Words and Their Consequences

Turn back to Mark Chapter 3. Mark Chapter 3. I titled this message, WORDS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. Words and their consequences. Words have consequences. You know, the Word of God repeatedly warns us to be careful with our words. Name-calling, false accusations, careless speech are not small matters with God.

Matthew 5.22 But I say to you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say, TO HIS BROTHER, RAKAH, WORTHLESS PERSON, IDIOT! That's what it means. It means a worthless person, it has the meaning of calling someone an idiot. He says here, AND WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY TO HIS BROTHER, RAKAH, SHALL BE IN DANGER OF THE COUNCIL, BUT WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY, THOU FOOL, THOU GRACELESS WRETCH, GODLESS, SHALL BE IN DANGER OF HELL FIRE, WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY."

And the reason He says shall say because what we say comes from the HEART. This portion of Scripture I'm reading out of here in Matthew 5, this is where He deals with the HEART. he says here be careful what you say i said matthew 12 36 37 listen every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment how many idle words do we speak aren't you glad i'm so glad christ died for me every idle word that's how thorough judgment's going to be right down to the idle words every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned words are powerful aren't they james describes the danger of the tongue Carl read this earlier back in the study.

In James 1.26 he said, A man's religion, I'm going to paraphrase, that without bridling the tongue, his religion is in vain if he bridles not his tongue. His religion is empty, there's nothing to it. It doesn't matter what he professes, if he doesn't bridle his tongue, His religion is empty, it's vain.

He goes on to say in James 3.6, the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, the tongue.

And he says in James 3.8, the tongue is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. And our passage shows just how serious sinful words become, how serious it is. The religious leaders did not simply reject Christ, they accused Him by their words, they accused Him of being in league and empowered by Satan, that was their accusations. We have an accusation, we have some questions, and then we have the unpardonable sin in this portion of Scripture. Now in verse 22 we have the false accusation from the Pharisees or the scribes here.

Now this is recorded in Matthew 12. and in Luke 11, and they both, and it's good when you read the Bible and you come across something like this, read it in all three Gospels because each one of them will give just a little more light. You know, they have a little different, something they'll say that's not said in another Gospel. So I studied all three of them and I'll bring, I'll use all three of them as I go through this. But the scribes came down, it says, from Jerusalem, THEY CAME WITH ONE PURPOSE, NOT TO HEAR, NOT TO LEARN OF CHRIST, NOT TO BE TAUGHT, BUT TO FIND FAULT. That's the reason I wrote that article about LISTENING WITHOUT A CRITICAL EAR as I was reading these things, that article came to me.

But they came to find fault with the Lord Jesus Christ. Their jealousy THEIR JEALOUSY BLINDED THEM TO THE TRUTH. THEY WOULDN'T LISTEN. In Matthew 12, verse 22, in this same situation, Christ healed a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute, and He cast out the devil and completely healed the man. And the people, it says, were amazed. And they said, IS NOT THIS THE SON OF DAVID? This is what made them jealous. all the attention he was getting.

And instead of the Pharisees rejoicing, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devil, Satan. Now Beelzebub back in the Old Testament was Lord of the flies. It was in the Philistines in the city of Ekron, they had a god named Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies, but by the time Christ came, it changed from Lord of the Flies to Prince of the Demons, Satan, and that's what they're calling him. They're saying that he cast out devils by the Prince of the Devils, Satan. He's in league with Satan. WHAT HE IS DOING IS BY THE POWER OF SATAN!

And our Lord is going to show us how SERIOUS this accusation is! There is a sin that is NOT PARDONABLE! And He is going to give it to us here toward the end of this. These Pharisees, rather than acknowledging God's POWER, They called the work of the Holy Spirit, which He had to Spirit without measure, they called the work of the Holy Spirit the work of Satan. Their words reveal how dangerous and unbelieving the heart can become. It becomes harder and harder and meaner and meaner without grace, it does. But our Lord BEING THE WISDOM OF GOD.

You know, I put a title on this one, Common Sense Theology, these questions our Lord asks. But He says here, IF THAT'S SO, YOU SAY I CAST OUT SATAN, I CAST OUT DEMONS, DEVILS BY THE POWER OF SATAN. Okay, I want you to answer me a question. Here's the wisdom of God. And it's not a hard question. I mean, it's a simple, this is an elementary question. How can Satan cast out Satan? This question is full of wisdom and common sense. First, it reminds us in asking this question, how can Satan cast out Satan? The first thing that stood out to me is this.

