Compare Luke 12:10 with Matthew 12:31-32 on blasphemy against the Spirit. Setting the Scene • Luke 12 places Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, warning His disciples amid growing opposition. • Matthew 12 records a heated clash with Pharisees after Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, leading them to claim He worked by Satan’s power. • In both moments, the Lord addresses hostile hearts resisting the Spirit’s testimony about Him. The Texts • Luke 12 : 10 — “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” • Matthew 12 : 31-32 — “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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 one to come.” Shared Truths • Certain sins are forgivable through repentance and faith. • One sin stands apart as unforgivable: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. • The contrast is drawn between speaking against the Son of Man and speaking against the Spirit. Distinct Nuances • Luke condenses the warning into a single verse, emphasizing ultimate accountability. • Matthew elaborates, stressing the permanence of the judgment “in this age or in the one to come.” • Matthew’s context highlights the Pharisees’ charge that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebul, a direct slander of the Spirit’s work. What Blasphemy Against the Spirit Is • A deliberate, knowing, final rejection of the Spirit’s witness to Christ (Mark 3 : 28-30). • Calling the Spirit’s clear, manifest work satanic, while possessing full light of revelation. • A settled, hardened posture that refuses repentance, thus removing the only path to forgiveness (Hebrews 6 : 4-6). Why It Remains Unforgiven • Forgiveness is granted through the Spirit’s convicting and regenerating work. • Persistent rejection of that work leaves a person without the means or desire to repent (John 16 : 8-11). • God’s promise of cleansing applies to confessed sin (1 John 1 : 9), yet this sin by definition will never be confessed. Pastoral Reassurance • Believers sensitive to sin have not committed it; the very awareness shows the Spirit is still at work. • Peter denied the Lord yet was restored (Luke 22 : 31-32; John 21 : 15-17), proving even grievous failure is forgivable when repentance follows. • To grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4 : 30) is serious but still recoverable through repentance. Living in Light of the Warning • Receive the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus with a soft heart (Hebrews 3 : 7-15). • Turn from any willful resistance to revealed truth while the day of grace remains (2 Corinthians 6 : 2). • Walk in step with the Spirit, bearing His fruit, and resting in the assurance secured by Christ (Galatians 5 : 16-25; Romans 8 : 1). |
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