Grosey's Messages

Luke 11:14-28   No Neurtrality.  John G Ridley  The Tragedy of a Half-Way Salvation.

14 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.

15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.

18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.

19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.

23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

24 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'

25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.

26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

Keeping the Word

27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"

28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

Seeking a Sign

29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

This great text, the outcome of a miracle, stands between a vivid illustration and a vital application.

Some people had brought a very sad case to our Lord. A man possessed with a demon who was blind and dumb.  With the word of Divine power and the touch of God.  Jesus healed the sufferer so that he both spoke and saw.

The people who witnessed the great miracle  were amazed, and well they might be for truly this was a mighty deed. Awed with wonder and reverence they began to say one to another "Is not this the Son of David?" "Surely this is the Messiah?" "No mere man could do these things?" 

Instantly the Pharisees retorted, "he casts out demons by Beezelbub the chief of demons."  "come show us a sign from heaven and we will believe."

Knowing their hearts our Lord replied "Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against a house falleth." If Satan also is be divided against himself how shall his kingdom stand? If I by Beezelbub cast out demons by who do your sons cast them out?" If I by the finger of God cast out devils no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Then follows His Vivid Illustration.

He portrays a palace kept by a strong man who is armed and all uis safe. But lo!  Suddenly a stronger man comes upon the strong man and overthrows him and takes all his armour and his spoils.

McCheyne likens the palace to the sinner. The strong man to Satan and the stronger man to Christ.

Thus Christ comes upon the devil-filled ones and delivers them but immediately He utters a grim word of warning. "he that is not with Me is against Me." Every age has its heresy every generation its outstanding evil. The Church of Jesus Christ may not today be face to face with the firs of Smithfield or the lions of the Coliseum, or the nameless crucifixus of a Nero or the vicious attacks of a Tom Pain or Voltaire but the devil is not dead. No nor even asleep or on holiday in this our age and generation.  True, he may have slain his thousands with the weapons of persecution and martyrdom in other days, but now with a deadlier and more subtle weapon he slays his tens of thousands.  The weapon of the wicked One we wish to speak about tonight  Indifference, Half-heartedness, Luke-warmness, mere outward reformation or shall I call it a Half way salvation?

The Tragedy of A Half Way Salvation is That It Professes Apparently to Accept The Lord's Deliverance.

Our Lord cast out a dumb demon and the delivered man opened his mouth and spoke.  Many of the people wondered! Some – Blasphemed.. Attributing Christ's power to Satan. Others  - Tempted; asking a sign.

How Jesus knows their thoughts. Yes He knows all thoughts. He knows what is in a man.  He knows the secret meditations ion your mind and mine. Yes "The Lord knoweth them that are His" – those that are for Him and those who are against Him.  "If I with the finger of God cast out demons no doubt the kingdom of God has come upon you."   The Spirit of God…

"Satan is not divided" asserts our Lord. But he has a force against him which is stronger than he, even the Spirit of God."

Then to press home and apply the illustration our Lord unveils a strange parable.

A certain man is delivered from an unclean spirit; and he walks through dry places seeking rest and finding none. .. but the delivered man seems to have rest.

"The grace of God which brings salvation has appeared unto all men" and apparently many accept it.

Great multitudes followed Christ at first, but afterwards many went back and walked no more with Him." Herod listened to John gladly and did many things but afterwards murdered the same John. Many "hear the Word and with joy receive it, but have not root in themselves but endureth for a while and then when persecution or tribulation arise because of the Word straightway they are offended .

Oh how sadly true this is!

How many in missions and evangelistic work appear to accept God's offer of deliverance in Christ and in many cases the evil spirit of drink gambling, impurity temper, worldliness seems to go out of them. For awhile there is reforming and gladness but then temptation arises and a laugh from a friend ; a sneer from an old acquaintance, a blow  from an enemy  - and because there is no root, but only shallow conviction, they are offended.