It reminds me, it reminds you that Satan is a very real person. He's a very real person. He's not an influence. He's not an idea. He is a POWERFUL PERSONAL ENEMY and He's very, very real. Satan is not partly good and partly evil. He is 100% PURE EVIL. I mean PURE EVIL.

He has no desire to free those he has enslaved. The Lord sets the prisoner free. Satan in no way would set anybody free. No way. He never works against himself. That's what the Lord is pointing out. Satan is not working against himself. Now the Lord illustrates his point with three simple examples. Just very simple examples. in verses 24 and 26.

If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Division eventually destroys every kingdom. We see this principle throughout history. It is simply common sense. A KINGDOM DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND. If a HOUSE be DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, that HOUSE CANNOT STAND. Abraham Lincoln used this scripture when he was elected to the Senate. He used this, HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND. But this same is true in the home, in the home.

A divided family cannot long remain healthy, especially spiritually it cannot remain healthy, if it's spiritual, if Christ is there at all. I have a difficult time myself. I have a difficult time believing that Christ is in a home where there's nothing but fussing and fighting going on. Now I believe He can be in one of them, but I don't think so in both of them. Somebody's lost. Somebody's lost, I believe that. 99.999%, I believe that.

If the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, does it not come out? Does it not have effect on us? Greater is He in you than He that is in the world. Is not the Holy Spirit, is He not greater than our sin and our old nature? Is He not greater than that?

David said this in Psalm 133. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It's beautiful, isn't it? Oh, the unity, the unity of a house, the unity of a kingdom, the unity of a home is beautiful. It's nothing more beautiful. I know parents love it when their children just get along.

If Satan rise up against himself, our Lord says, he cannot stand. He can't stand. That's just common sense. And these Pharisees are telling the people that are watching our Lord when He healed this man or cast out that unclean spirit. And these Pharisees are broadcasting this to the crowd. He's doing this by the Spirit of Beelzebub. And our Lord just said, Really? Well, that's North Carolina language. But it's common sense.

If Satan rise up against himself, he cannot stand. If Satan were casting out his demons and his prince over, he'd be destroying his own kingdom. And that would be suicide. That would be suicide. And his pride, his pride alone would never allow him to do it. He is the Prince of Pride. It would never allow him to do it. Christ now explains something to us here in verse 27. No man can enter into a strong man's house except he first bind the strong man. The strong man here is Satan. He's a strong man. HIS GOODS ARE THOSE STILL UNDER HIS POWER. At one time we were HIS GOODS, HIS SPOILS.

Before salvation, every person is spiritually dead and under the power of darkness. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT! I didn't know it when I was. But when I look back, the things I loved to do, Oh no, that's the spirit of darkness. There's nothing good about that. That's what it says in Ephesians 2, 1 through 3, it says that we were children of wrath by nature, even as others. You know, the scripture gives many examples of Satan's power, Satan being a strong man.

Think of Adam and Eve. They hadn't sinned, they were innocent. They were righteous and he brought them down. He brought them down. Samson, look how strong he was. He whipped an army with the jawbone of an ass. And Delilah, Delilah brought him down. Satan used Delilah to bring him down. David, boy the sweet psalmist of Israel. walked out on the balcony and sees Bathsheba. And the man, after God's own heart, crumbles. Crumbles.

Solomon, the wisest man among men. Christ is the wisdom of God. Solomon, given all that wisdom, he was the wisest man. And yet, what did he do? He built shrines and altars to his pagan wives. And because of that, after he died, the kingdom was divided, taken down, taken from him. His son had it, but it was really weakened.

Peter! Lord, I'll NEVER deny you! I'll NEVER deny you! Everybody else will, but NOT ME! and he falls before a maidservant from fear, fear. Peter, Satan has desired you to sift you as wheat and he knows he can but I prayed for you, I've interceded for you that your faith fail not. satan is more powerful than any human being you don't want to deal with him i don't want to deal with him i don't want to deal with it michael the archangel there's a lot of lessons we can learn just reading the bible all you got to do is read the bible and ask the lord to open your your eyes and your understanding but Michael the Archangel it said in Jude 9 He did not rail against Satan. He didn't argue with Satan. He said the Lord rebuked you Even when our Lord answered him he answered him with the Word of God Satan knows our weaknesses better than we know them ourselves He knows that he can attack us through the lust of the flesh and HE KNOWS HE CAN ATTACK US THROUGH THE LUST OF THE EYES. IF HE CAN'T GET YOU ONE WAY, HE'LL COME AT YOU IN ANOTHER WAY.

