1. What does it mean to acknowledge Christ before men?
2. Why would someone be afraid to acknowledge Christ before men?
3. What did Jesus mean when he said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God”?  
4. What is the unforgivable sin mentioned in Luke 12:10?
5. Discuss the promise of Christ found in Luke 12:11-12. What is the meaning of this promise? How does this promise comfort your heart?
6. What does this passage have to do with the previous one which warns us not to fear man but to fear God instead? How does this passage help us to see the importance of having Jesus Christ as our friend especially when we consider that it is through Jesus that God will judge the world on the last day?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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Old Testament Reading: Daniel 3:8-30

“Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?’ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3:8–30, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 12:8-12

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:8–12, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

1. Introduction
   1. This passage that we are considering today goes with the previous one. In Luke 12:4-7 Christ warned his disciples about the fear of man. He spoke to his disciples, saying, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.” Instead, we are to fear God “who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell” (Luke 12:5, ESV). It is God we are to fear, not man.
   2. Here in our passage today Christ continues to address the danger of the fear of man, but in this text, he turns his attention to the inevitable result of this heart sin, namely, the denial of Jesus Christ before men. Those who fear man supremely, and not God, will deny Christ when faced with pressure and persecution. Here Christ addresses that temptation and gives his followers every good reason to acknowledge him before men and never to deny him.  
2. Those Who Deny Christ Will Be Denied; Those Who Acknowledge Christ Will Be Acknowledged
   1. The first reason Christ gives to acknowledge him before men and never to deny him is found in verse 8. There Christ says, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
      1. The words, “And I tell you…”, connect what is said in this passage to the previous one. Jesus transitioned straight from his warning against the fear of man into this exhortation to his disciples to acknowledge him before men. Those who wish to follow after Jesus must not allow their fear of man to hinder them from acknowledging him before men. 
      2. To acknowledge Jesus is to profess that he is the Messiah, the Redeemer that God has provided. To acknowledge Christ is to confess that he is your Lord and your Savior. And where is this profession or confession to be made? It is not a private or secret confession but a confession that must be made before men.
         1. Paul the Apostle speaks of this in Romans 10:9-10. There he says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” 
         2. You see, it is in the privacy of the heart that we first believe in Christ. But this inward and private belief must then be confessed. To confess Christ is to “express openly one’s allegiance” to Christ (Louw Nida, 417). Paul says, that to be saved, one must believe in Christ in the heart and confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord. 
         3. That little phrase, “Jesus is Lord”, is loaded with meaning, isn’t it? It is an example of a very early creed or confession. You would be badly mistaken if you think that salvation will come to those who merely say the words, Jesus is Lord, as if they were magical. No, this confession must be made with understanding and heartfelt conviction. If this confession is to bring salvation to the sinner it must be preceded by belief in the heart and mind.
      3. This is also how we are to understand the teaching of Christ about acknowledging him before men. This is no casual acknowledgment that Christ is speaking of. Christ is not saying that those who greet him casually or show some respect to him in public will be saved. No. To acknowledge Christ is to openly express one’s allegiance to him (the same Greek word is behind the English word “acknowledge” in Luke 12:8 and “confess” in Romans 10:9, which we have just considered). To acknowledge Jesus is to confess him as Lord. To acknowledge Christ is to believe what he has claimed concerning himself and to confess that he is the Messiah, the Redeemer of God’s elect, the Savior of the world, the eternal Son of God incarnate, the only Mediator between God and man. As I have said, this is no casual acknowledgment that Christ is speaking of, but a thoughtful and sincere expression of faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord.   
      4. Here in our text, Christ gives his disciples good reason to express their allegiance to him before men and not shrink back due to the fear of man. Look again at verses 8 and 9. “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
         1. Here Christ directs our attention to the realities of the heavenly realm and especially to the final judgment and he urges his followers to make wise choices.
            1. The reality is that those who openly express their allegiance to Christ before men will have Christ openly express his allegiance to them before the angels in heaven. But those who deny any relationship of association with Christ before men will have Christ deny any relationship of association with them before the angels in heaven.
            2. It’s as if Christ says, take your pick. Choose wisely. Would you rather have the temporary approval of men on earth or the eternal approval of Christ in heaven? One would have to be a fool to choose the momentary approval of man on earth over the everlasting acknowledgment of Christ before the angels of God in heaven.     
         2. There is a sense in which Christ acknowledges those who have professed faith in him before the angels of God in heaven now. Christ represents his people in heaven now. He intercedes for them now. But this warning that Christ gives is ultimately about the final judgment.
            1. Baptist catechism 41 is correct in its answer to the question, What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection [that is to say, on the last day when Christ returns to judge and make all things new]? Answer: At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged, and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity. Matthew 10:32 is listed as a proof text. That is a parallel passage to Luke 12:8-9. There Christ says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew 10:32, ESV). On the day of judgment, those in Christ will not be publicly exposed and condemned (see Luke 12:1-2) but will instead be openly acknowledged as God’s redeemed children and acquitted, that is to say, publicly declared to be not guilty. 
            2. This is to be contrasted with the fate of those who die in their sins and apart from Christ. Baptist Catechism 43 asks, What shall be done to the wicked, at the day of judgment? Answer: At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. This is the true teaching of Holy Scripture (see Matthew 25:31-46). 
