Isaiah 43:18-19 English Standard Version (ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Blasphemy is a New Testament word which is an insult; to be sluggish or stupid, to injure by words. As I stated yesterday, the Pharisees could not counter Jesus with doctrine because His doctrine was perfect. They insulted Jesus for proclaiming a new thing which their doctrine could neither confirm nor deny.

Imagine spending your whole life studying the scriptures and attaining to a position of reputation and authority only to be told, “Forget everything you have ever known.” They insulted our Lord because they would not let go of their position nor opinion.

Philippians 3:8 English Standard Version (ESV) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Paul got it. Paul gave up everything for Christ.

I ended yesterday by asking; “What blasphemies are we accused of today?”

1 John 4:16 English Standard Version (ESV) So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

God had never done this before, it is a new thing. It was inconceivable to believe that God would abide in mankind. He had never done this before. You would have to forget everything you ever knew about God in order to believe that.

Isaiah 32:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹ Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.
² Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
³ Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention.

2 Peter 2:1 English Standard Version (ESV) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

A heretic is someone who holds a different opinion. To call someone a heretic is to place your opinion above another. Pride is at the center of proclaiming anyone a heretic. We are warned not to allow pride to become a hindrance in relationship. Others have broken relationship with me for having a different opinion. It is best if we know our scriptures in truth.

Looking to scripture we see that the Scribes and Pharisees did not call Jesus a heretic. They could find no error in His biblical teachings. They did however call Him a blasphemer.

Matthew 26:63-66 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

They condemned Him to death because He said that a man would be seated on the throne of heaven in the position of power. Jesus used the term Son of Man to refer to Himself in order not to offend where some held “I AM” as a sacred name for God. It should be noted that Jesus answered “I AM” when they came to arrest Him.

John 18:6 English Standard Version (ESV) When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

What blasphemies are we accused of today?