4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
Genesis 40:1-41:36
Matthew 12:43-13:17
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Matthew 12:43-45 (CSB): “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
We come across an interesting parable in Matthew 12:43-45. The Gospel writer, Luke, also retells this story in Luke 11:24-26.
Jesus told this parable to explain the true nature of salvation. True salvation is when someone turns from their sin (the heart is swept of moral filth) and turns to Jesus (the room is filled with a new resident, namely the Holy Spirit). Salvation, therefore, isn’t merely a momentary decision to try to live right. Instead, it is a complete change of occupants. Once, sin occupied our hearts. And then, Jesus, in the person of the Holy Spirit, took up residence in our hearts so that we will not go back to sin as a way of life.
But, in the parable that Jesus tells us, he talks about someone who sweeps out their house and doesn’t replace the dirt with anything. No one and nothing comes in to replace what was taken out. And, my friend, nature abhors a vacuum.
What is this a picture of? It is someone who comes to a place in their life where they want to make moral reform. Maybe their sin of choice is reaping some negative consequences. Maybe they intuitively know that living a moral life may get them farther up the ladder of success. Whatever the reason, they embrace moral reform (a.k.a. religion).
But they don’t replace the immorality with something (or Someone) else. That picture shows that this person has tried to get rid of sinful habits without being truly saved. They are never truly born again. The Holy Spirit never comes in to dwell.
And Jesus warns that someone like that risks becoming worse than they were to begin with. How might that take place?
First, some people erroneously believe that they can get saved, and then they’ve got their ticket to Heaven. Then, they can presume upon God’s grace, continuing in willful sin. Sometimes, those folks, while claiming to be saved, can act no better than a worldly person. Maybe they will even pick up sins that they never engaged in before they “said the prayer.”
A second way that the last state can be worse than the first is that that person becomes inoculated to the Gospel. By that, I mean that if you are greatly concerned about their salvation because you see no evidence that Jesus has taken up residence in their heart, you had better be careful if you bring that up with them. Why? They will almost certainly get horribly offended. “How dare you say that I might not be saved! I said the prayer! I walked the aisle! I got baptized!” And yet there is no fruit, no evidence that they are truly born again and belong to Jesus. The last state is worse than the first because they may keep their mindset to their dying breath, after which time Jesus will pronounce to them: “Depart from me; I never knew you.”
Friend, if you are truly saved, you are continually sweeping your heart clean of sin as you actively pursue holiness. But your heart has also become the residence of the Holy Spirit who will continually work to make you more like Jesus until He calls you home.
So, are you saved? Does it demonstrate itself in obvious ways? I truly hope so!
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for the truths of Your Word. Thank You that I am not left to discover what it means to be truly saved on my own. Instead, Your Word makes it so abundantly clear. And while my salvation is solely by grace, I understand that being saved will manifest itself in at least a few obvious ways, one of which is pursuing holiness as Your Holy Spirit enables me. So, help me as I progress on my journey to greater degrees of Christlikeness. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
Going Deeper
One of the best books on holiness I’ve ever read (and it’s VERY easy to read!) is “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges. I would encourage you to purchase it and devour it.
If you want to go deeper, check out this article by Got Questions: “How can I know if I am saved?”
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).
Matt’s Musings 