24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”
28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:24-28 NLT)
There seem to be two main points in these verses. The first is that unless the Lord drives the unclean or evil spirit out of a person, it may not work. People do all kinds of things to break addictions, to try to make changes in their lives. But when these efforts are based on what we try to do, not on the power of the Lord, they can fail and people end up worse off than they were before. Think of it with a different example. How many times do people loose and then regain weight? We need the Lord's help for real change in our lives. That help comes from God's Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness that Jesus gives to set us free.
The second point is that hearing and doing what God says is more important than what people see on the surface. Pretending and Practicing are two different things.
27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”
28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:24-28 NLT)
There seem to be two main points in these verses. The first is that unless the Lord drives the unclean or evil spirit out of a person, it may not work. People do all kinds of things to break addictions, to try to make changes in their lives. But when these efforts are based on what we try to do, not on the power of the Lord, they can fail and people end up worse off than they were before. Think of it with a different example. How many times do people loose and then regain weight? We need the Lord's help for real change in our lives. That help comes from God's Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the forgiveness that Jesus gives to set us free.
The second point is that hearing and doing what God says is more important than what people see on the surface. Pretending and Practicing are two different things.
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