            3. Notice Christ refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in our text. This, as you might know, was Christ’s favorite title for himself. It is a Messianic title. When Christ referred to himself as the Son of Man he was claiming to be the Messiah. In this instance, I do believe it is also a reminder that Christ, the Son of Man, will judge the world on the last day. We are to think of the vision that Daniel the prophet saw, as recorded in Daniel chapter 7 concerning the Son of Man coming with the clouds on the last day (see Daniel 7:14-15). We should also pay attention to the use of the title, the Son of Man, in the remainder of Luke’s gospel. Often, the title is used in the context of Christ returning to judge on the last day (see for example Luke 12:40; 17:29-37).  
         3. When Christ says, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God”, he is reminding us of the judgment day aging us to make wise choices in light of it. What will you choose? Will you choose the momentary approval of men on earth today or the everlasting approval and acknowledgment of Christ before God and his holy angels on the day of judgment?
      5. Before we move on to verse 10, I must ask you, have you acknowledged Christ before men? Have you professed your allegiance to him? Have you confessed, or openly acknowledged, him to be your Lord and Savior? 
         1. Before there can be a credible profession of faith in Christ there must be belief in the heart (remember Romans 10:9-10). And so I ask you, do you know enough about Christ to profess faith in him? Do you know about God, his creation and covenant, man’s fall into sin, and God’s plan of redemption? Do you know about Christ and the work he has done to accomplish our redemption? Do you know how the benefits of the redemption purchased by Christ are received? In other words, do you know what the Word of God teaches? Do you know the fundamentals of the gospel and the Christian faith?  If you do not, it is time to learn. You are in a church where these things are taught. You’d be foolish to neglect these teachings. 
         2. And if there is faith in your heart – if you do indeed believe in your heart that Christ is the Savior that God has provided, that he has accomplished our redemption, and that God has raised him from the dead – then I ask you, have you openly acknowledged Christ to be your Savior? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord?
            1. It is right for you to make this confession first to God in prayer. It is right for you to confess your sins to God and to ask God to forgive you in Jesus’ name. And in prayer, it is right to say to God, Jesus is my Lord! I trust in him. I rest in him. I will follow him and serve him. All of this must be said, and it is right to start by saying it to God in prayer.   
            2. But Jesus Christ must also be acknowledged before men. You need to tell others that you believe in Jesus Christ and that he is your Lord. If you are a child, start with your Christian parents. After that, tell other Christians. Very soon, you will need to tell a pastor. 
            3. And where is the public profession of faith in Christ to culminate except in the waters of baptism? It is through the waters of baptism that those who have faith in Christ say to God and to all who witness that Jesus is Lord! And it is in baptism that the name of the Triune God is placed upon those who have pledged allegiance to Jesus. In other words, it is in the sacrament of baptism that we publicly acknowledge Jesus, and it is in baptism that Jesus acknowledges that we belong to him.
               1. Baptism, dear friends, is not a private thing. It is not a family thing. It is an ordinance of the church to be administered by a pastor or elder ordained to the ministry and before the believing community. 
            4. And do not think that our acknowledgment of Christ ends with baptism. It continues in a sacramental way through our observance of the Lord’s Supper as we gather together on the Lord’s Day in Jesus’ name. Baptism signifies our union with Christ in the Covenant of Grace. The Lord’s Supper signifies our continuance in Christ in the Covenant of Grace. In Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, we openly acknowledge Christ as our Lord and Savior, and in the sacraments, we are marked off as belonging to Christ.
               1. Just as baptism is not a private affair to be administered in private or in families, but in public by the ministers of the church, whom God has made stewards of the mysteries of God, so too the Lord’s Supper is to administered when the church is assembled in Jesus’ name and by ministers.  
            5. And you should know that our open acknowledgment of Christ before men is not to be restricted to the church through the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper but is to extend into every aspect of our lives. The world must know that you are Christian because you claim to be with your mouth and show yourself to be by your way of life. 
            6.  Whenever you are tempted to conceal your allegiance to Christ – whenever you are tempted to talk like the world, dress like the world, or act like the world, being driven by the fear of man to do so, then remember Christ’s words, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” 
3. Christ Distinguishes Between Two Types Or Degrees Of Denial
   1. What Christ says in Luke 12:10 is a clarification of Luke 12:8-9. In verse 10, Christ distinguishes between two types or degrees of denial and teaches that one is forgivable whereas the other is not. There Christ says, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:10, ESV)
      1. The words, “but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”, have haunted some.
         1. Some who lived a particularly sinful life before turning from their sin and placing their faith in Christ have wondered, did I commit this unforgivable sin before believing? They wonder, in the midst of all of the terrible things I did, did I unknowingly commit this sin? Am I beyond God’s reach, therefore – beyond redemption and repair? And some who professed faith in Christ in the past then walked away from Christ for a time and afterward returned to him, will wonder if they committed this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit during their time of rebellion. I’ve ministered to people who were tormented by this thought. They are professing believers who, when they look to the past, wonder if they have committed the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
         2. I’m confident that this fear in the lives of those who are currently professing faith in Christ and living a life marked by repentance and progressive sanctification is the byproduct of a poor interpretation of this passage. Truly, I do not believe that someone who has committed this unforgivable sin will care at all about having committed it. So heard-hearted and closed off are they to Christ and his gospel, that the possibility of having committed this sin does not even cross their mind, much less, trouble their heart. The very fact that a professing Christian is worried about having committed this sin in the past is powerful evidence that they have not committed it. Now what they must do is interpret this passage properly and continue to grow in Christ and their sense of assurance of God’s love for them.    
      2. So what did Christ mean when he said, “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” The key to properly interpreting this verse is to pay attention to the context.
         1. The first question we should ask is, why did Christ say this here? Answer: to distinguish between different kinds or degrees of denial.   
         2. Christ has just said, “everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
