June 7
Mark 3:20-30
Let’s just put this into perspective, shall we? Here’s Jesus, just trying to teach people about why God sent Him. He’s doing His best to heal people and show His love. And what happens? He not only gets called crazy, but He is accused of being possessed by His own enemy! One of the things I love about Jesus is that He always had the perfect response. (probably because He was perfect, but anyway…) He knew when to be silent, and when to put people in their place! In this case, He really put them in their place. First, He uses one of His parables to prove that He could not be possessed by Satan. “How can Satan cast out Satan?.....if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand?” (NLT) Next, He points out that not only is He completely unpossessed, but that He is more powerful than Satan. “Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger.” (NLT) Finally, He points out how dangerous it was for those men to accuse Him of such things. “But anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” (NLT) Yikes! I would have loved to see the looks on the faces of the men accusing Jesus. Make Jesus angry = bad idea!! I would like to conclude by sharing with you what my Quest Bible says about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. “It is not unforgivable because of something done unintentionally in the past, but because of something being done deliberately and unrelentingly in the present. Jesus’ warning was motivated by love. If we are willing to repent, God is willing to forgive.”
Principles:
1. A divided house cannot stand.
2. To regard the Holy Spirit as evil is to reject one’s only hope for salvation.
Application:
1. How do I “divide my house” by questioning, resisting, or refusing the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart or circumstances?
2. Where could I be attributing God’s works to man or Satan because they don’t fit my pattern?
3. Am I willing to be misunderstood by anybody because of my commitment to God’s program?
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Some assume that if they follow the example of Christ, they will be greatly loved. While that is true, it is also true that followers of Christ will be greatly hated. Some of the opposition Christians face has nothing to do with "being persecuted for righteousness' sake." In the name of Christ, Christians do a lot of unchristlike things that bring the scorn of the world we are trying to reach. But even when we get it right, as Jesus always did, we will have adversaries saying that our words and actions are wrong. Studying how Jesus reacted to his critics will help us respond correctly. It's an important study because if we are like Jesus, we'll face the opposition he faced.
ReplyDeleteAs I think about the third question I have to examine my life. I believe I am getting better with this. I still don't think I am where Christ wants me to be so I will continue to pray for strength and boldness for Jesus in ALL situations and circumstance that I may encounter.
ReplyDeleteRegarding question #3…When my husband Rick and I were saved on August 20,1980(a wonderful story)we were so excited that both of our families thought that we had become religious fanatics. We lived in Ct. and grew up never speaking about "politics or religion" and certainly never praying in a restaurant. We were so on fire that we didn't even know we were offending them. We have become more subtle over the years, but I wonder if God would be more pleased if we went back to that stage of our Christian life. I think we have to have a contagious enthusiasm but be careful to follow The Holy Spirit's leading when we open our mouths!
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