Jesus Used Logic by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=3755

Jesus Used Logic

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Jesus was undoubtedly the Master Logician. He demonstrated unsurpassed logical prowess on every occasion. One such incident occurred when He was preaching to a group that had gathered in a house. So many people were crammed into the house that four men were unable to bring a paralytic into contact with Him, so they carried him onto the roof, punched a hole through the ceiling, and lowered him down through the hole into the presence of Jesus. The text then reads:

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:5-12).

Observe that in their private thoughts the scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy, since He claimed to forgive the man of his sins on the spot—an act that only Deity could rightly perform. By asking the question, “Which is easier…?,” Jesus was urging them to reason correctly and think through what was taking place. If Jesus had the power to cause a bedfast paralytic to stand up and walk, instantaneously healing him of his affliction, then He either had divine backing or He, Himself, was God. Anyone can verbally say, “Your sins are forgiven” (cf. Catholic priests). That is what Jesus meant when he used the word “easier.” For a mere human to pronounce forgiveness upon a fellow human does not make it so. How, then, can one determine whether sin is actually forgiven, i.e., that God forgave the individual? Answer: The one making the claim would either have to be God in the flesh, or he would have to have divine authority for his action, and that divine authority would have to be verified, i.e., proven and shown to be authentic.
The purpose of miracles throughout the Bible was to authenticate God’s spokesmen. To verify that his words and claims were authored by God, the speaker would perform a miracle (see Miller, 2003; cf. Hebrews 2:3-4). When an observer saw a bona fide miracle performed before his very eyes, he could know, i.e., have complete certainty, that the speaker was a genuine representative of God. Jesus, therefore, prodded the scribes to face up to the fact that if Jesus could merely speak to the paralytic and cause him to be healed, then Jesus possessed divine credentials and had every right to also forgive the man of his sins. Follow the logic:

1. If Jesus can perform miraculous feats, then His claim to be the Son of God Who can forgive sin is true.
2. Jesus can perform miraculous feats (He healed the paralytic on this occasion).
3. Therefore, Jesus is the Son of God Who can forgive sin.

Having pressed this remarkably logical handling of the situation, all that remained was for Jesus to perform a miraculous feat, thereby validating His power to forgive the paralytic man of sin. So Jesus healed the man, prefaced with this logical conclusion: “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (vs. 10). Jesus’ logic was impeccable, powerful, and perfectly consistent with Deity.

REFERENCES

Miller, Dave (2003), “Modern-Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking, and Holy Spirit Baptism: A Refutation—EXTENDED VERSION,” http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1399.

From Jim McGuiggan... Be of good cheer, Snoopy

Be of good cheer, Snoopy

It’s around Christmas time, it’s snowing and Snoopy is sitting all alone, shivering. Charlie Brown and (I think) Shermy, dressed against the chilly weather are looking at Snoopy (poor thing), they’re overcome with pity and decide to do something. So over they go and Shermy says, "Be of good cheer, Snoopy" and Charlie says, "Yes, be of good cheer" and off they walk leaving Snoopy as they found him. Well, not quite as they found him. He's still alone and shivering but he has that slightly perplexed look on his face as he looks at the figures walking off into the distance. There’s a big question mark in a bubble above his head.

Mr. Schulz obviously had James 2:14-16 in mind. When someone is in need and we can certainly do something about it but we leave him or her (or them) needy, having mouthed a few pious words—that’s pathetic.

There's something deeply sickening about our being warmed and filled while a million Lazuruses are lying around us in plain sight. To hoard is a sin! Of a man who had more than enough but built greater barns to hoard even more of the goods God gave him to share—of him God said, "You fool!"

Do we not too often tell people, "Be of good cheer" without giving them good reasons to be of good cheer? You don’t hear that kind of thing in the NT. "Be of good cheer" in the gospels doesn’t occur without a reason following. To frightened disciples Jesus said, "Be of good cheer, it's me." To a poor miserable and fearful wretch the Master said, "Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven." To followers frightened of having to face a world that will give them trouble and pain the Christ said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." And so it goes in all the other texts where words like these occur.

Where it’s possible and appropriate we ought to be saying, "Be of good cheer because I have the money you need and I will gladly give it to you." "Be of good cheer they have found your child that was lost." "Be of good cheer we now have a way around that difficulty." There are countless situations where we can make an immediate difference to a situation that needs changing! Sometimes we can do it alone. Sometimes it takes a handful or a multitude of us all banding together—but there are things we can and should change!