         3. The question then becomes, do all denials of Christ result in Christ’s denial of the denier before the angels of God in heaven? In other words, are all who have denied Christ or spoken a word against the Son of Man hopelessly lost? If Christ did not say anything more than what he said in verse 9, we might conclude that all who have ever denied Christ are forever lost and doomed. This saying of Jesus found in verse 9 would have troubled many had Christ not offered this word of clarification in verse 10.
            1. Think, for example, of the many in the crowd who were curious about Jesus, who heard of the mighty deeds he performed and encountered his teachings and his claims, who up to this point in Jesus’ ministry, were not willing to profess allegiance to him or confess him as Lord. Perhaps they had even spoken against Christ, the Son of Man. We know that many did this. Matthew 11:19 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” John 7:12 says, “And there was much muttering about [Jesus] among the people. While some said, ‘He is a good man,’ others said, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.” In John 9:24 some of the religious leaders spoke of Jesus saying, “We know that this man is a sinner.” All of these people had denied Christ. They had spoken words against the Son of Man. The question is, were these people who had denied Christ and spoken a word against the Son of Man eternally damned?
            2. Think, in particular, of the Apostle Paul. Think of who he was before Christ saved him. In Philippians 3:5 he tells us that he was a Pharisee. That little comment makes me wonder how much he knew about Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Did he ever see Jesus? Did he ever hear Jesus’ teachings? Or did he simply hear about Jesus from his fellow Pharisees? The Scriptures do not say (though 1 Timothy 1:13 gives us a hint). One thing we know for sure is that Paul the Pharisee was very much opposed to Jesus before his conversion. He even violently persecuted the church. When Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he confronted him saying, “Saul, Saul (Saul being the Hebrew name for Paul) why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). To persecute the church is to persecute Christ. Paul had denied Christ and persecuted him. The question is, were Paul (and others like him) hopelessly and eternally lost given Christ’s words, “the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
            3. And what about Peter, the leader of the Apostles? In Luke 22 we learn that Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of Jesus’ arrest. The first to question him was a servant girl. She looked closely at him and said, “‘This man also was with [Jesus].’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’” (Luke 22:56–57, ESV). Christ had said, “the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” Peter denied Christ. The question is,  was Peter hopelessly lost when he denied Christ?  
         4. This saying of Jesus found in Luke 12:10 is, first of all, a clarification of what was said in verse 9. Here Christ distinguishes between two different kinds or degrees of denial. “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven”, Christ says. Of course, repentance and faith in Christ is implied. The meaning is that those who turn from their sins to trust in Christ and openly acknowledge him as Lord will be forgiven even if they had denied Christ or spoken a word against the Son of Man in the past. 
         5. Next, we find a warning. “But the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,” Christ says. The question we must ask is, What does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? 
            1. To blaspheme is to speak against, revile, or defame.
            2. Clearly, there is a difference between speaking against, or blaspheming, the Son of Man, and speaking against, or blaspheming, the Holy Spirit. The account of this saying of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel is more detailed and clear. There Christ says, “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31–32, ESV).
            3. What then is the difference between blaspheming the Son of Man and blaspheming the Holy Spirit? Why is the one more serious than the other? The answer is found in the immediate context of Luke’s gospel (and in the context of Matthew’s gospel where this same saying of Jesus is found).
               1.  Do you remember the story was told in Luke 11:14-23? Christ had cast a demon out of a man, and “some of [the people] said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons…” (Luke 11:15, ESV). “But [Christ], knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:17–20, ESV). 
               2. When we considered this text many weeks ago. Then it was said that the “finger of God” is a reference to the Spirit of God. God the Father was in those days overthrowing the kingdom of Satan through Christ the Son and by the Spirit. It was by the finger of God, or the Spirit of God, that Christ cast out demons. It was by the Spirit that he worked signs and wonders. All of this is to remind us of the mighty deeds that God worked by the finger of God in the days of Moses when he redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt. Israel was redeemed by the finger of God (see Exodus 8:19), that is to say by the mighty working of God’s Spirit. Signs and wonders were performed by the Spirit of God before Pharaoh and all the people, but Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not surrender to the Lord. He witnessed the signs performed through Moses by the Spirit of God, but he dismissed them, hardened his heart, and forever remained in rebellion and unbelief. 
               3. The same thing happened in the ministry of Christ. Christ was working signs and wonders by the finger of God. By the Spirit, he healed the sick, calmed the stormy sea, fed the multitudes, raised the dead, and cast out demons as a sign that he is the Lord’s Messiah. Some acknowledged Christ to be the Messiah. Many denied him. But there were some who went a step further. When they were thoroughly confronted with the mighty deeds that Christ performed by the finger of God, that is to say, by the Spirit of God, and when they could not longer deny the reality of these miraculous deeds, they found themselves pressed to make a decision about Jesus and his claims. They were so opposed to him – so hard-hearted in their denial of him – that they attributed the signs and wonders performed by him by the power of the Holy Spirit to Satan. 
               4. This is what it looks like to blaspheme the Spirit. To blaspheme the Spirit is not a sin that is committed unknowingly, or accidentally, or in ignorance. Many have spoken a word against the Son of Man out of ignorance only to repent and trust in Christ later, being moved (effectually called) by the Holy Spirit to do so. But those who blaspheme the Spirit are first fully confronted with the truth about Christ and exposed to the external testimony that the Spirit brings, and yet they persist in their rebellion against Christ and the Spirit, even attributing the works of the Spirit to Satan. These turn the light they have received through their encounter with the common operation of the Holy Spirit into darkness. At some point, these blasphemers of the Spirit are confirmed in their unbelief and thus never forgiven, not in this life or the life to come.
