BLASPHEMY AND THE UNPARDONABLE SIN
Are YOU Guilty of BLASPHEMY?
Don't be too sure you're not. Read this article to check up on
yourself.
by David L. Antion
From the August edition of "The Good News" 1969
BLASPHEMY is a most dangerous sin. Yet many who would not
think of blaspheming may be at this precise moment committing
this great sin!
Blasphemy is NOT just swearing or taking God's name in vain.
There are many forms of blasphemy, and some of these ways of
blasphemy bring dire consequences. Don't be ignorant. Study this
article and be sure you stop every form of blasphemy now!
Definition
Notice this Bible proof that blasphemy and swearing or
cursing are not the same thing. In Lev. 24:10-16, we find the
account of the Israelitish woman's son who strode through the
camp and got into a fight with one of the men of Israel. And in
the fight, the son of the Israelitish woman, whose father was an
Egyptian, blasphemed the name of the Eternal, "and cussed."
Notice that he did two things. He blasphemed AND cursed. For this
terrible sin he was put to death. And this is the word that came
from God: "Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he
that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to
death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as
well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he
blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death" (verses
15-16).
Again, in this law it is made clear that cursing and
blaspheming are two separate offenses. Notice too, that blasphemy
is an offense punishable by DEATH.
Webster's dictionary defines blasphemy as "indignity offered
to God in words, writing, or signs." "Blasphemy applies strictly
to any intentional utterance defying or offering indignity to the
Supreme Being." "Impious or irreverent speech" is also blasphemy.
It also includes swearing and profanity. However, the Bible
definition covers much more territory than Webster's. And the
real truth as to the spirit of the law is going to surprise you.
The Hebrew word translated "blasphemy" in Leviticus 24 means
to violently poke holes through, to jab at or perforate. Other
words translated "blasphemy" concur with the English definition
of the word.
Prophesied for End Time
The God-given prophecy written by the Apostle Paul of these
last days reveals the fact that blasphemy would abound. "This
know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For
men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, BLASPHEMERS, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy"
(2 Tim.3:1-2).
Yes, our world today is filled with blasphemers. This very
country which writes "In God We Trust" is filled with
blasphemers.Notice the prophesied condition would exist now.
"Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that My people
is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to
howl, saith the LORD; and My name continually everyday is
blasphemed" (Isaiah 52:5). How many millions of times each day do
you think God's name is taken in vain, used in gutter filth,
cursed as a means of venting anger?
God says through Ezekiel, "And thou shalt know that I am the
Lord, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast
spoken against the mountains of Israel saying, they are laid
desolate, they are given us to consume, Thus with your mouth ye
have boasted against Me, and have multiplied your words against
Me: I have heard them" (Ezek.35:12-13). This was a prophecy
against Mount Seir, but God is the same in His dealing with
nations and He has also heard the great blasphemies spoken
against Him in this nation.
Of this land today God says, "For the land is full of
adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth" (Jer.
23:10). Even the very land mourns underneath the mountain of sin
caused by swearing. In the next verse God tells us that even the
prophet and priest are profane in this land. Yes, even many of
them swear. Swearing even occurs over television, in churches, in
the so-called high society of "nice people." And even some in
God's Church today are swearing and do not realize it. And
remember that swearing is a form of blasphemy!
Taking God's Name in Vain
One would think he would never hear swearing over
television, especially over the "nicer" shows. However, one night
on the show "LASSIE," the little boy in the show swore several
times. He did not say the name of God directly, but he swore
nevertheless. Brethren, it is time many of you knew that such
words as "Gee," "Gosh," "Golly," "darn," and various combinations
of these words are actually swearword derivatives of the names of
God, Jesus Christ and of the word "damn." They are the more
"polite" forms of SWEARING! And even members of God's Church use
these words in their speech. We need desperately to eradicate
these words from our conversation and stop this form of
blasphemy!
It is easy for us to swear or blaspheme. Why? Why is it not
as easy to praise God and bless His holy name? The reason is
human nature. God has put in human nature the downward pulls of
sin. And one of these pulls is blasphemy. Jesus said, "For from
within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders ... [and] blasphemy ..." (Mark
7:21-22). It is part of human nature, then, to blaspheme. But, it
is a part that must be overcome. Paul says, "But now ye also put
off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth" (Col.3:8).
Examples of Blasphemy
When Hezekiah was king of Judah, Sennacherib planned to
invade and conquer the nation of Judah. He boasted against Judah
thus: "Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to
deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD,
saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be
delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to
Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria ... Beware lest
Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any
of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of
the king of Assyria? Who are they among all the gods of these
lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the
LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" (Isa.36:14-16,18,
20.)
