Blaspheming the Spirit: A Very Serious Warning
Shared on February 21, 2024
In this week’s study, we take a look at the unpardonable sin – blaspheming the Spirit. What does it mean to blaspheme against the Spirit? Why will God not pardon the sin of blaspheming the Spirit? Join Pastor McCrary in the next study of the Six Great Warnings as we take a look at the enemy of God.
Introduction
There are different types of sinners. There are sinners that desire to be free from sin. There are sinners that are ignorant of their sin. Lastly, there are sinners that despise the Lord and sin willfully. Those that sin willfully do not fear God and live blaspheming Him.
Our study this week takes a look at blaspheming the Spirit. We are going to focus on scripture from Hebrews 10:26-39 as the writer makes his most serious warning yet.
Choosing to Live in Sin
Hebrews 10:26 states, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”
Let me be clear that this verse is not directed towards sincere believers. As I have said throughout this series, such a warning can’t be for sincere believers. Why? Because sincere believers have heeded the knowledge of the truth and live by it.
To sin willfully means that one is blatantly choosing to live in sin. To sin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of truth is choosing to spit in the face of God! As I have made very clear recently, there are two pathways to choose between taking in life. One is a path of condemnation and the other path is a path to righteousness.
There are some who will drift into condemnation (Heb. 2:1). However, many more end up in eternal condemnation by choice. It is a choice when one has heard the gospel but ignores it to continue to live in disobedience. You see, this was, and still is, the concern of those that minister the gospel.
What blaspheming makes you
When one neglect salvation, they tend to go down the pathway of hardening their heart towards God. When one’s heart hardens, they will likely become hard of hearing. When one doesn’t want to hear the word of God, they can reach a point of despising the word.
When one despises the word of God and the promise of His salvation, they hate God. Guess what happens when one despises God? They will begin to move against God with no fear.
Do you know what it means to move against God? Do you know what it means to move against the Spirit? To move against the Spirit is blasphemy against the Spirit.
Working against the Spirit
When one nears the level of blaspheming the Spirit, they put themselves in a very grave position. I want to share this chart with you that I have shared in recent studies.
I want you to see where the step of despising God falls on the pathway to condemnation. The fact of the matter is that those who sin willfully are already condemned. Jesus said to Nicodemus that those who don’t believe are condemned already (John 3:18). Jesus said that they are already condemned because they have not believed in His name.
Some believe that they can be saved from this condemnation by saying they believe and are a Christian. However, as you have seen in recent weeks, the profession of faith is nothing. One must believe in their heart to be saved (Rom. 10:9).
Those that blaspheme the Spirit are nowhere close to being saved. Why is that the case? Because their spirit is far removed from God.
Isaiah 59 speaks of the separation between the sinner and God. In Isaiah 59:2, we read, “your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” In Isaiah 59:3, we read, “your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity.”
In every way, in thoughts and deeds, the willful sinner is separated from God because they move in opposition to Him. So, this sinner needs to be washed clean of their sins but because they reject God, they can’t be washed. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that Jesus’ power is limited. The sinner’s disbelief in Christ is what block’s their soul from being washed clean.
Jesus taught this lesson when He washed the feet of the disciples. At first, Peter tried to keep Jesus from washing his feet. Jesus said to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me (John 13:8).” Those that do not come to Christ, John wrote that they have the spirit of the Antichrist (1 John 4:3). Those with the spirit of the Antichrist make themselves an enemy of the Lord.
The Judgment of the Willful Sinner
How do you suppose God will judge those that are adamant in working against Him? Jesus said that blasphemy against the Spirit will is unpardonable (Matt. 12:31). “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him (Matt. 12:32).”
The willful sinner should not expect to be saved. What the willful sinner should expect is a judgment of fiery indignation (Heb. 10:27). The writer speaks of and shares an example of this judgment in Hebrews 10:28-31.
The Example of Korah
After receiving the law from God (Ex. 24:12), Moses shared the law with the children of Israel. The children of Israel were supposed to obey God’s law. Obedience would have led to the children of Israel becoming a kingdom of priest (Ex. 19:6).