               5. Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit worse than blasphemy against the Son of Man? Is the Spirit of God greater than Christ, the Son of God? No. But it is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about God and Christ. This he does in an effectual and inward way for all of God’s elect. We call this effectual calling or regeneration. But the Spirit also reveals Christ in a common way. The Spirit testified to Christ through the miracles Christ performed. Many thousands witnessed these miracles. Only some believed. Many rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Some even blasphemed the Spirit. And the same is true today. The Spirit testifies to Christ in a common way through the preached word and the sacraments in the life of the church. This is not effectual calling that we are talking about, but the common operations of the Spirit. You see, it is one thing to reject Christ out of ignorance or to deny him in a moment of weakness, it is another thing to sit under the ministry of the word and to enjoy life in the church where these common operations of the Spirit are present (see Second London Confession 10.4), to remain in sin and rebellion, and then to knowingly and willingly blaspheme the Spirit, turning whatever light you have received into darkness.  
               6. When Christ said, “everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”, it was a warning to all who encounter these common operations of the Spirit. To encounter them and to remain in unbelief is a very dangerous thing.
                  1. The Hebrews who were alive in the days of Moses, who witnessed the signs and wonders worked through Moses by the finger of God leading to their redemption, were in danger of commiting this unforgivable sin.  
                  2. The Jews who were alive in the days of Jesus,  who witnessed the signs and wonders that he worked by the finger of God in fulfillment of the Scriptures, were especially in danger of committing this sin. These common operations of the Spirit had to be interpreted and required the response of faith and obedience. Some believed in Christ. Many did not. Some even blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was to those who remained in disbelief that Steven said, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51, ESV).
                  3. But is the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit a danger to us today? I say, yes, it is. It is especially a danger to those who have spent time in the covenant community, who have enjoyed the testimony of the Spirit to Christ in the word preached and through the administration of the sacraments. To encounter these common operations of the Spirit and yet to remain in unbelief, sin, and rebellion against God is a very dangerous thing. 
                  4. Though I do believe that Hebrews 6:4-6 was addressed especially to Jews who were familiar with the Old Testament, had professed faith in Christ, and were tempted to return to Judaism, I do believe it applies to Christians today. There the Apostle warns us with these words: “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4–6, ESV). 
            4. I have said that Luke 12:10 is a clarification and a warning. It is a clarification because Christ here distinguishes between different kinds or degrees of denial.
               1.  In a moment of weakness, Peter blasphemed Christ when he denied him three times on the night before his crucifixion. But never did Peter blaspheme the Holy Spirit. No, the Spirit effectually called Peter to faith and repentance before he denied Christ. And Christ restored Peter after his denial. His denial of Christ was driven, not by a thoughtful and willful rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, but by a momentary weakness involving the fear of man. Although Peter denied Christ and these people who attributed Christ’s works to Satan denied Christ (see Luke 11:14-16), these denials were of a different kind. Peter blasphemed the Son of Man and was forgiven. But these people blasphemed the Holy Spirit, were confirmed in their unbelief, and never forgiven.      
               2. Paul also blasphemed Christ when he rejected him and persecuted his church. But listen to how Paul spoke of that time in his life. He wrote to Timothy, saying, “Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…” (1 Timothy 1:13, ESV). In other words, Paul’s blasphemy was directed towards the Son of Man, not the full testimony of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s blasphemy was rooted in ignorance.
               3. Things were different with Judus, though. When Judas betrayed Jesus to the authorities, it was not driven by fear or ignorance. No, his decision was rooted in unbelief. It was cold and calculated. It was a thoughtful and wilful denial of Christ. Judas saw and heard everything the other disciples of Christ saw and heard. He was exposed to the full weight and glory of the external witness of the Holy Spirit to Christ, and yet he rejected it all, knowingly and willingly. Judas did not only blaspheme Christ, he blasphemed the testimony of the Spirit. Never did he repent. He was not forgiven in this life or the life to come. 
            5. This warning that Christ delivers to us must be taken seriously. We must not toy around with Jesus in the church. We must not toy around with the Spirit’s common operations in our mist, lest we trample the Son of God underfoot (see Hebrews 10:29) and blaspheme the Spirit to our eternal shame. Instead, we must recieve with meekness the implanted word of God which is able to save our souls (see James 1:21), walk by the Spirit and put to death the desires of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16), and “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling, [knowing] it is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV).
4. Christ Will Preserve Those Who Are His Even In The Face Of Persecution
   1. I have not left much time to comment on Luke 12:11-13. The meaning is simple, I think. Christ has warned us that those who deny him before men will be denied by him before the angels of God in heaven. He has assured us that those who acknowledge him before men will be acknowledged before th angels of God in heaven. He then offered a word of clarification by distinguishing between different degrees of denial. Here in verses 11-13 Christ offers a word of encouragement and comfort. “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11–12, ESV).
   2. Here we have another reason not to fear man or to deny the Son of Man. Christ will be with his people to sustain them through the trial. More than this, the Holy Spirit, who resides with every true disciple of Christ, will be with us to teach us in that very hour what we ought to say.
5. Conclusion
   1. When all is considered, those who are friends of Jesus have every good reason to acknowledge Christ before men and not deny him. 
   2. The question I wish to press you with as we conclude is this: have you acknowledged Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? Do you believe in him in the heart and have you told someone? If you have, soon, you will need to say that Jesus is Lord through the waters of baptism. After that, you will need to say that Jesus is Lord by your approach to the Lord’s Table. And you will need to acknowledge Christ as your Lord as you live in the world.
   3. The truth is, some of you might be tempted to hide your allegiance to Christ being driven by a fear of man. May the Lord grant you the fear of God, true faith in Christ, and the boldness to stand before men and boldly proclaim that Jesus is Lord!  Indeed, God has promised to never leave or forsake us. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–7, ESV)