Alas how true it is that under the power of a mighty message or in times of special prayer and revival, evil spirits play with their victims and depart for a season and people confess how much they enjoy the things of God and how much better they fare, and even assume and assure that they are saved , but – it is but the tragedy of a half way salvation:

Assumption without Divine Assurance

Interest without identification with Jesus Christ

Reformation without regeneration by the Holy Spirit

Acknowledgment of the precepts of Christ without Acceptance of the Person of Christ.

Makes an acknowledgement of Christ but alas no repentance for sin, no burning the bridges behind, no honest abhorrence of evil.  Oh the tragic trifling there is with sin!

The Irishman confessed to his priest that he had been stealing hay. The priest asked him how much he had stolen. "Your reverence I might as well confess to the whole stack, as I am going back after the other hay tonight."

The Tragedy of a Halfway salvation is that it Halts in the Danger Zone.

Years ago in a certain mission a crippled laddie of some 12 years attended and on returning home one night he confided to his father saying "dad when Mr. Ridley asked for hands to be raised if any one would accept Christ, I put my hand up half way, so I must be half saved."

How many like the young laddie get half way to Christ.. but half there is not neutral ground  its No Man's Land.

Feeling much better after a message or  revival mission the half saved soul cleans up the house. With the broom of reformation old habits and bad words and wrong attitudes are swept out and then with the paint of imitation the life is garnished with natural gifts and human graces.  Maybe one broom is painted with the faith of a Simon Magus  Another with the choice words and good desires of a Balaam. Another with the activity and interest of a Judas, while the outside is adorned with the external religious performances of a Pharisee. Yes "swept and garnished" but no more, no washing in the sin cleansing, sin purging blood of the Lamb. Oh No! That is an offensive suggestion – an old fashioned doctrine- a narrow-minded Puritanical theory. No! "Swept and garnished"  that is enough! "no need to overdo things." No race to cut clear from the world and its ways." "no intention of parading Christ before others." No! 

Therefore no faith.

Where?  In no Man's Land. Apparently between two sides: Satan's kingdom and Christ's kingdom. And for a time it seems a sensible stand in the eyes fo the world, and a comfortable camp to the convicted sinner.

Now let me linger for a moment and put a few questions to my hearers.

When Jesus Christ went to Calvary did He half show of a finished work?

No! He surrendered; He suffered; he bled; He bore the blackness of darkness for three hours and then He died. Yes, He completed the work.

"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."

"Christ tasted death for every man."

He finished the work given Him to do.

There is no half measure about the Gospel given to man. Nothing to be added to it. God calls sinners to accept a finished and effectual work, when He calls them to accept Christ.

"Then doubt not your welcome since God has declared

There remaineth no more to be done;

Just once in the end of the world He appeared

And completed the work He begun."

No, Christ completed the work of Redemption.

2.) When God calls a sinner to come to Jesus for salvation will He be satisfied if that one halts short of the Saviour and with admiration for His life, and Praise for His works seeks in No Mans land to imitate His great example? Or does He require the sinner to definitely accept His Son as a gift? Surely the latter, for "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not got life." "As many as received Him to them gave He the right to become sons of God…"

And to receive one must take, and there is no salvation within until Christ is received.

3.) Again what did our Lord mean when He said "no man can serve two masters, you cannot serve God and Mammon."?

Was He not solemnly shattering the fond dream of thousands that the mentioned half-way position is the clever and comfortable compromise in the soul's attitude to God?

Are you thinking along this line?

"The neutral position will save me from many a scrap for while others beat themselves to pieces  and caring waste their days in warfare I shall be friends to both sides and enemy of none."

Happy helpful to lukewarmness I will pitch my tent in "No Man's Land!"

Beware my friend, Belgium learned to her sorrow in 1914 that such a friend can smash a neutral with one blow.

"Be sober, be vigilant, your adversary the devil as a roaring lion prowls around seeking whom he may devour."

Suddenly the evil spirit returned on an unexpected day. He went out at his own pleasure and comes back at his own will, bringing seven other demons more wicked than himself to find… what?

