Q&A: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

QPlease explain the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:30-31) as it relates to sins not being forgiven? How does this co-exist with the thought of the blood of Christ forever dealing with all sin?
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AThis is an excellent question, and I would like to broaden my response to include the common concern about this issue with regard to eternal security. The text is Matthew 12:30-31

“For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming one.” (Matthew 12:30-31)
Who can commit blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? Strictly speaking, these verse apply to those to whom the Lord was speaking; the class of apostate Jewish leaders who had witnessed first-hand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is speaking to a class of persons, later called "this generation" (see note). However, He does say "whosoever" bringing forward the consequences for individuals who find themselves in that class. Hebrews makes it clear that the testimony of the Holy Spirit continued after the Lord was on earth; "so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will…" (Heb. 2:3-4). It is not even possible, technically speaking, to blaspheme the Holy Ghost today, as the Lord and His apostles are no longer here.
 
What about today? However, there is a solemn passage in Hebrews which applies this same principle to Christianity. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God ...and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:28, 29). In this sense, it is possible for a person today to commit despite to the Spirit of grace. Who can do that? Only an apostate. An apostate is one who once had a profession of Christianity and partook of its blessings, but then fell away from "the faith", never truly having possessed "saving faith". Merely rejecting the gospel does not constitute blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. There were those who "were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come" and yet remained unconverted. If they were to reject that testimony of the Spirit, "it is impossible… to renew them again unto repentance." Incorrect use has been made of this verse to teach that the believer's security is conditional, and that it is possible, once saved, to be lost again. This is false, for it denies many other scriptures, such as John 10:27-29. Only an unbeliever could really say with open-eyed, deliberate hatred toward God, that the Holy Spirit is demonic.
 
Governmental Forgiveness vs. Eternal Forgiveness. We must bear in mind that there are several aspects of forgiveness. Eternal forgiveness is not spoken of prior to the cross. It is most often governmental forgiveness that is taken up. Governmental forgiveness is divine exemption from the governmental consequences of our sins in this life. A person may remain under the government of God until death, perhaps due to an unforgiving spirit, but then go to heaven (Matthew 6:14-15). Here the Lord is speaking to the leaders of apostate Israel. Israel will never again be forgiven this blasphemy and restored to Jehovah en masse. To be clear, they will be nationally restored (Rom. 11:26), but it will be through a remnant. You can see that it is governmental forgiveness because the Lord jumps forward to the millennium; "neither in that age which is to come". Certainly, those who he was speaking to have long since died. But that same moral class will be present at the close of this epoch, and they will not be allowed to enjoy the blessings of the Spirit in the Millennium. They had "tasted" of the Spirit's grace, and rejected it. And while a remnant will be brought into the full enjoyment of the Spirit in the Kingdom, the apostate ruling class will be cut off in the Great Tribulation judgment. However, in that the individuals within the class of "blasphemers" are apostates, the consequences are eternal; for "it shall not be forgiven him".
 
Sin against the Holy Ghost. What about believers? What word does this subject have for our conscience? The Holy Ghost is on earth indwelling the House of God. We are exhorted to walk uprightly in light of this fact "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).

One particular evil that has pervaded the Church is clericalism. The clerical principle is a special kind of sin against the Holy Spirit, because it denies the Spirit's place in the Church, and replaces Him with a false system. The clerical principle states that all true ministry flows from the clergy, and any lay preaching is from the Devil. You can see how this evil is of the same character as what the Jewish leaders were guilty of in Matthew 12:30-31. As Israel spoke injuriously against the Spirit in their dispensation, so Christendom has denied the Spirit in our dispensation. The Church has effectively denied the presence and power of the Holy Spirit on earth. Collectively, the Jewish system came into judgment in 70 A.D., and one day the clerical system of Christendom will come into judgment as well, at the middle of Daniel's seventieth week. While we wouldn’t call the clerical principle "blasphemy" against the Holy Spirit, we can see that it is "sin" against the Spirit, and certainly the dispensational counterpart to what Israel was guilty of.1

 
If a believer committed this sin, could they lose their salvation? No. None of the elect will ever commit this sin. We know based on the doctrine of election that every person is either a "vessel of wrath" or a "vessel of mercy". If you are a vessel of mercy, you were chosen in an eternity past and He gave you the faith to believe when the time came. You were elected. A vessel of wrath is a person that was not elected, but when given the opportunity, hardened their heart (like Pharaoh, read Romans 9:14-24) and thus fitted themselves for judgment, despite God's long-suffering. Later, God hardened Pharaoh's heart, hence the phrase "it is impossible." Since none of the redeemed can or will ever commit this sin, there is no contradiction with 1 John 1:7.
 
A couple helpful realizations that help with this type of question:
  • There are two aspects to the atonement of Christ. Propitiation is the aspect in which Christ died to perfectly satisfy God. In this aspect He died for the whole WORLD. Substitution is the aspect in which Christ died for ME. In this aspect He only paid for the individual sins of those who would be SAVED.
  • Whenever we come to two verses that seem to contradict each other, we need to accept both as true, even if we can't comprehend how they can both coexist. For example; "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men" is 100% true and "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" is 100% true. What I have started to do is simply accept the Word of God, and then ask him to make it clear to me if it pleases Him. And He usually does.