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Baptist Catechism 26

Q. 26. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?

A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in His state of humiliation and exaltation. (Acts 3:22; Heb. 5:6; Ps. 2:6)

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2, ESV)

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Introduction

I love questions 26 – 31 of our catechism. It was in question 24 that the only Redeemer of God’s elect was named. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. In that question, and also in the next, we learned about the person of Christ. He is the person of the eternal Son of God. And we are also learned about his nature. Jesus Christ is the God-man. He is fully human and fully divine. These two natures are inseparably joined together in the person of the Son without mixture or confusion. But here, in Baptist Catechism 26, our attention is focused on the work of Christ the Redeemer. We have considered his person and natures, now we consider his work. What is the work Christ has done to accomplish our salvation? That is now before us. 

When our catechism asks, What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? It is asking, what is the work that he has done. To “execute” is to carry out, accomplish, perform, or fulfill.  An “office” is a work to be done. When someone is appointed to the office of governor, they are officially appointed to do the work of a governor. When a man is appointed to the office of pastor, they are officially appointed to do the work of a pastor. So, when our catechism asks, what offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?, the question is, what work does Christ perform? Answer: Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

It should be noted that this is one of those questions in our catechism that functions as a kind of introduction to a series of questions and answers. In other words, Baptist Catechism questions 27-31 will elaborate on the answer to Baptist Catechism 26. Question 27 asks, How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? Question 28 asks, How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? Question 29: How doth Christ execute the office of a king? Question 30. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist? And finally, question 31 asks: Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation?

So, as you can see, we will have an opportunity to consider the work of Christ in some detail through the lenses of these three offices of Christ  

The Answer Considered

Christ, 

as our Redeemer, 

executeth the offices 

of a prophet, 

of a priest, 

and of a king, 

both in His state of humiliation 

and exaltation. (Acts 3:22; Heb. 5:6; Ps. 2:6)

LCF 8.9-10

Paragraph 9. This office of mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ, who is the prophet, priest, and king of the church of God; and may not be either in whole, or any part thereof, transferred from him to any other. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Paragraph 10. This number and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of his prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need his priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God; and in respect to our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom.

(John 1:18; Colossians 1:21; Galatians 5:17; John 16:8; Psalms 110:3; Luke 1:74, 75)

*****

Conclusion

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Old Testament Reading: Psalm 86

“A PRAYER OF DAVID. Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 12:4-7

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:4–7, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