I don’t have to tell you that there are countless situations that can’t be changed immediately, no matter how many of us there are that fervently wish we could do something about them. The situation is too complex and too far-gone. The child will die, the marriage will crumble, the son will go to prison, the business will fail, tens of thousands will die in the famine, the firm will go belly-up and the employees will be out of jobs...and on...and on...and on.

That doesn’t excuse us when we leave Snoopy sitting bewildered and shivering in the snow, with a bubble over his head and a big question mark in it.

And ministers of the Word of God can’t be excused for trotting out the same well-worn moralizing week after week after week. No development of rich truth, no wrestling with the scriptures in the sight of God to strengthen the hearts of those whose immediate circumstances can’t be changed. No, instead we get the same seven-steps to moral fine-tuning, ten more reasons we should all be happy, the nineteen laws if you want a great family, eight more points showing that we’re not to "sweat the small stuff" and why it is that all our problems are "small stuff".

No attempt to develop the cosmic ramifications of what God has done and is doing in Jesus Christ. No sustained and vibrant talk of a judgment that will right all wrongs or how it is that our suffering is playing its part in the redemptive work of God on behalf of the human family. Nothing complex, nothing challenging, nothing that gives the hurt of the nations depth and meaning and dignity. Nothing but the wringing of our hands in the pulpit (or out of it) and an unsupported "Be of good cheer" as we make our way into the foyer.

In God’s name give us some reason to "be of good cheer". After a while we want more than your piteous tone, your pained look and your obvious sympathy. We get sick of that no matter how sincere it might be. And we especially get sick of the verbal hand-wringing. Plunge into the gospel and come back with something about Him that galvanizes your faith and hope. And with that help us to gallantly face down our situations that can’t immediately be changed.

Quit educating us or instructing us [of course I'm overstating my point!]—inspire us, empower us! We're tired learning how much you know, what a scholar you are; we're tired of hearing you explain—one more time— what this or that verse means before moving on to explain another; we're tired of you proving—one more time—whose doctrine is false. You've piled enough firewood in the fireplace—it's fire we want and fire we need!

All right, yes, we know that you know more than the rest of us and we know that much of what you say is accurate but we want and profoundly need the kind of truth that stuns, astonishes and empowers us to speak and stay on our feet when a "world" demands we be silent and threatens to flatten us.

We're not interested in pep-talks, sermonettes or stand-up commedians or good old boys with lots of personal stories to tell! Give us God! Give us the massive truths about God. We don't need you to be smart, at least we don't need for you to show us you're smart—we need to know and see that God is magnificent!

Give us big reasons, big truths that gives substance to your glib pulpit oracles like, "Be of good cheer!"

Be a preacher/teacher of the GOSPEL!

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

From Gary... Beyond the moon

Pessimistic isn't it?  How can one realistically have a genuine spirit of positiveness- A "shoot for the moon" attitude and at the same time describe failure in such hideous terms?  It makes me wonder why one would even bother to use the word "Ambition" in the first place. For, unless

you really believe in the genuine possibility of success; why bother to go further than a simple "what if"?  For the Christian, we have the hope of the promises of God; the assurance of the victory that only the power that resides within the almighty can provide. Consider Jesus' message to the assembly at Philadelphia...

Revelation, Chapter 3

 7  “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: 

“He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things: 

  8  “I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name.   9  Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.   10  Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.   11  I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.   12  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.   13  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. 

The totality of the thoughts and plans of God are beyond our comprehension;  Isaiah chapter 55:8ff. makes this abundantly clear. However, we do have what we really need to do the will of God. We have the Scriptures to guide us, the love of God to motivate us and the "today" before us to provide the opportunity. If we try and fail at what we attempt, then, ultimately we grow- and give God the glory!!!  Christianity is a WIN, WIN situation!!! Love, God- and do what you like. For if I truly love HIM, I will seek HIS revealed will and will respond in a manner that the Bible has trained me to. In other words- God's will, God's way, God's result. Like Jesus revealed to his apostle John:

“He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:..."

 Believe it, because its true!!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading November 28

Bible Reading   

November 28

The World English Bible

Nov. 28

Ezekiel 5-8

Eze 5:1 You, son of man, take a sharp sword; You shall take it as a barber's razor to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

Eze 5:2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Eze 5:3 You shall take of it a few in number, and bind them in your skirts.

Eze 5:4 Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; from it shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.

Eze 5:5 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are around her.

Eze 5:6 She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.

