Today’s blog is an answer to a question I received from a subscriber. It’s actually a question a get once or twice a year: How do you blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

They’re worried that they may have committed the “unforgivable sin”. Now, there is an unforgivable sin. It’s mentioned several times in the Gospels:

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. -Matthew 12:32

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. -Luke 12:10

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin. -Mark 3:29

The way this “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” is phrased has led some people to believe that if they say this sentence they are eternally damned. What’s more, some atheists have picked up on this and created a real wacky website encouraging unbelievers to take “The Blasphemy Challenge” and say, “I deny the Holy Spirit” on video.

So, if someone says this is the code now broken? Is the person really eternally damned? Please, don’t think in such absurd terms. It just plays into that unbelieving foolishness. The reality is when you resist the Holy Spirit, continue to resist and give no place for God in your life, guess what, you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit and you will be eternally damned. It’s the same thing as you saying, “I do not believe. I do not want to believe. And I will never believe.” Well, keep that attitude and it becomes unforgivable. Why? Because you resisted the Holy Spirit of God. In resisting you blasphemed and in continuing to blaspheme it becomes the unforgivable sin.

So, you might wonder if you’ve ever done that. Well, if you have just undo it! If you think at some point in time you blasphemed the Holy Spirit understand this: For you to be worried about blaspheming the Holy Spirit tells me that the Holy Spirit is in you! And He’s causing you to be worried in such a way that you want to clear the confusion and erase the past by saying, “Holy Spirit, I yield to you today. And I pray, Lord God, you forgive me of all my past sins and anything I may have done before knowing You”. That’s all you need to do. God removes your sins and casts them as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t remember them anymore.

Now if you can’t do that then maybe you are resisting the Holy Spirit. But if you can then open your heart to Christ, say “Yes” to Him and you don’t have to worry about this whole blaspheme of the Holy Spirit thing. Choose to continue to walk with God, keep following after Him and you are eternally secure in the fact that your profession of faith has moved God’s heart and with that holy touch you are His forever. Amen?

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Here’s a question submitted by one of our blog subscribers:
There’s been a lot of talk about the world ending or some horrific events happening in the year 2012. Where is this date coming from? Should we pay attention to this? What can we do in light of all the commotion?

My understanding for all the recent 2012 commotion is the blockbuster movie that was recently released. But before that, the idea of the world ending in 2012 really originates from the Mayan long count calendar. Basically, the Mayans, an ancient civilization from Mesoamerica, developed a calendar that clocked the earth and all its events lasting 5,125 years and ending on December 21st or 23rd, 2012.

So, what do we do? Is there a horrific, transformative event waiting to happen in 2012?? I don’t know but here’s what I do know: I’ve been a Christian for a long time now. And we need to be aware of the fact that every now and again there’s someone saying, “This is the year. This is when it all ends.” A perfect example is from back in the 80s. I remember a pamphlet circulating that read, “88 Reasons God is Returning in October 1988”. Because of this I saw a lot of well-intentioned people in the church selling all their stuff and getting ready for the day. Obviously, nothing happened.

But the reality is this: something could happen in 2012, in 2011, in 2010 or something can happen today. So my hope for all of us is that we get in the Word and read Matthew 24. And as you read the whole chapter you’ll find Jesus tells us “no man knows the day or the hour” but to always be ready and always be prepared.

So, here’s a question for you: would you get ready if you knew He was coming back tomorrow? I ask because just a couple weeks ago we held a memorial service for a 12-year-old girl and a few days later I did a service for a 60-year-old man. He died of lung cancer and she died of leukemia but a year ago we didn’t think either one of those people was going to pass. They didn’t make it to see 2012.

Is it this year for you? What about next year? The hope that the Lord has in encouraging you to be ready at any time is that you would be ready. Just be ready at any time. Because if you put your stock and hope in December 2012 you might just do whatever you want and sin all through 2010 and 2011 and then start repenting and cleaning up your act when 2012 comes around. But in Matthew 24 you’ll find a parable about a man who didn’t think his master was coming back so he behaved very rudely. And, what do you know, his master came back when he least expected it. Don’t let that be you. Be prepared in season, out of season—any season whether it’s 2012, 2013 or 2015. That’s my hope for you.

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