Mark 3:7-35, On What Side Are You?

Mark 3:7-35 and the Crowd Around Jesus

Mark chapter 3 starting verse 7 to the end of the chapter hear the word of the Lord Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea and a great crowd followed from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Adamia and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon.

When the great crowd heard all that he was doing they came to him and he told his disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd lest they crush him. For he had healed many so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him and Whenever the unclean spirits saw him they fell down before him and cried out.

You are the Son of God and He strictly ordered them not to make him known and he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired and They came to him and he appointed twelve whom he also named Apostles So that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

He appointed the twelve Simon to whom he gave the name Peter James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James to whom he gave the name Borogenes that his sons of thunder Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alpheus and Theodius and Simon the Canaan and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus Is Not a Legend

Then he went home and the crowd gathered again So that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it they went out to seize him for they were saying he is out of his mind and The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying he is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons.

He cast out demons and he called them to him and said to them in parables How can Satan cast out Satan. If a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand and if a house is divided Against itself that house will not be able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided He cannot stand but is coming to an end and no one can enter a strongman's house and plunder his goods. Unless he first binds the strongman then indeed he may plunder his house.

Truly I say to you All sins will be forgiven the children of man and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

The Twelve Apostles and the True Israel

For they had said he has an unclean spirit and his mother and his brothers came and standing outside they sent to him and called him and A crowd was sitting around him and they said to him your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you and he answered them Who are my mother and my brothers.

And Looking about at those who sat around him. He said here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God? He is my brother and sister and mother. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word.

Now football season has started again much to my joy. What side are you on? You've got to pick a side right. A few years back someone told me I've got a pick. I got to choose one of the other. It's got to be North Carolina or Duke.

What about NC State? On the other side of the state line people will think well, it's got to be either Virginia or Virginia Tech on The other side of the country. I once had Thanksgiving dinner with a family in San Diego.

And I heard them the mother of the house kind of across the room. I heard her say that her favorite team San Diego Chargers. Of course, we were in San Diego and she absolutely hated The Oakland Raiders could not just cannot stand them despise the Oakland Raiders.

Later, she asked me who I liked and I said I like the Raiders and whoever is playing the Chargers. She picked up that I was joking. Otherwise, I would have been kicked out on Thanksgiving. Then of course, there's a lot of people Who just don't care?

Some issues aren't so divisive. Making you choose one of the other you don't have to choose between Chinese food and Mexican. You can like both or Italian or Indian or Japanese or American or all of the above?

It's just not a divisive issue. Now some people are trying to make getting the kovat vaccine a divisive issue. Getting companies to force their employees to get it. I know I've been vaccinated. But I don't see why it should be a divisive issue.

Because people make decisions for themselves and they know their own works for them. They think now vaccines work and they seem to work in preventing major illnesses these vaccines then then why force other people To get it if they don't want to you know the divisive person will say back well because the Unvaccinated will catch kovat and spread it to you or other vaccinated people.

Well, that's unlikely if the vaccines work. It's unlikely the vaccine will mean that I probably won't catch it. And even if I do I'll have a mild case. But I don't want any case you'll say back heard someone say that I don't want any case.

I don't care if it's a mild case. Well, so you want to force others? To get a vaccine. They don't want because you Don't want a very small chance of getting a mild case of Kovat really. Really you're gonna force others to make that choice.

Because of that the fact is there are just divisive people and who will make any issue divisive. You've got to agree with them on everything or or whatever their pet Topic is and they or they will divide over over you with you.

They will judge everyone by what side they are on pro, North Carolina or anti pro Chinese food or anti pro vaccine or anti on? Some issues, you know, just can't you let people be? Different but sometimes There are some issues in which you have to pick a side which are divisive.

You have to go one way or the other. There's no variety of Things it's not like football teams or ethnic food or matters of taste of opinions. There really are divisive issues. One now one of the peculiarities of our modern American culture is that if you disagree with some people on some divisive issues?

Particularly I think now abortion and homosexuality they will say quote you are on the wrong side of history. It's become a favorite phrase wrong side of history. That is they are sure that in the future People will look back on you because of your stance on those issues and they will call you your grandchildren or whoever.

They will call you a bigot. For not agreeing with them. It's a particular Strange particular self-righteousness. From people who often don't have any other kind of righteousness. Now the Pharisees were self-righteous because they kept the law as they understood it people.

They are self-righteous just because they decide. Their views are the righteous ones people today are immoral from any traditional or biblical point of view. But they are absolutely convinced that they are quote on the right side of history.

There they think they're like the slavery abolitionist or the civil rights movement that like that that was on the right side of history so. They think they are and so to differ with them. To believe that human life from conception should be protected or that marriage is what it always was.

They think is not just to have a different opinion. Is to be wrong. It's to be not just wrong in your ideas is to be wrong morally to be what is. What is the modern equivalent of being demon-possessed at least in their mind?

It's to be a bigot. But what side are you on? Sometimes you have to pick a side and if you pick the wrong one, you will indeed be on The wrong side of history those people are actually right about that.