Eze 5:7 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you are turbulent more than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you;

Eze 5:8 therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations.

Eze 5:9 I will do in you that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations.

Eze 5:10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of you, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you; and the whole remnant of you will I scatter to all the winds.

Eze 5:11 Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall my eye spare, and I also will have no pity.

Eze 5:12 A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.

Eze 5:13 Thus shall my anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I shall be comforted; and they shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.

Eze 5:14 Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.

Eze 5:15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I, Yahweh, have spoken it;)

Eze 5:16 when I shall send on them the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine on you, and will break your staff of bread;

Eze 5:17 and I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they shall bereave you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword on you: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.

Eze 6:1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Eze 6:2 Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them,

Eze 6:3 and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.

Eze 6:4 Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

Eze 6:5 I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars.

Eze 6:6 In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

Eze 6:7 The slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

Eze 6:8 Yet will I leave a remnant, in that you shall have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you shall be scattered through the countries.

Eze 6:9 Those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations where they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

Eze 6:10 They shall know that I am Yahweh: I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.

Eze 6:11 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Smite with your hand, and stamp with your foot, and say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

Eze 6:12 He who is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he who is near shall fall by the sword; and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my wrath on them.

Eze 6:13 You shall know that I am Yahweh, when their slain men shall be among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols.

Eze 6:14 I will stretch out my hand on them, and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations: and they shall know that I am Yahweh.

Eze 7:1 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Eze 7:2 You, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, An end: the end is come on the four corners of the land.

Eze 7:3 Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations.

Eze 7:4 My eye shall not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations shall be in the midst of you: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

Eze 7:5 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: An evil, an only evil; behold, it comes.

Eze 7:6 An end is come, the end is come; it awakes against you; behold, it comes.

Eze 7:7 Your doom is come to you, inhabitant of the land: the time is come, the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains.

Eze 7:8 Now will I shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations.

Eze 7:9 My eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will bring on you according to your ways; and your abominations shall be in the midst of you; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, do strike.

Eze 7:10 Behold, the day, behold, it comes: your doom is gone forth; the rod has blossomed, pride has budded.

Eze 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth: neither shall there be eminency among them.

Eze 7:12 The time is come, the day draws near: don't let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.

Eze 7:13 For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they be yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude of it, none shall return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

Eze 7:14 They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but none goes to the battle; for my wrath is on all its multitude.

Eze 7:15 The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within: he who is in the field shall die with the sword: and he who is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.

Eze 7:16 But those of those who escape shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one in his iniquity.

Eze 7:17 All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

Eze 7:18 They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.

Eze 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Yahweh: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.

Eze 7:20 As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it to them as an unclean thing.

Eze 7:21 I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it.

Eze 7:22 My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret place; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it.

Eze 7:23 Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

Eze 7:24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pride of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be profaned.

Eze 7:25 Destruction comes; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.

Eze 7:26 Mischief shall come on mischief, and rumor shall be on rumor; and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.

Eze 7:27 The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments will I judge them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.

Eze 8:1 It happened in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord Yahweh fell there on me.

Eze 8:2 Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire; and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.

Eze 8:3 He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north; where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.

Eze 8:4 Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.

Eze 8:5 Then said he to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and see, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

Eze 8:6 He said to me, Son of man, see you what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but you shall again see yet other great abominations.

Eze 8:7 He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.

Eze 8:8 Then said he to me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door.

Eze 8:9 He said to me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.

Eze 8:10 So I went in and saw; and see, every form of creeping things, and abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.

Eze 8:11 There stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up.

Eze 8:12 Then said he to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.

Eze 8:13 He said also to me, You shall again see yet other great abominations which they do.

Eze 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh's house which was toward the north; and see, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz.

Eze 8:15 Then said he to me, Have you seen this, son of man? you shall again see yet greater abominations than these.

Eze 8:16 He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh's house; and see, at the door of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.

Eze 8:17 Then he said to me, Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and behold, they put the branch to their nose.

Eze 8:18 Therefore will I also deal in wrath; my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

 

Nov. 28

James 1

Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Jas 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

Jas 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Jas 1:4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Jas 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

Jas 1:7 For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Jas 1:8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Jas 1:9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

Jas 1:10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

Jas 1:11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.

Jas 1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Jas 1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

Jas 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

Jas 1:21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

Jas 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;

Jas 1:24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

Jas 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Jas 1:26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man's religion is worthless.