Now we know that Israel failed to keep the law. Israel failed the law immediately when they worshiped the calf of god. Though God was angry at the worship of the calf of gold, He showed them mercy (Ex. 32:30-35). Now, when the children of Israel rejected the Promised Land, God was merciful to an extent. The sinful generation lived but they wandered the wilderness forty years and did not inherit God’s promise (Num. 14:33-35).
While mercy was shown in these instances, I want to reference Numbers 16:1-40. This is a passage of scripture that covers Korah’s rebellion. After rejecting the Promised Land, Korah rose up with 250 leaders of Israel against Moses (Num. 16:2).
Korah did not realize it but he was also raising himself up against God. How so? Well, while it may have seemed that Moses was leading the people, it was God that was leading Moses. Even after Moses’ warnings, Korah refused to end his rebellion (Num. 16:8-15). Let’s understand that Korah was willfully sinning (rebelling) against God.
Let’s take a look at God’s response.
God separated the rest of the congregation from Korah and those with him (Num. 16:20-23). Then the ground opened beneath those that rebelled and swallowed them (Num. 16:32). This is an example of the day of God’s judgment of the willful sinner.
Sincere believers are sanctified – separated – from those that rebel today. What is it that separates us from the sinner? The shed blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11). Those that are sanctified will not face God’s wrath.
Judgment without mercy
In Hebrews 10:29, the writer asked, how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be brought to those that trampled the Son of God underfoot?”
When many think of God’s judgment, it is often thought of lightly. Why so? Many think of God’s judgment being in a very distant future. Others, because they have not witnessed God’s judgment, don’t believe it will ever come.
What happens when one thinks lightly of God’s judgment? They will likely live in a manner where they don’t fear Him.
Let’s consider God’s past judgments of wickedness. How did God move when He warned Noah of the wickedness of the world? How did God move when it came to the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Whether you realize it or not, the world is already being judged today though God is being merciful. God is still giving the world an opportunity to turn from sin. However, as shown in Revelations 20:11-15, God will cast the sinner away from His presence without mercy.
The sinner will be cast away without mercy because they disregarded God and become his enemy. As the writer states, “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’” The time to plead and to make change is now!
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).” If you don’t fear God today, when you stand before His throne it will be too late.
Fear God and Save Your Life
This led the writer to speaking about the coming of Christ in Hebrews 10:37. The fact of the matter is that this is what the writer has been warning about throughout these warnings. You and I have to remember that Christ called on mankind to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17).
What does it mean for the kingdom of heaven to be at hand? That means that God is nearby and is set to judge the world. Because God’s judgment draws closer, one should live in preparation of His judgment. Jesus said that one should be on watch because nobody knows what hour the Lord is coming (Matt. 24:42).
So, since we know how God will judge sin, that should mean that we fear His judgment of sin. Yet, how many fear God’s judgment being at hand? Those that fear the Lord will live in a manner of heeding His instructions. As it’s quoted in Hebrews 10:38, “the just shall live by faith”.
So, this warning is a warning against despising God to the point that you don’t fear His judgment. Is it impossible for one to turn around from this point on their journey? No. Just take a look at Paul on his journey!
Paul, at one point in time, was one that despised the way (the gospel/faith in Christ) and therefore he despised God. What did Paul do out of his hatred? He persecuted the early church (Acts 22:4). On the road to Damascus, Paul was visited by Christ who asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Paul was known as Saul at that time.
I feel this warning came at a moment in time where Paul was near the point of crossing the unpardonable line. I truly believe had Paul ignored Christ’s message on the road to Damascus, he would have been lost forever. Hebrews 10 was a call for the Jews of the time it was written, and it’s a call for many today. Hebrews 10 is a message not to wait until it is too late to turn around.
Judgment of those Ignorant of Sin
Some often wonder what will happen to those that don’t have the opportunity to receive the word of God. For example, what if babies and children die before receiving the word of God? What happens to those that live on a remote island without contact from civilization? Does God condemn those that have truly never received the gospel?
The answer is found in Isaiah 55:8-9. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. The Holy Spirit is at work and frankly, it is up to God how those who have not received the gospel will be judged.
We must control what we can control ourselves and that it our choice. If you desire to be set free from sin, you can find freedom in Christ. If you are ignorant of your sin, you can find knowledge in Christ. These are things that we are in control of and should move on. So, I encourage you today, take advantage of the time and heed the word of God.