February 22 Believe

Luke 12:8-10 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
 
THIS last line often causes people to stop short and ask, “Doesn’t God forgive all sins, even to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, whatever that means?”
    First, let’s understand that to blaspheme is to deny God and speak against him. Jesus’ teaching here is also recorded this way in Matthew 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Thus, we understand Jesus condemned words against the Holy Spirit. What then, are those words?
    The Pharisees blasphemed the Spirt as they denied Jesus’ deity. Even though Jesus’ proved himself as the Son of Man – a name the Jews’ equated with the sovereign Jehovah – many times. Our Lord’s revelations of grace within God’s laws, his forgiveness and his life-giving resurrections illustrated to the Jews that the prophesied, promised Messiah was in their midst. Yet, the religious rulers said, “We do not believe. We condemn this pretender.”
    You might ask, “How do these words against Jesus blaspheme the Spirit? It seems they are blaspheming Jesus.” Remember, God is three persons in one. A sin against one person of the Holy Trinity is a sin against God. Denying Jesus as God denies that the Holy Spirit brought the Son into the world. Consider also, that the Spirit anointed Jesus to minister. The Spirit empowered Jesus to teach, heal and resurrect. The Spirit protected the Son from angry mobs until it was time for the cross. To denounce Jesus is to speak against, even to curse the Holy Spirit, the One who empowered his human life. Even more, denying the Messiah is also saying to the Father, “I don’t believe you.”   
    This is why the Father will not forgive those who blaspheme the Spirit. Such a person does not believe in God. Jesus teaches believe in God or perish: “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.         
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, you have revealed the Living Christ to me. I pray you reveal him to my friends and family who are yet to believe Jesus is the Son of God. In his name I pray, amen.