St. John the Baptist Parish, A Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church, Canberra, Australia

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

St Symeon the New Theologian

Blasphemy against Holy Spirit is to attribute His operations to the opposite spirit,as says Basil the great.How does one do this? Whenever one sees miracles brought about by the Holy Spirit or any other divine gifts in any of His brethren - that is compunction or tears, or humility, or divine knowledge,or a word of wisdom from on high,or anything else that is bestowed by the Holy Spirit on those who love God - and says that this comes from deceit of the devil.But he also blasphemes against Holy Spirit who works in them, who says that those as a Sons of God are led by divine Spirit,and perform the commandments of their God and Father,are being decived by the demons. This is what the Jews of old said against Son of God... Like unbelivers did and those completely unintiated into divine mysteries when they hear anything about divine illumination,or of the enlightenment of soul and mind,or of contemplatation and freedom from passions,or of humility and tears that are poured out by the working of grace of the Holy Spirit,straightaway the eyes of their hearts are darkened rather then enlightened ... They audiciously aver that those things come from deceit of demons, To deny that at this present time there are some who love God, and that they have been granted the Holy Spirit... that they became god's by knowledge...and contemplation, that wholly subverts of Incaranation our God and Savior Jesus Christ. It denies the renewal of the image that had been corrupted and put to death, and its return to incoruption and immortality.

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