1. Introduction
   1. God’s word is amazing. I can’t tell you how often that thought comes to my mind when studying the Scriptures in preparation for preaching. God’s word is amazing. Luke’s gospel is amazing. And I particularly appreciate this portion of Luke’s gospel. 
   2. In the introduction to the previous sermon, I drew your attention to the fact that in Luke 12:1-53 Christ has his attention fixed on his disciples – the 12 Apostles and probably the 70 others as well. Luke 12:1 says, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’”, etc.  
   3. Why did Christ focus his attention on his disciples? Did he not care about the great multitudes that came to see him and to hear his teaching? Yes, he cared for others besides the 12 and the 70, but it was the will and way of Christ to minister to the multitudes – yes, eventually to all nations – through his Apostles and other eyewitness. And so, while Christ often ministered to the multitudes, he especially poured into the 12 and the 70, for they would be his witnesses and special ambassadors. These men would take the gospel to all nations. These would establish churches. These would see to it that elders were appointed in every place. As you probably know, Luke’s second volume, the book of The Acts Of The Apostles, tells that story. We should not be surprised, therefore, to hear that Christ focused his attention on his disciples,
   4. Here in Luke 12:1-53, he instructs his disciples to prepare them for the work they would soon be called to do. As I said in the previous sermon, I think it is right to see these teachings as being for all Christians, but especially for leaders within Christ’s church. Here Christ warns against the danger of hypocrisy, the fear of man, covetousness, anxiety over the cares of this world, inattentiveness (irresponsibility), and people-pleasing. These heart sins are a danger to all Christians, but especially pastors and elders within Christ’s church. These are temptations that threaten to render all Christians, and especially ministers of the gospel, ineffective and unfruitful, if not worse.   
   5. As you know, Christ began by warning against hypocrisy. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”, Christ said. We considered the sin of hypocrisy in the previous sermon. I cannot take the time to review all that was said in that sermon about hypocrisy. Perhaps a few bullet points will help to jog the memory of those who were present to hear that sermon and provide a sufficient foundation for those who were not so that we can get on with our text for today.
      1. One, a hypocrite is two-faced. A hypocrite does not live one life, but two or more. They love the praise of man and to appear righteous in public, but in reality, their hearts are filled with wickedness. The Pharisees were notorious for their hypocrisy. Christ confronted them about this, saying, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you” (Luke 11:39–41, ESV).
      2. Two, hypocrisy is, at its core, a heart problem. What the hypocrite needs is not better behavior, but a renewed heart, mind, and will. It is not the good and holy behavior in public that makes the hypocrite a hypocrite, but the fact that the good behavior in public is nothing more than a mask used to conceal a corrupted heart, words, and deeds.   
      3. Three, Jesus Christ is the only real solution to hypocrisy. Christ gives his elect a new mind and heart to make them willing and able to believe in him. Christ forgives his people and cleanses them from all unrighteousness. And Christ sanctifies and renews his people further by his word and Spirit so that they actually make progress in holiness. You see, the cleansing and transformation that Christ brings does not start with the outside, but the inside. The behavior of the true Christian changes, not because of self-effort, but because of inward renewal worked by God’s Word and Spirit. Yes, true Christians still sin, but this does not make them hypocrites. When Christians sin, it will grieve them to the heart, lead to true repentance, and further the progress of sanctification in them. Furthermore, no true Christian claims to be self-righteous in the way that the Pharisees did. True followers of Christ readily admit that are not righteous, in themselves, but stand in need of God’s grace and of a Savior. We stand right before God only because God has washed us in the blood of Christ, has clothed us in Christ’s rightousness, and is sanctifying us further by his Word and Spirit. 
   6. But this does not mean that the sin of hypocrisy is not a danger to the Christian.  If it were not a danger, then why did Christ warn his disciples about it? Hypocrisy is indeed a danger to all of us. There are many ways in which our hearts can be drawn away from a single-minded devotion to Christ, leading to a hypocritical, clean-on-the-outside, but filthy-on-the-inside, way of life.
   7. I’ve taken the time to review what was said in the previous sermon about hypocrisy for a reason. I do believe that the passage that is open before us today (Luke 12:4-7) along with the following passages (through Luke 12:53) all have relation to the warning of Luke 12:1: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” In other words, after warning his disciples against the sin of hypocrisy, Christ goes on to warn against several sins of the heart which, if allowed to remain, will lead to a hypocritical life.
      1. The fear of man, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:4-12). 
      2. The sin of covetousness, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:13-21). 
      3. The sin of fear and anxiety over the cares of this world, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:22-34). 
      4. The sin of inattentiveness or negligence, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:35-48). 
      5. And finally, the sin of people-pleasing, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:35-48).
         1. Admittedly, these passages that I have previewed all stand very nicely on their own, but I do believe they all relate back to the warning about hypocrisy. 
   8. It is not at all surprising that the very first heart-sin that Christ addressed is the fear of man. The fear of man has, no doubt, caused many professing Christians to hesitate and even pull back from their devotion to Christ. Some who professed faith in Christ have even abandoned the faith because they allowed the sin of the fear of man to reside within their heart and consume them. 
   9. Fear is a very powerful emotion. It has the power to consume our thoughts, hijack our emotions, and drive the direction of our lives. 
   10. Here in our passage, Christ warns us about the danger of the fear of man, and he presents us with three remedies. 
2. Do not fear man
   1. Firstly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man because man’s ability to harm is limited.
      1. Look with me at Luke 12:4. There Christ says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.” (Luke 12:4, ESV)
         1. Notice that Christ calls his disciples, friends. I think that is wonderful to consider. Christ is a friend to sinners. He is a friend to all who come to him by faith. And it is not we who make Christ our friend, but he who has makes us his. Christ calls his followers, friends. No doubt, his decision to call his disciples friends here was intentional. He is about to say something hard and challenging. Knowing that Jesus is our friend and that he cares for us as friends will strengthen us to receive these challenging words.
         2. When Christ says, “​​do not fear those who kill the body”, he means, have no fear of man. Do not fear man, is the general command. When Christ originally spoke these words to his disciples, he no doubt had the Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes in mind.
            1. Do not forget the predictions Christ made back in Luke 9 regarding how he would be treated by the religious leaders of the day.  He spoke to his disciples, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22, ESV).
            2. Do not forget about the conflict Christ had with the Pharisees and layers as recorded in Luke 11. He condemned them for their hypocrisy and pronounced many “woes” on them. Luke tells us, “As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say” (Luke 11:53–54, ESV).
            3. You are probably aware that these disciples of Jesus would suffer persecution and even martyrdom at the hands of these religious elites after Christ’s ascension to the Father.  
         3. It is no wonder that Christ addressed the problem of the fear of man first. If these disciples feared man and what men could do to them, they would not remain devoted to Christ for long. Very soon, the fear of man would drive them to act hypocritically as they sought to appease those with the power to persecute.
            1. Remember that the Apostle Peter slipped into hypocrisy on the night of Jesus’ arrest. A servant girl began to question his allegiance to Jesus. Peter, in a moment of weakness, was driven by the fear of man. He denied knowing Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times. And then the rooster crowed.  That story is told in Luke 22. Peter’s faith in Christ was true. The fear of man that resided in his heart drove him to put on the hypocritical mask of unbelief temporarily. Thankfully, he did remain in that state of hypocrisy. He repented and was restored.
         4. Brothers and sisters, fear is a very powerful motivator and it is very tightly linked to what we love. We fear what we love. Stated differently, we fear losing what we love. Fear will always drive us to take action to avoid losing that which we love.
            1. Now, there is an instinctual kind of fear. It is this instinctual kind of fear that moves you to run away when someone threatening approaches or to avoid certain activities and behaviors knowing that they might lead to your demise. Typically, it is perfectly good and right to listen to these instinctual fears and to seek to preserve your own life and the lives of others. In fact, I do believe the sixth of the Ten Commandments requires this. This is not the kind of fear that Christ is here addressing. 
