intimacy or blasphemy?
“I give you My word, every sin will be forgiven mankind and all the blasphemies men utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.” —Mark 3:28-29
The Holy Spirit is pictured as a dove, a symbol of Israel (see Ps 74:19), re-creation (see Gn 8:11ff), love (e.g. Sg 5:2), and peace. The Holy Spirit knows the depths of God (1 Cor 2:11) and the depths of our hearts, from which He cries out “Abba” (“Father”) (Gal 4:6). The Spirit dwells within our bodies as His temple (1 Cor 6:19) and is the Spirit of truth (e.g. Jn 14:17). We can have a true, deep, tender, intimate relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, we can refuse intimacy with the Spirit and abuse Him by blaspheming (Mk 3:29), quenching (1 Thes 5:19), insulting (Heb 10:29), and “always opposing” Him (Acts 7:51). We can lie to the Spirit (Acts 5:3) and even evict Him from the temple of our bodies by “trashing” His temple through committing mortal sin.
In our relationship with the Holy Spirit, we tend to go to extremes — a docile tenderness and intimacy or a brutal, violent, blasphemous rejection. Let us stop our abuse of the Holy Spirit. Let us love the Spirit, Who is Love (see 1 Jn 4:16).
Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are all the Love I will ever need. Teach me to love You.
Promise: “David grew steadily more powerful, for the Lord of hosts was with him.” —2 Sm 5:10
Praise: Melanie’s crippling arthritis could have led her to bitterness. She surrendered her will to Jesus and learned to depend totally on the Lord for endurance and strength.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Staying Filled With the Spirit, listen to, download or order our CD 57-1 or DVD 57 on our website.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 1, 2023, through January 31, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio March 17, 2023"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.