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

From Mark Copeland... The Unforgiveable Sin (Mark 3:22-30)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    The Unforgiveable Sin (3:22-30)

INTRODUCTION

1. During His earthly ministry, Jesus faced great opposition from
   religious leaders...
   a. By Pharisees and Herodians who plotted to destroy Him - Mk 3:6
   b. By scribes from Jerusalem, who accused Him of using demonic power
      - Mk 3:22

2. In our text for this lesson, Jesus easily answered the scribes'
   charge...
   a. For Satan to cast out demons defeated his (Satan's) own purpose
      - Mk 3:23-26
   b. On the contrary, casting out demons was integral to defeating
      Satan - Mk 3:27

3. On this occasion Jesus mentioned an "unforgiveable sin"...
   a. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - Mk 3:28-29
   b. For which there is no forgiveness - cf. Mt 12:31-32

[These words of Jesus have troubled many, who wonder if they have
committed this "eternal sin" (ESV) that "never has forgiveness".  Let's
first seek to identify exactly what was...]

I. THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN THEN

   A. WHAT WAS THIS SIN...?
      1. Jesus described it as blaspheming the Holy Spirit - Mk 3:29
         a. Blaspheme - "to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile,
            calumniate, blaspheme" - Thayer
         b. Thus to speak evil of the Holy Spirit in some way
      2. Mark reveals exactly how they spoke evil of the Spirit - Mk 3:30
         a. "because they said, 'He has an unclean spirit.'"
         b. By attributing Jesus' power to cast out demons to Beelzebub
            (Satan), they spoke evil of the Holy Spirit by whom Jesus
            cast out demons - cf. Mt 12:28
      3. In effect, they were calling the Holy Spirit a demon; in so
         doing...
         a. They denied the evidence that Jesus was truly from God
         b. They deprived themselves of evidence to believe in Jesus
         c. They divested all hope of forgiveness that comes only
            through Jesus
      -- The unforgiveable sin was to believe that the Holy Spirit was
         in fact Satan!

   B. CAN IT BE COMMITTED TODAY...?
      1. "Probably not. It was a sin committed when Jesus was on earth
         performing miracles. Since He is not physically on earth today,
         casting out demons, the same possibility of blaspheming the
         Holy Spirit does not exist." - Believer's Bible Commentary
      2. "People who worry that they have committed the unpardonable sin
         have not done so. The very fact that they are concerned
         indicates that they are not guilty of blasphemy against the
         Holy Spirit." - ibid.
      3. From the NET Bible:  "Three things must be kept in mind..."
         a. "The nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious
            work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan's
            power) to Satan himself"
         b. "It is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but
            is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit's
            work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed
            Jesus"
         c. "A person who is concerned about it has probably never
            committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the
            religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about
            Jesus' warning"
      -- Even if it can be committed today, if you worry that you have,
         you haven't!

[Speaking of "unforgiveable sins", we do well to review how we can still
fall into a condition where forgiveness is not possible as long as we
remain in it...]

II. THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN TODAY

   A. WHAT IS THIS SIN...?
      1. There is a sin by which we "crucify again" the Son of God - He 6:4-6
      2. There is a sin for which there "no longer remains a sacrifice
         for sin" - He 10:26-31
      -- This sin is one in which there is no hope for forgiveness!

   B. HOW DO WE COMMIT IT...?
      1. Note carefully that it is an ongoing sin, a condition of
         rebellion against God
         a. Committed openly - cf. He 6:6
         b. Committed continually - cf. He 10:26 ("go on sinning", ESV,
            NASB)
         c. Committed willfully - cf. He 10:26 ("deliberately", ESV,
            TNIV)
         d. Committed knowingly - cf. He 6:4; He 10:26
      2. A spiritual condition in which one is doing grave things - He 10:29
         a. Trampling the Son of God underfoot
         b. Treating the blood of the covenant (Jesus' blood) a common
            thing
         c. Insulting the Spirit of grace
      3. A spiritual condition that left unchecked has grave
         consequences
         a. Fearful expectation of judgment - He 10:27
         b. Fiery indignation - He 10:27
         c. Worse punishment than death - He 10:28-29
         d. Vengeance and judgment by the Lord upon His people - He 10:
            30-31
      -- It is any sin that we knowingly refuse to repent of, despite
         many opportunities!

CONCLUSION

1. Many today worry about blaspheming the Holy Spirit...
   a. A serious sin indeed, but likely cannot be replicated today
   b. If one worries about it, they are certainly not guilty of it!

