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Luke 12 verses 11 & 12. “ When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

 

Many people are troubled by our Lord’s comments in v 10, regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But you have to read vs 11 and 12 to get the meaning.

 

If any believer were ever hauled before any court for the ‘crime’ of believing in Jesus Christ and standing up for Him and His message, they do not need to be worried about what they will say because the Holy Spirit would help them to answer bravely and truthfully.

 

But more than that, the Holy Spirit would use the Christian’s treatment in this way to present to the court, whether a legal court, or the court of human opinion, the message of Christ and His Cross. If any of the persecutors consciously and knowingly “blasphemed” i.e. rejected the message of Salvation from the Saviour’s persecuted servants, they would cross the line of no return. To reject the gospel is to reject the only way of salvation.

 

Many people say evil things or critical things about Jesus, yet later on they become Christians and are forgiven. But to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is not merely to act in ignorance and with sinful stupidity – all of which can be forgiven. Rather it is a step further – it is to obstinately stand against the Gospel in that moment when it is presented to one in all its clarity and to settle one’s heart in a stance of rejection through sheer hatred of God and the rise of inward human pride that refuses to bow the knee to Jesus.

 

It is to say to God, in effect: “I do not only reject you, but I consciously oppose you, hate you and despise your salvation.” This is really scary stuff.

 

How many people do you know who in their ignorance and pride reject Christ? Probably many. Yet they can be saved if they repent and turn to Christ. But sometimes we come across people whose inner attitude is so hard it is impossible to reason with them. Let those people beware. They are like the people in Luke 12 who heard Jesus and saw his works – yet remained unmoved and positively hostile to him.

 

And no, you do not need to worry about yourself. If you believe in Jesus and try, ever so weakly to follow him, rest assured you are not in the category mentioned above. No one can believe in Jesus unless the Holy Spirit opens their eyes. If your eyes have been opened and you have responded positively to Christ you have not and cannot commit the unpardonable sin.

 

But what dangerous ground some people walk on!