I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew chapter 20. Matthew 20. Matthew chapter 20. I'd like to look at a couple of verses, three verses actually. I read quite a few commentaries from men that I trust And almost without fail, every one of them said something to this effect.

This is a hard verse of scripture to grasp the depth of it. But because the Lord said it, we believe it. is soul, whether we understand the depth of it or not. And as we read the words in these verses, I want us to remember one thing. These are the words of Almighty God. inspired spirit of God inspired words, therefore.

Let's let's approach him reverently. Let's approach him prayerfully. And I'm going to encourage all of us right now. Ask the Lord to give us some understanding. And to bow to these words in our heart. Here's the word, Matthew 12, verse 30, 32. Wherefore, I say, I'm sorry, I started at 31, 30, 30.

He that is not with me is against me. And he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 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. 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."

Now, in verse 30, we understand this truth, he that is not with me, he that is not committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're not committed to him, he said, he's against me. If you're not committed to him wholeheartedly, And he that gathereth not with me, he that gathereth not.

How are God's people gathered? You know this, but I'll say it anyway. How are people gathered? Through the preaching of the gospel. That's how they're gathered. That's how people are gathered unto the Lord, through the preaching of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Preaching him alone, he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. If you're not united with the Lord Jesus Christ, supporting, heartily supporting, where the gospel of God's free grace is preached, then you're against him.

You're warring against him. The vast majority of the people in this world think that they can. They think that they can straddle the fence. They think that it doesn't matter if you halt between two opinions. I might not believe exactly what you're preaching exactly, but I love the Lord. I don't know if I can go along with everything you're saying, to be honest with you. I know you got it out of the Bible, but I just don't see it that way. He that is not gathering with me is against me. He's scattering. He's opposing the Lord.

No man can halt between two opinions. You can't love one and hate the other. You can't believe one thing heartily and believe something else in opposition to that heartily also. Not and give it, give both of them the same allegiance and love. You can't do it. You just can't do it.

A man may see no harm in being lukewarm, lukewarm. One, he's not wanting to openly oppose the gospel. He doesn't want to come right out and say, you know, I hate what you're preaching. He doesn't want to appear like he's a heathen, but he has no love to commit himself to the gospel. He doesn't want to do that. He just doesn't want to.

If you're not with me, you're against me. You're against me. That lukewarmness, that indifference, you know. And listen, here's the problem. We've all got that old man in us that wants that. It wants to be lukewarm. That's the spirit of that old man.

Paul the apostle said, I see in me that is in my flesh that dwelleth no good thing. To will is present with me. How to perform that which I would, I find not. The Spirit of God spoke through the Apostle Paul in Romans 1, 16, 17. And he said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. When one is not ashamed of the gospel, he does everything in the world he can to support it, to encourage others to hear it. He does everything he prays for. He prays for his brother. He prays for him. Does he pray for him as he would like?

No. I find myself so often, you that know him, I know you're going to agree with me. You don't have to say anything. But how many times have I tried to get off by myself somewhere? I don't want to make a show of it. That's why I say it's so hard for you that pray in public. Pray is hard. It's hard to be honest. I mean, really honest with the Lord.

But the thing is, is that why you see yourself wanting, knowing and having that desire to pray when you Go to pray. How many times have you found yourself out somewhere out in the left field somewhere thinking about something? You think, where in the world did that come from? Where did that come from?

The Apostle Paul said concerning himself, he said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I know it's the power of God and salvation to everyone that believe it, to the Jew first, also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith that is written, the just shall live by faith. God almighty gives his people a heart, a desire after him. But there is an old man that opposes everything that that new man loves.

But we can't serve, you can't serve two masters, a believer, I've told you this, almost without exception, when I find myself trying to go somewhere, sit down, be somewhere standing, be in public, and be anywhere. And do you know where most of my prayers start? Lord, forgive me for what I'm going to try to do. Try to speak to you, forgive me now. Lord, for my spirit of indifference that I see in me, forgive me.

I don't want to serve that old man. I don't want to. And you that believe, you don't want to either. You want to love him with all your heart, mind, soul, body. You want to. But you see the weakness of your flesh. A believer cannot be a slave. He can't be committed to. He cannot love the truth of salvation by God's grace and love that which is opposed him. He can't love it. He sees it in himself, but he doesn't love it. A believer does not love. That new man loves God. Peter, lovest thou me more than these?