Q&A: Casting Pearls before Swine

QWhat is the meaning of Matt. 7:6… Not throwing our pearls to swine? What are pearls? Who are the swine? What is an example of this forbidden behavior? Does this conflict with the exhortations to preach the gospel to the lost?
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ACasting our pearls before swine refers to bringing unholy individuals into the most sacred things of Christianity under the banner of grace. For example, bringing unbelievers into our service or worship (Phil. 3). Unsaved persons cannot worship, and God doesn’t want their service. Christendom is a vast system which unites believers and unbelievers in one common forum. But there must be a separation between believers and the world. If a person is still in their sins, they are standing on the wrong side of the cross. They are still crying “away with him, crucify him”. We cannot try to enjoy Christ with someone that is hateful or even indifferent toward our Savior. What they need is the gospel.

Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turning round rend you. (Matthew 7:6)
“Your pearls” might speak of what is most precious to Christians… worship, service, comfort, etc.2 “Dogs” are those who are unsaved (Phil. 3:2). “Swine” are morally degraded, usually false professors (2 Pet. 2:22). The “trampling of pearls” refers to the dishonor that is done to the Name of Christ when we share the precious things of Christ with unbelievers. “Turning round and rending” refers to the confusion and corruption that has invaded the kingdom of heaven because we have not maintained the distinction between holy and unholy. Here are a few examples of things to think about, although we do not want to make a law out of them:
  1. Joining together with false cults (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses) in outreach or prayer. Unity at the expense of holiness is nothing more than an unholy alliance.
  2. Comforting an unsaved co-worker that “all things work together for good”… that’s only true for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
  3. Speaking about God’s sovereignty to the lost. We need to stick to man’s responsibility. God’s sovereignty is a family secret!

An example of one who failed in this is Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:13), who displayed his precious things to the embassage from Babylon. The result of Hezekiah’s carelessness was that everything he showed the Babylonians was taken away.

What about the gospel? The exhortation about not casting our pearls does not prevent us from spreading the gospel to the lost. We were all at one time unholy like the “dogs” and “swine”, and would still be enemies of Christ if it weren’t for the grace of God (1 Cor. 6:11). Yet someone loved us enough to share the gospel with us. The gospel is different. The pearls are intended for the saints, but the gospel is for the lost. Hence we have commands to preach the gospel to the lost.

Q&A: Suffering Persecution

QIf we are not suffering in our Christian lives, are we living as we should according to Christ (2 Tim. 3:12)?

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AThis verse is very specific. I would take it exactly how it appears. The statement is intended to warn the believer that if he or she lives godly in Christ Jesus, you are guaranteed to suffer persecution. Here is the text:
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12
The question assumes the use of this verse backwards to say that if you are not suffering persecution, you aren’t living godly. I agree with the principle, and I think it is true. However, I would caution using reverse logic with scripture. This probably isn’t one, but there are other cases where this could get us into trouble. It is a good practice to always use scripture “with the grain”; i.e. in the same direction as the context in which we find it.
 
What is persecution? Persecution is “ill-treatment because of a belief or background”. It could be social, political, physical, or even religious. However, the verse is not specific on the frequency of persecution, or on what type. While the godly in Christ Jesus will definitely suffer persecution, in lands like the United States it may not be physical or political persecution. But this world’s system is against the Lord, and if we want to live godly, we will experience some kind of suffering due to opposition.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” John 15:18-20

In general, we don’t want to use persecution as the measure of our faithfulness to Christ. We want Him to be our object, and we want to focus on serving Him. We should never forget what the world is, and that we are crucified to it. We should expect to suffer, because if we live godly in Christ Jesus, God tells us that persecution is unavoidable.

God’s Eternal Purpose

“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Ephesians 1:10

Whom does God’s Purpose center around? Christ.

What is God’s Purpose? This verse has often been named the “key” to the whole Bible. In vv.8-9 Paul prefaces this section by saying that God has given us “all wisdom and intelligence, having made known to us the mystery of His will”; in other words, this secret of His will is the key to all spiritual intelligence. What follows in v.10 is “the mystery of His will”; i.e. the reason – previously unknown but now revealed – for everything God has done and will do. From the creation of the universe, the rise and fall of empires, down to the trials of life, God’s great purpose behind it all is to glorify His Son and to make Him the head over all things, a place that He will share with the Church! Many times we get the idea that the blessing of man is God’s central purpose. It certainly is one of His purposes, but not the chief one. The Church will be infinitely blessed, but in association with the Lord Jesus Christ. When our eyes are opened to see His chief purpose – to glorify Christ – then our focus is directed away from man, away from ourselves, to the Lord Jesus Christ. In this manner we come to have God’s viewpoint.

