8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. (Luke 12:8-12 KJV)
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
Note here that:
- Not confessing Christ is, in his eyes, the same as denying him and being ashamed of him.
- Anyone who denies or is ashamed of Christ—whether rejecting his person, his gospel, or his people—out of fear of others or a desire to please them, will be denied and rejected by Christ with shame on the great Day of Judgment (Luke 12:8-9).
Christ can be denied in three ways: by false teaching and heresy, by words that reject him, or by living a sinful and unholy life. But woe to anyone who denies Christ in any of these ways.
Even though no one ever preached or lived like Christ did, some still spoke against him. His person was despised and ridiculed—because of his humble birth, his poverty, and the openness of his interactions with people. Yet this kind of offense didn’t put a person beyond hope. “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him” (Luke 12:10). But whoever attributes the divine power by which Jesus performed miracles to the devil commits a sin that cannot be forgiven.
That kind of blasphemy—against the Holy Spirit—is unpardonable, because it resists the final and greatest means God has provided to bring people to repentance. What more could have been done to show that Christ is the promised Messiah than the miracles he performed so publicly and clearly? But the Pharisees, though they saw those miracles and knew they were from God, claimed they were done by the power of the devil. Jesus calls this “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” a sin that will not be forgiven.
Jesus also tells his apostles that for preaching his message and standing by their faith in him, they would be brought before rulers and judges of every kind. But he encourages them not to worry or be anxious about what to say when that happens, because the Holy Spirit will give them the right words in that very moment (Luke 12:11-12).
From this, learn that although Christ’s truth may be attacked, those who defend it will never be left without help. God himself, through his Spirit, will give them the words and wisdom they need. “In that hour the Holy Spirit will teach you what you ought to say.”