Jesus has often been characterized as a loving God, while the God of the Old Testament is viewed as hard and unforgiving.

As usual, the general, popular view is wrong. The truth is that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, and it is in the New Testament that Jesus actually reveals that there is an unforgivable sin. Jesus is as Holy as His Father, and has the same hatred of sin as His father has. Now let’s look at his statement and see if we can understand what is being said:

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31 & 32)

Lots of people speculate as to what is meant by “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Spirit)”. I have heard some say that if you refuse to accept Jesus, or refuse to repent of your sin, as long as you live, that this is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

As with all Scripture study, context is very important. What is the situation that had just occurred that prompted Jesus to make this statement? Let’s go back a few verses:

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.  (Note that there is a parallel passage in Mark 3, and Luke 12:10)

Here is a case where Jesus was casting out devils, or demons, from a person who had been demon possessed. Jesus Himself states that He had cast out the demon by the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Pharisees stated that Jesus was using the power of the devil to cast out devils.

This passage is actually giving us an example of, and defining, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit…to attribute an action by the Holy Spirit to be an action of the devil. How else can I put it? If you see a genuine miracle of God, performed by the Holy Spirit, and you say that the action was performed using the power of the devil, or Satan, you have committed the unforgivable sin!

Does this mean that if you fall on your face and beg Jesus to forgive you that He won’t do it? No. First we must understand the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:7-11)

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (I Corinthians 12:3)

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (Hebrews 3:7)

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)

One of the most important roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin. He pricks our conscience so that we seek a remedy for our sin, and He makes us willing to accept the sacrifice made on our behalf by Jesus on the Cross. It is the Holy Spirit Himself who imparts eternal life to us when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

So, what does the Holy Spirit have to do to make sure we are lost for all eternity, when we commit the unforgivable sin?

Nothing.

You see, without the Holy Spirit convicting us of our sin, and our need for a saviour, we will live our lives without ever suspecting we are lost and in danger of eternal damnation. To ensure we don’t get saved, all He has to do is walk away from us!  It is the greatest act of love, and kindness, that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin!

Jesus said it best in John chapter 3:

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The whole purpose of Jesus’ first coming was to save mankind. He had no obligation to you or me. He didn’t have to come, but He did anyway because he took pity on us. He saw our state was hopeless without Him. He is our only hope. He does not have to condemn us because we did that ourselves when we sinned.

Some tell us that we have committed this same sin when we question manifestations such as the laughing “revival”, or other antics of the extreme Charismatic movement. We know these are not of God for the same manifestations have been seen in pagan events. No, if there is anything of God in these manifestations it is judgment!

Have you ever seen a genuine miracle of God performed by the Holy Spirit?

The day is soon approaching when the whole world will witness an amazing miracle of God! How they react to it will determine how the Holy Spirit works in their life, or if He does at all. If they believe it was of God they will still be convicted of sin and still may be saved. Those who attribute the miracle to be a work of the devil will be lost forever. Not that they can’t repent, but that they won’t!

I am referring, of course, to the rapture of the Church. This is an event that will occur all over the world in an instant. Those who witness this event, and are left behind, will have a choice of what to believe has just happened. They may believe the truth that it was Jesus Christ snatching His people out of this world, or they may believe one of the various lies.

I’m not sure exactly what those lies will be, but I’m certain that there will be a number of them. Satan has been preparing the world to believe in alien beings for many years in order to condition the human race for this event. It is therefore very likely that the disappearance of Christians will be attributed to aliens.

For many years now those who report “close encounters” with alien beings have almost always had some experience with the occult in their past. These beings who claim to be aliens often have the same names as ancient pagan gods. The truth is that these “close encounters” with beings claiming to be aliens are actually close encounters with fallen angels.

So, what are you saying, if you attribute the disappearance of the Church to an alien abduction? Are you not saying that the snatch by Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was actually accomplished by the power of Satan? I think so. And I think that by believing, and spreading this lie, millions will have committed the unforgivable sin. The Holy Spirit will walk away from these people, and they will be comfortable in their lie, until Jesus returns and destroys them.

In the book of Revelation God speaks of those who refuse to repent of the evil they are doing in the midst of God’s judgments. This explains why these people refuse to repent. The Holy Spirit has left these people alone and they are no longer convicted of their sins.

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21)

These are the same people who earlier took the mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation 13. The angel in chapter 14 tells us that these people, who take this mark, will suffer the wrath of God, yet in chapters 9 and 16 it is indicated that they could repent.

14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The best answer I have to this dichotomy is that these people have committed the unforgivable sin, and the Holy Spirit has walked away from them. Perhaps, by taking the mark of the Beast you are making a statement that attributes the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. There is nothing physical to stop these people from repenting. They are still free agents, and could repent, but without the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin they will never do so. Not in a million years! And a million years later, having spent 999,000 years in the Lake of Fire, they still will not repent! Their anger at God, in that lake, will grow to an all consuming, burning hatred, and their presence there will glorify God for all eternity!

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Psalms 76:10

If you have worried that you have committed the unforgivable sin, this is a good sign. It is a sign that the Holy Spirit is still working on you. You need to repent and trust Jesus Christ to save you. Hell and the Lake of Fire are real places, and we all deserve to go there. Jesus, on the other hand, wants to save as many as possible. His death on the cross was sufficient for all sin of all time. Trust Him and He will save you!

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Romans 10:13

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12

For more information on the alien phenomenon see www.alienintrusion.com