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The Blessings of the New Covenant, Part 2

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The Blessings of the New Covenant, Part 2

by Greg Thomas 10 comments
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The Blessings of the New Covenant, Part 2

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Today I would like to discuss “Part 2” of the blessings of being part of the New Covenant and how privileged we are to be sanctified by it. It is a covenant that includes a process of transformation that leads us in eternity and we should all be profoundly thankful and grateful for the Father’s calling. As I did last time, I believe the best way to describe the blessings offered under the New Covenant, is to contrast it to the Old Covenant.

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Comments

  • Stephen Racz
    Stephen Racz
    Dear Mr Thomas Thank you for your reassuring response . You mentioned that the blasphemy of the the Holy Spirit is an obstinate attitude of the heart. My question is does this obstinate attitude make the sin unpardonable because the person is never willing to repent rather than God being unwilling to forgive? Is it because the means that God uses to convict of sin and to see the need for a Saviour is being rejected being rejected that means that there is nothing else God can do to bring them to salvation? Kind regards Stephen Racz
  • Stephen Racz
    Stephen Racz
    Dear Mr Thomas Just wanted to thank you for for responding to my question. Your response was really most helpful to me. Many years ago the WCG published a booklet about this very subject but with regards to this sin being mentioned in the gospels the writer made it clear that it was a premeditated willful act or utterance rather than an attitude and the expression of it so that booklet was not helpful at all and it troubled me for quite some time so thank you for your reassuring explanation. It makes a lot more sense Kind regards Stephen Racz
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Reply - Part 4, Stephen, I hope this helps you to understand that your desire to love God and seek His presence in your life shows you have not met the biblical definition of blaspheming or "speaking against" the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your continued faithfulness and love for God! Sorry for the length... but this is an important topic that deserves an explanation.
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Reply - Part 3, If we allow our attitudes to turn against God's calling and reject His precious "gift" by ignoring and despising it, we too could be guilty of the same attitude some of the Pharisees had during the time Jesus walked on earth. This is what Hebrews 6:4-8 is referring to. It is impossible for someone who has been "enlightened" by receiving the Holy Spirit to reject and despise it ("fall away"), and for them to be renewed to repentance. This is because their embittered persistent attitude will reject any further relationship with God, or even a desire to repent. We must be careful here not to become too judgmental. There is a big difference between a person who has allowed the Spirit to become dormant within them, and someone who has literally rejected the gift of the Holy Spirit. Again, I want to emphasize that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is based on an obstinate attitude from the heart, not a few statements or actions due to temptation or moral weakness.
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Reply - Part 2, This was not simply a single statement or action of some of the Pharisees, but a reflection of their persistent attitude toward the Son of God and the power that resided in Him. As religious leaders they were held to a higher-level of accountability. Jesus stated in Luke 12:48, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required." They were in the very presence of the Holy Spirit and the One who shared it with the Father, yet they despised it stating it was Satanic. For that attitude they would be held accountable. I doubt that you have compared or likened the Holy Spirit with Satan. So how does this relate to us? God gives us the most wonderful and precious give He possibly can upon our repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands. It I the "gift" of the Holy Spirit and makes its home within us. As Christ also stated in John 14:23 (NKJV) "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Reply - Part 1, Greetings Stephen: I am glad to hear that you found the Sermons helpful. Allow me to answer your question with some background first. In 1 John 1:9, John is talking to converted believers who have God's Holy Spirit within them. They are still human like we are and need forgiveness as they continue to struggle with their sins and carnality. This helps us to remain in a loving relationship with the Father and Son. The words by Jesus Himself (Matt 12:32 and Mark 3:29) are a warning not to abuse the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a person, so how can it be blasphemed or "spoken against?" To do this is an affront again the very one who gives and works through the Holy Spirit... God Himself. It is important to remember the context of Matt 12:31-32. A few verses earlier in V24... religious leaders (Pharisees) had compared the power that worked in Jesus to perform miracles to... Beelzebub, Satan himself! Again, this is a deep personal affront to God as the giver of His powerful Spirit to perform Good.
  • Stephen Racz
    Stephen Racz
    Dear Mr Thomas Thank you for both your sermons on the blessings of the New Covenant. At the end of your sermon you mention 1 John 1:9 which is of enormous comfort but it does not appear to be in harmony with Matt 12:32 and Mark 3:29 when Christ addresses the blasphemy against the Power of God. This is a matter which has cause me considerable concern over the years as I fear I could have committed this sin by an act or acts. I know its sounds strange but I cant actually remember committing it but fear I could have on more than one occasion and it has haunted me. There are various views about this matter online but I just wanted to ask you what you think as I can see you have a good scriptural insight. Is this matter an isolated act or acts or words or is this something much more? Is this an attitude and the expression of it and its unpardonable nature not because of Gods refusal to forgive but because the person has no desire to repent? This is the only way I can find harmony with 1 John 1:9 and the other two mentioned scriptures. I would welcome your comments and any reassurance. Kind regards Stephen Racz
  • Stephen Racz
    Stephen Racz
    Dear Mr Thomas Just one final thought. I just want to be very clear on this. In your reply you mentioned that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a obstinate attitude from the heart. Is this what makes the sin unpardonable because the person cannot or will not repent rather than God being unwilling to forgive? Kind regards Stephen Racz
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Hi Steve. Thanks for the question. In time, one shows they either love God, or they become His adversary. Nahum 1:2 states, (NKJV) “God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” It is their obstinate attitude against God that causes this. God is always open to sincere repentance and humility. In Isaiah 66:2 God says… "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. In the book of Psalms, it states over 30 times that “His Mercy endures forever.” An obstinate attitude from the heart is what leads to sin, separation, and ultimately rejection.
  • Stephen Racz
    Stephen Racz
    Thank you for you response Mr Thimas

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