            2. Instead, Christ is addressing a kind of fear that is deeply rooted in the heart and mind, everpresent, often unnoticed, and yet greatly impactful as it pertains to the direction of one’s life. This kind of fear (I’m not sure what to call it – convictional fear, maybe?) is not the same as the instinctual fear mentioned above. The emotion of instinctual fear will come on hard and strong to drive us either to fight or to flight when a threat arises. This other kind of fear, though often unnoticed, is always with us. And it is always determining the priorities and direction of our lives. 
            3. As I said just a moment ago, fear has a lot to do with love. The question, what or whom do you fear ultimately, and the question, what or whom do you love ultimately, will most likely receive the same answer. To give an obvious example, what do you think most people would say if you asked them the question, what do you fear most? If honest, I think most would say, death. And does this not reveal that the thing they love most is life on this earth? Some might say that losing their wealth is their greatest fear. Others might say the loss of their children. For others, it is the loss of their good reputation. And if the loss of these things is their greatest fear, does this not reveal that these things are their greatest love and treasure?   
         5. In the previous passage, Christ warned his disciples to beware of the Pharisees and the lawyers. Here he clarifies that they are not to be afraid of them. After all, Christ said, the worst thing they can do is kill you. 
            1. Let that statement sink in for a little. 
            2. Does the statement sound absurd to you? I’m sure it sounds absurd to most. Do not be afraid of man!? The worst they can do to you is kill you!? What do you mean!? But this is what Christ taught his disciples. We are to take him seriously.
            3. Think of the deeply held beliefs and convictions required to hold such a view: This life is not all there is. Death is not the end. There is something more and better for those who are friends of Jesus on the other side of the grave. The violent man – the persecutor of Christians –  can only do so much. He can defame your name, steal your possessions, throw you in prison, abuse you, and kill you. That’s all. The violent man cannot reach you beyond the grave. As pertains to love, the Christian must not love his life here on earth or the things of this world supremely. If he does, he will bristle at Christ’s command, “do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.”
         6. Persecution has a way of exposing the sin of the fear of man in the heart. When a Christ-follower is pressed to choose between faithfulness to Christ and death, or faithfulness to Christ and beatings, or faithfulness to Christ and prison, if the fear of man is deeply rooted in their heart, they will quickly deny Christ to protect the thing they most love, namely their own life and their comfort here on earth.
            1. Not long ago, some of us gathered to read a biography on the 17th century Particular Baptist Pastor, John Bunyan. Did you know that man spent 12 years in prison? He was separated from his wife and children. He suffered under very harsh conditions. Why? Because he refused to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? If Bunyan had the fear man in his heart, he would not have lasted long in his devotion to Christ. Many others have remained faithful to Christ even to the point of death. These knew that “those who kill the body… have nothing more that they can do.”
         7. But it is not only physical persecution that exposes the sin of the fear of man in the heart. Sometimes professing Christians are driven much more easily by the fear of man into compromise and hypocrisy.
            1.  How many young people have acted one way while at church and in the home and another way while out with non-believing friends? What drives them to act hypocritically except for the fear of man? If is not something as heavy as death they fear. No, they fear that they will be made fun of, ridiculed, or disliked if they do not conform to the ways of the world. 
            2. How many businessmen have compromised as it pertains to their devotion to Christ teh Lord out of fear of losing income or a job?   
            3. How many pastors have held back from declaring the truth of God’s Word out of fear of losing members or a ministry?
            4. Need I go on? Fear is a powerful motivator. If there is the fear of man and of what man can do to you embedded in your heart, hypocrisy will soon follow. 
            5. And so Christ speaks to us, saying, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do” (Luke 12:4, ESV).
   2. Secondly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man but to fear God instead.
      1. Look at verse 5. There Christ says, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”
         1. What are the remedies to the sin of the fear of man in the heart? Firstly, we must come to see and truly believe that man’s ability to do us harm is very limited. The worst thing man can do is kill the body! Secondly, we must replace the fear of man with the fear of God and Christ, for, on the last day, God will judge the world through Christ the Son. Man can only affect us in this life. Once we pass from this life, man can no longer reach us. But in the life to come, all will stand before God and Christ to be openly judged (or acquitted) for all eternity. Do not fear man. Fear God instead. 
         2. Perhaps you have heard it said that everyone loves someone or something supremely. Human beings can not not love. The question is, what do we love supremely? And the very same thing may be said about fear. Human beings cannot not fear. Every human being trembles at the thought of losing their greatest love. What (or whom) should we love supremely? We ought to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And what (or whom) should we fear supremely? Our greatest fear ought to be the Lord, the thought of coming under his wrath, being cast into hell, away from his blessed presence forever, and judged by him for all eternity.
         3. You are probably familiar with Proverbs 1:7, which says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 9:10 is similar: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Why is the fear of the Lord called the beginning of knowledge and wisdom? Well, it is because the fear of the Lord is the first step towards a life lived according to true knowledge and wisdom. Before we can come to faith in Christ, be forgiven of all our sins, live for the glory of God, and enter into the blessed presence of God for all eternity, we must first believe that God exists and fear him.
            1. Many who fear the Lord run away from him. This is what those who are left in their sins will do. If they fear God, they will run from him because of their sin. 
            2. By God’s grace, some who fear the Lord will run towards him. This is what the elect of God who are regenerated and effectually called by God’s Word and Spirit will do. First, they will fear the Lord. After this, they will perceive that he is merciful, gracious, and kind. And seeing that God has provided a Savior, Christ the Lord, they will not flee from him, but towards the God they love and fear through faith in Christ Jesus.   
            3. Here in the text that is open before us, Christ warns his disciples  – his friends – not to fear man but to fear the Lord. This will produce within us a constant and faithful walk. Instead of living to please man and to preserve our lives here on earth, we will live to please God and to preserve our lives before him for all eternity through faith in Christ the Lord.         
   3. Thirdly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man knowing that God cares for them.
      1. Look with me at verse 6: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6–7, ESV).
         1. Christ had just mentioned that man does have the ability to kill the body. Of course, this implied that the disciples of Christ would suffer persecution, even martyrdom,  at the hands of sinful and violent men. Here he comforts them by reassuring them that God will exercise a special kind of providential care over his people.
         2. Not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of our Father in heaven (see also Matthew 10:29). Even the hairs of our head are numbered by God. In times of persecution, or when enduring suffering of various kinds, even the prospect of death, God’s people are sometimes tempted to think that God has abandoned and forgotten them. This is not true. God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5).
         3. So near is he to us that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. God does not forget or neglect the sparrows, as small and numerous as they are. And so Christ comforts his friends with these words: “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  
3. Conclusion
   1. Christ is the only real solution to hypocrisy.
      1. We must be regenerated and enabled to believe in Christ.
      2. Christ justifies sinners. 
      3. Christ sanctifies sinners. 
   2. Sanctification is that it is a work that must be done inwardly in the mind and heart and not merely externally in the realm of words and deeds.
      1.  Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
      2. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” 
      3. This is why our catechism says, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” Before we can truly put to death sinful deeds and actions, we must put to death sinful thoughts and emotions. 
      4. Stated negatively, those who attempt to change the way they speak and act while neglecting the renewal of the mind and heart will inevitably slip into hypocrisy. Or to use the language of Christ from Luke 11, do not merely clean the outside of the cup, but by God grace and through faith in Christ, clean the inside of the cup also. If the inside of the cup is clean, then all will be clean.   

