Pharisees Are Very Careless in Their Speech
Careless speech can have serious consequences, including condemnation at the final judgement, and can even prevent healing and forgiveness.
Zac Poonen delivers a powerful sermon on the consequences of speaking hurtful words and passing judgment on others carelessly, using the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus as an example. He emphasizes the importance of seeking forgiveness both horizontally from the person offended and vertically from God, highlighting the need for repentance to receive God's forgiveness. Poonen warns about the condemnation we may face for the words we speak, stressing the significance of heartfelt apologies and seeking forgiveness to experience healing and restoration.
Text
The Pharisees said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons" (Matthew 12:24).
Pharisees speak rude and hurtful words about others carelessly and pass judgement on others in their speech. Imagine calling the Son of God, the "head of the demons"!
How did Jesus respond to that evil criticism by the Pharisees? Jesus replied saying,
You have spoken against me, an ordinary man. You are forgiven. But make sure you don't speak against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:32).
Jesus forgave those Pharisees (as a Man). But God in heaven did not forgive them.
When we sin against anyone, there are two elements to such a sin -
a horizontal element - against the other person; and
a vertical element - against God.
That person must forgive you; and God must also forgive you, if your sin is to be blotted out. But before God forgives anyone, that person has to repent first. So even if a human being forgives you the horizontal element of your sin, you will still face the judgement of God for the vertical element, until you repent and ask for His forgiveness. If one of those Pharisees had gone to Jesus later and said, "Lord I am sorry for calling you Beelzebul. Please forgive me", and then asked God to forgive him, then only would his sin have been blotted out, not otherwise. Jesus warned us that we would be condemned by the words we spoke, at the final judgement (Matthew 12:37).
Do you have a sickness that is not being healed, despite all your prayers and medical treatment? Is it possible that you have disobeyed God's command in Psalm 105:15 "Do not touch my anointed, and don't do any harm to my prophets?" Have you spoken something carelessly about a godly brother? Maybe that is why your sickness is not being healed. Perhaps you have carelessly judged men who are ten thousand times holier than you are and who have done ten thousand times more for God than you have done. Repentance and an apology to that person alone will bring your healing.
Sermon Outline
- I. Pharisees' Careless Speech
- A. Judging others with hurtful words
- B. Speaking against the Holy Spirit
- II. Jesus' Response to Evil Criticism
- A. Forgiveness as a man, but not as God
- B. Importance of repentance
- III. Consequences of Careless Speech
- A. Horizontal and vertical elements of sin
- B. Judgement by God and men
Key Quotes
“You have spoken against me, an ordinary man. You are forgiven. But make sure you don't speak against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:32).” — Zac Poonen
“Do not touch my anointed, and don't do any harm to my prophets?” — Zac Poonen
“Repentance and an apology to that person alone will bring your healing.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must be careful with our words and avoid judging others carelessly.
- Repentance and an apology are necessary for forgiveness and healing.
- We will be condemned by our words at the final judgement if we do not take responsibility for them.