SPIRITUAL SUICIDE

 

SPIRITUAL SUICIDE

Denying the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin, says Matthew 12:31-32: "And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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." In other words, never.

No mercy will be shown to the person who, without concern or flippantly, refuses to recognize the works of the Holy Spirit in their life and the lives of others. They are, in essence, thumbing their nose at God, His Son, and in this case, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives us remembrance when needed. (John 14:26, Luke 12:12) I have been in several situations where I was given remembrance of scripture verses and wisdom which I knew didn't come from me. The Holy Spirit also teaches us to pray and acts as the intercessor between us and God. He is given to us when we are baptized and guides us through the rest of life. (Acts 2:38) The Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Holy Ghost, responds to God's wishes when we send up our prayers. He stirs our consciences and hearts in an effort to create a bond between us and Christ. Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

Humility, confession and repentance are a big part of being forgiven. If a person goes through life arrogantly ignoring the little events in his or her life that would bring them close to Christ, they're asking for the worst trouble the afterlife can bring. The Holy Spirit may work through a song, through scripture verses or just a verse, during prayer, within an event, during bad times and good. In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways (Hebrews 1:1). The Holy Spirit was the one that passed messages from God to the prophets. Now we have the Bible and messengers such as preachers and teachers but we still need the Holy Spirit to teach us about sin, the love of Christ, Christ's life and His commandments. 

Denying the Holy Spirit is the most dangerous game of chance there is that no participant wins. It is spiritual suicide. No game of chance can compare because the consequences last eternally.

Becky Wall