There will be the wrong side of history on some issues and worse you'll be on the wrong side of the one who authors history. We see that here in this passage in five parts but only four points. For choices of who you can believe Jesus is and you have you have to pick one.

You can't just opt out. Can't be like football say I don't like football. You're gonna have to pick one. Four choices in five parts. Jesus is pick one either a legend or second a lunatic or third a liar or.

The Lord.

Bart Ehrman, C. S. Lewis, and the Claim That Jesus Is a Legend

First is Jesus a legend. Well, that's what Bart Ehrman who's an agnostic professor at the University of North Carolina thinks not that he believes Jesus is fictional. He doesn't mean by that that he never existed.

In fact, he Bart Ehrman recently wrote a book opposing the idea that Jesus never lived. That Jesus was just someone made up by the later Church. He notes for example that one letter in the New Testament book of James is from Jesus's brother and Bart Ehrman says that if Jesus never existed surely his brother would have known that.

But Ehrman thinks that Jesus is a legend and that sure he would say he's a real teacher, but over time Stories got made up about him. They got a embellished and exaggerated and Things just added to them.

I remember reading part of Ehrman's book and thinking okay Ehrman is thought of an exception to CS Lewis's famous Trilemma, if you've read CS Lewis a mere Christianity particular Lewis said that you have to choose.

There's three choices Lewis said about who Jesus has to be. Some people want to say I don't believe he's God or he's not The Lord, but he was just a good teacher like Confucius was a good teacher and Lewis came along.

He said you can't you can't say that because of what Jesus said about himself how he taught. You have to say you have three choices. That's why it's a trilemma. Jesus is either a liar. Because he's saying that he came from the father when he really didn't or he's a lunatic you know, it's like someone who's someone who thinks he's Napoleon somebody with delusions of grandeur or.

Jesus is Lord.

He is who he said he was. You have to choose one of those three. None of this kind of. I respect him, but he's not the Lord. No, you have no more of that. You have to choose Liar lunatic or Lord? That's the trilemma now.

Ehrman comes along and says, ah, he was a legend. There's another choice a legend. He was a popular teacher and after he was gone people made up stories about him. And I thought when I read that, oh, hmm so Ehrman Thought of something new.

I Wonder why CS Lewis I thought wonder why CS Lewis Didn't think of that when he came up with this trilemma. No, we need someone I thought hmm. We need someone who is an expert in legends that is in literature how literature develops around historical figures.

What legends look like how they read who we need someone like a literature professor? That's what we need who specializes in legends to examine this proposal that the Jesus in the New Testament is a legend.

Hmm, we need someone like that. Who could that be? That's that's what I was really thinking and then it just dawned on me. Oh, okay, you know, of course. That's who Lewis was.

CS Lewis.

Was in fact that person his day job. We often think of it now. It's like an apologist kind of a minister like an evangelist but his real jobs. He has Lewis's job. It's literature professor both at Cambridge and Oxford.

Specializing in can you guess?

Legends.

Lewis wrote that the Bible especially the Gospels like this passage don't read at all like legends. They read nothing like legends in fiction. For example in fiction. Nothing appears for no reason. There's there's no detail just thrown out there just for no reason now in real history like this.

There are little details. They're just kind of reporting facts. That's just what happened. Like like here in this first story for verses 7 to 12 Why does it say that Jesus withdrew with the disciples to the lake?

Why does it tell us that? This is supposed to be symbolic for something as we're supposed to find some hidden meaning to that and apply it to our lives. Maybe we need to go withdraw to the lake. Sometimes we need go to Haiko Lake and spend a few hours ever ever now and then no.

Or why does it tell us? Where the people in this huge crowd? Where they came from? It says they came from Galilee. That's the local area or Judea. That's southern Israel Jerusalem. I do Mia, which is what in the Old Testament is called Edom it says they came from the other side of the Jordan means east of the Jordan River and That they came from Tyre and Sidon that would be west of them on the Mediterranean coast.

Now are those places supposed to be symbolic for something? Some you look for some hidden meaning and all those places. No, that's just the facts of where they came from. Now Peter the the Gospel of Mark probably comes from Peter and Peter is an older man about 30 years after these events is probably telling all this to Mark and Peter's just kind of remembers.

I remember bumping into people from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and I do Mia and Tyre and Sidon from all these places. He remembers all that. Why does Jesus say in verse 9 to have a boat ready to escape in case the crowds get so out of control that they crush Him why why that what's it that therefore?

Because that's just what happened. It shows us how large and how packed this crowds were and how they were So intense coming in on Jesus and it shows that that Jesus was a real man and had to make provisions for his own safety.

Now fiction doesn't have such details.

Legends.

You know legendary people don't make escape plans do that. They don't need that. They're above all that modern people. Assume that whenever they read about healings and about demons being cast out. Well, that just must be a legend.

