When I was a young Christian, in my mid-teen years, I was naïve, to say the least, when it came to the interpretation of scriptural doctrines; especially those that came from anyone with an air of authority about them. No matter what was said, if there was a pulpit on front of someone, I accepted whatever that person claimed to be true. And in the spirit of this naivety, when watching one of my favorite televangelists at the time (whose name I will not disclose) I witnessed one of the most frightening sermons I’ve heard to this date. On the average I was quite fond of him, who usually served up a delicious helping of poignant, descriptive messages that fed my newly born spirit. However on this occasion, a Bible-thumping, hell-fire-n-brimstone fear seized me with the terrifying reality that I may have done something I could never be forgiven for; the unpardonable sin of grieving the Holy Spirit.

The preacher went on to describe two or three instances where individuals he knew, or knew of, had made bold, blasphemous remarks about the work of the Holy Ghost. And as a result, within a 24 hour period, each one died horribly and under the worst circumstances. Quoting all of the pertinent scriptures, particularly Matthew 12:32, the speaker managed to frighten me to the point of paranoia. After which, in a fit of anger, if I were to say something that may be construed as such a blasphemy, the haunting terror of possibly losing my salvation would crop up. But, is grieving the Holy Spirit as simple as a few misplaced words? Can one really commit this unforgivable offense in a matter of seconds? Let us explore this issue that has caused, I feel, a great deal of confusion and unnecessary anxiety in the spiritual lives of many people.

In studying the twelfth chapter of Matthew, one finds an intense debate that is recorded involving the religious leaders and Jesus. Questioning the ‘labors’ Jesus performs on what is supposed to be the Sabbath, the interpreters of the Law state that Jesus is breaking the commandment by healing a man possessed with a demon on this day. They even go so far as to say that this work is accomplished, not through the power of God, but by Beelzebub (or the devil). In associating Jesus’ ability to heal with Satan, these individuals are in essence grieving the Holy Spirit, since it is the Spirit through whom the miracle is performed. Jesus responds to their accusations with not merely a stiff warning, but with these words “Anyone who says things against the Son of Man can be forgiven but anyone who says things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. He will not be forgiven now or in the future.� Yet, is this a firm condemnation against even idle words spoken against the work of the Holy Spirit out of ignorance, or is it something else?

For some, in moments of grief, despair or prior to their salvation experience, such have been known to make statements that they may latter regret. We know that Paul must have said some things against Christianity and thus the works of the Holy Spirit when, before his conversion, persecuted the Church. In Acts 8:1, we read that “Paul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing.� Here we have Paul admitting that Stephen’s actions warranted the death penalty. If Stephen’s behavior was inspired by or under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, then would he not be blaspheming the Holy Spirit?

As to what Jesus meant when he said that anyone who said anything against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven must not have meant the sort of mistakes made out of ignorance. After all, the Pharisees ‘knew’ who He was. Paul had not met Him yet. So it must only be in times when what is said is done so out of a willful rejection of the Person of the Spirit, not out of ignorance. The teachers of the Law were seeing it firsthand, those like Paul and all of us can be confused as to what we are talking about. For we all have a point in our lives when we choose God through the Holy Spirit. For the Pharisees and teachers of the law, it was when Jesus was physically in front of them that they ‘blasphemed’ and thus rejected His tender drawing. For us, we blaspheme when we fail to accept His tug to ask Jesus in our hearts

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