Blasphemy against Holy Spirit unforgiveable

Jesus teaches that every sin will be forgiven except speaking against the Holy Spirit.   He says this in response to the Pharisees saying his power is demonic.

I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.

Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we are not to call the works of the Holy Spirit evil?  How often do we tread close to this edge when we judge the works of those who belong to God?

Note: Often taken too lightly in our modern culture, is the fact that Jesus's work on the cross happened so that the Holy Spirit could indwell us.  The cross and the resurrection were not ends in themselves... Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell all believers, has to happen too.  Otherwise we are neither reconciled to God nor set aside to serve Christ.  John the Baptist described Jesus' purpose as the "baptism of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit not only marks us as belonging to Jesus, but it gives us power to do the work of God. 

I believe what Jesus is saying here is that if one "speaks against" the Holy Spirit, then one has not allowed the Holy Spirit to mark them and empower them for Jesus' mission.  And hence, they have signed up to be on the dark side of a cosmic battle against God.  Jesus does not leave room for neutrality here... one is either with him or against him. 

The Pharisees have thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously attributed the work of the Spirit to the powers of evil.  Jesus tells them this is unforgiveable.  It appears they would rather see the poor man under the control of their religious rules than set free by Jesus.