What Jesus Did! 'Forgivable and Unforgivable' — Luke 12:10

Sunday, August 13, 2023

[Jesus continued,] "Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."
— Luke 12:10 NLT

Key Thought

We can certainly be thankful that past blasphemies and past rejections of Jesus will not be held against us when we repent and come to him. But what about the "unforgivable sin" of blaspheming the Holy Spirit? It is unforgivable only if we continue to attribute the work of Jesus to Satan and not the Holy Spirit [1] and if we continue to resist the Holy Spirit's testimony to Jesus, [2] because we then remain outside the forgiveness and grace of God that are found only in Jesus. [3] In Jesus, however, we receive grace, mercy, and forgiveness of our sins, [4] no matter what they were. We know that when we come to Christ and confess our sins, we are cleansed of "every kind of sin" and "all wickedness," [5] and "every" and "all" certainly include even blasphemy of the Spirit. For this grace, we can only offer our thanks, praise, and devotion to God!

[1] Mark 3:22-30.
[2] Acts 7:51.
[3] Acts 4:12.
[4] Hebrews 4:16; Acts 2:38-39, 10:43, 13:38; Colossians 1:13-14.
[5] Titus 2:12-14; 1 John 1:7-9.

Today's Prayer

Thank you, dear Father in heaven, for cleansing me of my past offenses that insulted you, your Son, and your Spirit. I am genuinely sorry for them and wish I could go back and not do them. However, dear Father, since I cannot do that, I am thankful that your grace has totally removed my guilt associated with the things I've done. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Acts 2:36-41
  • 1 Corinthians 6:11
  • Psalm 103:10-12

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 12:10 NLT — [Jesus continued,] "Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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