Decided Deafness Leads to Devastating Denial
Is there a sin that is unforgivable? The answer is yes. In studying the topic of the Holy Spirit in the writings of Luke, it is necessary to cover Jesus’ teaching on the unforgivable sin, which he taught was the “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus’ teaching on this sin. Jesus clearly taught that there was a sin that can never be forgiven.
Encountering the concept of an unforgivable sin as a young Christian was tormenting. I had a bad mouth as a kid. I would lie, curse, and insult people. I thought that I had blasphemed the Holy Spirit by attaching a curse word to his name. I often dishonored the name of God with my words and I was fearful that I had accidentally done this specifically against God The Holy Spirit. I would really get tied in an anxious knot when I would try to mentally recall if I had ever committed this sin by asking myself if I had ever said a blasphemous phrase about the Spirit. Once a blasphemous phrase entered my mind I felt concerned that I had just unintentionally committed the “unforgivable sin.” I often wondered if one curse word could really jeopardize my eternal salvation.
There is an “unforgivable sin,” and it is not profanity. As we study Luke's record of Jesus’ teaching on this subject, we will see that the “unforgivable sin” is not about using a profane phrase, but about a persistent posture against God.
Big Idea: Decided deafness leads to devastating denial.
In our passage today, we will see Jesus highlight two things that will keep us from the forgiveness of God and leave us in a state of eternal separation from God. The first is denying him and the second is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I believe there is a connection between these two things. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit will lead to a denial of the Son. We blaspheme the Holy Spirit when we decidedly reject his teaching about Jesus or make ourselves “deaf” to it, which leads us to deny the saving work of Christ. When we deny Christ’s saving work, we will be denied an eternal relationship with God. Examining the connection between our response to the Holy Spirit and our belief in Christ will help us understand the nature of the “unforgivable sin.” Also, I believe it is important for us to ask if the denial and blasphemy in this passage are descriptions of an incident in someone’s life or the persistent posture of someone’s life.
Luke 12:8-10, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
It is important to note that Jesus was speaking about himself when he used the title “Son of Man.” This was his favorite title for himself. He used it, prior to this moment in Luke 12, when speaking of his authority to forgive sins (5:24), his practice of eating with sinners (7:34), and his coming suffering (9:22). This title refers back to the promised hero of Daniel 7 who would receive an eternal kingdom from God. Jesus loved to use this title even though the Jews didn’t use it in reference to their messianic expectations. “Son of Man” was a mysterious title with limited Old Testament meaning. Jesus may have used this title because it didn’t have as much preloaded meaning for the Jews. He could define this title as he wished without competing against other previous opinions.
Jesus, as the “Son of Man” would deny those who denied him. This denial would be “before the angels of God.” The phrase “before the angels of God” was a way of referring to the heavenly throne room where God dwelt, which is why Matthew spoke of Jesus acknowledging these believers before his Father in heaven. Matthew 10:33, “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” This denial means that the person described is not in a saving relationship with Christ. They are not counted among his followers and those that have been restored to a right relationship with God through the forgiveness of their sins.
Denying Jesus has eternal effects. Jesus is very clear on the eternal outcome of denying him. What does this type of denial look like? Is this a moment of denial or a persistent posture of denial? It is interesting that Luke uses similar language when he recounts the story of Peter’s momentary denial. Luke 22:54-62, “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. The word “deny” in verse 61 is the same word used in Luke 12 in reference to Jesus’ “denial” of those that have denied him. The word used to describe the actions of those that have denied Jesus is not the same Greek word, but it is a synonym. The two words translated as “deny” in Luke 12 are used interchangeably throughout the New Testament. This reveals to us that there is a type of “denial” that can be forgiven. Peter was forgiven by Jesus.
So what makes Peter's denial different from the denial that Jesus is speaking of here? I believe the answer is that one describes an incident or moment while the other refers to a persistent posture.
Verse 10 reinforces this interpretation. Jesus says that some who speak “a word against” him will be forgiven. Jesus knew his followers would have weak moments and times when they fell into temptation. Many, like Peter, have denied Jesus and spoken words against him. Forgiveness is available for those that have done this. Interpreting the denial of Luke 12:9 as a moment of denial is inconsistent with the story of Peter and the context of the verse. Understanding that Jesus is talking about the persistent posture of a person’s life and not a moment in their lives is important to keep in mind when we get to his teaching on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 12:10-12, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Verse 10 has caused me, and I am sure a lot of other Christians, anxiety. I have read this as if it were teaching that if I were to speak a word against the Holy Spirit I would be committing an unforgivable sin. This is not what this passage teaches. In this contrasting statement, Luke used two different verbs and two different objects. “Blaspheme” is much stronger than “speaks a word against.” The first action is committed against Jesus and the second against the Holy Spirit. Luke is not contrasting two identical actions with different objects. The action against the Holy Spirit is more intense, which is why he used two very different verbs. Also, we must keep in mind that Jesus has just mentioned how eternally devastating it is to deny him. Jesus is not downplaying his deity in contrast to the Holy Spirit. I don’t believe Jesus is teaching us that the Holy Spirit deserves more reverence and honor than he does. The reason Jesus made a distinction between a sin against him and a sin against the Spirit is due to the role the Spirit plays in our lives. That role is highlighted in the next verse.