Here the king of Assyria challenged God. He tried to bring
God down to the level of an idol, to that of physical things. He
spoke out intentionally defying God and His power to deliver
Judah and Jerusalem. God called it blasphemy.
"And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master,
Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast
heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have
BLASPHEMED me" (Isa.37:6). Again in verse 10 of this same chapter
the king of Assyria blasphemed God. He accused God of trying to
deceive His people. God labels this accusation blasphemy in verse
23.
Do men or nations get away with blasphemy against the Most
High God? God said He would defend Jerusalem and He accepted the
challenge given by the king of Assyria. Who won? Notice: "Then
the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the
Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when
they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead
corpses" (verse 36).
Notice that this was blasphemy but that the king of Assyria
never did curse God's name. But he did show irreverence and
indignity to God. He did challenge God and His power.
Other Forms of Blasphemy
Here are other misdeeds that God labels blasphemy in His
Word. Let us look at them and let each analyze himself in the
light of God's Word. Think over your own actions of late and see
if you are blaspheming.
In Ezekiel 20:27 we read, "Therefore, son of man, speak unto
the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord
ETERNAL; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, IN THAT
THEY HAVE COMMITTED A TRESPASS AGAINST ME." They blasphemed God
by trespassing or sinning against Him. And this particular sin
that they did was to pervert the way of worshipping God. They
sacrificed to idols and established their own religion after God
gave them the blessings of the land. This is happening today in
the United States of America. This people has polluted the true
religion of God.
Those of us in the true Church of God must be careful that
we do not detract from or add to God's Word. We must be careful
that we do not participate in idolatrous worship. For that is
what the Israelites did and God calls it blasphemy. IF YOU
BLASPHEME GOD, YOU WILL PAY FOR IT UNLESS YOU REPENT! Those
participating in pagan holidays are having a part in the
idolatrous worship condemned in Ezekiel 20:28 which God labels as
a form of blasphemy.
Blasphemy by Hypocrisy
Another form of blasphemy brought out is in Revelation 2:9.
"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art
rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews,
and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Notice that God
considers it blasphemy for people to say they are Jews -
spiritual Jews. What is a spiritual Jew? According to Romans 2:29
it is one who has been circumcised in the heart - that is, has
received the Holy Spirit and is, therefore, a Christian. There
were people then saying they were Christians - true spiritual
Jews - but who were not. God calls this blasphemy. Therefore to
profess to do what is right and not to do it is blasphemy
according to this principle. How many are doing this very thing?
Are you one who by your attendance in a local church profess to
be keeping God's commandments and Sabbaths and yet are not doing
it at all? Are you claiming to be a member of God's true Church -
claiming to be a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ; yet
constantly putting up with sins that you know you have, never
bothering to overcome sins and weaknesses? Are you just content
with the same faults day after day - yet all the time claiming to
be a spiritual Jew. THIS IS BLASPHEMY!
Another way to blaspheme God is shown in Acts 13:44-45. "And
the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear
the word o f God." Let us note right here that they were coming
to hear God's Word. Jesus said the word of God was truth in John
17:17. But notice verse 45, "But when the Jews saw the
multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those
things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming."
When hey spoke against the things spoken by the apostle
Paul, they did two things. They contradicted and blasphemed!
(The apostle Paul was speaking the truth of God. If you have
never found or desired the truth and righteousness of God; if you
have not been studying the Scriptures as the Bereans did when
Paul preached to them; if you have not proved all things to hold
fast to that which is good as Paul said you should; but you speak
against truth, then you have blasphemed - Keith Hunt)
When you blaspheme you border on the most dangerous sin of
all. You are getting close to the cliff that will topple you into
the lake of fire. If you don't understand something ... Pray
about it. Search your own heart to make sure you are not
deceiving yourself. But above all, don't speak against it (when
you have not studied the truth of the matter - Keith Hunt). To do
this IS BLASPHEMY!
Causing Blasphemy
You may be one who is not blaspheming directly yourself. But
you may be the cause of blasphemy to God and His Word. If you
are, then you are at least 50% guilty of the sin of blasphemy. If
by your actions you cause others to blaspheme the name of God
perhaps you are more guilty than they of this sin.
The Apostle Paul condemned the Jews for this very thing.
"You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the
law? For, as it is written, 'THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG
THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU'" (Rom.2:23-24, RSV). Yes, the Jews
were responsible for causing God's name to be blasphemed. With
their bad examples and sin-filled lives they caused the Gentiles
to blaspheme the very name of God Almighty.
Let us look at ourselves today. How is your example in front
of unconverted neighbors and relatives? What kind of example did
you set the world on your way to the Feast of Tabernacles? And
while you were at the feast, many of you stayed in private homes
in surrounding communities. What kind of example did you set?
