I don’t consider myself a theologian. I’ve simply spent most of my adult life trying to know God — reading the Bible, listening to teachers, reading books, praying, and learning what it means to believe. If labels matter, I would describe myself as evangelical.
God is the source of all life and existence. Some imagine Him as an unseen force, but I know Him as personal — a Being who wants to be known. Humanity was created in His image, and that remains the greatest honor in all creation: to bear the image of God.
How does God make Himself known to every person? That’s a huge question, and one post can’t answer it fully. But I’ll speak to one part of it. I believe in the Trinity — Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit — the three Persons of the one Godhead. It’s a deep and mysterious truth, not easy to grasp, but essential to understanding who God is.
The Often-Forgotten Member of the Trinity
The Holy Spirit — called the Holy Ghost in the King James Version — is the least discussed member of the Trinity. Yet Jesus described Him as the Helper, the One who would make known the reality of God’s Kingdom.
The Spirit baptizes, heals, empowers believers to witness, comforts, helps, teaches, and leads into all truth. I’ve known His leading in my life. Sometimes I cooperate; often, I don’t. Those latter moments are when I grieve the Holy Spirit.
What It Means to Grieve the Spirit
Grieving the Spirit creates distance between me and God. Sin is what grieves Him. Though Jesus still advocates for me, and my redemption remains secure, sin dulls my connection with Him.
I picture my connection to God like a direct line of nourishment — grace flowing freely. Grieving the Spirit clogs that line. One sin may not completely block the flow, but it reduces the life-giving nourishment I receive. Repentance clears the obstruction, restoring the flow of grace.
I grieve the Spirit when I ignore His promptings, neglect what I know of Jesus’ teachings, or lash out in anger and wound another image-bearer of God. When I repent, Jesus intercedes for me. But since my repentance often varies in depth and sincerity, I sometimes wonder if it’s genuine. I have to trust the Spirit to lead me even in that.
The One Unforgivable Sin
Scripture mentions one sin that will not be forgiven — blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
“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.” — Matthew 12:30–31 (ESV)
That passage has always sobered me. Why is that sin unforgivable? It ties back to repentance.
The Role of Repentance
Repentance opens the door to God’s Kingdom. It begins with regret — genuine sorrow for sin — and turns completely in the opposite direction. We stop, pivot 180 degrees, and move away from the behavior. We are glad to have stopped doing that thing, that sin, and are committed to not repeat it again.
But what stirs repentance in the first place? The Holy Spirit does. He reveals what’s wrong, presses the truth on our hearts, and calls us to turn back. If we resist that call, we harden ourselves against Him. That grieves the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not a single act. It’s a sustained rejection of His conviction — a long pattern of ignoring His voice until it grows faint. Over time, the conscience dulls, and repentance becomes impossible.
That’s what makes it unforgivable: not because God is unwilling to forgive, but because the person no longer desires forgiveness. God allows that person to have his way, even as the Spirit tries to rescue him. Eventually, it becomes too late.
Staying Teachable
I’ve held many understandings of Scripture loosely over the years, knowing they can change as I learn. One truth I’ve kept since early on: always remain teachable. Some might see that as indecisive, but for me it’s humility — an admission that I don’t know everything, and God is still teaching me.
I’ve also learned that my behavior often tells the truth about what I really believe. Words and ideas can mislead, but actions reveal the heart. I have many questions and believe I know many answers. I am convinced something is true — or I really want it to be true, which conditions my thinking. When those answers repeat often enough, they become fact in my mind. But my actions confirm if my heart really thinks that thing is true.
When I ignore the Spirit’s prompting — that quiet voice reminding, convicting, urging — I deny His help. He’s here to teach and strengthen us, not always in comfortable ways, but always for our good.
Comfort vs. Conviction
That’s where I struggle most. As an American, I’ve learned to overvalue comfort. I can face almost anything, as long as it’s not uncomfortable. But comfort can dull the soul. The Spirit’s work is sometimes uncomfortable — even painful — but it’s the path to life.
So I keep learning to trust Him more. To stop grieving Him. To welcome His conviction rather than resist it. Because being unconcerned about grieving the Holy Spirit is a dangerous road — the road away from God.
Knowing God isn’t about mastering doctrine but yielding to His presence. The Holy Spirit is not the least of the Trinity but the One who keeps us connected to the others. If I stay teachable, I stay near Him.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” — Matthew 4:17
The Unbeguiled — to seek what’s real, test what’s false, and learn together what cannot be shaken.
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