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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1. In Baptist Catechism 24 and 25, we considered the person and natures of Christ. What about Christ are we considering in question 26?
2. What is an office?
3. Where in the Bible do we learn about prophets, priests, and kings? What was the work of prophets, priests, and kings – what was their job?
4. There were many prophets, priests, and kings under the Old Covenant. What is unique about Christ as it pertains to these offices?
5. Why is it helpful to consider the work of Christ the Redeemer by looking at him through the lens of these offices?
6. How does it encourage your heart to think of Christ as our great prophet, priest, and king?   

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1. What is sanctification (see Baptist Catechism 38 and/or Second London Confession 13)? Whose work is it? Where in us must sanctification reach if it is to protect against hypocrisy?
2. What is the fear of man? 
3. How can the fear of man lead to hypocrisy?
4. What are the three remedies to the fear of man that Christ presents in Luke 12:4-7?
5. What does it mean to fear God? 
6. Why is the fear of God the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)
7. How is the fear of the Lord that the non-believer experiences different from the fear of the Lord that the one who has faith in Christ experiences?

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1. What does it mean that the Son of God took to himself a true body and reasonable soul? What does this tell us about Christ’s human nature?
2. Christ is really and truly human. He is also really and truly God. How so?
3. When our catechism says that the Son of God became man, are we to think that something changed within God? (See James 1:17. The second half of Baptist Catechism A: 24 might be of some help to you. Also, see Second London Confession 8.2.)  
4. How did the person of the eternal Son assume a human nature? What was the process or mechanism? (see Luke 1:26ff.)
5. What is the phrase, “yet without sin”, important? How is it that Jesus Christ, a true human, was born without the guilt and corruption of sin?

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1. What is Luke 12:1-53 about? Upon whom does Christ focus his attention? What topics does he address? For what purpose?
2. What does it mean to be a hypocrite?
3. Does being a sinner necessarily make a person a hypocrite?
4. Christ is the only real solution to the problem of hypocrisy. How so?
5. Man-centered, legalistic, Christless religion is bound to produce hypocrisy. Why?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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