Whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
The title is from Matthew 12:32, which is followed by the LORD speaking of the trees: those we have seen are the leaders risen up from the earth. He is describing what these men teach, their words and ideas that are restated by those they have created in their own image. As we know, these leaders teach their own creation, which they falsely claim God says, and then when the truth is presented their followers call it the work of the devil – only because it opposes their church doctrine, their preacher, or their teacher.
Matthew 12
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
The best advice for our time is to call all God’s people to repentance, asking His forgiveness for straying from Him and His truth, and for speaking lies in His name. Then tell all to stop their own words, become as little children, and again learn the foundation of peace and civility. This is what the LORD is saying in Matthew 7, not that there shouldn’t be judgment, but rather those who don’t have a full and clear understanding of the LORD’s judgment should not judge. He says those who judge without this clarity expose themselves to judgment by the same unbalanced and twisted standard. He then says to clear our eyes of what is causing the imbalance, so we can then go on to help others clear their understanding. This purification produces self-judgment, which is the basis of good self-governing in both men and nations.
All things can be understood, but only with a mind that isn’t hindered by inescapable preconceptions, or led astray by desire or impatience. This is what the LORD goes on to describe, saying that in this state of clarity we see and hear God, who wants to give us all good and necessary gifts.
Matthew 7
1 Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?
4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye [clear what hinders your understanding]; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye [his understanding].
6 Give not that which is holy [purified] unto the dogs [those who have returned to their own vomit], neither cast you your pearls before swine [those who remain wallowing in their mire – the ideas and judgement they have muddied], lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. [This is saying don’t look for clarity to those who have again degenerated into a worse state than where we began – those now lacking truth and judgment]
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [Matthew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see {and hear} God.]
8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets [the second greatest Commandment – which encapsulates the meaning of the fifth thru the tenth Commandments. – the ways of peace and civilization].
13 Enter you in at the strait gate [that is crowded with obstacles of those trying to force their way in]: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets [the obstacles – trees which the LORD will hew down to clear our path], which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 You shall know them by their fruits [their words and the words of those they produce after their own kind]. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
21 Not every one that says unto me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he [the few] that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? [These men are the corrupt trees whose own words condemn them, and they went on their own way and ignored the Father’s will.]
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
The LORD tells us the only people who enter the kingdom of heaven, are those who do the will of the Father which is in heaven. We know heaven is the place defined by understanding God’s will, which is found in His rightly divided word. It is the knowledge of God, which He desires for us above all else. The LORD continues this idea above in verse 24 describing the wise as those who not only hear his words but also do them.
The will of the Father is specifically mentioned one time in Matthew, in the parable the LORD tells in Matthew 21, just after He asks a question that gives its context. It comes as the corrupt trees, those without judgment because of what is blinding their eyes, ask the LORD by what authority He is teaching. The LORD responds by asking them if the baptism of John came from heaven or man. We know the question referred to John’s call for all repent, to prepare the way of the LORD. These men, knowing they hadn’t repented and returned to the place where they strayed from the LORD (and returned to the vomit and mire they had left behind), knew they couldn’t say John’s baptism was from heaven because it would have shown they were not doing the Father’s will. This exchange is followed by the parable of the two sons, which we know is another allegory of these corrupt trees and the publicans and harlots.
The Father’s will is repentance: purification that prepares God’s children to do His work, which we know is in His vineyards, rendering Him the fruit in its season.
Matthew 21
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on you henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Truly I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority?
24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did you not then believe him?
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Truly I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him.
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the LORD therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them.
46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
In previous posts we have seen that man is saved by what he confesses with His mouth, specifically attributing and rendering the fruit to the LORD. We know this means we proclaim the LORD is alive in us, speaking His word and will to reconcile the world to Himself. We understand this is our salvation and the salvation of the world. Proverbs 12 speaks of it in the context of all here discussed, verse 14 saying, “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands [his work in the Father’s vineyard] shall be rendered unto him.” The same idea of being rewarded based on the words a person speaks is seen in the verse prior where we are told: “the wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips.”
Proverbs 12
1 Whoso loves instruction loves knowledge: but he that hates reproof is brutish.
2 A good man obtains favor of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that makes ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
9 He that is despised, and has a servant, is better than he that honors himself, and lacks bread.
10 A righteous man regards the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tills his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that follows vain persons is void of understanding.
12 The wicked desire the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise.
16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covers shame.
17 He that speaks truth shows forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
18 There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
25 Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word make it glad.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduces them.
27 The slothful man roasts not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
28 In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
Romans 11
25 For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as you in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God has concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who has known the mind of the LORD? or who has been his counsellor?
35 Or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Friends, the mystery ends when the vail is taken away and we understand the LORD is with us, His Spirit in us, which liberates us from death and our blindness. Only in accepting Him as He is are we changed into the same image: seeing His glory resulting in our glory. We know this is written in ending 1 Corinthians 3, and continues into the next chapter describing the blindness we have come out from. This is the same hindered judgment the LORD spoke of as the beam in a person’s eye that keeps them from seeing, and without the ability to help others understand.
2 Corinthians 3
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the LORD, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the LORD is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the LORD, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.
2 Corinthians 4
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the LORD; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the LORD Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death works in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the LORD Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Verse 13 above quotes Psalms 116:10, where we are in like context told of our walking with the LORD in the land of the living. It is speaking of our coming from death into life, by believing and speaking, the Psalm’s verse 13 then saying, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.”
Psalms 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech you, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto your rest, O my soul; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11 I said in my haste, All men are liars [the Divine truth revealed – men in the land of the living do see God and speak His word – which is what the writer came to believe and confess, and then following it is reproduced in his life and words].
12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid: you have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
19 In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise you the LORD.
Exodus 19 tells of the LORD coming in the cloud on the third day, to show the people He is speaking to and through Moses. It is the LORD speaking and His people believing.
Exodus 19
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
As we know, this is the encounter on the mountain spoken of in Hebrews 12 before we are told of our reaching mount Zion and heavenly Jerusalem. The chapter goes on to says the first voice was heard on the earth, and the voice we are now hearing is from heaven.
Hebrews 12
25 See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
We know this is the same voice of correction the chapter being by describing, which is the same voice described as Hebrews 1 begins.
Hebrews 12
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not you the chastening [correction] of the LORD, nor faint when you are rebuked of him:
6 For whom the LORD loves he chastens, and scourges [disciplines] every son whom he receives.
Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
