A 10 - the parting word

    THE PARTING WORD

BLASPHEMY against the Spirit. This is a subject that is intensely interesting to many people. They imagine that in some way unknown to themselves they may have committed this act, and it causes them great concern. I will say that such people need have no alarm. The man who has actually committed this sin never feels any alarm about it. He is the last man to feel concern over it. By reading the twelfth chapter of Matthew the reader can obtain a clear view of this sin. Jesus was being hounded by the Pharisees, who had determined to procure his death at all hazards. They were watching, exaggerating and criticizing everything he did.

He went on a Sabbath day through the field of corn and his disciples plucked and ate some of the corn. There was an immediate outcry of "The Sabbath is violated." Again, Jesus healed the man with a withered hand and the Pharisees went out and held a council to plan his destruction. Again, there was brought to him, a man possessed of a devil, rendering him blind and dumb. Jesus healed him by casting out the devil, so that he "both saw and heard." Casting out devils had always been regarded by the Jews as a direct work of the Spirit of God. The people are amazed, and proclaimed him the Son of David, or the Messiah. The Pharisees could not deny the fact, but they said: "He does it by Beelzebub, the prince of devils."

These three incidents show a disposition on their part to deliberately reject all testimony contrary to their plan to compass his death. They had rendered their verdict in advance and were not open to conviction, no matter what testimony might be offered. Jesus tells them that if he casts out devils by Beelzebub, then Satan is divided against himself. "But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon me" (Matthew 12:28). "Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak 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 world, nor in that which is to come" (Matthew 12:31-32). That these men had committed, or were in great danger of committing, this blasphemy is evident from the caution uttered above. When a man to-day reaches the comprehensive state of mind that he is going to reject Jesus over any and all evidence, he has gone into the house, shut and locked the door and thrown away the key. God can not reach him. Such a man will be let alone by the Spirit of God. That Paul understood this condition to be unpardonable, we read in Hebrews 6:4-6: "But as touching those who were once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fall away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Paul says it is impossible to renew such a one to repentance. Why? "Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh." That is, they have reached the same state of mind the Pharisees had who crucified him the first time. Men can commit that same act to-day, but when they do it they lose all concern regarding the consequences. As long as one has concern, he may rest assured that he has not blasphemed the Holy Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit. I have not treated this passage hitherto, because I do not understand the apostle to be referring to the Holy Spirit, but to man’s spirit. In this fifth chapter of Galatians the apostle divides man into two domains, one of the flesh and another of the spirit. He says: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary the one to the other: that ye may not do the things that ye would" (Galatians 5:17). It is impossible to imagine "the flesh" preventing the Holy Spirit from doing "the things he would." It is also impossible to conceive that the Holy Spirit is lusting against man’s flesh. But we all recognize that there is a terrible conflict between man’s flesh and his spirit. These are contrary the one to the other and lust against each other. When man’s flesh triumphs over his spirit, certain works are inevitable which Paul enumerates. When the Spirit (in man) dominates the flesh, then certain "fruits of the Spirit" appear. They are the fruits of man’s spiritual nature triumphing over his fleshly nature. The same contrast is set forth in Galatians, chapter 6, where it speaks of sowing to the flesh and to the Spirit. How can any man sow to the Holy Spirit? Paul describes the same conflict in the seventh chapter of Eomans. I think that the spirit (of man) can be aided by the Holy Spirit in its battle against the flesh, but the "fruits" mentioned are of man’s spirit and not the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God at Work To-day. Says one, "Is not the Spirit actively at work in the world to-day?" Of course he is. It is not a question of what he is doing, but how he is doing it. The religious world is pretty generally agreed that the Spirit is pleading with the world of the unsaved through the motives and inducements of the gospel, the moral truth which appeals to the intellect and heart of the unconverted to turn to God and be saved; that all the saving power of God is found in Christ and the gospel which reveals him; that God will not go beyond the cross of Christ to save any man. It is Christ "who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." All that is necessary for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption--and that is all we need --is found in Christ. This being so, we need no other power but gospel power in our attempts to become children of God or to live as children of God. We get into confusion when we try to obtain some other and more direct power. We are led into a dependence upon our feelings, which are unreliable.

Bishop J. H. Vincent, than whom stands no higher in the Northern M. E. Church, aptly states the whole matter thus: "There are people who put stress on sentiment and emotion in religion. If they ’feel good,’ they have no doubt as to their present security and their acceptance with God. These people covet moods and states of feeling. They revel in songs and prayers and hallelujahs. The thrill of sentiment and the warm currents of emotion are ’the all and in all’ of religion. Such saints forget that mere mental exhilaration and good feeling may coexist with carnal hearts, selfish aims, and utter worldliness of temper." His brethren will scarcely accuse the Bishop of not believing in "heartfelt religion," and yet they used to strongly accuse us of denying it, because we plead for the testimony of the Book rather than the testimony of feeling.

We get into the same confusion when we attempt to fall back upon some inward power, independent of God’s word, in living the Christian life. The writer has known many good, honest people that claimed to have an inward monitor to lead them, who at the same time would reject the clear teaching of God’s word. The Spirit of God never led any man to contradict the Word which he has so clearly revealed. The whole Christian life is a life of faith. It begins, continues and ends in faith. "God is no respecter of "persons, but in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him." "The sword of the Spirit" is "the word of God."