The Holy Spirit teaches us. Jesus comments on the specific way the Holy Spirit helps believers in times of persecution. In those moments, the Holy Spirit will teach Christians how they are to speak. This inner work hints at the overall work of the Spirit. Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit would do a lot of work in the hearts of mankind.
John 16:8, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
Later the Apostle Paul would explain that one could only come to a true view of Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit not only helps believers defend themselves against accusations, but he also teaches us about the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. He reveals Christ to us.
Jesus may have been more lenient when people “spoke a word against the Son of Man” because this was still a mysterious identification that he hadn’t yet fully explained in his earthly ministry. This identification wouldn’t be fully explained or illuminated until his death and resurrection. But, “blaspheming the Holy Spirit” was a sin against the revealer and teacher of salvation. If Christ is the subject and the Holy Spirit is the teacher, then sinning against the teacher could prevent you from learning. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, which is mentioned in verse 10, could lead to the denial of the Son in verse 9. Seeing the connection between blasphemy and denial is made more clear when we study the nature of this sort of blasphemy.
This blasphemy is egregious and persistent. Both Matthew and Mark provide a fuller account of Jesus’ teaching on this matter. They recorded an incident where Jesus reacted to a group of people by warning them about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. In both Gospels, we are told that a group of religious leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, which Jesus later refers to as Satan. These Jewish leaders were attributing the work of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus to the power of Satan. They were calling the Holy Spirit evil. Some may explain the work of God in naturalistic terms or remain undecided about the explanation of a supernatural event as an agnostic. The group that Jesus encountered in Mark 3 and Matthew 12 took a much more extreme approach. They degraded and dishonored the work of God by attributing it to the one furthest removed from the holiness of God, Satan. This is an egregious action.
Notice how Jesus doesn’t say directly that the leaders have committed this sin. He only warns them about committing this sin, which may indicate they are close to committing it. This sin should not be understood as a moment of irreverence, but rather as a persistent posture.
The first clue that this is the proper understanding is the context of Luke 12. In verse 9, the “denial” that Jesus was speaking of was a persistent posture and not simply a moment. The example of Peter’s momentary denial makes that clear. The blasphemy should be understood in that same light. A second clue that this is referring to a prolonged posture is the example of the Apostle Paul's conversion. Prior to his conversion, the Apostle Paul persecuted Christians because he saw their movement as heretical and blasphemous.
Galatians 1:13-14, “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.”
We don’t have a record of Paul referring to the work of the Holy Spirit as evil, but based on his zealous persecution of the church it is not far-fetched to imagine him agreeing with the religious leaders who accused Jesus of being empowered by Satan. Paul received forgiveness from Jesus even though he violently persecuted the church as a heretical movement. Paul persecuted the followers of Christ for several months before he converted to Christianity. He was convinced that their movement was not of God. Paul’s story shows us that this blasphemy is not a moment but a life- long persistent posture. The context of denial in Luke 12 and the story of Paul helps us see that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a prolonged persistent posture and not just a moment of profanity or disrespect.
Based on the context of Luke 12 and the stories of Peter and Paul, we have seen that the denial of the Son and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit are defined as egregious and persistent postures against these two. Also, these actions are connected in a cause-and-effect relationship. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit will lead to the denial of the Son of God. If you believe the work of the Holy Spirit is evil and vile then you will never believe him when he teaches you about Christ the Son through inward conviction and illumination. If you believe your calculus teacher is evil and deceptive you will never learn calculus.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is unforgivable because it cuts you off from the one who reveals Christ to your heart. You can’t come to know Christ on your own. The Holy Spirit must guide you. If you decide to deafen yourself to his voice you will find yourself in a place of devastating denial. Decided deafness leads to devastating denial.
If you are afraid that you might have committed the “unforgivable sin,” you haven’t. If you are concerned about your relationship with Christ and you are worried about having jeopardized it somehow, then that shows you are sensitive to conviction. Someone who has committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit doesn’t care that they have done so. They have adamantly believed the work of God in Christ is evil and vile. It is impossible for a follower of Christ to commit such a sin.
With that said, we do have something to learn from this extreme warning about an egregious and persistent sin. We must be careful not to plug our ears from hearing the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit. Turning down his voice is foolish and unwise. As your read and reflection on the scripture, you must be sensitive to his convicting voice. Here is a good test to see how sensitive you are to the voice of the Holy Spirit in the scriptures.
Ask yourself, when was the last time you read your bible and confessed a sin that was mentioned in the passage you read? Hopefully, you can recall a time this last week. If not, I challenge you to prayerfully reflect on scripture this week and confess any sin the Holy Spirit convicts you about. His conviction is not harmful. It is liberating.
If you are not yet following Jesus, I want to encourage you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as well. Don’t distance yourself from church, the Bible, and Christian friends. Carefully consider the claims of Christianity. Let God speak to you through his word and his followers. Shutting yourself off from this book and followers of Christ will have an effect on your heart. If you push the voice of the Holy Spirit away you will find your heart growing harder and harder, which can lead to a point of no return. A point where you are decidedly deaf to the voice of God and deny His Son, which will have devastating and eternal consequences for you. I don’t want that for you. God does not want that for you. Please carefully consider the claims of Christianity and be sensitive to the Spirit of God. If you do this and all of this is a lie then at least you will be certain of it. And, if all this is true then you will have found the most wonderful treasure. If you are sensitive and open, I do believe God will show Himself to you.
