When I would ask people about this, even the pastor of the church I was going to would tell me blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was to deny Him. Well, I guess people just presumed I was smart enough to know if I had denied Him. To the best of my knowledge I had not done that. It didn't keep me from worrying about though.
I decided the best way for me to find out was to go looking and studying about this. Well, I pray that what I found out years ago is what 'blasphemy against the Holy Spirit' actually means.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a repeated and conscious denial of the Holy Spirit's continual rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness to Christ, His Word, and to His convicting work against sin.
The ones who refuse and opposes the voice of the Holy Spirit removes themselves from the only force that can lead them to forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:30; "And grieve not the holy spirit of God, where by ye are sealed unto the day of redemption". By doing this and continuing to do so leads one to resisting the Spirit. Acts 7:51; "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your father did, so do ye". This was talking about people who repeatedly refused to obey God and His Word. They yielded to the restraints of God's law and turned to their own ways of the ungodly nations around them. This is resisting the Holy Spirit. People of today need to be aware of this tendency.
Resisting the Holy Spirit will lead into quenching the Holy Spirit. I Thessalonians 5:19; "Quench not the Spirit". Quenching the Holy Spirit's presence and activity is the rejection of the Holy Spirit's supernatural manifestations.
Quenching the Holy Spirit leads to hardening of the heart. Hebrews 3:8; "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:" When a person allows their heart to harden it will lead to a depraved mind causing a person to think of good as evil and evil as good. Isaiah 5:20; "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter"! One example is sexual perversion. Leviticus 18:22; "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination". Some people of today say it is an alternative life style, that isn't what the Bible says. Another example is abortion. Exodus 21:22-23; "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her... v. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life," God seeks to protect those who are least able to protect themselves.
When a hardened heart reaches a certain point of completeness of development and it is only God who knows and determines this, the Spirit will no longer do all It can to lead that person to repentance.
I found out that all the worrying I had done was for no reason. I should have gone to the Lord in prayer and asked Him. But at least I can tell people, should they ask me about it and I can feel confident about the answer I give them.
I am so glad you stopped by today. May you always know the love, peace, and joy of God.
2 comments:
It's always best to go to the Lord with questions. He may lead us to Scripture or to other Godly people for the answers. I never want to blaspheme or grieve the Holy Spirit. I'm so glad that you found the answers you were looking for. Love you!
Thank you for this. I never want to grieve the Holy Spirit.
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