26
January 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B. u s i n e s s
g PAS SAGES THAT PERPLEX
, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blas phemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for given unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come.” Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:29. W E are frequently asked our opinion concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost. Not a few per sons recently have informed us of someone whom they believed to have committed it or who themselves imagined that they were beyond the pale of hope. Prac tically every one from whom we have heard had failed to note the exact nature of this sin defined by our Lord. The Pharisees, having witnessed the miracles of Jesus and listened to His wondrous words—knowing full well in their innermost hearts that nothing short of deity could account for either His works or His words—yet in their stubbornness, not wishing to acknowledge His claims— deliberately attributed His power to the devil. Our Lord immediately declared that one so hardened had sealed his eternal destiny. Putting it concisely, this sin consisted in words malignantly spoken against the power of the Holy Spirit working through Christ. Is this a common sin today? It was not merely some slighting, trifling word spoken in ignorance against God, but the outburst of an inner condition, long developing, and which eventually spurned the very highest evidence God could give of the deity of His Son, His greatest mir acles. Words spoken under such conditions, Jesus knew came from an incurable condition of heart and therefore there could be no pardon. We believe that even atheists and infidels of today could scarcely approach the degree of guilt attached to the Pharisees of old because they have not seen with their own eyes such evidence as the Son of Man gave to them. This was a sin that absolutely incapacitated the soul for repentance. God promises to forgive all who repent, but men who could turn their backs on the highest evi dence ever given, proved they had no ability to repent. It is certain that any person who has a true desire to be saved is not in this class. Those troubled about this sin are the least likely to have committed it. The reader’s attention is called to the statement “who soever speaketh a word against the Son o f Man it shall be forgiven him.” The title “Son of Man” here is very sig nificant. It is the title that speaks of Him as God under the veil of human flesh. He could overlook their inability to discern His greatness while in this humble form of man, and whosoever might speak against Him might later repent. Suppose a king assumes the disguise of a subject and mingles with rude people. While in this disguise he is insulted by someone. Would not he be more merciful toward the offender under these circumstances than,if he had been insulted while sitting clothed in his royal robes upon the throne ? Christ’s murderers, blind to His real glory, sinned against Him in His human nature—yet He could pray, “Father, forgive them,” and no doubt many of them were among those saved at Pentecost. But in the case of the
Holy Spirit, no such plea can be set up. The Holy Spirit makes men holy-H His works are works of great beneficence. When it comes to confounding the Holy Spirit with a vile spirit, the offense is too rotten to be for given. This is wilfully insulting Deity, It is not merely error—-it is blasphemy. While there is a rejection of the wooings of the Spirit up to a point where He no longer strives with men, the result of which is the loss of the soul, nothing can be gathered from the unpardonable sin which Christ defined as to any particular sin which some today imagine has put them beyond hope. The poet Cowper was under the delusion that he had committed this sin and at times wanted to commit suicide. Yet the very fact that he had a desire to come to Christ proved the opposite. Let us remember our Saviour’s invi tation “whosoever will, let him come,” and His promise, “Him that cometh to me I will on no account cast out.” ¿Mb, ^Ib, * Signs of Sainthood “God’s children are like stars, that shine brightest in the darkest night; like grapes, that come not to the proof till they come to the press; like trees, that drive down their roots farther and grasp the earth tighter by reason of the storm; like vines, that grow the better for bleeding; like juniper, that smells sweet est in the fire; like the pomander, which becomes more fragrant for chafing; like the palm-tree, which proves the better for preserving; like the chamomile, which spreads the more as you tread upon it.”
Listening In God has a “wireless” to everywhere, We call it the Word of God and Prayer, And everyone may daily win God’s choicest gifts by “listening in.” First you must shut out every sound From the busy world which throngs around, For Vanity Fair makes a deafening din On purpose to hinder “listening in.” The devil will use his utmost power To stop you from having this quiet hour, For well he knows that safety from sin Comes always and only from “listening in.” But when you have prayerfully read God’s Word The still small voice will then be heard, And wondrous peace and power within Daily result from “listening in.” God longs to give His best to you To make you loyal and strong and true,. If you’ve not begun, to-day begin To prove the joy of “listening in.” *
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