Blasphemy

What do you think of when I say the word blasphemy? Do you think of when someone exclaims "Oh my God"? Do you think of someone who refuses God? Do you think of cursing? Or calling upon evil spirits? Maybe you think of sin in general, or maybe you think of not doing the will of God. To have any one of these views is more cultural than it is biblical. And even if some of these views are accurate, the list is not exhaustive--it does not have all the situations in which God is blasphemed. Yes, it contains cursing, denial of the spirit, demonic practices, and sin, and though there is two more I wish to add to this list (which this post is about), the list will still not be complete, but it will be slightly more extensive (by two).

Now, read these Bible passages and think about blasphemy.

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." -- 2 Peter 2:1-3

"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." -- Mark 3:28-29

Many of us are familiar with the verse in Mark presented above talking about the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit being unable to redeem such a sin. But many of us have heard the more cultural (but less biblical) version of this verse, that is "Anyone who blasphemies God will not be forgiven". What does this mean? Does it mean that Jesus' death on the cross did not cover the sins including blaspheme against God? Such as saying "Oh my God" or saying "God doesn't exist"? There are those who teach this doctrine, but it is a fallacy. There is no denying that their is some sort of blaspheme that is unforgivable, and in this passage, it is referred to as the "blasphemes against the Holy Spirit". One more very important thing to notice in Mark is where it says "sins will be forgiven...whatever blasphemes they utter".

Now let's take a look at the passage in 2 Peter. The verse begins by talking about false prophets. What is a false prophet? It is someone who is persuasive, seems to have all the right answers, seems to have the truth, but is a liar. They are people who bring about heresies and sin, gossip and hate, false teaching and slander, idols and poor doctrine. When talking of these false prophets, the passage says they "even deny the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." So it seems that denying the Master (Jesus and his salvation) causes a path to destruction (hell). It goes on to say that many will follow these false prophets, and then it says "and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed."

Follow the line of logic here. We know that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit brings about an inability to be forgiven. We know that blasphemes that are uttered can be forgiven. We also know that the Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus inside each child of God. And we learn in 2 Peter that false prophets (or teachers) blaspheme the way of truth; and that blaspheme leads them to destruction. It must be then that blaspheme is not what so many people think it to be, for I know that I do not have a reservation in heaven if my sins have not been forgiven for my cursing and anger towards God on certain occasions. But as we know, things uttered are forgiven.

These verses are talking about the second most severe form of blaspheme: the blaspheme against saving grace. The blaspheme of when a person turns away from God in resentment, or ignorance because they are either too lazy or angry to follow God. The blaspheme of when people curse God whole-heartedly wishing him eternal damnation. The blaspheme that denies the saving grace God offers. For who can be saved without the gift of the holy spirit? No one. Not only this, but the first most severe form of blaspheme is also within these verses. Think of the false prophets for a moment. The worst form of blaspheme is a "lukewarm belief". By a "lukewarm belief", I'm talking about those people who claim to be a Christian, but their lives show otherwise, and because their lives show otherwise, others see and follow a false Jesus living within them. I'm talking about those people who go to church for the holidays and drink every weekend; or those who claim to hold the spirit within their soul, but rather than lead people to Christ, they take them from him. The people who are supposed to be a light in this world, but are a dark place to hide. The people who don't stand up for their faith, but rather duck down and dodge the bullets. They say "Lord, Lord" but they have never opened their Bible a day in their life. To these people, the kingdom of heaven does not belong. Because they have not received the Holy Spirit if the Holy Spirit is not seen in them through their actions. All you atheists who hate Christians and hate Jesus, do you truly want to blaspheme God? Become a Christian and live as if your not. If someone thinks they are safe, then that is right where Satan wants them, when you think you are healthy, you won't look for a cure. Little do you know, your dying.