ABUNDANT LIFE MINISTRIES

(From March 3, 2010)
Don't Remain Empty
Matthew 12:43-45 says, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house empty, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

There are many times in our life that we deal with sin and compromises. You may be struggling with blatant sin, i.e. sexual immorality, lying, anger, uncontrolled tongue, or you may be struggling with less obvious sins that you don’t even consider, for example: complacency, compromise, unforgiveness, lack of love, and so on. The fact is, sin is sin, and all sin is a direct influence from the enemy. The Word says, “satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy,” and the Word also says, “all sin leads to death,” therefore we can ascertain that if you are dealing with sin in your life, you are being influenced and attacked by one of satan’s cronies. So what must you do? Be cleansed of course…but we are going to find out, we must also be filled!

When we repent of our sin, we kick out, we eject, and we force out the enemy from our lives. Whether it is the first time you are saved or you are a Christian who allowed the enemy to gain entrance in your life through sin, when you repent, ask for true forgiveness, and turn from your error, then the sinful spirits in your life leave. You are now empty as it says in verse 44 of our text (“when I find the house empty.”)

Let’s define “Empty:”
1) to cease from labor, to loiter
2) to be free from labor, to be at leisure, to be idle
3) to be unoccupied, empty

The oversight many people make is they stop at the cleaning out process, because they repented, they temporarily feel better so that is all they do, but look what happens to us when we make this blunder…The enemy comes back and because things are empty, he comes back in but not by himself, but with seven other allies and your new condition is worst then the first.

So what must we do? Simple, don’t remain empty! We must be filled! Read some other messages we have posted on this subject. Being filled with the Spirit is the most essential, vital, crucial, and indispensable key to our successful Christian walk. The same disciples that denied Christ, abandon Christ, didn’t understand the parables of Christ, after they were filled, instantly began to preach, teach, heal, etc. because of the infilling of the Holy Spirit! It is not God’s purpose for us to remain empty, because when we are empty our condition will be worse then the first.

In addition to being filled, Ephesians 4:22-29 teaches us a powerful principle of what we need to do now that we have been made new. I will let you discover this truth on your own. (Hint: Replace) Enjoy!