Accounting For Words
Notes
Transcript
Slandering the Spirit
Slandering the Spirit
But indifference to Christ is just as damning as outright rejection since, as Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matt. 12:30)
John F. MacArthur
There is no 3rd option. You are with Jesus or you are not. Currently and in the future, there is either a relationship with Him or there is not.
He also speaks of Himself as worthy of greatest devotion and allegiance - He alone is worthy of such preeminence but also He is the only way to eternal life and in no one else can reconciliation with God be found.
Therefore slander, harmful speech is something that can be forgiven, except for the type of lying condemnation uttered about the power and presence of God like we see in v.24
Jesus even goes as far as to say that slander can even be made about Him and be forgiven - denial, unbelief (“can anything good come from Nazareth”, also His brothers), confusion, etc. However, as Jesus works and moves in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and makes Himself undeniable to witnesses, they are without excuse for their constant denial of the power of God in their midst. Profaning and disrespecting the revelation of God’s goodness in the person of Jesus Christ by the power of His Spirit.
The distinction
Peters denial and restoration
Stephens speech to the synagogue (see Acts 6:11-15.)
51 “You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
Speaking from the heart
Speaking from the heart
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
whats the fruit? what is good fruit?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Therefore, those who gather with Jesus, abide with Jesus, bear good fruit as those who belong to Jesus - in other words, they become like Jesus. He exists in the fullness of the Spirit and defines these characteristics. If you deny that what you see in Him are love, joy, peace, etc., then you are denying the truth and blaspheming the work of the Spirit that has made them plain to see.
But, according to v.30, it is still not acceptable as far as righteousness goes, to just agree that these things are true. Are you with Him? Do you gather with Him?
v.34 brood of vipers
offspring of venomous snakes
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
men speak what is in their hearts, even if it sounds good or true, it may be a lie due to the fact the person speaking may not believe it
Good treasure/bad treasure
money box - a place where people kept their valuables secure
Jesus is communicating that people speak out of the treasurery of their hearts.
Accounting for Words
Accounting for Words
the unbelievers words have no eternal value because they do not issue from a pure heart, or the word Himself. Therefore an itemized statement of all they have said, issuing from their wicked hearts, will be presented and they will be unable to reconcile all their confessions and useless ramblings and blasphemies.
the righteous speaks in righteousness when from his heart the truth and love of Jesus come forth.
“in accordance with” - the evidence of a justified or condemned soul is found in their speech,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not of works, so that no one may boast.
carelessness in word usage also could be rendered “without thought” - do you think about the value of words? do you have any good words to speak? where do they come from? what do those closest to you hear you say? what does God hear you say?