I have a problem everyone, please read this article recently published on the G&S.org website:
Who is the Holy Spirit and Why is He Important to Christians
by Rich Deem
Introduction:
Why is the Holy Spirit important in the life of Christians? In some of my interactions with Christians, it seems that they see the Holy Spirit as something that happened in the early days of the Church, who has now left the scene. However, the book of Acts makes it clear that the Holy Spirit, first given to the disciples,1 was poured out to thousands of early Jewish believers2 and eventually the Gentiles, also.3 How important is the Holy Spirit? Blasphemy against any other member of the Trinity (e.g., the Father or the Son) can be forgiven, although blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.4 The Holy Spirit empowers1, 5 the believer to perform acts of faith greater than their own physical capabilities.6 Feeling powerless these days? Tap into the Christian's power source and live the Christian life to its fullest.
Be Filled!:
Although all believers possess the Holy Spirit, who lives in them,7 not all believers allow the indwelling Spirit to affect their lives. We are commanded to "be filled with the Holy Spirit."8 How are we filled with the Spirit? Most important is living within God's moral directives.9 Paul gives the specific example of not being drunk with alcohol.8 However, any Christian living in sin of any kind will not experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, but will become enslaved to sin.10 An equally important aspect of being filled with the Spirit is being involved in spiritual endeavors. Paul gives examples of reciting Psalms, singing hymns and spiritual songs, giving thanks to God for all things, and being subject to one another.11 Part of being filled certainly involves setting our minds on heavenly things,12 so that we may be transformed and renewed to the will of God.13
Benefits of obedience:
Being filled with the Holy Spirit produces a sense of peace and joy in the believer.14 The fruit (i.e., harvest) of the Spirit is described as being joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.15 Spirit-filled Christians are just different.
Consequence of disobedience:
Since the Holy Spirit is so important, we are told to not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit:
- Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
- Do not quench the Spirit; (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
When we deliberately sin, we are not walking with the Spirit.16 When we do sin, our conscience testifies that we are not in the Spirit, so we lose the peace of walking with the Spirit.17 A good example of losing a sense of the Holy Spirit's peace comes from David's 51st Psalm. When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, he sensed this loss and pleaded with God to help him and to not take the Holy Spirit away from him.18 Confession (agreeing with God that we were wrong) and repentance (turning from our sin) will put us back into fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
The Holy Spirit lives inside the Christian and guides the actions of those who desire His presence. The Spirit empowers the believer to step outside his comfort zone to do extraordinary acts of faith for God. Being filled with the Spirit involves transforming our minds to the mind of Christ19 as we engage in spiritual activities. Walking in the Spirit leads to a sense of peace and joy, as we partner with God in His glorious plans. Violating our conscience through acts of disobedience lead to a loss of filling by the Holy Spirit, which takes away our joy and peace. Although God will not take the Holy Spirit away from a disciple of Jesus Christ, the continual practice of sin and a lack of spiritual activities will lead to a life that is no different than the life of a non-believer.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Okay, now what gets me is the following quote:
Blasphemy against any other member of the Trinity (e.g., the Father or the Son) can be forgiven, although blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Last year, for about 2 weeks, I was consistently blaspheming the holy spirit in my mind and one time said it outloud to make it all stop after I read this article
http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/unpardonablesin.html. It didn't stop, that is until I surrendered to God. I still have these bad thoughts against the Trinity, I don't know why, maybe because I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I always have had it. I can't get these thoughts out of my head, and when I read the conclusion of the article "Forgiveness of Sin for All People?" which is the following:
God does predestine redemptive history so that His will is accomplished. He uses both the righteous and unrighteous to sanctify His children. Although God's desire is for all to be saved, most choose to reject God's love and to live solely for themselves. However, God brings His offer of salvation to all people and calls us, His followers, to proclaim this offer to all, so that they may experience God's love and peace for themselves. May we be faithful to our calling to love others as we have been loved.
It seems to me that God might be putting these thoughts in my head so I am fulfilling his will, to become an unbeliever and not be saved. I mean, last year, God spoke to me and said "You are forgiven" after I was in a crisis for 2 weeks of these evil thoughts. Then just 2 months ago, he spoke to me again and said "You're not saved". God wouldn't contradict himself, would he? Maybe it was my mind because I was thinking just those words in my head all day before I heared it audibly. Is my mind messing with me? Why has it been so hard to stay a Christian? Has God predestined me to hell?
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