How to Know if you have Committed Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is one of the three people in the Trinity. The other two people are The Father and The Son. All three persons are equally divine, and an eternal bond exists between them.
According to Orthodox Christians, the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and The Son. He is the true spirit and a substantial being. The latter means that He is of one substance with The Father and The Son. The Holy Ghost is also a person, not just some mysterious force or energy.
He is a distinct personality with His own will, intellect, and power. Therefore, He can perform the works of God in the world.
Holy Spirit — The true believer of Christ
The Holy Spirit is a comforter or helper as he has been given to every believer in Christ to guide them into all truth. He convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 14:26). Those who Jesus Christ does not save are still open to being convicted by the Holy Spirit because they still have their conscience.
And the Holy Spirit will be the final judge in this world, who can convict people. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to condemn those who have not received Jesus Christ as savior.
A person cannot become an Orthodox Christian without receiving baptism by the Holy Spirit through confession with water and chrismation by a bishop. This is also known as the Chrismation of Adults.
Baptism — Holy Water
The baptism of faith or grace that comes through baptism in water, then sanctification and enlightenment after they come out of sins through Chrismation of Adults are done by water, grace, and fire together.
A person who has not been charismatic by The Holy Spirit after baptism is considered still in sin and is not a member of the Church. He becomes a member of the Church when he is baptized, then receives Holy Communion for the first time and, at that same time, receives chrismation.
Suppose a person has been charismatic by The Holy Spirit. Still, later on, he commits blasphemy of the holy spirit and becomes an atheist or pagan. In that case, his former chrismation becomes ineffective until he comes back to God by confessing to God that he has sinned.
Law against Blasphemy
In many countries, blasphemy laws exist, making it illegal to speak out against religion or lack thereof.
The United States, for example, has an article in its Constitution that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
This means that the government cannot officially support one religion over another. People who do so are sometimes prosecuted under blasphemy laws.
Blasphemy is defined in various ways, such as:
- Lack of respect for God
- A statement or action considered to be offensive by religious standards
- Belittling the value of religion
- Words or actions that are believed to be blasphemous.
Beliefs that can fall into this category include humanism, atheism, and secularism.
- Atheism is the absence of belief in any deity.
- Secularism is the opposite of religion and usually refers to belief in a god or gods but not their worship or adoration. People who believe in all forms of the existence of God can be classified as secularists.
It is illegal to define or describe any religion as “wrong in some countries.” For example, Indonesia’s blasphemy law states that the public can be punished if they: “are convicted by a court verdict of blasphemy against Islam and its prophets.” The penalty for blasphemy in Germany is up to five years in prison.
Some argue that there are no laws against blasphemy because it would be too difficult to enforce. Still, others believe this is a moot point because the laws already exist.
The law might be unenforceable for one reason or another. For example, in some countries, blasphemy prosecutions are based on community standards or individuals’ religious beliefs.
Can you go to Heaven if you commit the unforgivable sin?
According to the Bible, the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. So it’s not admissible in Heaven. However, suppose you have never committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, have a good heart and die with that on your mind. In that case, you can go to Heaven. For instance:
The murderer who has been saved by Jesus’ death and asks for forgiveness can go to Heaven. So, likewise, the person who is not baptized but dies with a clean conscience will go to Heaven.
Blasphemy against the holy spirit verse
The Bible has plenty of verses for us to choose from, but this time we will look at the irreverent verse found in 1 Timothy 4:1-2. The verse speaks about how some people will be teachers who have a form of Godliness but deny its power.
And believe that they can gain extraordinary power over God by saying things against Him. This is where you will find the blasphemy against the holy spirit verse.
The sentence in question says: “For some are disobedient when once the word of God has been spoken to them” The word is translated as “disobedient.” Still, it must be translated as “blasphemous” or “blasphemous toward God.”
This scripture may be viewed as a warning about how people who claim to be teachers and perhaps even ministers but who don’t have any absolute authority from God will then say things that are irreverent toward Him. So instead of being holy, they will be ignoble and blasphemous.
Blasphemy is anything that directly goes against God. You see this word used in many verses: “blasphemy against God,” “blasphemous of God,” “blaspheme God,” or even the words “to blaspheme” or to commit blasphemy.”
In fact, the NIV uses the word only twice in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, but once for saying things about money that is not for God (4:5) and one instance of using it for a person who is blasphemous toward Jesus Christ (4:6).
The word “blasphemy” is often used in the Bible to describe someone who is against God.
