JESUS CHRIST once said to some Pharisees: “All kinds of sin and blasphemy [offensive language; Defamation; the evil word] will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. For example, he who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; But he who speaks against the Holy Ghost does not receive forgiveness.This raises questions such as: Why can blasphemy against the Son of God and his Father be forgiven? How can a person be blasphemed without offending the Spirit of God? What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
The Bible gives a concrete example of someone who blasphemes against God and against Christ, but does not commit an unforgivable sin. This was Saul or the Apostle Paul before his conversion. Paul wrote to Timothy: "I was a blasphemer [an abusive speaker], a persecutor and a rude man." - 1 Ti. 1:13
Before his conversion, Paul regarded followers of Jesus Christ as apostates who deserved death. He felt that the Mosaic Law approved of his course because that law said of an apostate: "They must not give what he desires, nor hear or have their eyes merciful to him or be merciful or compassionate or cover over. Protective, but you must definitely kill him.Convinced that he was right, Paul continued to act faithfully and arrogantly toward his followers, proving to be a “mighty man.” He was like those for whom Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever kills you can imagine that he has performed a sacred service to God" (John 16: 2). Paul was a blasphemy or an abuse of the Son of God. Christ's followers showed that he saw Jesus as a deceiver and by that he rebuked Christ, Paul also spoke abuse of the Son and was guilty of offending the Father.
After his conversion, the apostle Paul saw how close he was to committing the unforgivable sin. In his letter to Timothy, he acknowledged the great mercy he had received and explained why he could be forgiven. We read: "I was merciful because I was ignorant and acted with a lack of faith." (1 Tim. 1:13) Note that Paul did not consciously fight against God and Christ before his conversion. He was ignorant, blind to the truth about the Son of God, and therefore had no faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the dying Stephen, whose murder Paul approved of, was also in Paul's favor: "Lord, do not blame them for this sin." (Acts 7:60) In his heart, Paul really wanted to do the right thing, as evidenced by his zeal for Jewish tradition and his strict observance of the teachings of the Pharisees.
When Jesus Christ himself gave him the understanding, the persecutor Saul did not hesitate to change course. He was soon among the hated, persecuted and condemned disciples of the Son of God.
Paul's fall can be an encouragement to all who in ignorance have proved to be warriors against God and Christ. Your swearing or insulting language can be forgiven if you repent. The apostle Paul made a strong statement in this regard, saying: “Faithful and worthy of full acceptance, this is the word that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I'm the first. The reason I was merciful, however, was that Christ Jesus could demonstrate as the most important case with all his tolerance for an example of those who let their faith in him rest forever. "- 1 Tim. 1:15, 16.
How can someone be guilty of an unforgivable sin? People who knowingly oppose God and Christ, hide the truth, and spread lies are guilty of sinning against the Spirit of God, a sin that cannot be forgiven. This is what some Pharisees did during Jesus' earthly ministry. They were eyewitnesses to the miracles and mighty works of the Spirit of God at work through Jesus Christ. But they refused to glorify Jehovah God. For selfish reasons, they attributed Satan's work to God through Christ. In this way, they sinned against the Spirit of God.
Other events recorded in the Bible also indicate that some religious leaders have deliberately opposed the role of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they were determined to kill him.But that was not all. The Bible tells us, "Even the high priests advised killing Lazarus because for him many Jews would go there and believe in Jesus.
Later, when soldiers from the guards stationed at the tomb withdrew a report that Jesus had risen from the dead, the leading priests were determined to hide the facts. What have you done? The Bible responds, "When they met the elders and gave them advice, they gave the soldiers enough money and said, 'Tell me,' your disciples came in the night and stole it for a while. that we were sleeping. "And if that gets to the governor's ear, we'll convince him and get him out of trouble." "- Matthew 28: 11-14.
Therefore, the Scriptures make it clear that sin against the Spirit acts consciously and knowingly against the overwhelming evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit, as well as against the chief priests and some Pharisees during Jesus' earthly ministry. But anyone who swears ignorantly or speaks insultingly about God and Christ can be forgiven as long as they truly repent. However, since it is possible for a person to be blasphemed against the Spirit of God, it underscores the importance of staying as far away from sinful language as possible. (James 3: 2–10) We should strive to emulate the example of the apostle Paul after his conversion. He said, "I hit my body and lead it like a slave so that after preaching to others, I don't hate her in any way."