When will it be accomplished? This verse also tells us when this purpose will be accomplished. It will be accomplished in the “dispensation (administration, or economy) of the fullness of times”. We then must ask, what is an administration? Similar to how the administration of a United States President differs depending on what is happening on the world stage, so God’s dispensations have been successively revealed down through the centuries to the present day. For example, God dealt with Israel under the Law in a very different way from His dealings with the Church under grace. In each of the successive dispensations, man has proven his total and complete depravity. Ultimately, Christ will come personally back to this world to set everything right, and usher in His own dispensation. This will be the final dispensation, that of “the fullness of times.” This dispensation is called in Rev. 20, the “thousand years” or in Latin, “Millennium”.

Where will it be accomplished? In two spheres: (1) in heaven, and (2) on earth. The center of the heavenly sphere will be the Church, reigning with Christ, sharing in all things that He will possess. The center of the earthly sphere will be the purged and restored Nation of Israel, under the leadership of the Messiah, at the head of all other nations. Christ is the exalted pinnacle of both spheres of glory, as (1) Head to the Church and (2) the King of Israel, and King of Nations.

How will it be accomplished? God will accomplish His purpose by “gathering together in one all things”. This means that God will concentrate under Christ the rule of all things. God is ordering all things “after the counsel of His own will.” One by one, the pieces will fall into place, and this magnificent scheme will be accomplished for men and angels to behold! The steps God will take to accomplish this purpose are given to us in scripture as prophetic events.

Why has God chosen to do this? The answer lies in v.9, “according to the good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself;” i.e. this great plan has originated from the very heart of God.

Please contact me with and questions or suggestions!

Q&A: Sinners or Wicked Persons?

QAre the sinners in Mark 2:15-17 different from “wicked people” put away from the fellowship of the assembly?
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AThe short answer to this question is “yes”. There is a difference between the “publicans and sinners” in Mark 2 and the “wicked person” in 1 Corinthians 5. Let’s examine each passage.

Difference Between Mark 2 and 1 Corinthians 5

“And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his [Levi’s] house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:15-17

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13

It is clear from Mark 2 that these ones the Lord was eating with were “sinners” in need of repentance. That is, they were unsaved persons being sought by the Savior. The scribes and Pharisees were accusing the Lord of being guilty by association with these persons. The Lord has instructed us to be fishers of men, and so it is right and proper for us to draw alongside sinners and present the gospel to them. However, we do need to beware of defilement, which we will speak more about later. In 1 Corinthians 5, the individuals to be put out were those whose lives had become characterized by unrepented sin. The important difference to notice here is that it says “if any man be called a brother be a …” It is a very marked distinction from looking at what comes previously in verses 9-10. Paul had instructed them not to keep company “altogether with the fornicators of this world” it would not have been feasible for them to continue life on earth, “for then must ye needs go out of the world.” Therefore, we can see that Paul is emphasizing their being at least professing Christians who are fornicators, etc. that must be put away.

However, we must remember that the “publicans and sinners” that Jesus ate with were seeking His company. They were those who had the stigma of sin on them because of their background. We never read of the Lord Jesus having unrestricted fellowship with a person going on in sin. Neither should we. We are permitted to keep company with unbelievers only when necessary, and we are to show love to the world, but we are not to be friends with the world. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Excuses for the Assembly to not Judge Evil

Paul goes on to say, “do not ye judge them that are within?” and “therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” God puts the responsibility to put away wicked persons squarely at the feet of the local assembly. The Corinthians were actually responsible to make the judgment themselves but had been slow to do it, so Paul had “judged already.” They were “not to company” with the wicked person. Paul says, “no, not to eat.” That is, don’t socialize with them, not even for a meal. Some people take a legal approach to this and will do any and everything with the excommunicated person except eat with them. But the intention is clear. Once a person has been put away, contact should be limited.

There is no excuse for the assembly to not judge sin, although we are often guilty of it. Some people try to use the passage in Mark 2 to say that because the Lord was associating with wicked persons, we can too. Jesus ate with them for the purpose of bringing them to repentance. The Lord’s eating with publicans and sinners in no way absolves the assembly’s responsibility to judge evil.

But what about Judas? Another argument some might raise is that the Lord broke bread (instituted His supper) with Judas, an unbeliever and a betrayer. If Jesus broke bread with Judas, why is it such a problem for the assembly to associate with wicked persons? If we read carefully, it says in John 13 that Satan entered into Judas after supper when he had received the sop. It was after the Passover supper that Judas slipped out into the night. Therefore, we can see that Judas was absent when the Lord, “supper being ended“, took break, etc.

If the Lord did it, why can’t I?

Is the fact of what Jesus did in Mark 2 licence for us to be unconcerned about evil associations, especially when we are giving the gospel? No. It flies in the face of many New Testament exhortations. There is a difference between Jesus and the Christian. The Lord Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). He did not have a sin nature. He could not be “tempted by evil things” (James 1:13). Not only was His Divine nature sinless, but His humanity was sinless as well, demonstrated in the forty days of temptation in the wilderness. But we Christians do a sinful nature (Rom. 7). We need to “flee fornication” (1 Cor. 6:18). We need to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:14).