Blasphemy
“Jesus presents a serious logical dilemma for his adversaries – if my miracles are a sign of God’s presence, then why do you not believe? But if you say that I am empowered by Satan, then pay attention – I’m expelling Satan from our midst by casting out demons, so Satan is divided against himself. Therefore, you should recognize that through me satanic power is coming to an end. Either way, there is a sign here for you to recognize: either the end of Satan’s reign or the coming of God’s kingdom. Christ is telling them they are blind to the truth and are relying on their own logic not on God’s. They are in fact rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst and lives.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“Pride is denial of God, an invention of the devil, the despising of men, the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of sterility, flight from Divine assistance, the precursor of madness, the cause of falls, a foothold for satanic possession, a source of anger, a door of hypocrisy, the support of demons, the guardian of sins, the patron of pitilessness, the rejection of compassion, a bitter inquisitor, an inhuman judge, an opponent of God, a root of blasphemy.” (St. John Climacus)
“The Lord does not say that anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, for such a statement would contradict what He just said (Mark 3:28). He says, “he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (vs. 29). The Lord here declares salvation impossible for one who steadfastly maintains that the work of the Holy Spirit is evil or satanic. Sin and evil are not of the Lord, but they may come to reside in us and dominate us. Can we repent of blasphemy? Of course! Sadly, we bring eternal condemnation upon ourselves.” (Dynamis 9/4/2014)
“Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit, blasphemy against pure goodness. A sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ. But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity they knew from the OT, will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy…The Fathers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an “unforgivable sin”; nor does Jesus ever call this sin “unforgivable.” St. John Chrysostom teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it. Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness “evil,” and are beyond repentance by their own choice.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 12:32)
“Blasphemy is ultimately a self-chosen condition that can be rooted in pride and self-assurance or bitterness. Much of what the devil throws our way is meant to move us to curse God, to do the opposite of repentance which is to turn away from God rather than turning towards Him…During the period of relentless warfare, we must arm ourselves against the spirit of ingratitude and blasphemy, because it’s with those weapons that the enemy attacks us at that moment. Satan defeats people with doubt and fear and directs wicked thoughts at them like arrows: that God won’t have mercy on them; that they’ll never be forgiven; never be redeemed and saved from the tortures of eternal perdition… he robbed Job of his property, not to make him poor, but so that he might force him into uttering some blasphemy.” (Sacramental Living Ministries, Saint Nil of Sorskij, St. John Chrysostom)
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