32.s. “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God”

Matthew 12:30  Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And 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.

 Hebrews 10:26    For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

 Hebrews 10:29    How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

 Isaiah 1:18   “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

 Isaiah 55:7   let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 Ezekiel 33:11    Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways

 Jesus removes all illusions about any neutral response to Him or His work. If one is not for Him, then that one is against Him. If one does not work with Jesus, by either active opposition or passive disregard, that one works against Jesus. There are only two forces at work in the world, gathering, and scattering.  Whoever does the one contradicts the other. Being neutral, non-committed, is as if in active and open opposition.

I struggle to fully know or understand the meaning of; “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven”. A distinction is made between what it means to commit blasphemy against the Son of Man (Jesus) versus the Holy Spirit.  On one hand, Jesus is saying that people, out of their lack of full knowledge and understanding, may partially or fully, knowingly or unknowingly, show contempt of or not revere God sufficiently or appropriately, will or can be forgiven.  Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:13 says; “though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief”. People, out of their lack of full knowledge and understanding, may wrongly commit blasphemy against Jesus and still receive forgiveness. A person is pardoned this/these sin(s) upon repentance, surrender, belief, trust, obedience, and reliance upon Jesus Christ for their redemption, salvation, and forgiveness. 

I struggle with “but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven”, not so much that it was said but what it says a person can do. Essentially, a person can, with full knowledge and understanding, have contempt for God’s Holy Spirit within them. Clearly, God’s Word speaks of such but I can not put my mind around how this happens in a person’s life. How does a person, who has been given wisdom and understanding and knowledge of God’s Holiness and their sin, and who has humbly come before the throne of grace and believed, then turn away in contempt and say the peace, joy, and rest they have experienced deep within their soul was meaningless and worthless, and they now openly have disrespect and contempt for it? It is like someone is able to say, “I know what you have done in my life God and I not only hate you for it but I despise you for even thinking of doing it in my life”. You see it is not just rejection of or lack of obedience to the Spirit of God working in their life. If this were the case we would all be guilty. But, here is a person whose rejection, contempt, and no fear or respect of God has cast out God’s grace, mercy, and love like it was rubbish.  I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around how a person can get to this place in their heart, mind, and soul, but they do. 

We must be mindful of the schemes of satan and be ever diligent in our walk with God through this life. Keep in His Word and set your mind to humbly serve, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ, and in all you say, think, and do – make sure it is done for the honor and glory of Him. 

14.w. “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times”

John 2:18   So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 6:30   So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

Matthew 21:23   And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Acts 4:7    And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

Mark 8:11   The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

Matthew 12:38-42    Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”  But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Matthew 16:1-4    And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.  He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’  And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

“But you cannot interpret the signs of the times”.  Wars, rumors of wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, ungodliness, lawlessness, rioting, hate, fear, delusion, false teachings, unable to separate false from the truth, falling away from God, and denying God, in more and more increasing numbers and occurrences are all signs of the times and the return of Jesus Christ.  These are signs but where is the voice crying out in the wilderness proclaiming them?  We understand the “World” not seeing and believing but why is it the Christian church silent on these signs?  Have we diluted our walk with Jesus Christ to the point where we are unable to see them ourselves?  Have we bought into a lukewarm comfortable life so close in resemblance to the unbelievers that our eyes are closed to the signs?  Have we strayed far enough away from Jesus Christ that our pastors and teachers, wanting to be culturally correct, do not preach and teach the signs of the times?  Is our heart turning to stone and we are not allowing the Holy Spirit into it to teach, lead, and instruct us?

Some may say we have had wars, famine, disease, riots, wars, earthquakes, etc…. and Jesus has not returned.  It was not true before and is not true now.  The frequency surely has increased and yet it is denied.  The number of countries across the globe experiencing these signs is overwhelming and yet it is denied.  When there should be repentance and a turning to Jesus Christ there is denial and defiance.  Where there should be preparing and looking for the return of Jesus Christ there is denial and defiance.  When there should be a proclaiming of the signs of the times there is silence.

In the last days, God will send a strong delusion and people will grab hold of this like finding a lost treasure.  They will believe they have found truth and they are fighting for the right cause and belief.  They believe lies because they have denied the truth.  These too are signs of the soon return of Jesus Christ.  All of the warnings and signs have been given so that through them people will repent and turn to Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ returns will He find you watching and waiting or unprepared?  I imagine there are many right now that are waiting for signs before they get serious about their faith in Jesus Christ.  It is both “not too late” and “too late”.  It is never too late to repent and trust Jesus Christ but the signs would indicate the return of Jesus is closer than ever before.  A heart that rejects the need for redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ will certainly reject the signs of His soon return.   Rejection is an intentional choice.  You are just one breath away from eternity and your choice of belief or rejection will determine Heaven or Hell, blessings or torment, peace or anguish, Eternal light or complete darkness.

Jesus has called us to believe and trust in Him alone.  He has demonstrated His love for us in that He died for our sin.  He has promised blessings now and for eternity. He has told us He will return to gather us onto Himself.  He has told us what the signs will be to indicate His pending return and that we are to watch and be ready.  And He has given warnings of what awaits those who reject Him. If you choose to reject His love how much more will you receive His wrath?  Watch and be Ready!  The signs are there if you are seeking and desiring the return of Jesus Christ.

Clean Heart

“Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

Psalms 51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Isaiah 1:18   “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

1 John 1:7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:13  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Ezekiel 11:19   And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Ephesians 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Colossians 3:10    and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Ephesians 4:22  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness

What does it mean to be cleansed from sin? Why is this important to be cleansed from sin?  Sin is doing what is wrong or not doing what is right according to God’s rules.  Not knowing these rules or laws or commandments or warnings or promises does not eliminate the wrong being done in our lives.  Neglecting God’s word, lack of desire for His word, and no interest listening for His leading, no deep want to please God are not good indicators of a person who (through no work of their own has been cleansed from all the wrongs they have ever done) desires to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God.  A person who knows their sin is like scarlet and wants to be made right before God, has a different heart.  In their heart, mind, and soul they have chosen their course in this life to be God honoring. Their heart and mind are not clouded over with cultural concept of sin, doing right, doing wrong as  means to be made right before God.  They absolutely know their is nothing (works) they can do to be made right in God’s eyes because it can not be earned.  They know it is by faith in the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. Their life  is fueled by God’s word, and desire to serve, honor, follow and obey Hm. Choose to hear His voice.  Choose to obey it.  Choose to humbly serve Him each day over self.  Choose to read His word.  Choose to give.  Choose to be kind.  Choose to have patience.  Choose to …… for the single purpose of honoring God in your life.