A house  past, filling with the Holy Spirit and armed with the armour of God? No! an empty house , swept and garnished but NOT washed nor fortified. Oh the tragedy of such a condition!

"if I wash you not, you have no part with Me!" The house must be washed ot it is none of His!

Sweeping of reformation and garnishing of imitation only take off the loose dirt and cover the deep-rooted besetting sin which is still untouched. The life is swept from the sin that lies  open to  the eye of the world, but the heart is not searched and washed from secret unbelief and filthiness."

An empty life!  Like the rich man Dives. No identified crime charged against him but simply neutral. Not openly against Jesus Christ but certainly not for Him, not gathering for Him, and "he that is not for Me is against Me and he that gathereth not for me scattereth."

No Mans Land is a trap of the enemy; an ambush of Beezlebub a deadly ditch of the devil's own digging.

The Tragedy of a Half-Way Salvation is That It Ends In Ultimate Disaster.

The man who has but one evil spirit finally has eight dwelling within him, so that his last state is worse than his first.  As Matthew Henry has well said. " the formal professor merges eventually into the final apostate…. Hypocrisy is the high road to apostacy… where secret haunts of sin are kept up under the cloak of a good religious profession, the conscience is debauched, God is provoked to withdraw His restraining grace and the close formal hypocrite commonly proves an open apostate… the last state of such is worse than the first in respect both of sin and punishment."

"Remember Lot's Wife."

She went out of Sodom – a professed believer. She halted in No Man's Land – the half-way halt. She looked back –proving her heart's link to sin. She perished! Ultimate disaster!

Oh you who live in a privileged land and listen to the precious Gospel and profess to be Christians beware lest "you have a name to live and are dead."

Beware lest you halt in the danger zone.

"no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fir for the kingdom of God." Beware of the Saviour's sweeping "woes" on the hypocrites.

Look at the case of Mrs. Madely E Malvern. For twenty years professing to be a Christian. Sang beautiful solo "Jesus lover of my soul." In the morning service.  She came under conviction of sin in the evening service.  She called a friend to pray. She couldn't sleep. She sought help of a godly woman who came out late at night and on her knees tried to repent. Oh the agony! Her hypocritical life blocked her.  We prayed and preached  and at last she broke down with a piercing cry, "I have been a hypocrite for twenty years!"  Then with tears of repentance and faith she accepted Jesus. She  went home and knelt in prayer before her husband. She commenced to read her Bible.  She was saved from an apostate's end. 

Friend if you are on Satan's side  hear the sweet words of peace and pardon "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Let the wicked forsake his way."

If you are a neutral neither for nor against, hearing the warning words of the Lord. I would that you were cold or hot, so then because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot I will spew you out of My mouth."

"For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them."

An Englishman's home. An invading commander places Geof Smith  a civilian in the cellar. "Why put me in the cellar? I am not a soldier, only an onlooker."

"yes Mr Smith, very true, but you must pay for your seat."

And he did. He was shot dead.

Yes the neutral is only an onlooker neither for nor against, but he will pay and pay dearly for his seat.

Oh friend come right to Jesus and find real deliverance. He will thrust the devil out and sweep him out of your heart.  He will save and save to the uttermost only be definite and diligent and make your calling and election sure.

I have known some who came to Christ …. Years on.. who had professed to be Christians for many years but found their hearts empty. I know of an older man who could hardly wait to get to church so that he might confess Christ before he died. What of you? Will you choose right now. Come to Christ and confess Christ. 

"What will you do with Jesus,

Neutral you cannot be.

Some day your heart will be asking

What will he do with me?"

"He that is not with me is against me."

Think of it! Are you with Him in heart in head in lip, in life, in private  in public? Are you with Him in thoughts words and deeds?

Are you with Him utterly and absolutely?

If not you are against Him, because there is no neutrality in Christianity.

The British Minister at Belgrade has asked the Yugoslav government for a clear statement of its intentions.  The purpose of the message is "Are you for us or against us?"

Yugoslavia cannot be on both side and aid for Germany would mean a break with us."  8^th March 1941.