If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. A number of years ago, I remember watching an episode of David Letterman's show, and stand-up comedian Bill Maher was the guest. "I hear you are a Libertarian?" Letterman asked his notoriously controversial guest. "Yes," said Maher. And when Letterman asked what, exactly, that meant, Maher was quick to answer. "Well, basically it's the belief that anybody can do anything they want, as long as they aren't hurting others. For instance, a Libertarian would say that Dr. Kevorkian is not hurting others, that he can do what he wants to do, and that we shouldn't bother him." Letterman thought a second, and then responded, "But he isn't killing himself." And the audience applauded. But Bill Maher didn't want to lose this crowd. Determined to challenge the audience's convictions -- many of them presumably rooted in religion -- he pushed forward. "You know what I really don't like? I don't like all these athletes saying after a basketball or football victory, ‘Praise Jesus for the win.' I'm sick of that. I never hear them say after a loss, ‘Well, Jesus wasn't feeling good today and He didn't help me jump as high.'" Maher continued on a tirade. And do you know what? When he said, "I'm sick of the Jesus thing," the entire audience applauded. But Letterman leaned back in his chair, a little stunned, and said, "Hold it, hold it. Is this your Libertarian thinking?" And Maher replied with a smile, "Yes, I guess it would be." Then Letterman said, "Aren't you the guy who just told us that everybody should be able to do what they want to do, as long as they don't hurt anybody?" Suddenly one person clapped, then two, then ten, until the entire audience was roaring with applause. Think what you will about Bill Maher, David Letterman, and their politics. What I found stunning was the audience reaction. How could so many people, by show of their applause, in the span of only a few moments, so swiftly contradict themselves? In Mark 3, the scribes accused Jesus of contradicting Himself. They were sick of "the Jesus thing" -- the way He loved people, healed people, forgave people, and even cast out demons -- so they spread rumors that He was actually in league with the devil. "By the ruler of the demons," they said, "He casts out demons" (verse 22). No doubt, it was an all-out assault on Jesus' character. They were making the case that Jesus was not only untrustworthy, but evil. Jesus simply replied, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." You see, Satan's mission is to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10), so why would he tolerate -- much less commission -- the One who came to give life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10)? Why would he want Jesus casting out demons, that people might be healed and restored? It's ridiculous. In doing so, Satan would defeat himself. But you know, often we defeat ourselves because we contradict ourselves. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are saved by His grace, and called to walk in His Spirit, but "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish" (Galatians 5:17). We are, in fact, like that late-night studio audience, pulled one way, and then another. But if we try to walk two different directions at once, we not only go nowhere -- we fall down. If we are at war with ourselves, we not only injure ourselves -- we defeat ourselves. You see, the Bible says, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). Make a decision and don't look back. Unless we are "all-in," we will fall away. Unless we walk in the Spirit, we will walk in the flesh. There's no standing still. But Galatians 5:6 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Today, are you living a self-defeating life? Do you have one foot in the Spirit, and one in the flesh? Let me encourage you to become rooted in the Word of God, and you will not be swayed back and forth, at war with yourself, and ineffective in the spiritual war for the souls of people around you. Walk with conviction. Seek the Lord with your whole heart, never looking back, and you "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither" (Psalm 1:3). |
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