What Does Blasphemy Mean When Used In The Bible?

The Bible speaks of blasphemy. What does it mean to blasphemy? Can we blasphemy God, the Holy Spirit, or Jesus?

What Blasphemy Means

Blasphemy means to take the Lord God’s name in vain and use it in a worthless manner or use it as a cuss or curse word. This is serious business because God will not let anyone ultimately get away with that. Sometimes it is done by using a euphemism, like “Gosh darn it” or “Jesus Christ!” when used in an irreverent way or in anger. Even the use of Jesus’ name is considered blaspheme since Jesus Christ is God. We can use His name in vain even when we say “Jeeze or Christ!” in a pointless, careless, or an angry way. When we blaspheme His name, we are taking the holiest, highest name in the universe and using it with disdain and committing cosmic treason. In the Old Testament you could get stoned to death for such an act. Today, we live under grace but that doesn’t mean punishment will not come, it will come sooner or later. Remember that a euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant so even if we substitute a name or expression for God’s or Jesus’ then we are profaning the name of God and that is a serious thing to do. I wonder how people would like it if someone used their mother’s name as a swear word, or their wife or husband’s name, or their child’s name…maybe even their own name. I can assure you that most people wouldn’t like their mother’s name being used as a cuss word so imagine how a holy, perfect, and just God feels about this when we use His name as a swear word or in a vain or useless manner?

Perhaps the greatest disparaging of God’s holy name is with the innocent-sounding and much used expression “Oh my God!” Sometimes it is abbreviated as OMG in texts, emails and on social, Internet websites. This is clearly using His name in vain and in the strictest sense, He considers that blaspheme. This is one of the most frequently used expressions in society today and God is angry at the sinner for this, you can be sure. Sadly, this is used all too often even among professing Christians. This should not be so.

Old Testament Law

Deuteronomy 5:11 says that “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” This is first mentioned in Exodus 20:7. It was a crime punishable by death. When Jesus was tried illegally He was actually accused of blaspheme because He said “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy” (Matt 26:64b-65). Jesus did not commit blaspheme because He is God and many times the religious leaders tried to stone Him for making Himself out to be God, which for course He is (John 8:59; 10:30-33). Even if someone claims to be God that too is considered blaspheme.

The Bible speaks of blasphemy … Can we blasphemy God, the Holy Spirit, or Jesus?

Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said that you could blaspheme His name and it would be forgiven. Jesus didn’t say to blaspheme His name was not sin, it most certainly is, but He said that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. What did He mean by that? Who was He talking to? Does this apply to us today? Let’s read the account in Matthew 12: 22-32:

“Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

Notice that Jesus was speaking to the self-righteous here…the Pharisees. They thought that they had no sin but were wrong since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). They also blasphemed the Holy Spirit because Jesus was using this power to cast out demons and they accused him of using the power of the demons. They knew better because they had seen Him heal this sick, open the eyes of the blind, make the mute speak, and even raise the dead, yet they accused Him of using the Devil’s power (Beelzebul) to perform this miracle. Clearly they blasphemed the Holy Spirit because Jesus said that “it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons” and so they accused the Holy Spirit of doing the Devil’s work

Conclusion

If you have blasphemed God and His holy name, you can be forgiven. We are all sinners and there is no sin that is so big that cannot be forgiven. No matter how big your sin is it’s never too big for the work that was done on your behalf at Calvary. Have a big sin? We have an even bigger God and He is a big time forgiver of sins. Come today to repentance and confess your sins…even if its blasphemy…and you can be cleansed (1 John 1:9) and be seen by God as having Jesus’ own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). If not, then listen to what Jesus says in John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Don’t go there. Get soundly saved today. Repent of your sins, confess them to God, and trust in the only name by which we can be saved, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; 16:30-31). That is my prayer for anyone who is not saved and reads this.

Related article: What is the Unforgivable Sin?

Resource – “Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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