As we continue to read through the New Testament, I receive great comments from a number of you. This comment came from a thoughtful reader of Scripture and a serious disciple:
"You've asked that we share our impressions from the 90-day reading of scripture. I have something from from Acts 14:22b that we read on Sunday: "They (Paul and Barnabas) said, 'We must suffer many things to enter the kingdom of God.' " (NCV) The statement comes on he heels of Paul's having been stoned and nearly killed. He obviously knew what it meant to endure physical suffering for the cause. That said, the statement hit me with a deeper meaning this time around. Suffering is a way that God brings us under his "kingdom rule." Suffering (physical, emotional, spiritual) is a necessary discipline in learning genuine heart obedience. We have to embrace suffering as a means of learning to surrender our wills to the will of God. It's not just a matter of gaining Heaven; suffering is part of discipleship and is necessary in order that Christ be formed in us. This, of course, tracks with what James (Jas. 1:2-3) had to say about suffering producing endurance. I was just caught by the way the statement is phrased here. Suffering for Christ allows Him to set up rule in our hearts and lives."
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sin against the Holy Spirit
“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:10)
What is the “sin against the Holy Spirit?”
The “sin against the Spirit” warning occurs in Matthew, Mark and Luke, each time in a slightly different form. Luke's account gives its full discourse context.
In Luke 12 Jesus is issuing a strong warning against the hard-heartedness of the religious leaders of the Jews. Though they had been entrusted with the law, they had used it to their own ends. Pompous in their authority, they were using the Word of God in ways that harmed others. Eventually they would use it to have Jesus murdered. When Jesus arrived preaching the Kingdom of God, they rejected his authority, calling His work, which was empowered by the Holy Spirit, satanic (11:14-23).
In this context Jesus warns that one can be forgiven of speaking against Him, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
To understand Jesus’ warning, first we must understand that the word blaspheme means more than merely saying bad things. To blaspheme is to reject someone totally, cursing them and opposing them even to the point of blood. To call the work of the Holy Spirit satanic, as the religious leaders were doing, is to position oneself in an unchangeable position against God Himself. Blaspheming the Spirit indicates that one has chosen to call evil good and good evil. This is precisely what some of the religious leaders had done: seeing the undeniable power of Jesus but having hearts so hardened by their pride, they were forced to reject with all their hearts the work of God and to call the Spirit's actions satanic.
Clearly not all religious leaders did this. Indeed, many priests who rejected Jesus during His ministry later accepted Him and were converted to Him (Acts 6:7). Even the prominent Pharisee, Paul, who earnestly opposed the work of Jesus at first later accepted Him and became the leading ambassador for Christ among non-Jews, actually performing miracles through the Spirit He had earlier resisted! Blasphemy against the Spirit, then, should not be confused with a refusal to accept Christ or even the work of the Spirit. All humans have done this at one point or another in life! Blasphemy against the Spirit is that dreadful position that a few have taken in history in which they have hardened their hearts to the point that they will never repent, and, because they will never repent, they remain permanently lost—beyond any hope of forgiveness because they are beyond any hope of coming to Christ. Thus, though God is willing to forgive all sins (1 John 1:7-10) and wants all sinners to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), some people have so hardened their hearts that repentance and subsequent forgiveness is simply impossible. They will never be forgiven—not because God refuses to forgive, but because they refuse to repent.
Since you are reading this post, you are not guilty of such sin. Indeed, if you can repent of a sin, you can be sure it is not the sin against the Spirit. For those who want to follow Jesus, the promise of Scripture is much brighter: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
What is the “sin against the Holy Spirit?”
The “sin against the Spirit” warning occurs in Matthew, Mark and Luke, each time in a slightly different form. Luke's account gives its full discourse context.
In Luke 12 Jesus is issuing a strong warning against the hard-heartedness of the religious leaders of the Jews. Though they had been entrusted with the law, they had used it to their own ends. Pompous in their authority, they were using the Word of God in ways that harmed others. Eventually they would use it to have Jesus murdered. When Jesus arrived preaching the Kingdom of God, they rejected his authority, calling His work, which was empowered by the Holy Spirit, satanic (11:14-23).
In this context Jesus warns that one can be forgiven of speaking against Him, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
To understand Jesus’ warning, first we must understand that the word blaspheme means more than merely saying bad things. To blaspheme is to reject someone totally, cursing them and opposing them even to the point of blood. To call the work of the Holy Spirit satanic, as the religious leaders were doing, is to position oneself in an unchangeable position against God Himself. Blaspheming the Spirit indicates that one has chosen to call evil good and good evil. This is precisely what some of the religious leaders had done: seeing the undeniable power of Jesus but having hearts so hardened by their pride, they were forced to reject with all their hearts the work of God and to call the Spirit's actions satanic.
Clearly not all religious leaders did this. Indeed, many priests who rejected Jesus during His ministry later accepted Him and were converted to Him (Acts 6:7). Even the prominent Pharisee, Paul, who earnestly opposed the work of Jesus at first later accepted Him and became the leading ambassador for Christ among non-Jews, actually performing miracles through the Spirit He had earlier resisted! Blasphemy against the Spirit, then, should not be confused with a refusal to accept Christ or even the work of the Spirit. All humans have done this at one point or another in life! Blasphemy against the Spirit is that dreadful position that a few have taken in history in which they have hardened their hearts to the point that they will never repent, and, because they will never repent, they remain permanently lost—beyond any hope of forgiveness because they are beyond any hope of coming to Christ. Thus, though God is willing to forgive all sins (1 John 1:7-10) and wants all sinners to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), some people have so hardened their hearts that repentance and subsequent forgiveness is simply impossible. They will never be forgiven—not because God refuses to forgive, but because they refuse to repent.
Since you are reading this post, you are not guilty of such sin. Indeed, if you can repent of a sin, you can be sure it is not the sin against the Spirit. For those who want to follow Jesus, the promise of Scripture is much brighter: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
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