Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit shows that blasphemy arises when religious people reject what God is doing and call it evil. Jesus confronts the Pharisees for judging by appearances rather than by fruit, revealing that words expose the heart (Matthew 12:24, 33-34). This generation demanded signs, rejected truth, and became worse than before (Matthew 12:39-45). The warning is clear: tradition without relationship leads to judgment.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
John 13:2, Matthew 12:33, Matthew 7:15-16, Matthew 21:34-43, Mark 4:29, John 15:2-8, John 15:16, Romans 1:13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9, Galatians 5:19, Matthew 12:34, 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Matthew 12:36-37, Matthew 12:31-32, Matthew 12:38, Matthew 12:39-40, Matthew 12:41, Matthew 12:42, Matthew 12:45, Matthew 17:17, Matthew 23:35-36, Matthew 24:34, Matthew 24:36, Matthew 12:43-45,
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Context of Matthew 12 and the Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost
Last week, we covered most of chapter 12, working through binding the strong man (Matthew 12:29). The next section addresses the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31-32). I will address that later, not right now, because we all know what it says and what it addresses.
This section, which began with Matthew 12:22, continues the Lord’s correction of the Pharisees who accused Him of working by Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24). He reminds them that a tree is known and justified by its fruit (Matthew 12:33). The issue is not appearances but fruit—whether it comes from God or the devil. Jesus exposes the Pharisees as vipers, not Himself, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Their words bring poison, while His words bring life. In the end, every person will be justified or condemned by their words (Matthew 12:36-37), which forces us to ask what our own words are doing for us or against us.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
They demand a supernatural sign, but they will receive only the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:39-40). The men of Nineveh will judge that generation (Matthew 12:41), and the queen of the south will also judge that generation (Matthew 12:42). The reason is that this generation is like a man delivered from a demon who later becomes seven times worse (Matthew 12:45). This is not primarily about an individual but about a generation of people, and that distinction is critical to understanding the passage.
The Lord’s natural mother and brothers then become concerned about Jesus (Matthew 12:46). He responds by redefining family, asking who His brothers are and answering that they are those who do the will of His Father (Matthew 12:48-50).
The Healing That Set the Context
As we move forward, remember that this whole section began when Jesus healed a blind, mute, and demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22). The crowds were amazed and began to say He must be the Son of David (Matthew 12:23). The Pharisees rejected that conclusion and claimed He was working by the devil (Matthew 12:24). That accusation led to His teaching about entering the strong man’s house and binding him (Matthew 12:29). With that context in mind, verse 33 follows naturally, where Jesus says the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 12:33
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.
We studied this in chapter 7, verses 15-23. Remember that we studied the fruit. Jesus said that we know, ministry by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-23).
Matthew 7:15-16
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Here again, He is discussing ministry. He is still dealing with grievous wolves and addressing the Pharisees. Jesus says you will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:16). Ministry is known by what it produces. You look at the fruit to judge the tree. A healthy apple that is firm, full, and sweet tells you it came from a healthy tree. A small, rotten apple full of worms tells you the tree itself is unhealthy. That is why Jesus says a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:20).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
What Jesus is saying is simple. He has gone about doing good. He has healed people, cast out devils, raised the dead, taught truth, and changed hearts and lives. How can anyone say He is corrupt? The corruption is not in Him but in those accusing Him. The word “corrupt” used in verse 12:33 means rotten or worthless. A tree is not judged by appearances but by what it produces. You determine the nature of the tree by examining the fruit, and the same is true of ministry.
Under this point, Jesus calls them back to the evidence. His fruit includes deliverance, healing, miracles, and teaching that brings life. To claim that He is Beelzebub (Matthew 12:34) makes no sense when His works are clearly good. Who He is must be determined by what He does. The Pharisees said He cast out demons by the power of the devil (Matthew 12:24). From there, Jesus turns to His teaching on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32), then returns to fruit as the true measure.
The Lord Looks for Fruit
Jesus was a fruit inspector, and He still is. When He comes again, He is coming to harvest fruit (Mark 4:29). He already taught that people are known by their fruits (Matthew 7:20). Here in this passage, the tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33). In the next chapter, the seed produces fruit thirty-, sixty-, and a hundredfold (Matthew 13:8). Later, the fig tree is cursed because it has no fruit (Matthew 21:19). Jesus is looking for fruit. He is not impressed by leaves that blow in the wind. He wants real fruit that shows life.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
The Lord will come looking for fruit. When no fruit is found, the kingdom is taken from the husbandmen.
Matthew 21:34-43
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.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, 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 saith unto them, Did ye 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 marvellous 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.
