August 21 A Riddle Made Plain
August 21
A Riddle Made Plain
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
—Luke 12:10
If you weren’t the wiser, this verse could sound like an ancient riddle that raises more questions than gives answers. Questions like, “Isn’t speaking against Christ the same as speaking against the Spirit?” Or "The Son of Man and the Holy Spirit are one in the Trinity, so what’s the difference?”
The ministry of the Son of Man is one of redemption. When it comes to redemption, many people simply aren’t aware that Jesus died for them. They are ignorant as to what their sin did to Christ on the cross. And as Jesus Himself said from His cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is different. The Spirit’s work is one of revelation. He reveals truth to your heart, truth that convicts and convinces. Once God’s truth is revealed to you, ignorance is a thing of the past. You can’t play dumb. You can’t say, “I didn’t know,” as perhaps the soldiers who crucified Christ could say. And this is precisely the point of our reading today because, if you know, you are accountable.
When the Holy Spirit opens up your eyes and heart to salvation truth, it’s dangerous to ignore it. Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
Thank You, Lord, for this awesome warning, reminding me how precious my salvation really is.