2. People should be more concerned about any sin...
   a. They knowingly commit
   b. They refuse to give up

Whether one is obeying the gospel of Christ for the first time, or has
already "tasted the heavenly gift" (He 6:4) and "received the knowledge
of the truth" (He 10:26), all sins are "unforgiveable" unless we repent.

Are we willing to let the goodness of God lead us to repentance...? -
cf. Ro 2:4-5 

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Mark Copeland... The True Family Of Jesus (Mark 3:31-35)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   The True Family Of Jesus (3:31-35)

INTRODUCTION

1. A wonderful blessing in life is to have a loving, supportive
   family...
   a. Where husband and wife truly love one another
   b. Where parents and children truly support one another

2. Such families are becoming increasingly rare...
   a. Complicated by cohabitation before marriage, divorce after
      marriage, eventually death
   b. Children suffering from parents who don't love each other, who
      don't care for them

3. But there is a Family...
   a. Where love and support is available to everyone
   b. Where the relationships need never end

[We are reminded of this wonderful Family in our text (Mk 3:31-35), in
which Jesus uses the occasion of His earthly family seeking to talk with
Him to make the point about His "true family"...]

I. THE IDENTITY OF HIS FAMILY

   A. NOT HIS PHYSICAL FAMILY...
      1. Including His mother Mary, and step-father Joseph
      2. Including His brothers James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and His
         sisters - Mk 6:3
      3. Even at age 12 Jesus knew His true Father - cf. Lk 2:48-49
      -- Not that Jesus did not value His physical family (cf. Jn 19:
         26-27)

   B. THOSE WHO DO HIS FATHER'S WILL...
      1. His disciples, as identified on the occasion of our text - Mk 3:34-35
      2. Whoever does the will of His Father are those recognized by
         Him- cf. Mt 7:21-23
      3. They are the ones who are truly blessed - cf. Lk 11:27-28
      -- The true family of Jesus is His spiritual family!

[Having identified the "true family" of Jesus, let's review some of the
many blessings of this family...]

II. THE BLESSINGS OF HIS FAMILY

   A. DIVINE...
      1. God as our Father
         a. Who hears our prayers - Mt 6:6
         b. Who provides our basic needs - Mt 6:11,30-33; 7:11
         c. Who forgives our sins - Mt 6:12
         d. Who delivers us from the evil one - Mt 6:13
      2. Jesus as our Brother
         a. Who is proud to call us "brethren" - He 2:11-12
         b. Who made like His brethren, is our perfect High Priest - He 2:17-18; 4:14-16
         c. Who ever lives to make intercession for us - He 7:25; Ro 8:
            34
      3. The Holy Spirit as our Helper and Strength
         a. Who also makes intercession for us - Ro 8:26-27
         b. Who enables us to put to live the Christian life - Ro 8:
            12-13
         c. Who engenders a child-like love in our hearts for God - Ro 8:15; Ga 4:6
      -- Just a few blessings made possible by the Divine members of
         Jesus' family!

   B. IMMENSE...
      1. A hundredfold family members in this time - Mk 10:28-30
      2. The members of every congregation - 1Ti 5:1-2
      3. Indeed, the whole family in heaven and earth - Ep 3:14-15
      -- Every Christian, living and dead, is a member of Jesus' family!

   C. ETERNAL...
      1. Physical family ties are severed at death - cf. Ro 7:2; 1Co 7:39; Mk 12:24-25
      2. Jesus' spiritual family looks forward to an eternal inheritance
         - Ro 8:16-17; Re 21:1-7
      -- Jesus' family is the only one that will endure through
         eternity!

CONCLUSION

1. "The True Family Of Jesus" is great indeed...
   a. A spiritual Family involving Deity and countless souls!
   b. An everlasting Family untainted by divorce and death!

2. Becoming an accepted member of this Family...
   a. Is made possible by the wonderful love of God - 1Jn 3:1
   b. Is the result of God's wonderful plan of redemption in Jesus
      Christ - Ep 1:3-14

3. "The True Family Of Jesus" is available to all...
   a. Who are willing to receive Him through faith and baptism - Jn 1:12; Ga 3:26-27
   b. Who are thus born again of water and the Spirit - Jn 3:3-5
   c. Who become the family of Jesus through obedience to the will of
      God - Mk 3:35

Don't you want to be a member of "The True Family Of Jesus"...?

    Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

                                             - Jn 3:7

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011