An on going dialog with His disciples

March 30, 2015

Luke 12:8-12

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”  (Luke 12:8-12 ESV)

As you read the Scripture, it should be clear that this is an on going dialog with His disciples and this writer is taking it in sections to make it manageable.  Over the last few years it has become apparent Jesus has many followers, some who by the faith given to them by the Father entered into a relationship with Jesus and are experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Father.  Others are as I was for many years, a believer in Jesus, believing He was born of a virgin, is the Son of God, and even that He died on the cross for the sins of the world, but arrogance, pride, and fear of losing control kept me from bowing my knee to His authority.  I was a follower without any relationship with Jesus or the Father.

Such a person finds it hard to acknowledge Jesus before others, often I would hear a person using the name of Jesus in a blasphemous manner, and even then it was very offensive, but at no time would I have said, do you not fear God?  With that said, please keep being a follower, for you will find as you study the word of God that many of the twelve disciples also did not believe, until after Jesus had returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

 Jesus is telling us not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, for it will not be for- given, that should bring fear to one’s soul.  If we turn back to the gospel according to Mark chapter 3:22-30, Jesus is addressing this at the very beginning of His public ministry.  He has just picked twelve guys, not from the scribes or the Pharisees, but nobodies, people like me, a never was, men of no standing in the religious community.  And Jesus gave them authority to cast out demons, now that was a new thing, and the religious king pins were not at all happy with this new Rabbi, the one named Jesus.  So they said; “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

Most followers of Jesus will agree He was God in the flesh, but many are confused when it comes to Jesus always going to the Father for all His needs and actions.  The apostle John gives us this insight, John 5:30; "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  So I believe the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is giving the devil credit for an act of the Holy Spirit, for it was the Holy Spirit that was doing these miracles through Christ.  You and I must be very careful when we see or hear of miracles, to give thanks to God.

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice