____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 4, 2007 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost (Charles G. Caldwell, Jr.) 2) On A Daily Basis (Bill Hall) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost by Charles G. Caldwell, Jr. In Matthew 12:31,32, Jesus said, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." Down through the years, this passage has been the occasion of great concern to devout, God-fearing people. This concern is the result of a gross misunderstanding of what our Lord was actually saying. It is the sequel to a perversion of His teaching and is productive of the usual effect of such perversion in depriving men of the peace, contentment, and happiness of soul and mind, and the joy that God intends for us to have in Christ. It would, in the very nature of the case, be impossible for one to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4) if there was the slightest possibility of his having sometime inadvertently committed a sin that could not be forgiven. All Sins Forgivable John said in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another {He with us, and we with Him, CGC), and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." I do not consider this passage to be in conflict with Matthew 12:31,32. Nor do I consider Matthew 12:31,32 to set forth an exception to John's promise. In order to the forgiveness of sins -- all sins -- there are certain conditions, divinely ordained, that must be met. If a sin -- any sin -- is not forgiven it is because the conditions have not been met. One may fail to meet the conditions either because of his unwillingness to do so or because he is unable to do so. Both of these reasons might be involved and it is my contention that such is the case with all those about whom our Lord spoke in Matthew 12. It is possible for one to reach such a state of depravity that he has no willingness to accept the truth and be governed by it, no matter how strong the evidence, and sink so low in the mire of degradation that he is unwilling and even unable because of his degenerate attitude to submit to that which is right. Anyone, therefore, who is interested in truth and righteousness or who is concerned about his soul's well being has not committed the "unpardonable sin." The Case in Context An understanding of the passage under consideration is dependent -- as is almost always the case -- upon the context in which it is found. Jesus has just healed a man possessed of a demon which caused the multitudes to marvel and be amazed. But there were others of the Pharisees and Scribes who heard of it and being unable to deny that a miracle had indeed been performed sought to explain it away by attributing the power by which it was accomplished to "Beelzebub." The claim was made by them that Christ was not exercising divine power but rather Satanic or diabolical power. Christ then proceeded to disprove their contention with a number of arguments which are irresistible: Argument Number 1: First, He showed that which is evident on the surface, that Satan would not work against his own interest because in doing so, he would destroy himself and be brought to an "end." Argument Number 2: His next argument to disprove their contention was based upon their purported claim that their disciples, "sons," cast out demons. If it was true that they did cast out demons (which Christ did not admit) and that demons were cast out only by "Beelzebub," then it would follow that their "sons" exercised diabolical power. This He argued to show the absurdity of their contention from their own premise. Argument Number 3: He next submitted that since He could not possibly be casting out demons by the power of the Devil, it must of necessity be by the power of God and that such exercise signaled the arrival of the kingdom of God. Argument Number 4: His final argument in this regard was to the effect that He had entered Satan's house (the body of the demoniac) and had spoiled Satan's goods (the evil spirit in the man) and, therefore, instead of being in league with the devil, He had contested him and defeated him. The conclusion based on these arguments is that these Scribes and Pharisees were wrong in their charge that Christ was working miracles by the power of Satan rather than by the power of God. Their charge was not against the power of God, the Holy Spirit, but rather against Christ -- that He was in league with the Devil and not with the Holy Spirit. This, Christ disproved and sought to correct their misconception. Misunderstanding the Charge Contrary to popular opinion and acceptation, Christ did not say that these Jews had committed the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but He did say in substance that they had blasphemed against Him and He emphatically says that such will (or can) be forgiven. The circumstances surrounding the incident, however, do suggest to the mind of Christ a need for a warning to these people of the danger of the course they are following. They had said that He was casting out demons by the power of "Beelzebub" (the Devil). If they persisted in this contention and in the light of all the evidence became convinced that the power exercised was of God but nevertheless was still evil because it worked through Christ, whom they hated and refused to accept, then they would become guilty of the sin against which Christ warned. In this they would be charging the Holy Spirit with being a devil or being equivalent to the Devil. Certainly, they were not now saying that the Holy Spirit was a devil or that He was as bad as the Devil. They were not denying that the Spirit is holy or affirming that the Spirit is evil. They were simply denying that the Holy Spirit had anything to do with Christ's miracles. If they were affirming that the Spirit of God was not holy but rather was as evil as the Devil, this would, of, course, have been blasphemy against the Spirit and there would have been no point in Christ's having attempted to correct them by presenting the arguments that He did. They would have been beyond argument and beyond the hope of correction. They were getting on dangerous ground, however. They were approaching the point of no return. They were getting near to a condition of heart and mind which would damn their souls and Christ was simply warning them to stop before they had gone too far; not to allow their hatred and their contemptuous attitude toward Him to cause them to defame the Spirit of God. To take that step and affirm that the Holy Spirit is not holy but is evil and only evil continually, that He is a devil and on a par with Satan is to sink beyond all hope. Such a frame of mind on the part of anyone would be beyond all correction. Thus, the conditions of correction and forgiveness given by the spirit have no place in the man's heart. The Good Tree Jesus said, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt" (vs. 33). If the product of the working of the Spirit is good, the Spirit, Himself, is good and holy, "for the tree is known by his fruit." -- Via Truth Magazine XXI: 49, pp. 781-782, December 15, 1977 ____________________________________________________ -2- On A Daily Basis by Bill Hall A man, asked recently to describe memories of his college days twenty-five years ago, replied, "A few big moments; many goofs, but, overall, pleasant memories." Would these words not describe our memories of life generally? As we recall our years, there are always the "big" moments, the emotional "highs," that we love to relish. Then there are the "goofs," the embarrassing occasions that just keep coming back to haunt us. But, through it all, the pleasant memories sufficiently prevail to enable us to feel generally good about life. But, in reality, success or failure in life is not determined by the "big moments" or "the goofs." We will not be eternally saved on the basis of a few great spiritual achievements or eternally lost on the basis of a few gross mistakes (assuming they have been repented of). Life consists of everyday actions and decisions, and it is these that bring ultimate success or failure, eternal happiness or eternal damnation. "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). It is one thing to express concern for our children as we talk of their future spirituality and faithfulness. It is quite another to provide on a daily basis a spiritual atmosphere in the home, a good example of godliness and faithfulness, consistent and loving discipline and a love for God and respect for fellowman that are so essential to the training of our children. It's the little impressions that are made day by day that prove to be so decisive. It is one thing to dream of some day being appointed an elder in the church. It is quite another thing to put forth the effort on a daily basis to learn the scriptures, to develop leadership ability, to grow spiritually, and to live as to gain the confidence of a discerning congregation. One does not qualify for the eldership in one big leap. It comes through daily development. It is one thing to talk a "good line" on priorities. It is quite another thing to put God first on a daily basis. The devil knows so many ways to test our resolve in these realms. Our intentions are good, but, through his subtlety, he has us selling our souls for a mess of pottage or thirty pieces of silver. It is one thing to think that we would die for the Lord if our faith were so tested. It is quite another thing truly to live for Him on a daily basis. Egos may be fed on the "big moments," but true spirituality develops through daily prayer, study and meditation. Our lesson is this: Set your goals for the future, and set them high. But recognize that it's the little, day-by-day moments, the often forgotten moments, accumulated through the years, that truly shape our destiny. Tomorrow's success depends upon the choices and decisions that are made today. Make them with care. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, January 29, 2006 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes Let those of us who are Christians be praying for the following: The surgery for Bill Collette went very well. After removing about a seven-inch section of the colon, the doctors do not even see a need for chemotherapy or radiation treatments. A biopsy will be performed (and probably already has) on the surrounding tissue to make extra sure, but it appears the cancer was all localized and now removed. Bob McGregor (Joe's brother) has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. It had started in the prostate, but is now also showing up as spots on the lungs and liver. Bob has been back and forth from the VA hospital to the nursing home (right across the street) in Johnson City, Tennessee, since about September of last year. Sheila Watts has been making some progress with the nerve pain in her back; but, according to the doctors, it will be another couple weeks before she is all healed. For she was told at the beginning that it would take about 6 weeks. Eloise Craver had not been feeling well recently and was not able to be with us Sunday because of that. Luther Shuff has still been having a little trouble with his foot, where he had a skin graft on the bottom of it a while back. The gospel meeting at the Northshore church of Christ in Mandeville, Louisiana, begins this Friday (3/9) and will go through Sunday. Kenny Marrs (from Birmingham, AL) will be doing the speaking. His topic will be on "Depression and the Christian." The church meets at 67288 Armel Road. (985) 871-0099 Here are directions from their website: "...travel on I-12 to Exit #65 which is Highway 59 and go NORTH to the north frontage road (Little Creek Road) and turn right. As you follow the frontage road paralleling I-12, you will see Armel Road on your left. Turn left and the building is IMMEDIATELY on the right." They will also have another 1-day meeting on March 17 (Saturday) with five different speakers that day. The theme will be a "Day with the Family." The times, lessons, and speakers will be as follows: 10 AM: God: The Neglected Member of the Family (Bill Crews) 11 AM: What the Bible Says About Marriage (Michael Green) 12 PM: A Husband's Role in Marriage (Don Davis) 2 PM: Singing 2:30 PM: A Wife's Role in Marriage (Jeff Carr) 3:30 PM: Biblical Tips for Parenting (Tom Edwards) ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________