Fruit, Harvest, and the Vine
The Lord spoke a lot about fruit and harvesting.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Mark 4:29
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
John 15:2-8 speaks about the vine and the branches and the issue of fruit. Every branch in Him that does not bear fruit is taken away. Those branches are gathered by men, and that stands out to me. Men gather them. Men put them through the fire. That means the Lord allows men to deal with us. He allows men to put us through the fire, and those branches are cast into the fire and burned.
John 15:2-8
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
In John 15:16, He says that we did not choose Him, but He chose us and ordained us. The reason for that choosing and ordaining is clear. We are chosen to go and bring forth fruit. He chose me, and He ordained me, because He wants fruit.
John 15:16
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
I believe that once the Spirit of God is in someone, they will produce something good. They are going to produce fruit. John the Baptist was a fruit inspector, saying the same thing Jesus said, that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
The apostle Paul was also a fruit inspector. In Romans 1:13, he says that he wanted to have some fruit among them.
Romans 1:13
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
The Fruit of the Spirit and the Works of the Flesh
Romans 6:21-22, and then in chapter 15:28, they speak about fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 and Ephesians 5:9 talk about the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Ephesians 5:9
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Look at Galatians 5:19, where the works, or fruits, of the flesh are made clear. These actions are openly seen and define a life governed by the flesh. Paul warns that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Philippians 1:11 says we are to be filled with the fruits. Philippians 4:17 says he himself, speaking of Paul, desires to produce fruit, and that they may abound. James 3:17-18 talks about wisdom that is from above, which produces fruit; there’s also an earthly wisdom that doesn’t.
After speaking about fruit, He moves to verse 34 and addresses them directly. He calls them a generation of vipers and asks how they can speak good things when they are evil. He explains that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 12:34
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Jesus is about to give a major emphasis in today’s lesson, and it centers on our words. He will teach us something important about what our words reveal.
As we look at the heart, we see what the Lord is saying about it. The heart is where our most precious things are stored, but it is also the place where things are kept that we wish were not there. Scripture says the Lord searches the heart, and there is no hiding it from Him (Romans 8:27; Revelation 2:23).
The Lord will test our hearts.
Jeremiah 17:10 – “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins…” Psalm 26:2 – “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” Psalm 7:9 – “…for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.”
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Your heart is the place where your treasures are stored. God will search it and test it. 1 Samuel 16:7 makes clear that man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 22, who also has sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 1:22
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:3 says the Spirit writes on the tables of our hearts the law of God. Now that’s a treasure. Galatians 4:6 says the sons of God have the Spirit of the Son, where in their hearts, they cry out to the Father. Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 3:16 say sing with grace in our hearts.
John 13:2 is different. The devil now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
John 13:2
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
Acts 5:3 talks about Ananias and Sapphira. Satan filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit. There is a lot going on in our hearts.
Idle Words and Final Judgment
Matthew 12:36-37
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 thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
That word “idle” means inactive, unemployed, lazy, useless, and worthless. The word “for” comes from the Greek gar and assigns a reason. What Jesus is saying is that every idle word will be accounted for in the day of judgment, because by our words we are justified or condemned (Matthew 12:36-37).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
In other words, what justifies or condemns us is not how good we think we are or how often we attend church. It is our words. Our words reveal who we really are. If you want to see a mirror of your own life, listen to your words. If you want to see a mirror of mine, listen to my words (Matthew 12:34).
The judgment passed on every person will agree with that person’s words. Our words come from our hearts, and they either justify us or condemn us. Our words truly reveal what we are (Matthew 12:34). The question is whether our words are justifying us or condemning us (Matthew 12:37).
Matthew 12:31-32
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
To understand the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, I believe you must read the entire section from Matthew 12:22 through the end of the chapter, not just two verses (Matthew 12:22-50). Verses 31 and 32 must be understood in the context of the whole chapter, especially verses 22 through 37 (Matthew 12:31-32).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
It should be noted that Jesus is addressing religious people. He is not teaching as He did in the Sermon on the Mount. He is confronting the Pharisees directly (Matthew 12:24). They were religious and had a traditional relationship with God based on being sons of Abraham, but not a real personal relationship with God Himself (John 8:39-44).
Their relationship was rooted in the law and tradition, not in a personal relationship with the Messiah, whom they were rejecting (John 1:11). Because they refused to accept what God was doing and attributed it to Satan, they demonstrated that they had tradition without relationship, which leads to blasphemy of the Spirit (Matthew 12:24).
This Generation and Repeated History
This pattern is historical. When people relate to God through tradition instead of relationship, they blaspheme the next move of God. They attribute the works of God to the devil, which is precisely what happened here (Matthew 12:24).
