Key Passage
"When an evil spirit {from the devil} comes out of a person, that spirit travels through dry places looking for a place to rest. But that spirit finds no place to rest. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the home (person) I left.' When the spirit comes back to that person, the spirit finds that home (person) still empty. That home is swept clean and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. Then all the spirits go into that person and live there. And that person has even more trouble than he had before. It is the same way with the evil people that live today."
— Matthew 12:43-45 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus' opponents were well known for being scrupulously righteous. But in the process of building their reputation, they lost the heart of what God wanted. They traded truth for legalism which helped them feel superior to others and which allowed them, on occasion, to displace God's will with their own legalistic interpretations of the law. They forced out what was noticeably evil, but replaced it with an evil of their own making that allowed them to reject God's Messiah. The pursuit of do's and don'ts, the passion to rid ourselves of sin, while a worthwhile pursuit, is not our ultimate goal. Merely ridding ourselves of unrighteousness only makes us more vulnerable to sinful forces invading our lives if we do not replace that void with Jesus' indwelling presence through the Spirit.
Prayer
O Father, the Lord God Almighty, I desire to be your holy servant. Please rid me of evil and teach me to live in your righteous ways. However, dear Father, please protect me from self-righteousness and legalism and correct me if I fall into them. Most of all, dear Father, cleanse me and fill me with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
I mean that you are saved by grace. And you got that grace by believing. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God. No! You are not saved by the things you have done. So no person can boast {that he saved himself}. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would do good things. God had already planned those good things for us. God had planned for us to live our lives doing those good things.
— Ephesians 2:8-10
So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want. If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, then you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, then you will have {true} life. The true children of God are those people that let God's Spirit lead them.
— Romans 8:12-14
So don't be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine. That will ruin (destroy) you spiritually. But be filled with the Spirit. Communicate to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give him thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
— Ephesians 5:17-20
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
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"When an evil spirit {from the devil} comes out of a person, that spirit travels through dry places looking for a place to rest. But that spirit finds no place to rest. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the home (person) I left.' When the spirit comes back to that person, the spirit finds that home (person) still empty. That home is swept clean and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. Then all the spirits go into that person and live there. And that person has even more trouble than he had before. It is the same way with the evil people that live today."
— Matthew 12:43-45 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus' opponents were well known for being scrupulously righteous. But in the process of building their reputation, they lost the heart of what God wanted. They traded truth for legalism which helped them feel superior to others and which allowed them, on occasion, to displace God's will with their own legalistic interpretations of the law. They forced out what was noticeably evil, but replaced it with an evil of their own making that allowed them to reject God's Messiah. The pursuit of do's and don'ts, the passion to rid ourselves of sin, while a worthwhile pursuit, is not our ultimate goal. Merely ridding ourselves of unrighteousness only makes us more vulnerable to sinful forces invading our lives if we do not replace that void with Jesus' indwelling presence through the Spirit.
Prayer
O Father, the Lord God Almighty, I desire to be your holy servant. Please rid me of evil and teach me to live in your righteous ways. However, dear Father, please protect me from self-righteousness and legalism and correct me if I fall into them. Most of all, dear Father, cleanse me and fill me with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
I mean that you are saved by grace. And you got that grace by believing. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God. No! You are not saved by the things you have done. So no person can boast {that he saved himself}. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would do good things. God had already planned those good things for us. God had planned for us to live our lives doing those good things.
— Ephesians 2:8-10
So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want. If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, then you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, then you will have {true} life. The true children of God are those people that let God's Spirit lead them.
— Romans 8:12-14
So don't be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine. That will ruin (destroy) you spiritually. But be filled with the Spirit. Communicate to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give him thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
— Ephesians 5:17-20
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
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