Can a Believer commit Blasphemy?
The Bible teaches that a person who accepted Jesus as his personal Savior can in the future choose to reject the Lord and commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. An example of this is King Saul, who was once converted and filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 10:11,13) but later on in his life chose to follow his own ways. He lost his faith in the process and thus committed the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 13:14). And as a result, “the spirit of the LORD departed” from him (1 Samuel 16:14).
The Holy Spirit teaches us the things we need to know for our salvation (John 14:26), guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and convicts us of sin (John 16:7, 8). Not only does the Spirit expose sin; He convicts of positive righteousness. He urges men to accept the righteousness of Christ, both the imputed (Romans 10:3–10) and the imparted (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:13). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the gradual persistent rejection of His pleadings to repentance.
Therefore, as long as a person allows the Holy Spirit to teach him, to guide him, and to convict him, he is not guilty of committing the unpardonable sin. But if a person refuses His ministry in his heart, then starts the path of committing the unpardonable sin. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is therefore a constant resisting of the love of God’s Spirit to the point of not being able to hear His voice, thus hardening the conscience (1 Timothy 4:2).
This is the “grieving away” of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul urged the believers saying, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit, wherewith you are sealed” (Ephesians 4:30). A believer that rejects the call to repent, eventually, loses the desire to obey God, and therefore cannot be saved because he has rejected the Spirit that convicts of sin (John 16:8). Each believer is free at any point to continue with the Lord or not to continue in His path. Love doesn’t force.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
