7 | Every sin known to man is forgivable by God except one: blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Read Jesus’ warning in Matthew 12:22-32 (also in Mark 3:22-30 and Luke 12:10). In light of these verses, describe what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Why do you think Jesus spoke so strongly against this?

CHAPTER SUMMARY:

• The Holy Spirit desires ongoing communion with us.

• Communion includes fellowship, partnership, and intimacy.

• Fellowship is staying connected through communication and sharing life together.

• Partnership is about working together; it adds action to our communication.

• Intimacy is the deepest level of friendship in which we share our most personal thoughts, desires, and secrets with the Holy Spirit and He shares His with us.

• The Holy Spirit, who is fully God, has chosen to make His home in our hearts (spirits) permanently.

• We must be careful not to grieve Him, for He is tender and gentle and can be greatly saddened by our actions.

Three Levels of Relationships

“For the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect]. You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.”

—Jesus (Matthew 15:6-9 AMP)

Day 1

Jesus made this sobering statement to the Pharisees because they had allowed a tradition to take precedence over the Word of God. My dictionary defines tradition as “an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior.” Obviously, tradition, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. There are many great traditions that I celebrate with my friends and family. However, the Pharisees had elevated tradition (a customary pattern of thought) over God’s Word, which made the Word of no effect in their lives. This truth is just as valid today. We must ensure that our understanding of truth is defined by the Word of God, not by the transient feelings, traditions, or philosophies of men.

Jesus went on to explain that the Pharisees’ tradition created a breach in their relationships with the Creator. In fact, He declared that it was useless for them to even worship God because they had more faith in the doctrines (teachings and understanding) of men. True intimacy with God would never have been an option for the Pharisees unless they repented of their blindness and embraced the truth. Likewise, in order for us to enjoy an intimate relationship with the Spirit, we must put aside the thoughts and traditions of men and embrace the truth about Him that is clearly evident in His Word. Otherwise, like the Pharisees, our attempts at an intimate relationship with God will be of no effect.