Were you clean? Or did you leave the place dirty and filthy? Some
stayed in rented trailers. When you returned your trailer was it
dirty and messy inside? Did you give it back in better shape than
you had taken it?
Many of those from whom you rented trailers and rooms knew
that you were going to a religious festival. Some even knew the
name of the Church. Did you by your example cause or give
occasion for those people to blaspheme the God we worship, the
only true and living God? Were you impolite to the unconverted
people in nearby towns or to the merchants? Did you give occasion
for them to speak against the Church of God, the very Body of
Jesus Christ? If you did, YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE SIN OF
BLASPHEMY!
Notice what it cost King David, a man after God's own heart,
for doing what some of us have done. After being told of his
terrible sin of adultery and murder, David said, "I have sinned
against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, the LORD also hath
put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this
deed [his sins] thou hast given great occasion [opportunity] to
the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born
unto thee shall surely die" (2 Sam.12:13-14). It cost David his
son because he participated in this sin of blasphemy by giving
the enemies of God the opportunity to speak against the religion
and way of God. What will some of us have to pay to learn this
lesson?
Let us set a right and holy example before the world by
keeping God's commandments. And also by being polite, thoughtful,
kind, neat, and clean in all our ways. Why do we always insist on
paying a dear price to learn the consequences of sin?
Women Blaspheme
Here are two specific Bible ways in which we can cause
others to blaspheme. First, for the women in God's Church. Here
are God's instructions and the reason for them. God says "to be
discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own
husbands, THAT THE WORD OF GOD BE NOT BLASPHEMED" (Titus 2:5). If
you disobey your husbands, if you are not discreet, chaste,
keepers at home, good mothers and wives, you are causing God's
Word to be blasphemed - indeed you are blaspheming it yourself!
Through this whole article so far we have also been showing the
punishment that one will reap when he blasphemes. We will reap
what we sow.
Women who have husbands who are not members have a great
responsibility. If you are not the right kind of wife, if you are
disrespectful, sloppy, and otherwise setting a bad Christian
example - you are giving "great occasion" for your non-member
husband to speak blasphemously against God's Word, and Church.
Has your husband ever said, "Why don't you throw that Bible away?
And don't ever talk to me about God, Jesus Christ or religion. I
don't want any part with God or religion if THAT'S the way
Christians act." Actually those are words of blasphemy, said in
ignorance, of course. And some husbands have even said more
blasphemous things than that.
Stop and think. On His great throne, God Almighty hears
every word uttered. He hears the blasphemy of atheists, skeptics,
etc. He has heard Khrushchev's blasphemy and that of all the
atheistic Communists. God is sick of it! And then, we, by our
misdeeds and foolish actions, cause more blasphemy. Blasphemy
that would otherwise never have been spoken. What sin! Are we not
more guilty in one sense than those who do the actual
blaspheming? We who profess to do God's will and then cause
others to blaspheme our God because of our foolishness and wrong
actions. This form of blasphemy must be stopped!
Blasphemy on the job?
God gives warning to most of the men of the church. "Let as
many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters
worthy of all honour, that the name of God and His doctrine be
not blasphemed" (I Tim.6:1). In modern day terminology this
applies to those men who work for an employer. They are to give
that employer the honor due him. And part of the way to do this
is to perform your work well.
Your employer will know that you belong to God's Church. You
tell him you must have the Sabbath day off, Holy Days, etc. Then,
if you do sloppy, half-hearted work, you will give occasion for
him to blaspheme. Plus, you yourself are actually blaspheming.
You are professing to do God's will and are not. God says that
His name and His doctrine will be blasphemed if you do not honor
your employer properly. Part of His doctrine is "whatsoever your
hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
Leads to Unpardonable Sin
Blasphemy is dangerous. And it ought to be considered so
because one form of blasphemy is the UNPARDONABLE sin. Let us
understand this.
The case of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is shown in
Matthew 12:22-32. "Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a
demon, blind, and dumb: and He healed him, insomuch that the
blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were
amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the
Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out
devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew
their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand; And if Satan cast out Satan, he
is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And
if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast
them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out
devils by the SPIRIT of GOD, then the Kingdom of God is come unto
you." Then Jesus said in verse 31, "Wherefore I say unto you, All
manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men ... "
Notice in this statement that Jesus said there were different
manners or kinds of blasphemy just as there were different kinds
of sin. All the other types of blasphemy can be forgiven. The
Apostle Paul was one who was forgiven of blasphemy that he had
done in ignorance. See I Timothy 1:13.
"But," Jesus went on in verse 31 and 32, "the blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And ...
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be
forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come."
What did the Pharisees do or say against the Holy Spirit
that Christ should say this to them? Let us notice.