And after the third time the Lord asked him that, you know what Peter said? Yeah, you know. Lord, you know all things. You know all things. You know I love you. Don't you find that battle going on in yourself? Verse 31, 32. I'll read 30 again so we'll get the context. He that is not with me is against me. He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

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 them. 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.

Now, all manner, according to God's word, all manner of sin and blasphemy. What is blasphemy? It's not believing God. That's the spirit of it is revealed and we don't believe God. All manner of sin and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men. Now here we see that there's actually two men, two spirits in it. This spirit is called blasphemy, that spirit that is slanderous, injurious is the definition, or reproachful speech, that shall be given.

Now, somebody said, well, I don't ever slander the Lord. I don't ever have any reproachful speech against the Lord. Now, look, you're talking to somebody that knows something. about an old man that's still in him. And that old man, that old man that is reproachful against the Lord, you say, yeah, but Martin, you're a preacher.

Yeah. Paul was an apostle. Peter was an apostle. Look what happened to these men. The Lord allowed them to see themselves for what they really were. Bless God, they didn't die that way. We're all born that way. On the other hand, that which is born of God, the scripture says, sinneth not. There's a new man imparted. There's a new man placed in. There's a new man put there. That man is blessed. He's blessed of God. He's blessed of God by a new spirit. Romans 4, 8 said, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not imputes and charge it to him.

Oh, we've all sinned. We've all sinned. Now let's just get this in our All men, all women have sinned. All have come short of the glory of God. But for those who have been powerfully moved to cast themselves upon the mercy of God for forgiveness, those men, those women, do not have that slanderous, blasphemous attitude charged to them.

It's not charged to them. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute, charge him with it. Did he do it? Yeah, he did it. But here's mercy, here is mercy, indescribable mercy of God. Listen to Isaiah 118. Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet. We're guilty, guilty by birth, guilty by practice. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. How? Justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Justified. You remember what justified means? No charge. No record. No record. No record. You mean that the Lord can look upon me and say, No record here. No record of any infraction against me. How can that be?

The blood of Christ has washed it away. There's a new man created in Christ Jesus, and that which is born of God sinneth not. You mean to tell me that there is a new man in every believer There's a new man, a new creature, new creation that does not sin. Not only that, it cannot sin. Why? Because it's born of God. I've never seen it. I told you that. You've never seen it in you either. But if you believe God, I'm telling you, there is a new man there. that does not sin. It longs after Christ. It loves him and sees at the same moment that he's loving him. I don't love him as I want to. I don't love him as I should. I don't. But I love him. And that's where the battle is. That's where that struggle is. Though they be crimson, like crimson, they shall be white as snow. That's the amazing thing, justified.

When I see that word justified, and I think, no record, no record. That which is born of God has no record of sin. I can walk in this world, you mean, and have no record of sin? That which is born of God sinneth not. It cannot sin. Oh, the forgiveness and the non-imputation of sin rendered to God's people because of being born of the Lord.

That guilt that they actually did. They know, I know. I'm ashamed to even think about the things that I've done in my life. I've told you before, I'd be way too embarrassed to ever bring up. You mean to tell me that the Lord Jesus Christ has taken those sins, and what was due those sins, that He's taken that sin, He's borne the guilt of it. He bore the guilt of it. Bore the guilt of it. And God's law looked upon Him being made sin. Now here's where all the writers, I told you, I read, they said they cannot understand the depth of it. I get it. I get it. Somebody tells me when the scripture says we were made sin, this is what it actually means.

They were made sin. They were made Sin. And when God Almighty saw sin upon His Son, He killed Him. He killed Him. That's justice. That's justice. And sin being paid for. Scripture says three days later, He was raised from the dead. He raised Himself from the dead. God raised Him from the dead.

Oh, the depth. I love this passage of scripture. The Lord told in the book of Exodus when he told his people, told Moses, you tell the people, you tell the people to take a lamb, kill it, take the blood, spread it on the doorpost, lintel. And when I see the blood, knowing what that blood set forth, that blood that was in Egypt, representative of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ being applied to every object of God's mercy.

Yeah, you're like me. It's it's it's deep. I know it's deep. But you that believe you believe that, don't you? You believe that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the merit of that blood has been charged to you. You need to tell me what He did at Calvary with all of the objects of His, all those given unto Him in electing grace, that they in the heart, mind of Almighty God, those given unto the Lord before the foundation of the world, that Christ, according to the scriptures, who was slain before the foundation of the world, before God created anything, God Almighty saw it and accepted it, accepted in the beloved. You mean it was finished?