If you read the context, that is exactly what they were doing to Jesus Christ. He was the work of God, the next move of God, and the step beyond the law, yet they blasphemed that work (Matthew 12:24-28). That same pattern has repeated throughout history. One group rejects the next move of God, and then the next group does the same. One can see the progression from one movement to another, and the pattern repeats.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
The truth is, we rarely learn from history. I believe there are people today who are very close to blaspheming the Holy Ghost. God is moving, and He is not finished yet, but there are those who are speaking against what God is doing (Matthew 12:31-32). The key point is that they are religious but lost. The Pharisees were religious but lost, and I believe the same condition exists today (Matthew 23:27-28).
To me, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is calling what God is doing the works of the devil (Matthew 12:24).
After that, they demanded a sign.
Matthew 12:38
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
They said that if He really was who He claimed to be, they wanted proof (Matthew 12:38). They wanted something supernatural, even though the blind were seeing and the dead were being raised (Matthew 11:5). What they truly wanted was their people back, because the crowds were no longer following them.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 12:39-40
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Jesus had come in and swept the house clean. He had driven out the demonic influence over that generation. Now those same spirits were coming back, finding the house empty, and returning seven times worse (Matthew 12:43-45). That is why He says an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:39). Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the earth (Matthew 12:40).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
This Generation Will Not Pass
Jesus makes it clear that signs will not change an evil heart. Even miracles do not transform people who refuse the truth. Signs were given to confirm covenant people, not to convince hardened hearts (John 2:23-25). He then explains that He will not give a sign because they are adulterous. If faithfulness depends on constant proof, it is not real faithfulness at all (Hosea 2:19-20). That led me to consider whether the church today sometimes lacks power because it has become unfaithful rather than covenant-minded.
Do we go a whoring with the world? Are we adulterous? Are we truly sold out in a covenant relationship, such as a marriage? A generation that demands a sign is an adulterous generation (James 4:4). An adulterous heart will not be faithful unless it thinks it is being watched. God will not give signs to make an adulterous people faithful. Faithfulness must exist whether He is watching or not.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
What they are really saying is, give us a sign and we will believe. Jesus says that will not work. A sign will not make someone believe, nor will it make someone faithful (Luke 16:31). What must be believed is that God raised Him from the dead. If God did not raise Him, then everything else is meaningless (Romans 10:9).
Jesus says He will give one sign, the sign of Jonah, and that sign will be given to all generations (Matthew 12:40). The real question is whether our generation is looking for signs in order to be faithful, or whether we are a covenant people who walk by faith and remain faithful whether He is watching or not (2 Corinthians 5:7).
He then proceeds with His instruction and addresses verse 41.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 12:41
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
He says the men of Nineveh will rise in judgment. The key question is which generation they will judge. It is not every generation, but “this generation.” It’s a specific generation. That distinction is critical and must be clearly recognized.
It is not a generation two thousand years later, but the generation to which Jesus was speaking. This is critical for understanding Matthew, especially chapters 23 and 24, because the things Jesus spoke of there have already come upon Jerusalem and have already happened (Matthew 23-24).
History and Scripture confirm it. Nineveh will judge this generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and a greater than Jonah was present (Matthew 12:41). Nineveh repented, but “this generation” did not. Because of that, Nineveh will rise in judgment against “this generation,” and judgment came upon that generation in 70 AD (Matthew 23:36).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Notice that the language shifts from speaking generally about any generation in verse 39 to speaking specifically about this generation in verse 34 (Matthew 12:39; Matthew 12:34). This is important because Jesus is addressing that specific generation. When I say that generation, I am not referring to our generation but to the generation of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
He is speaking about the people He was facing at that time. You see this earlier in Matthew 11, where He describes that generation as children playing in the marketplace (Matthew 11:16). That description applies directly to the people of His day, the generation He is confronting throughout this section.
Matthew 12:42
42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The Queen of the South will also condemn “this generation.” That means the nation and this generation are condemned. I want that to be clear. This generation, the generation of 30 AD, stands condemned by Nineveh and by the Queen of the South (Matthew 12:41-42).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
A Demon-Possessed Generation
Then, in verse 45, He says this generation is like a demon possessed man.
Matthew 12:45
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
It is a demon-possessed generation. In chapter 17, verse 17, that generation is described as faithless and perverse (Matthew 17:17).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 17:17
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
In Matthew 23:35-36,
Matthew 23:35-36
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Look at Matthew 24:34. Matthew 24 is where we’re all waiting on a great tribulation (Matthew 24:23), so we can leave or whatever, but I want you to know I’m not talking about leaving, I’m not talking about any of that.
