Blasphemy of God's Spirit and Shirk

Blasphemy of God’s Spirit

As a Christian, I never realized how much studying theology from the verses of the Bible rather than what the Bible says had misled me in my search for knowledge of God. Among Christian circles, this is largely what Bible studies do. Christians are often focused a great deal on certain verses that they like, their Pastors or Denominations commonly teach from or they commonly read as devotion. Often they overlook the significance of other verses that clearly contradict.

The doctrine of the trinity is one of those examples. Whereas Paul’s doctrine is commonly taught from to teach how God exists, his teachings clearly are contradicted by every part of the Bible, including Jesus himself. Only by a Christian’s desire, myself as an example, to prove that what they believe about the Bible is true is how they begin to overlook the contradictions. In fact, anyone can believe anything but they may not far well on the Day of Judgment if their belief lead to actions that God hates.

We do not need the Bible to validate the Qur’an, after all the Qur’an is the confirmation of the truths that still exist in the Bible and a correction for that which man has distorted by writing His own understanding and ambitions into the Bible. One of the examples of this that I would like to address is “blasphemy of God’s Spirit.”

Confusion, uncertainty and best guesses exists within Christianity about what constitutes “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”, which is an unpardonable sin. Many believe that is disbelief and other are not sure what one does to actually commit such a grave sin. According to God, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (in Arabic Muslims know this as ‘Shirk’) is the utmost disbelief mankind can commit. In fact, in the Bible it is a flagrant violation of the most important commandment of all, the first commandment!

Exodus 20:3 “’You shall have no other gods besides me.’”

Let us see focus on those verses of the Bible that Christians tend to distort with Paul’s teachings and the Qur’an has confirmed to be accurate.

Already knowing the future of the Israelites who will stray from the right path, God reaffirms for Israel as a reminder that He is One God:

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”

In this following analogy, Mark 12:28-32, Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) has a discussion with a local scribe. Scribes where very well verse scholars in the Bible of his time. In it, both Jesus and the scribe agree that there is no god except the One God.

Mark 12:28-32

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment.’ And the scribe said unto him, ‘Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is One God; and there is none other but He.’”

On occasion the Spirit of God is referred to as the Angel Gabriel who is the primary Angel or Spirit that God uses to communicate His Will to mankind. However, when God speaks of committing blasphemy of His Spirit He refers to the practice of polytheism, which is the assigning, equating, or worshipping others (individuals or objects) along with Him or besides Him. Equating anyone or anything with God, as equal to, aside from or worthy of any form or level of worship, is blasphemy against the Spirit of God and if pursued intentionally is punishable by hell-fire. The Spirit of God is not a person nor a personality, not even spirit as exists in Creation but the essence of God's being as a singular God. Claiming God has any other person, object or personality beside Himself and offering worship to them is the utmost disbelief in God and denies the fact that God is One God, alone in Deity and Unique among all creation. In fact, God is not part of His creation, He cannot become part of His creation, nor can He be compared to anything within His creation. As in the Qur’an, the Bible also states:

Deuteronomy 5:7-9

“‘You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.’”

God allows mankind to repent from this sin while we are still alive in this world, but if we die committing it then God will not forgive us. All sin can be forgiven but God tells us that the sin of committing shirk will not be forgiven if one dies while in the state of committing this great sin. Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) said:

Matthew 12:31-32

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come...”

These are very hard words! Let’s put it simply, are we willing to put our soul on the line and take the chance that we will end up in the hell-fire based off of our pastors doctrine, Paul’s doctrine, or because our church says so? God will not hold them accountable for our sin of blasphemy against Him (shirk, polytheism). On that Great Day, the Day of Judgment, it is you and God who will have a reckoning for what you have done on the earth!

Here is what the Qur’an confirms and corrects in the Bible:
Qur'an 4:116 "Verily! The One God forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with the One God, has indeed strayed far away,"

Qur'an 5:72 "They disbelieve who say: The One God is one of three (In a Trinity:) for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous chastisement will befall the disbelievers. Among them."

God speaks, once again, very candidly about the sin of blasphemy of His Holy Spirit. God has testified throughout mankind's existence that He is the One, the Only, the Unique God among all creation and is separate from Creation, Eternal and Absolute. Who will call God a liar and say God is 2,3,4, or more? Or has multiple personalities as if He were a mentally ill, feeble and imperfect One God? Who will say that God needs others to help Him perform His Will after all of God's testimony about Himself to mankind shown here?

You now know why Christians must modify their theology and understanding of their own Scripture. It is a matter of life in everlasting Paradise or death in the Hell-fire. The Shirk (blasphemy of God's Holy Spirit) is perhaps the primary reason for the advent and re-affirmation of Islam through the Last Messenger Muhammad. God knew mankind would continue to go astray after false gods and misunderstandings about His nature.

God's Message through the Prophet Muhammad is the Last warning before impending Judgment and Doom of the inhabitants of the earth on the Last Day. Since Adam, God has given mankind endless warnings, pardons and opportunities to repent of this great sin. Isn't it time to hear God's final Message of repentance and reconciliation before the Day of Judgment when it is too late?

Source: Article Authored by BrJimC