Yes, sir. What a message. What a message that leaves nothing for me to do. Here's all that God's demand requires. Believe it. You believe that. It's amazing to me how plain the scriptures are. How these words, they're not hard to understand. But to believe them, Takes a new heart, takes a new man, takes a new mind, a new spirit. The Lord said, I'll give you Ezekiel 36. I'll give you a new heart. I'll give you a new spirit. I'll be yours. You'll be mine. Accept it.

Oh, when I see the blood. Brother Scott wrote one time, I read this. He said, I'm so glad that he didn't say when the The sinner sees the blood. He said when he sees the blood. That which I cannot see when I see the blood I'll pass over you. That blood that was seen by the father.

Before the foundation of the world. The Lord Jesus declared God's free and absolute forgiveness. To all. Believers in him. And then listen to this scripture here. If we confess our sins heartily, admitting what we are by nature, knowing that the Lord is our only hope, not our confession, not our works, not our baptism, not anything. If we confess our sins, you that believe, you know what you know? You know that by nature we're rebels against God. You know that. You know that. Lord, I'm a rebel against you and I have no hope that you would show mercy to me. I don't deserve it. I know I don't deserve it. But Lord, if you'd be pleased to save me.

Thank you. Thank you. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The Apostle Paul says, Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners. Then Paul said, of whom I'm chief, every believer that I know would confess that. No, Paul, I know you think you are, but I think I am. That's what the scripture says.

But to leave this world back to our passage, whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man, it shall be forgiven him. How many times If I didn't say it out loud, I thought it. I doubted his providence. I'd wonder, how can it be? I've done all I can do. Every kind of frail excuse I could think of.

Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man. How many do we read of in the scriptures? that spoke against the Lord Jesus Christ when he was in this world. And we have that same spirit. It shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost. I thought about this. I don't ever remember actually outwardly saying in my heart, my mouth, I don't actually remember ever saying anything derogatory against the Spirit of God. I don't remember that. But as a man thinketh in his heart.

And when a man or a woman does not believe salvation is by the sovereign grace of God. When a man doesn't believe, when a woman doesn't believe it, when they don't bow to it, they don't submit themselves unto this truth, God is sovereign, God does as He willed in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And no man can stay his hand. He that doesn't bow to that, every man, every woman that fails, that will not bow, to the sovereign grace of God, that God is right in that which he does, is in their heart speaking against him.

I know that. I just quoted the scripture. He that thinketh in his heart, he that thinketh, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. That's what he's doing. The Lord would talked to the Pharisees, and he'd relate by the scriptures what they were thinking. He knew what they were thinking. They might as well have gone ahead and said it. He knew what they were thinking.

Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. If Almighty God gives them a new heart, If he leaves, though, without bowing to the sovereign grace, without bowing to Christ, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, and when we speak evil, when we speak against the Holy Ghost, we don't believe is what it's saying. We don't believe what the Holy Ghost reveals. When we speak against him, I don't believe.

Those that go to church go through all of their rituals and ceremonies and, you know, have Easter, Easter egg festivities and haunts and we're going to do Easter, we're going to do this, that, but now we're going to go two days in a year, we're going to go on Easter, we're going to go Christmas and that's going to be, you know, I've done my duty. They see no necessity whatsoever of worshiping God. You know what they're doing?

They're speaking against that which the Holy Spirit only can perform. They're speaking against, whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, not believing God, not bowing to the sovereignty of God, not bowing to Christ, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Man or woman leaves this world. without bowing to Christ. And the Spirit of God is the only one that reveals Christ. Whosoever believes not, it's not gonna be forgiven him.

No matter what kind of arguments, many will stand before me, the Lord said in that day, and say, we prophesied in your name, we went to church, We did many wondrous works in your name. We did this in your name, did that in your name. We went, we were, we were faithful. We gave, we supported the children's home and gave to this organization that I never knew you. Never knew you.

Oh, blessed is a man. Blessed is the woman to whom the Lord has given a new heart to bow. And those that bow, as I said a while ago, they don't bow as they would want to. But the Lord God who sees the blood, cleanses them from all sin, cleanses them from all iniquity. That's salvation by grace. May the Lord bless these words to our heart for His glory and our good.