Matthew 24:34
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:36
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
What I am referring to appears in chapter 24, particularly verses 34 and 36. That chapter records Jesus Christ’s prophecy about a future destruction. That destruction is not future to us. It occurred in Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Jesus says clearly that this generation will not pass until all these things are fulfilled (Matthew 24:34). That statement is the key. He repeats it to emphasize that He is referring to this generation, not a future one. Everything he predicts is tied to that generation and occurs within it.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Cities Judged and History Confirmed
When Jesus speaks judgment on cities like Capernaum, He shows that His words had real historical consequences. Those cities were cursed, and history and archaeology confirm their destruction (Matthew 11:23-24). He then says that Nineveh will judge this generation, and the Queen of the South will also judge it, because a greater than Jonah and a greater than Solomon were present and rejected (Matthew 12:41-42).
I then conclude this section with verses 43-45.
Matthew 12:43-45
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Jesus compares this generation to a person from whom an unclean spirit has gone out and then returns with seven spirits more wicked than before. The final state is worse than the first, and Jesus states that this will be exactly how it will be with this wicked generation (Matthew 12:43-45).
Jesus isn’t talking about demonology specifically. Jesus is not giving a lesson about demons. He is speaking directly to the Pharisees, the ones who accused Him of working by Beelzebub. Throughout this discourse, His focus remains on this generation (Matthew 12:24; Matthew 12:34).
When He describes the spirit returning seven times worse, He is not talking about an individual man. He is describing a people, an entire generation possessed by a spirit. The emphasis is on the spirit, not the man, and that spirit represents Pharisaical influence over the generation (Matthew 12:24; Matthew 12:34-35).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Religion, Tradition, and a Lost Generation
The spirit he likens this to is the Pharisees. I want to be clear about that. The Pharisees have possessed our generation as well. God is moving again, cleansing us and restoring truth regarding praise, worship, salvation, and baptism, just as Jesus did in His ministry (Matthew 23:27-28; Matthew 4:23).
I believe the Spirit is doing that today, but we are dealing with a generation possessed by religion. Our generation has been taught to escape and to lose, and that is not what the Bible teaches (Matthew 28:18-20). Let me give some practical examples of what I mean.
When I was growing up, even television reflected restraint. Married couples were not shown sharing the same bed. There was the show “I Love Lucy.” It was about a married couple, Lucy and Ricky, but they didn’t sleep in the same bed. Today, you turn on the television and what you see is far worse, easily seven times worse than before (Matthew 12:45). Things continue to deteriorate, and Scripture says it will only get worse (2 Timothy 3:13).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
What I want us to see is that we have allowed this to happen because we have been possessed by an escape mentality. The results are clear: abortion, widespread pornography, secular humanism in our schools, and a battle over who will shape the minds of our children (Proverbs 22:6).
We have been possessed by Pharisaical thinking and by a religious system that claims Jesus is Lord but does not live under His authority (Luke 6:46). This way of thinking is rooted in tradition and identity rather than a personal relationship with Him. It traces back to reliance on being children of Abraham rather than on knowing Christ, and it has produced something far worse than what existed before (John 8:39-40; Matthew 12:45).
Overcoming Theology Versus Escape Theology
The spirits come back. When you look at what our founding fathers believed, you find that they did not hold many of the ideas we hold today. The theology of the early church differed from that often preached today. It was an overcoming theology, a conquering and victorious theology, and a kingdom theology (Romans 5:17).
There is a book on my desk titled They Preached Liberty, and it documents what the pulpit once preached. They preached a victorious liberty intended to extend into government and society. The point is that we have been possessed by a different way of thinking (Galatians 5:1).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Unclean spirits can be understood as clean or unclean thoughts. Just as there are clean and unclean spirits, there are clean and unclean ways of thinking. In this context, the unclean spirit represents a religious, Pharisaical spirit that departs and then seeks a place to return (Matthew 12:43).
During Jesus’ ministry, that unclean spirit was cast out. Religious thinking was overcome, the message of the kingdom of God was received, and the generation was delivered from Pharisaical control (Matthew 4:17). But the unclean spirit said it would return (Matthew 12:44).
When it returned, it found things orderly according to the teachings of Jesus. Religious spirits do not favor such an order (Matthew 7:24-27). When the Pharisees realized they had lost control, they intensified their efforts and returned with thinking that was seven times worse (Matthew 12:45).
The Last State Worse Than the First
This is seen clearly in the chapter. They sought to destroy Jesus, called Him Beelzebub, and demanded a sign. All of it was an attempt to repossess the people (Matthew 12:24; Matthew 12:38). The result was that the last state of that generation became worse than the first, and the same is true of my generation (Matthew 12:45).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
We are losing our generation, and the church has lost it because we have been possessed by a way of thinking (Romans 12:2). If a spirit is a thought, then we have been possessed by an escape mentality. That way of thinking asks why we should worry about our children, our responsibilities, or our commitments. It assumes escape instead of perseverance (1 Corinthians 15:58). The result is clear. Our generation is not better; it is worse (2 Timothy 3:1).
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
Matthew 12 Part 2 How to Avoid Blaspheming the Spirit
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