September 30th 2009 was the first ever “Blasphemy Day” where people who do not believe in God try to express their right to blaspheme Him. They are trying to promote a “nothing is sacred” doctrine and feel that their freedom of speech should even extend to the outright offense of others. Whether that was the intent of our forefathers when they penned the Bill of Rights, I do not know, but that isn’t what I want to discuss. The topic of Blasphemy day came up at lunch today, a brother and I were discussing it. I was told that many people were trying to commit what scripture and Christ called the “unforgiveable sin”, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. As we dove into this a little deeper I began to see a widely overlooked fact concerning blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. First, the question is often asked, as I myself have, what constitutes blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? For this we must go to Mark 3. We find Christ’s statement about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit at the end of a section of scripture that my Bible has named “A House Divided Cannot Stand”. In that passage they say that Christ has an evil spirit and that His works are the works of Satan, to which Christ replies that many blasphemies will be forgiven but not the one committed against the Holy Spirit (this is to say that once you have committed this blasphemy you are no longer redeemable). Verse 30 then goes on to say that He said this because, “they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”” Context here tells us that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when we attribute the work of God or the Holy Spirit, to Satan, when we give the glory that was intended for God to Satan. This definition implies two things, a belief that God has worked (otherwise there is nothing to attribute to Satan) and that Satan exists (otherwise there is no one to whom you may attribute God’s works) So it would stand to reason that if you do not believe in God, His works, or in Satan, that you cannot blaspheme the Holy Spirit. This thought brings me back to the awesome holiness of God, that man, in an utterly sinful state, unbelieving toward God, yet desiring to blaspheme our understanding of Him, cannot by his own will take himself outside the reach of God’s ability to redeem him. He cannot commit the one sin that God has said is unredeemable. So we stand in a valley between two mountains, on one side, the mountain of election, that says that because of our sinful nature we cannot choose God of our own free will, and on the other side, a mountain of God’s reach, that says that we cannot of our own will remove ourselves from God’s ability to redeem us. Neither option is our choice; both are totally wrapped up in the grace of God, one requiring His grace, and the other an eternal display of it.
Many Christians have focused on the massive offense to God that was partaken of on this “Day” and have responded with bitterness and hatred (you can read about it all over the net). Unfortunately for Christ and His glory, these followers have missed the point. The blasphemers are self-appointed “enemies” to our faith, and what has Christ taught us concerning our enemies? That we should love them, as He loved us when we were His enemies. So instead of taking the position of offensive attack against these “enemies”, I believe that we should take the position of the Father, loving them, knowing that in spite of all their sinful effort, they can never move themselves beyond His ability to redeem them, and although they are “enemies” now, one day we may call them brother. (This isn't a call for tolerance. In spite of Christ's love for His enemies He never tolerated unrepentant sin, and neither should we, if we have any concern for the eternal well-being of the person in question)
(Side note- through general revelation we have all been given some belief in God even if we deny Him outwardly, whether or not that level of belief is enough to qualify you for blaspheming the Holy Spirit, I do not know. My thought is that it doesn’t, because blasphemy of the Spirit also requires a belief in Satan so that you have someone to attribute God’s works to and the knowledge of the existence of Satan isn’t present in general revelation, but only through specific revelation. Not to mention the definition of God and His glory and His works, which I believe are prerequisite to truly blaspheming the Spirit, also aren’t in the category of general revelation. )
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