Wednesday, June 23, 2021
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE
(Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit), Matt 12:22-32, Luke 12:8-10.
lntroduction
Today, we will be looking at the ministry of the Holy Spirit, His ministry as the convicting, confession power behind the conversion of the regenerated soul.
May be blessed in Jesus' name.
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity, 1 John 5:7. None is God without the others, each with the others is God.
The Holy Spirit, is the Spirit of Truth, John 15:26, John 16:13.
In John 14:16, Jesus says the Spirit will come, after He had ascended, will abide with us forever as a comforter.
In John 14:17, Jesus spoke about Him in more detail saying to the disciples that the Holy Spirit presently dwelt with them but a time will come when the Spirit shall dwell in them.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit will not commence until Jesus is crucified, dead, raised, and ascended into Heaven, John 7:39, John 16:7.
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit at conversion:
Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to convict the world concerning sin.
The world is a sinful place, and one of the Holy Spirit’s tasks is to convict the world of its sin. No amount of preaching, pleading, or pointing of fingers will bring about the conviction of sin unless the Holy Spirit is at work in the sinner’s heart. It is the Spirit’s work to convict, John 16:8
The Holy Spirit convicts us and leads us to confession and we receive forgiveness: 1 John 1:9.
To fail to yield to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit who is at work in the world is tantamount to unbelief in Christ “because they believe not in [Christ].”, John 16:8-9.
Once a person responds to the Spirit’s conviction and turns to faith in Christ, the other sins he practiced will be taken care of.
Jesus through the Holy Spirit forgives all sins, Matt 1:21, Mark 16:16, John 3:18.
BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
If Jesus forgives all sins, why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unforgivable?
To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to say one does not believe in His power to save.
It is a sin of unbelief that has and will rob many of entering eternal rest, Hebrews 3:19, John 3:18,
What is the most basic sin of which the world is guilty and which will rob some people of forgiveness?
Jesus specifies it as unbelief.
It is the sin of unbelief—a refusal to trust in Jesus, who is key to salvation, John 3:15-16.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven not because the Holy Spirit is not willing to forgive but because of the refusal of the sinner to believe in the ministry and power of the Spirit to save and deliver.
In Matt 12:22-35, the Pharisees did not believe Jesus cast out demons by the power of the Spirit. This is a rejection and disbelief in the power of the Spirit and if they did not believe that Jesus could cast out demons by the Spirit then they can never believe in the Spirit to deliver them from their sins.
Therefore anyone who does not accept the ministry of the Spirit cannot submit himself to accepting the gift of forgiveness, so he remains and dies in his sins, John 8:24.
The Kingdom of God will never come to this unbelieving sinner, Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20.
Unbelief in the Holy Spirit's ministry power amounts to a complete refusal to accept Jesus as Lord as Saviour.
He is the power through which the gospel is preached and souls are convicted and saved, Romans 1:16-17.
All who reject Christ and remain in their sin will be condemned along with Satan, and this is the warning that the Holy Spirit sounds in the hearts of the unsaved, Romans 1:18.
Conclusion
All who believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be saved from their sins, those who do not believe are in blasphemy, they remain unforgiven and die in his sins.
The Holy Spirit is God in us, we live to honor Him in Jesus' name.
