We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. What makes this simple thing so hard is that anyone worried about thoughts has become addicted to fear and to human effort. to be copied in whole or in part without citing this entire paragraph. Besides 2 Corinthians 10:5, it is used only five times and only one of these is outside of 2 Corinthians. This willful defiance is a form of willful defiance. unpardonable I suffered a lot with this. bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, (KJV). Ocd attacks when I read my Bible (possible trigger warning ). For these reasons, it is important to understand the causes of blasphemous thoughts and seek treatment. Its because thoughts that flit through our mind are of no concern to God. Why did God make the human mind this way? noema is thus the general faculty of judgment, which can take decisions and pronounce verdicts right or wrong. Upon further reflection, however, I realized that the verse about making every thought captive is not even relevant to a discussion of intrusive thoughts. Jesus taught against blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. She was not committing the unpardonable sin. When you find yourself suffering like Kate, my suggestion is that you go on the offensive and hit the Enemy where it hurts him most. Instead of becoming an apostate, he became an apostle. Beyond Forgiveness: Blasphemy Against the I was strong in my faith, and things were going well when one day I suddenly awoke from sleep to a thought so horrible I was in a sweat, my heart was thumping and ever since, I have been in extreme anxiety. . Are Blasphemous thoughts Likewise, it is common for us to mistake as our own thoughts things whispered into our minds from spiritual powers that hate us and hate our Lord. Purpose, in a bad sense design, plot, says the highly regarded A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Arndt & Gingrich, about both 2 Corinthians 2:11 and 10:5. I did not know much about spiritual warfare at the time, nor did I have a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit as I have now, but I loved the Holy Spirit and knew that these thoughts were not mine. This is the kind of unbelief that does not include repentance and the refusal to accept the forgiveness offered by the Lord. Because of this, some people differentiate scrupulosity from Religious OCD. It refers to great disrespect shown to God. Because he had failed to seduce Kate into genuine sin, the old Deceiver tried to fool her into taking responsibility for the devils own filthy thoughts. Thoughts do not faze God. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. blasphemous thoughts The Holy Spirit binds a Christian to protect himself from blasphemy, so he must guard himself against the temptation to utter it. So the topic of blasphemy was mentioned as a response of Jesus being called a devil for casting out a devil. Thus, the unforgiveable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is not a wayward word uttered in a moment of anger. This act threatens the very fabric of the covenant people. The precise meaning of the Greek word translated thought in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is hard to express in English. He has published articles in such journals as the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vigiliae Christianae, New Testament Studies, and Journal of Early Christian Studies. Wheres the Scriptural proof? you might ask. So get your attention off yourself and on to your Savior. The answer seems to be that the nature of this sin is such that one does not repent of it, because those who commit it and persist in it do not know that they are sinning.[4] I would add that they do not know because they have rejected the Holy Spirits testimony about Christ and have hardened themselves to such a degree that they do not recognize their sin. It is astounding how high a proportion of those who e-mail me fearing that they have committed the unpardonable sin suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), or some other psychological difficulty. To learn more about the precious Holy Spirit, check out my e-book called Walking in the Holy Spirit. Thoughts are not your enemy; your enemy is the ever-present temptation to exalt thoughts above Christ to imagine that overcoming thoughts will please God. As made more obvious by some Bible versions, but implied elsewhere, an analysis of the verse reveals that it is not even about your viewpoint, mindset, and so on, but about that of your spiritual enemies. Keep reciting this mantra and actually MEAN IT every time you get these thoughts: Thoughts are like clouds, they float in and out of our awareness. So, in context, blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is discrediting miracles, especially exorcisms of evil spirits. It is unlikely that this young woman had committed the unforgiveable sin. The implication is that one who has committed the unforgiveable sin is not accidently saying some particular set of words, but is willfully rejecting the Lord. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. It is also a form of pride that separates Christians from one another. If I'd gone in there remembering/knowing that, I doubt I'd have said it! This sin is so unbelievably scary to me. When Gods grace opened his eyes, he repented and put his faith in Jesus. In no instance except 2 Corinthians 10:5 is it translated thought, and the following occurrence is particularly illuminating as it highlights how it is the product of careful, deliberate, methodical thought: 2 Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. WebSuppose you have a thought that is heart-stopping blasphemous, maybe an image of yourself stabbing a loved one, an urge to desecrate a picture of Jesus, or an idea that you are a sexual pedophile. We can simply reject them as being untrue and continue to enjoy closeness with our loving Lord. This is because the very nature of the affliction that causes intrusive thoughts is to suffer perpetual unease and worry. