Sinning against the Holy Spirit is the same as rejecting God’s goodness in our lives. Sin against the Holy Spirit is regarded as “unforgivable” not because God hates the sinner but because he (the sinner) directly rejects being forgiven by God because he has rejected the Holy Spirit.
In this article, I write on five sins against the Holy Spirit that we should be mindful not to commit. Some on this list might have been committed unknowingly, but I pray as we get enlightened with this piece, we will amend our ways, Amen.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy, in simple words, means to show disrespect. In this context, it means to disrespect God and the Holy Spirit. Over the years, different theologians had argued it could only be committed when Jesus Christ walked the face of the earth. Others have also countered that it’s still a possibility to commit this sin to date.
When we look at Mathew 12:36-37, we see Jesus Christ warning us what we say. This indicates that this sin very much exists and can still be committed to this day.
The consequences and implications of this sin are clearly explained in Matthew 12:31-32, which says, “Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
This bible verse is straightforward. Not only is Blaspheming the Holy Spirit a sin, but it is also an unforgivable sin, one that we as believers and even unbelievers should not dare commit.
Resisting the Holy Spirit
Resisting the Holy Spirit is one sin that can be committed by both a believer and an unbeliever. However, sometimes for believers, it is termed “quenching the Holy Spirit” by some school of thought, even though (to me at least) they both mean the same thing.
This is one sin that continues to plague man because of his doubting nature. Acts 7:51 says, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your father did, so do you” in this verse, we see Stephen condemning this act, and he talks about it throughout the chapter.
Everything varied out by God on Earth is through the Person and Office of the Holy Spirit; to resist Him is to resist God, for He is God; when you resist Him, you resist the plan of God. Mark 6:4-5 makes us understand that; when we fail to believe and have faith in the works of God, then we are resisting the Holy Spirit.
Grieving the Holy Spirit
One would think, how can I commit this sin of grieving the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit is not a man? Well, in simple terms, we grieve the Holy Spirit when we allow bitterness in our lives or when we condemn others. In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, we see in chapter 4:1-6 that we must walk after the Spirit and make the Cross the Object of our Faith as a believer.
It also makes us understand that there is one body and one Spirit; the Holy Spirit who works through Christ who saved us on the Cross.
Ephesians 4:29-32 gives us a direct warning as regards grieving the Holy Spirit
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may Minister Grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the Day of Redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be you kind to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”
Insulting the Holy Spirit
Insulting the Holy Spirit is one sin we all need to avoid committing. A person commits this sin when we act like we don’t need the Love of God and His gifts of Salvation. God is the father of all, and he sacrificed his Son on the Cross for our Salvation.
We insult the Holy Spirit when we neglect this and disregard the Holy Spirit, which now watches over us.
Self-Entitlement to Salvation
This ordinarily is not a sin in the bible; we are all saved by the blood of Christ on the Cross. However, it becomes a problem for believers when we cultivate an idea of soul perfection when we allow the feeling of pride and self-fulfillment to take over when we look at what we’ve accomplished.
The sin of Blasphemy is one of the sins against the Holy Spirit that believers are warned about in the Scriptures in Matthew 12:31-32, which says, “Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
One of the ways this sin is committed is; by attributing the work of the holy spirit to the devil or too unclean spirits and forces of darkness. Two, deliberate hardening and refusal to embrace God’s mercy and redemptive work through this Son Jesus. Total, conscious, deliberate, and absolute rejection of forgiveness of sin and salvation through the Blood of Jesus and His death of the Cross.
Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
Hebrews 10: 26 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,”
Other ways we sin against the Holy Spirit is by knowing-fully disrespecting God’s Holy Name and Word, consciously spreading Falsehood (AntiCrist).
