Forgiven

What would you like to be forgiven for?

Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. - Matt. 12:22-32

Jesus tells his followers and unbelievers that there is an action we can take that will not be forgiven, blasphemy against the Spirit.

What Jesus is referring to here is what just happened.  The Pharisees attributed to Satan what was the work of God, which is blasphemy of the Spirit.

They said what Jesus did could only be done by Beelzebul, Satan.  So they were rejecting the sign Jesus showed them by casting out demons, saying only Satan could do that.

Do we think that is true?  Is Satan more powerful than God?

Of course, they can't accept the idea that Jesus is God, or even that he is from God, so they have no way to perceive anything else.

But they are the teachers of the people of God, so you would think they would lean toward God when it comes to understanding who is behind such miracles.

We see the same type of blindness today in our divisions.

We are so convinced that our view is right and the other view is wrong, that we say it the work of the devil.  Those who are not with us are against us, and since we are good they are evil.

But no worries.  We can all be forgiven, right?

So long as the work being done by the evil ones among us is not God's work, we run no risk of blaspheming the Spirit.

Of course, this only matters to those who believe in God, and that number is dwindling fast, so we will just have to wait and see when the time comes who is forgiven for being foolish and who is not.

More to come...