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Are blasphemous thoughts unforgivable? (KJV) (Emphasis mine.). Once committed, it cannot be undone. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Jesus responded by saying that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. That certainly includes blasphemous words, blasphemous thoughts, and blasphemous deeds. I have had these kind of blasphemous thoughts about the Holy Spirit and He is still with me because I really don't mean these thoughts nor do I want them. This post and other resources are available at Kindle Afresh: The Blog andWebsite of Kenneth Berding. You might call them evilspirits, demons or unclean spirits as you see fit. For the first few weeks the memory would rarely leave her. You didn't commit the unpardonable sin. I pray this was a blessing. I quickly replied: This verse does not mean to try not to think about compulsive thoughts because that is impossible and anyone who thinks otherwise does not understand the human mind and has not suffered from this affliction. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The higher off the ground you raise it, however, the more fear of falling will begin to grip you. Supposing we can gain Gods approval by thinking nothing but pure thoughts is as heretical as abandoning faith in Christ and supposing we can be saved by works. Therefore, when the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit by whom Jesus performed His miracles. Nor is it some other dramatic sin, like murder, or suicide, or adultery. The word scrupulosity is an ancient term that has been used to describe compulsive religious devotion and obsessive concern with sins. It is not unusual for God to put thoughts and ideas into our minds that we mistake for our own thoughts. I feel like I am going to be rejected by Jesus because of this and I am so afraid. As a result, fear, guilt and shame can become overwhelming. For example, we may think it is blasphemous to criticize a Christians beliefs, but that is not the case. Neither will our thought life condemn us to hell. This is the first time Ive obsessed over something religious and Im terrified of losing my eternity and being seperated from my Lord. As I read the Bible, I see that the devil plants some of these fears, but also ignorance can play a huge role in empowering the temptation.Lets dig deeper into this.If you want to understand any topic in the Bible, for example, what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is, or what Jesus meant by it, you have to read what the Bible says in the context so read the chapter before and the chapter after for a broader perspective. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Is there no forgiveness for the person who repents of this sin? I am saying, replace fear with faith and stop trying to save yourself. Moreover, this sin is more serious than blasphemy against the Son or Father. Blasphemous thoughts may be unrepentant, but they are often unintentional. Blaspheme Against the Holy Spirit One passage says blasphemy against God is unforgivable, and so are thoughts that might lead to it. Of course not! There are all sorts of sexual aberrations commonly spoken of today, which are the laughter of fools, so hideously and blatantly trivialised. Say it. Ive been trying to return to Christ and have been pretty good about filtering sinful thoughts but that one made it through. Matthew expected his readers to remember those words when they arrived at Matthew 12. It only becomes unforgivable when a person is so hardened against God that they make themselves forever unwilling to believe. You are pure and holy; perfect in all your ways. Since no amount of rational understanding of the cause of unwanted thoughts can change ones body chemistry, he kept feeling anxious. Blasphemy against the Spiritthe unforgivable sinis ongoing hardening of your heart against the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead you to repent of sin and believe in Christ. Not Her fear was yet another dirty trick from the Evil One. The law forbids blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-16), which carries the death penalty. The frustrating problem I face in explaining the meaning of bringing into captivity every thought, is that no amount of convincing proof can ever fully put to rest the mind of anyone worried about this. For psychological reasons, worry might temporarily ease in response to rational proof but the anxiety will soon return. I dare not! However, the devil causes blasphemous thoughts. There was this fear in me that if I were to say something against the Holy Spirit, I would be condemned for all eternity. Matthew 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Many Christians have a fear that unwanted intrusive thoughts that are blasphemous in nature are unforgivable (more on that below). If we do that, then we are not blaspheming the Holy Spirit. They were educated rebels who could pass Bible exams, write first-class papers in Bible school, and yet refused to submit to Christs authority. Let's look at the context when Jesus said that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. They indicate how evil our enemy is; they do nothing to suggest that we are ungodly. Your blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven if you dont repent. Medication is far from perfect. So it is that the more you fear thinking something blasphemous, the more likely it is to happen. Likewise, if you were literally afraid of your own shadow, the God for whom nothing is impossible has the power needed to treat you as if you were hopelessly pathetic by perpetually performing the miracle of preventing your shadow from ever appearing. Some years ago, I counseled with a student who was paralyzed by a fear that she had committed the unforgiveable sin because of some terrible words she had uttered. While they had the Law and Prophets, the Holy Spirit was stirring their hearts. Powered by Knownhost and the Genesis Framework. Pharisees accused Jesus of delivering others by the power of demons. Also, try and ponder why these feelings of anger are there and the actual cause of them. Jesus said that ALL blasphemies will be forgiven, but one must have a blasphemous thought against the Holy Spirit in order for it to be considered unforgivable. Thats not for any spiritual reason. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Unforgivable The more I try to stop it, the more it comes back. I have often been asked about what Jesus declares is the unpardonable sin blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10). It is referring not to things that pop unbidden into the mind but to an entire system of thinking a whole manner of thinking about spiritual matters, such as consistently thinking of (i.e. In fact, Mark points out that Jesus did warn about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus responded by saying that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. The person who repeatedly and without repentance rejects the Holy Spirits testimony to Christ is the one who has blasphemed the Holy Spirit. As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided. Is the anger due to anxiety? All are welcome to participate. Luthers distinction between blasphemous thoughts and sinful actions can help a Christian with their besetting sins. Fighting thoughts is as carnal and as opposed to Gods holy ways as trying to physically kill people who hate Christ. The Holy Spirit is the third pillar of Christianity. I also suffered from this but i just cut the devil saying god is good or god is lord. Sign up below to receive weekly emails and updates. Christians have a very important duty to protect the Holy Spirit from being tarnished. The word used in 2 Corinthians 10:5 refers to this second type of thought. [3] Our thought life does not save us; Christ does. I've said things, thought things, seen things and heard things and worried myself sick about them until I realized that if I believe Jesus is the Son of God and I do, I'm saved. Wouldnt it be better, however, for God to allow you to be normal so that you can eventually overcome your ridiculous fear? I have gotten over them in the past. So in an attempt to discredit the Son of God, they slandered Him with a profoundly serious accusation. The Old Testament is full of examples of blasphemy. Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is giving the devil credit for miracles, especially deliverance. Feeling Rejected by God An important part of this series of webpages, Unforgivable? So which is it? Please could you help me to stop this? There is not a hint in Matthew 12 that Jesus had such sins in mind. Similarly, Kate was experiencing a natural reaction to the trauma of waking to thoughts that shocked and repulsed her because they were so contrary to her heart-attitude to Jesus. Augustine argues that, since the Holy Spirit was dispensed to the church at Pentecost, the true unforgivable sin is the rejection of the church itself, since the Spirit and the church cannot be separated. You could just say because Jesus said so but I If the devil slipped that into the very mind of the sinless Son of God, we can expect no less. To those who look to supernatural signs or human reasoning to confirm spiritual truth, the gospel message (the message of the cross) seems weak and foolish but those who abandon trying to confirm spiritual truth this way and instead choose to believe (put their faith in) the message of the cross (Christ securing our full acceptance with God the forgiveness of all our sins through his death) will be saved and they will connect with the genuine power and wisdom of God. WebIn addition to being bombarded with uncontrollable blasphemous thoughts, however, he has also deliberately called God every offensive swear word he could think of. I have committed the unpardonable sin. Manage Settings However, knowing that doesnt really address the question of why this sin is unforgiveable? Blasphemy also includes foolishness, pride, and wickedness. Instead of continually slipping back into the old rut, forge a new path by leaving behind your preoccupation with thoughts and instead delighting in the salvation that regardless of whether you feel it or not is yours through Christ alone. Blasphemy against the Spiritthe unforgivable sinis ongoing hardening of your heart against the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead you to repent of sin and believe in Christ. While the unpardonable sin is not necessarily a passing thought, it is a persistent, compulsive thought that denies the divinity of Christ. blasphemous thoughts BECAUSE THEY SAID, HE HAS AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT. Blasphemous thoughts are no different than physical or mental torture. Allowing the existence of these awful thoughts is Gods precious gift to you, so that you will finally learn to live by faith in Christ. . . I thought The Holy Spirit is the Devil. and then I heard a voice say Go on. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin of willfulness. WebThis sin seems unforgivable, because for Our Savior there is no crime more unpardonable than to despise His Most Holy Mother, and "to outrage Her Immaculate Heart, which is the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. No matter how certain something is, people suffering an anxiety disorder will keep feeling anxious and so will find themselves unable to stop worrying about it. You have nothing whatsoever to worry about. Its purely psychological a perfectly normal mental reaction. So, sinful thoughts are unforgivable. Now, in the gospel of Mark, we can see that similar things occurred. Obviously the Enemy of our souls hates that. As you follow these pages, we will soon examine this. . I would never think these things in day to day life. I am in turmoil! This shows that in most cases, uncontrollable blasphemous thoughts are not a theological matter or even a spiritual one, but the product of a psychological condition that is not only most unpleasant, but exceedingly unfair.