In verse 23, after the people saw the miracle, "And all the
people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?" The
people let the work performed by the Holy Spirit in this miracle
prick their hearts. They were ready to acknowledge that God was
working through His Son Jesus Christ. And that Jesus was not just
an ordinary man but that He truly was the Messiah who was
prophesied to come. They let the manifested power of the Holy
Spirit convict them, and begin to bring them to repentance.
But the Pharisees, who saw the same miracle, who saw the
blind and dumb man speak and see, did not allow the work of the
Holy Spirit to convict them. They hardened their hearts. They
probably had a feeling that they should give God glory. They knew
that what Jesus did was an act of God - that it was good and
right. But instead of allowing this wonderful work to soften
their hearts and bring them to repentance, they hardened
themselves and spoke against the miracle done by the Holy Spirit.
They said, "This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by
Beelzebub the prince of the devils [or demons]." This was
blasphemy! They called a work done by the Holy Spirit - a work
done to bring them to repentance - the work of Satan the Devil.
Instead of repenting, they struck back at God's Holy Spirit -
which is the power that brings us to repentance. They spoke
against and blasphemed the only power that could make them
repent. They therefore seared their consciences and hardened
their hearts to the point they could never repent. Therefore they
could never be forgiven.
If we get into a habit of blaspheming God, His Word, His
doctrine by our words and misdeeds, we are only a step away from
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. We are walking the cliff, so to
speak. It is a dangerous walk, for one slip could mean our
eternal end.
Let us put away all forms of blasphemy. Let us eradicate
even such terms from our speech as "Gee," "Gosh," etc., which are
polite forms of swearing. Let us not profess RIGHTEOUSNESS and
then commit SIN! Let us not claim to be spiritual Jews when we
are not. And we need to be careful of the example we set in front
of others - in the home and at work.
All these things are included in the sin of blasphemy. And
above all, let us never attribute work done by and through the
power of God's Holy Spirit as being the work of Satan the Devil.
For if we harden our hearts to this extent we shall have
committed the sin of which Jesus Christ said, "... it shall not
be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come."
......................
Did you get the truth of the "unpardonable sin" in the last part
of this study? ALL sins can be forgiven UPON REPENTANCE. The sin
that cannot be forgiven is the sin of NOT repenting! When God,
uses His spirit to bring a person to the knowledge of the truth,
to salvation knowledge, and that person will NOT give his/her
mind to REPENTING and moving forth to accepting Christ Jesus as
Savior, willing to now live by every word of God (Mat.4:4) and
build a personal relationship with the Father and His Son Jesus,
then THAT SIN of NOT repenting cannot be forgiven. The person has
committed the unpardonable sin. The person has blasphemed the
Holy Spirit, the power the Father uses to bring people to the
knowledge of the truth and to repentance.
We as Christians are not perfect, we are still in the flesh while
in this physical body. We do sometimes sin; though our mind-set
is to serve God, to obey His way of life, His commandments. Our
weakness of the flesh, the pressures of the sinful world, Satan
and his demon helpers, all still pull at us, and at times, though
we do not want to, we find that we fall, we miss the mark, we
sin. This is all explained in 1 John and the first few chapters.
Read it in a modern translation, and you will see what John was
inspired to tell us, about our life as a Christian. Then also we
have the apostle Paul being inspired to write Romans chapter 7.
The Christian may find themselves in exactly the mind of Paul in
Romans 7. None of that is the unpardonable sin.
The blasphemy of the unpardonable sin is when you KNOW THE TRUTH,
and you coldly, with a clear mind, say to God's Holy Spirit,
which He is using to lead you into truth, "I want no part of
this. I will NOT serve, I will not OBEY, I will NOT walk with you
God."
With such an attitude of mind, God CANNOT forgive or have mercy
on that person. They have sinned against the Holy Spirit; they
have sinned against God, and the Holy One can only show mercy
through Christ Jesus to someone who will REPENT of sin.
It is a one, two, three, movement that God has decreed, set down
as to how any person can have salvation. God uses His Spirit to
take away spiritual blindness from the mind of a person. The
person must be willing to acknowledge truth and sin, be willing
to repent of sin, change the mind-set to obey God, and then
FORGIVENESS is given to that person. If the person will not
acknowledge sin and repent of practicing sin as a way of life,
then they have REJECTED the Holy Spirit - blasphemed against the
Holy Spirit, and hence CANNOT be forgiven in this life, and
cannot have eternal life in the future.
If you have not done so, make sure you study my study called
"Saved by Grace" and you should then be clear in your mind (if
you are not at present) what the unpardonable sin is - what the
sin is against the Holy Spirit that cannot be forgiven in this
life nor in the life to come.
Keith Hunt
