Basic HTML Version
How Jesus Related to Family Problems
195
and they had to build up barriers to withstand the mightiest Agency
that God can bring to bear on the human heart.
God does not blind people’s eyes or harden their hearts. He sends
them light to correct their errors. Rejecting this light blinds the eyes
and hardens the heart. Often the process is almost imperceptible.
[145]
But when we disregard one ray of light, we numb our spiritual per-
ceptions a little and don’t recognize as clearly the second revealing
of light. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the heart. This
is what had happened with these Jewish leaders. They credited the
work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this, they deliberately
chose deception, and from that time on, they were controlled by
Satan’s power.
Closely connected with Christ’s warning about the sin against the
Holy Spirit is a warning against idle and evil words. Words are an
indication of character. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks.” Words also have power to react on the character. People are
influenced by their own words. Often under a sudden prompting by
Satan, they say something that they do not really believe. But the
expression reacts on the thoughts, and they come to believe what
they spoke at Satan’s prompting. Having once expressed an opinion
or decision, often they are too proud to retract it. They try to prove
themselves right, until they believe that they are.
It is dangerous to speak a word of doubt, dangerous to question
and criticize light. Careless and irreverent criticism reacts on the
character, strengthening irreverence and unbelief. Many people have
gone on until they were ready to criticize and reject the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “For every idle word men may speak, they will give
account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then Jesus
added a warning to those who had been impressed by His words but
had not surrendered themselves for the Holy Spirit to live in them.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry
places, seeking rest, and finds none.
Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then
he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter and dwell there.”