Matthew 12:31-32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
There are some verses in Scripture that are more difficult to understand than others. Satan, who is a master of manipulating the Word of God, (he did it in the garden to Eve and in the wilderness to Jesus) uses this verse to confuse, discourage and frighten believers. Because of the severity of the warning in this passage, it is of utmost importance that we understand what Jesus is saying.
First of all, we know Jesus came to forgive sin. We see in Scripture, those guilty of heinous sins being pardon by Christ. We know Matthew, as a tax collector, was guilty of theft and corruption. Simon the Zealot, no doubt, broke the law in his campaigns against Rome. Paul was guilty of murder. Mary Magdalene, of adultery, and the list goes on and on. We even find a man sentenced to death, receiving pardon for sin during his execution. So we understand ALL sin can be forgiven.
Second, “blasphemy” is the translation of a Greek word meaning, “to speak evil against.” And if we are honest, we will admit we have all been guilty of speaking evil against God. Maybe in a moment of anger, or perhaps like Job, in a time of great despair, or even as the punch line to a joke, whatever the case, we all have been guilty of speaking evil against God. Is Jesus saying we cannot be forgiven? Take a look at the words of Paul the apostle,
“. . . although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (1Timothy 1:13-14)
Paul admits he had been guilty of blasphemy and yet received pardon from the Lord.
Finally, the key to understanding what Jesus is speaking about, is to look more carefully at the blasphemer to whom He refers. Notice He calls it “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” The work of Christ in the world was primarily to provide a ransom for the sins of mankind. The work of the Holy Spirit is primarily to lead people to Christ to receive that pardon. If a person rejects the work of the Holy Spirit by refusing to accept Jesus Christ, they have no remedy for their sin. That is why it is unforgivable. Any person who receives Christ will be forgiven any sin they have committed past, present and future. The key is to receive Christ.
If you would like to accept the forgiveness Jesus offers, pray now:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me of my sin, I ask you to come into my life and help me to follow after you.”
If you prayed that today, contact us today at prayer@ccvb.net
Pastor Jim
Questions for Chapter 12
- The Pharisees were upset that Jesus broke their tradition. Are there any traditions in your life that Jesus needs to break?
- Who was Jesus drawn to when he entered the synagogue? What does that tell you about Jesus?
- Jesus gives a basic principle of unity, “a house divided cannot stand.” take some time to pray for unity in your home and in CCVB.
- “The strong man” is a reference to Satan. Jesus says when he is bound his goods (unsaved people, struggling Christians) can be plundered. Prayer and the gospel message plunder his goods. Pray again for your unsaved friends and family.
- From the list below, circle the sins that can be forgiven?
- Murder
- Theft
- Adultery
- Blasphemy
- Lying
- The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rejecting the salvation that God made possible through Christ. If a person rejects Christ there remains no way for them to be forgiven. If you have not prayed to receive Christ as your Savior, do it now.
“Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sin and make me your child”
If you prayed that prayer contact us at prayer@ccvb.net and let us help you grow in Christ.
Old Testament:
Genesis 23- Foreigner
Genesis 24- Finding A Wife
The circumstances of life often cause us to question God. It is hard sometimes to reconcile what we are going through with who God is; compassionate and good. This happened to John the Baptist. From the words of Jesus, we know John was the greatest man to have ever lived. He was a man that preached the gospel to thousands, the man who pointed the way to Christ, and the man who baptized Christ, Himself. Yet, in our text, we read he was also the man who doubted. Laying in a prison cell, the cold, the dampness, the suffering, all seemed to squeeze his faith and cloud his vision of Christ.
These twelve ordinary men were chosen, empowered, and sent by Jesus into the world with the simple message of salvation. As a result, their lives have transformed the world.
Out on the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of a great tempest, we find the disciples fearing for their lives. When they cry out to Jesus for help, He responds with a question. “Why are you afraid?” Naturally, they had much reason to fear. The storm was great, many in the boat were unaccustomed to the sea and it’s ways, and fear has a way of spreading from one to another. To make matters worse, when they looked to Jesus, He seemed to not care about their plight. He was sleeping while they were suffering. It seems they had reason to fear. On the other hand, they had been traveling with Jesus. They lived through the chapter we just read. They saw Him cleanse the leper and heal the crowds. If they had only looked back at what Jesus had done, they would have had great comfort for what they were facing.
Often, when we know of a Christian friend who is stumbling in their walk with Jesus, we are not sure what to do. They may have gotten involved in an ungodly activity or into a bad relationship, or simply stopped investing into their relationship with Christ. We want to help, but at the same time we fear that saying something will be construed as “judging them.” Jesus gives us, in this passage, a keen insight into how to deal with one another in the body. When you see something amiss in my relationship with Christ, the first place you should look is inward. Is there anything out of place in your relationship with Christ? What you find must be removed. The Biblical way of dealing with personal sin is found in 1John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive . . . and to cleanse…” Once you have “removed the plank,” it is time to look outward to see how you can help me “remove the speck.”
The longer I live, the more I have come to realize, so much in life is passing. Things I once coveted and had to have, are bundled up and given to the Salvation Army. That “new car smell” has been replaced with “what’s that smell?” Even relationships that were once so close, have grown distant. The words of Christ shout a deafening cry,
Matthew 5-7 contain one continuous message that Jesus preached to His followers on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Although it is called a sea, it is actually a lake. The Greek word for sea and lake are the same word.
People seem to be fascinated with fighting. I can remember being in Jr. High School and hearing the word “FIGHT” resonate across the playground. All activities stopped and the whole student body ran in an attempt to get a front row seat to view the scene. Things have not changed; people gather to watch boxing matches, UFC events and even hockey games, all for the thrill of the fight.
Those ancient travelers who went in search of the Child Jesus, form a valuable illustration of true worship. Their worship included at least five ideas we would do well to imitate.