HE KNOWS HE CAN ATTACK US THROUGH THE PRIDE OF LIFE. AND IF HE CAN'T DECEIVE US THROUGH THESE WORLDLY TEMPTATIONS, HE WILL ATTEMPT SPIRITUAL DECEPTION. HE WILL OFFER FALSE HOPE, FALSE PEACE, FALSE FAITH. A FALSE RELIGION, A FALSE GOSPEL. I'M TELLING YOU, HE COMES AT ALL ANGLES. HE COMES AT ALL ANGLES. HE'S CRAFTY! HE'S CRAFTY!

And don't think I made a man mad saying this to him one time. I said, just because a man's religious doesn't mean he's saved. And he came back the next day and took me the task. late 20s then, but I'd heard the Gospel believe. But just because a man's religious doesn't mean he's saved. And Christ warned us about this in Matthew 12.

Turn over there, I'm going to deal with all of this tonight if I can, if I have time. In Matthew 12, 43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from which I came out.

And when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. And the last day of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also with this wicked generation."

The unclean spirit leads the man. That's Satan. That's Satan. This man is under his control. But he's gonna leave him for a little while. And the man's life appears cleaned up. Somebody talks him into a profession. He goes to a church meeting somewhere and he gets talked into a profession. And he's cleaned up, swept, and garnished. You know what that word GARNISHED means? decorated you go into this man's house you'll see a cross on the wall you'll see a picture of what they call Jesus on the wall you'll see all this religious paraphernalia he just puts it all out there wears shirts with scripture on it he becomes religious but the house remains now did you notice this empty If Christ saves you, you're not empty.

He's in you. Christ in you is the hope of glory. He dwells in you. He dwells in you. It's swept, not washed, swept and decorated. I tell you, when the Lord takes a person over, HE DWELLS IN THAT PERSON FOREVER! HE DOESN'T COME AND GO, HE'S IN THAT PERSON FOREVER! YOU'RE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE! YOU'RE NOT EMPTY!

THAT'S WHY PAUL SAID ONE TIME, HE SAID, IN MY FLESH, HE SAID NO, HE SAID THIS, IN ME! AND THEN HE CLARIFIED IT. because it was going in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing he didn't say in me dwells no good thing that would be awful because christ is in him the holy spirit he's still with the holy spirit so be careful when you say in me dwells no good no be careful in my flesh dwells no good thing now christ dwells in me he's good WITHOUT CHRIST DWELLING WITHIN, THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT RETURNS.

THIS IS SATAN, HE RETURNS WITH SEVEN OTHER SPIRITS MORE WICKED THAN HIMSELF. I think you could say those seven other spirits are false hope, false faith, false rest. That's more wicked than anything I know. When you have false peace and false gospel, that's as wicked as it gets. HIS LAST CONDITION IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST.

MANY PEOPLE REFORM THEIR LIVES WITHOUT EVER EXPERIENCING TRUE CONVERSION. THAT'S THE TRUTH. SOMEONE MAY MAKE A PROFESSION OF FAITH, BECOME RELIGIOUS, EVEN CALVINISTIC. BUT YET NEVER COME TO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. I AM HIS. and he is mine when someone began to speak to me of the gospel i do listen i do listen to see how they speak of christ what thank you christ here's what they thought of him he's casting out devils by the spirit of beelzebub he's possessed with beelzebub he's in league with beelzebub WITHOUT GENUINE REPENTANCE AND SAVING FAITH, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A NEW BIRTH. NEVER BEEN.

But listen, when the stronger man takes over in Luke 11 verse 21-22, I'll read it to you. It's the same situation. When a strong man, armed, keeps his palace What is Satan armed with? LIES. That's what he's armed with, lies. His goods are in peace, but when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and he divides his spoil. He takes his spoil.

The LORD HAS TAKEN US FROM THE CLUTCHES OF SATAN! HE'S TAKEN US! When Christ saves a sinner, EVERYTHING CHANGES! Yes, we still struggle with the flesh, we still sin, we know that, nobody here denies that. But our Lord said, Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, you are under grace. But when Christ, the stronger man, comes in and takes over, He ENTERS the house.

He takes OVER the palace. I think it's in Luke where He calls it a palace. Keeps His palace, there it is. When a strong man's arm keeps His palace. Castle. OUR LORD ENTERS IN AND HE TAKES OVER THE PALACE, THE HOUSE. HE BINDS SATAN. HE CLAIMS HIS OWN. YOU'RE MINE. COME OUT OF HIM AND ENTER NO MORE. SATAN AND CHRIST DO NOT ENTER OR DO NOT DWELL IN A PERSON AT THE SAME TIME. THEY DO NOT COHABITATE IN A CENTER.

