

The Bible says God will forgive you of all your sins as long as you ask and have faith in Him.
Yes....all sins but blasphemy.

What is blasphemy? I can never get a clear answer. And this is is why I just get so frustrated.

Is blasphemy going throughout your life and never accepting God as your savior, and then passing on still without accepting him? Or is it something more?

I went through a phase several years ago where I just hated everything about Christianity. And even today, I still sometimes have a sarcastic attitude. I would make fun of God and the Bible, preach that it's not true, or bend the rules to fit my personal desires. I disagreed with many things in the Bible, and I would say bad things about God and say He did things wrong. I'd get into arguments with people and say they were wrong for being Christians. My brothers agreed with me, so we'd make fun of it together.
According to a definition I read of blasmphemy a while back, the above paragraph fits that. So, since it's unforgiveable, will I never be able to go to heaven?

And if this is true, wouldn't a majority of the people in this world never make it to heaven? Because a lot of people have committed blasphemy before they got saved.

This is one of the things that drove me away from Christianity. I just figure I am going to hell, and there is nothing I can do for it. But I just can't accept this.... Do you guys know if I have the right definition of blasphemy? Can I still go to heaven?

Thanks in advance.

I'll make this simple. The fact that you're worried about it tells me you have nothing to worry about.

 

[DaRev]

Hey everyone!

Thank you all again so much for helping me with this, and providing words of encouragement and comfort.
It really sounds like I am not committing true blasphemy then. But, there seems to be so many different ways to explain blasphemy. I still get parnaoid what I did was wrong. But I guess, from what I hear from you guys, as long as you are alive and you realize you are sinning, you can be forgiven, right?

Jim47 actually brought up another point that I wanted to make another post for, but I'll try to save space by posting it here.
It's another concern of mine.

I would rather not talk about it openly what it is, but there is a sin I have in my life that I can't give up. It's something I enjoy doing. It's nothing that is really major sin (I know all sin is equal to God, but this sin isn't something that a human would go nuts over), it's just a type of reading material I enjoy that is defitinitely not something God would approve of.
Can you do these things in life, and still go to heaven? Like, pray in advance and ask for forgiveness in all the instances that you indulge of this sin?
I actually feel like a bad person asking this. It's like saying I love the sin more than God. But I try to put things into perspective. For example, my mom would nag me about not spending so much of my money so fast. I do it anyways because I enjoy it. It doesn't mean I love my mother any less, it's just something I do because it brings me joy.

And there are teachings in the Bible I disagree with. I can't help myself. I've tried to see it God's way, but then I let my own personal feelings get in the way. I'm just not sure what to do in this situation.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Repentance means to stop and change your behavior. This we cannot do on our own. God moves in us to repent. To be unrepentant is to work against the movement of the Holy Spirit in us.

It doesn't work to pray and ask forgiveness in advance. If you ask to be forgiven of something and then go ahead and do it, are you really repentant? The answer is no. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness.

I would also be interested to know what teachings in the Bible you don't agree with. I would suggest you come to the Lutheran forum to discuss this further.