Bible Reading: Joshua 4; Psalms 129-131; Isaiah 64; Matthew 12
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 whence 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 state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43-45)
Jesus spoke these words to the religious but lost Pharisees. He uses a situation where a single person deals with the demonic influence in their life and he applies it to the generation who rejected him in his day. Here is what he teaches. A man has an unclean spirit that he somehow gets rid of. This unclean spirit wanders around for a while seeking a place of rest, but finds none. Then he returns to the man he came out of. The spirit refers to the man as 'his house'. When he returns to his 'house' he finds it empty, swept and garnished.
This is the man who tries to reform his life without being regenerated. He gets rid of something bad. He 'cleans up' his life but his life is still empty. There is no one living in the man. His life is an empty vessel waiting to be filled or occupied. This person is vulnerable to not only the return of the unclean spirit but to other unclean spirits moving in as well.
There is a Spirit that must dwell in your house. He is the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus promised.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16-17)
A vacant house is just waiting for the unclean to come and fill. If you try to reform your life without being regenerated, you will fail miserably. Take for an example the many people who have tried to quit a bad habit like smoking. The first time they quit, it is fairly easy, but they usually start again. The next time it is much harder for them to quit. You can't just kick the demons out and expect them to stay out. The Holy Spirit has got to own the house and move in permanently.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; (Titus 3:5-6)
Lasting change can only come when you life has new ownership. Who lives in you?
In Christ,
Rody
