Lesson 194. Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

One of the most serious warnings ever given to humanity can be read in Matthew 12:31–32: ‘Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.’

I think that each of us, when reading these lines before, examined himself and felt a certain fear, asking, ‘What if I have blasphemed the Holy Spirit somewhere and am now under a curse?’ But then the fears faded, and life went on.

And what is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Only God and satan know the correct answer to this question, and they are fighting each other for every person. And, in essence, many people will perish because, having reached the point of no return, they rejected all of God’s warnings and chose darkness and the right to die, confidently stepping into the abyss, never to be saved.

God is very longsuffering and loving toward humanity, and He does everything possible to save each one of us, doing so confidently and at the same time gently. And there is something amazing in this respect for human freedom. We are speaking of the greatest quality of Eternal Love—its unobtrusiveness. Although sometimes God cries out very loudly to save a soul from death.

There was an occasion when I came to see my boss, and we were discussing various work matters while his granddaughter, who was two years old, ran between the cars in the parking lot and laughed. Suddenly, I saw a car traveling along the roadway, and its driver did not see the little girl who was running between the cars toward the road. I understood that something terrible was about to happen and wanted to do something, but the girl was very far away from me. Suddenly, I heard my boss’s piercing shout as he commanded his granddaughter with all his strength to stop. The girl was frightened, froze in place, and began to cry. The car sped past, its driver never realizing what could have happened, while we were in shock as we grasped what might have occurred. The girl did not understand the mortal danger from which she had been saved and considered herself unfairly hurt. She wept bitterly, while in our hearts we rejoiced.

God often cries out through the mouth of a victim into the ears of his executioner, pleading with him not to do evil. He cries out to the mind of the perpetrator of violence. He speaks very loudly through the mouth of a preacher to those who are listening. And sometimes the cry of His soul is like the breathing of a gentle wind, so as not to quench the smoking flax or break the bruised reed.

Cataclysms and natural disasters, as well as military conflicts, are also very clear warnings through which God desires to tell us something. And who hears the voice of the Holy Spirit in all this?

But most of all, God loves to address people in peaceful surroundings, gently revealing the advantages of the plan of Salvation and persuading me to take one step or another, to make a certain decision. And sometimes this persuasive Power speaks to me so clearly that I cannot resist and do what is pleasing to God. My inner ear responds very sensitively to God’s call. But I am not yet able to discern every call.

For example, sometimes when I am preparing to do something, I hear a thought telling me to take something or pay attention to certain details, but I ignore it and afterward realize that a very good thought had come into my mind. I regret that I did not listen to it, and I have to return or spend more effort and time. But this is not so terrible; I have the right to make this kind of mistake.

But when I am going into sin and God very clearly reminds me of words from the Bible that condemn my intentions, because the Lord desires to save me from taking that step, and then, if I have sinned, overwhelms me with pangs of conscience and calls me to repentance, yet I continue on my own way, what is He to do with me? But in His Love He does not abandon me immediately; rather, He desires to save and cleanse me and does everything possible to turn me to the eternal and true path. And God knows how to save. Whom should I blame if I stubbornly move toward my own destruction and reject every warning? Who is guilty of my death if I decide to leap into the abyss of sin and confidently take that step, paying no attention to any appeal to stop?

And how can I understand that I am violating something? Where is the standard of righteousness by which I can determine whether I am on a dangerous path? God has an answer to these questions as well. Once, with His Own lips, He proclaimed the moral law, which was later written by His hand on two tablets of stone. This law teaches me love and respect for God and humanity. God desires to write these rules not on stone, where they would testify against me, but on my heart, so that they may become part of me, of my mind and character. And then not only the requirements of God’s law but also its wisdom and beauty will be revealed to me. For in it are revealed the character and Spirit of God and His attitude toward sin. The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and good.

But we are living in the last days, and God desires to prepare us for the final events so that I may be able to stand in the coming trials. And for this reason, He gives me additional light that will help me understand what will happen and what I must do. God chooses prophets and servants through whom He warns me and counsels me to accept something special, new, and beneficial. He wants me to grow and to see mortal danger from every direction for myself, to be careful and not wait for saving cries. For it may happen that no one will be nearby and my ears will be closed when danger comes and the fire draws near.

And the Holy Spirit takes upon Himself the duty of conveying to the mind that which will uplift me, benefit me, and glorify my Jesus. He does this wherever His people are found. It is through His children that God saves this world. Both our School of Agape Love and many other schools are intended to prepare us for the time when probation closes, when the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from the wicked so that they may continue to defile themselves, and will be given to the holy people so that they may continue to sanctify themselves. This will be a terrible time of trial. There will no longer be a restraining power against sin, and everyone will see that they are now living without God. They will understand that they will suffer punishment in the form of terrible judgments and plagues falling upon this world.

Once a friend asked me what he should do if he did not feel like doing many good things or pursuing his self-education and salvation. His excuse was brief: ‘I cannot. I have no strength.’ And this was a perfectly healthy person. As a friend, I very much wanted to say that it would pass, that everything would be wonderful, and that there was no need to worry, but my heart was telling me that not everything was well and that I needed to warn this soul. But how? How could I persuade someone who understood the truth but did not want to make an effort for his salvation and growth? I cannot be another person’s head and will, though sometimes I very much wish I could. And I had to say that there is such a word as ‘must,’ even when one has no desire at all. It is necessary to take this step of faith even against one’s feelings and the desires of the flesh. And the blessing of the right choice will come and give support.

I, too, sometimes do not want to do beneficial things, but when I overcome myself and do them, when I move toward the goal, then I go through special experiences and joy, and this changes my attitude, and I overcome.

1. What new things were revealed to you in this lesson?

2. Which language of God do you understand best?

3. How does God deal with those who go their own way?

4. How do you understand the expression ‘blasphemy against the Holy Spirit’? What is it?

5. What goal does our School of Agape Love pursue? Is the Lord teaching you to hear His voice?

6. Why is it sometimes necessary to say the word ‘must’ and take a step of faith even when you do not feel like it?

7. Please read 1 Chronicles 28:9; Exodus 19:18–19; 1 Kings 19:11; Job 38:1; Isaiah 42:3–4; Exodus 34:6–7; Daniel 12:1, 3; Exodus 20:2–17; Jeremiah 32:37–41; Revelation 22:11; Matthew 24:21; John 14:26 in the light of our lesson.