He cast Satan out. He cast him out. If Satan dwells in a person, that person is lost. If Christ has saved that person, Satan is gone. He may molest you, tempt you, try you, but he ain't going to take you over. Your Christ is the stronger man has taken over, it s His house. Satan can no longer possess the believer. I was trying to tell this to someone here a few weeks ago, it cannot be both, it cannot be both. CHRIST DEFEATS SATAN BY HIS AUTHORITY.

IT SAYS HE BINDS HIM. HOW DOES HE BIND HIM? HIS WORD. HIS WORD. HE SAYS WITH HIS AUTHORITY AND HIS WORD, HE SAYS COME OUT, DON'T YOU GO BACK IN THERE ANYMORE. HE'S BOUND. HE'S BOUND BY THE WORD OF GOD. HE CAN'T DO IT. IF GOD SAYS YOU CAN'T DO IT, YOU CAN'T DO IT. THAT'S THE POWER OF HIS WORD. But I want you to notice something in Luke, in Luke 11 20. I want you to notice there's not this struggle and battle going on between Christ and Satan in his knock down, drag out. No, listen.

But if I, with the finger of God, cast out devils, finger, just a finger, I just push him aside, push him out. no struggle between Christ with Christ casting out Satan he just says leave and he has to leave he has to leave now we come to the unpardonable sin this is where this is all leading to they accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub power of Satan And the Lord gave them some just very common sense questions. Kingdom divided against itself, can't stand. Satan divided against himself, can't stand. House divided against itself, can't stand. But now here, this is serious. This is serious. Our Lord now gives one of the most solemn warnings in all the Word of God. First we have the, but first, our Lord prefaces by this in verse 28, let me get back to Mark.

In verse 28, Mark 3, 28, Verily I say to you, ALL SINS SHALL BE FORGIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF MEN, AND BLASPHEMIES WHEREWITHSOEVER THEY SHALL BLASPHEME. Everybody in here has blasphemed in the name of God. Everybody in here has used God's name in vain. YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN. ALL SINS SHALL BE FORGIVEN. AMAZING GRACE! EVERY KIND OF SIN, EVEN BLASPHEMY, CAN BE FORGIVEN THROUGH THE BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST, EXCEPT BUT THERE IS ONE SIN THAT HAS NO FORGIVENESS. HE THAT SHALL BLASPHEME AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST HATH NEVER FORGIVENESS. In one of the scriptures it says, it might be in this one, HE THAT HAS NEVER FORGIVENESS IN THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME. There is no forgiveness for this.

And what is this sin? verse 30 explains it plainly because they said he hath an unclean spirit he hath a devil they claimed that the holy spirit who was doing the miracles through the man christ jesus they said the devil was doing that's the devil at work that's the devil The Pharisees KNOWINGLY ATTRIBUTED THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SATAN.

I want you to listen to this. They looked DIRECTLY at the POWER OF GOD WORKING THROUGH CHRIST and DELIBERATELY CALLED IT THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. They had, right in front of them, MIRACLES! The DEAD RAISED, DEVILS CAST OUT, BLIND TO SEE, LAME TO WALK, and they said, THAT'S THE DEVIL. That's the devil. Their hardened unbelief had reached its zenith, charging the Holy Spirit of being the devil. Now in closing, this passage begins and ends with words. The scribes used their tongues to slander and falsely accuse the Lord Jesus Christ, and their words revealed the condition of their hearts. Our words do. Just let someone talk long enough. All you got to do is just listen. Just let them talk. And our Lord teaches us this in this portion of Scripture. First of all, words matter. What we say matters.

FALSE ACCUSATIONS are SERIOUS, they are very serious. Spiritual blindness is dangerous. They saw all these miracles. Satan is very real, he is a very real person. But Christ is STRONGER than Satan, and when he casts him out, he is OUT. He can't possess the believer no more. And every sinner who comes to Christ can be forgiven of all their sin. Every sin, he says, every sin. But hardened rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness to Christ leads to eternal damnation and never forgiven. Let us pray as David did. SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH, KEEP THE DOORS OF MY LIPS. SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH, KEEP THE DOORS OF MY LIPS. Psalm 141-3.

I realize I could have easily been a Pharisee in making those same accusations. I heard a man preach on television years ago, a false preacher, and his message was FIVE DAMDABLE DOCTRINES, and he took the doctrines of grace and just attributed them to Satan. He has no idea what he just did, what he did at that time.

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