Because they never experienced it. They just assume it must be something made up in Biblical scholarship, for example modern biblical scholarship. They call it pre critical. I've heard scholars say this when I was getting my own doctorate.

That's pre critical. That is now. Now we're so sophisticated because we know better in our modern age. Well, we know Miracles don't happen were critical so anyone who accepts them is Pre critical. I like calling my Neanderthal but in a sophisticated way.

They're on the wrong side of history. They're unsophisticated. They're naive. They're even very they're kind of childish we've. Critical people have grown past that the most read theologian of the 20th century was a man named a German man by the name of Rudolf Bultmann and he said that you cannot believe in the resurrection and in electrical lights well, why not because he says electrical lights come from science and the resurrection and other miracles like here Casting out demons healing is what people believe before science.

I would say so why can't we believe in a God who creates the laws of nature which we can find out by science and so get electrical lights and We believe in a God who can override the laws of nature and Do miracles when he wants to?

Now modern people will look down their nose at that God can do miracles. That's what pre critical. There's another CS Lewis term for that for that attitude. Chronological snobbery, I love that term. Chronological means like on a time frame because we live after them.

We must be more sophisticated. We must be smarter people. The fact is modern people are arrogant snobs who think everything that they believe that we believe now is better than what people in the past believed.

Just because.

What's the word for someone by the way, there's a word for someone hmm, I forgot what it was. What's the word for someone who believes that they are right? Just because there's a word for that. Anyway, never mind the modern person reads this first section for verses 7 to 12 with all the healing and the casting out demons and unclean spirits crying out you are the Son of God and Jesus demonstrating his authority over them by strictly ordering them to be quiet.

The modern person reads that and just assumes. That's on the wrong side of history. It's pretty critical. It's a legend. But it doesn't read like a legend. We already seen and if the only thing think about it the only thing that modern people have to go on to say that it's quote a legend is That it reports things That are beyond their experience things that I've never experienced.

Therefore. It must be a legend. Who says your experience is the is the rule. That we judge things by that only because we've never seen a miraculous healing or demon being cast out that it must not be real.

That their limited experience their limited experience is the measure of what is true or what is false. What is real or what's just fiction? What's a legend? If that's the way they think and that's the way most a lot of modern people thinks but go to the scholars.

Then they're snobs. Worse they are. They are what they call everyone else. They're bigots.

The Twelve Apostles, the Strong Man, and the Unforgivable Sin

Choice.

The first choice is that Jesus is a legend, but that doesn't make any sense. It means nothing like a legend and it's based on nothing other than that modern snobbery the bigotry. So on what side are you?

Well second for verses 13 to 19, it's kind of an interlude they're Showing who Jesus really is. He goes up to a mountain. To get away from the maddening crowd and then he called to himself out of that mass of people who were following him twelve Sent ones.

That's what the word Apostles mean called them Apostles. And he called for them. He called them for two reasons in verse 14 first to be with him that is to be his close companions those that he would especially invest his time and attention in who would be trained by him and Second reason that he might send them out to preach now first and kind of these short-term mission trips all around Israel.

While Jesus was still with them and then when the bridegroom as he described himself earlier it when he bridegroom is taken away. They would be sent out for the rest of their lives. Now for that in verse 15, he gave them authority to cast out demons to do what he's been doing.

So as the kingdom of God advances the rule of God Goes forward the kingdom of Satan is pushed back. Then mark lists the twelve Apostles and the list shows again that this isn't a legend. And it shows that by what it says and by what it doesn't say.

You expect in a legend that all all its heroes would be heroic, right? The heroes are great people they do great things. Why is it that the first Apostle listed here Peter? Why does he later deny? Jesus, why would you make that up?

This were a legend. Why would you make up that the leader of the Apostles is? So weak that later he denied Jesus that didn't sound like the thing you would make up if you were making up a legend. Does it and the last Apostle here listed?

Here's the one who betrays Jesus? Jesus also named some of the Apostles. He named Simon. Peter gave him that name Rock and James and John. He named them sons of thunder. Who goes around naming people by the way?

Second, he doesn't sound like a legend for what it doesn't say. Now most of these men we know nothing about.

Except their name.

You think about that? What why is that? What did the Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas and James the son of Alpheus apparently Matthew's brother and Theodius and Simon the Canaan or is he the zealot?

We don't even know that for sure. We know so little about these men. Sometimes our word is translated Caden in or sometimes it's zealot. What did they do? Don't get me wrong. I'm sure that each of them did a lot.

Well one day we'll probably all find out just great stories enormous amount of stories of what these what these men did. But if this were a legend you'd expect. You'd expect at least a little bit of it for each one.

You expect some flesh on the bones when you saw a little bit of detail a little bit of character. And we have some stories from church history about these men and some of those might be legends. Because church history is not inspired.

It's not perfect. Some of those might be legends. But but here in this passage we have only names.

Legends.

Don't do that. Now if you've ever read or seen the Lord of the Rings, it's like a legend, right this passage here this lecture the Apostles. Is like it's like the Fellowship of the Ring ever seen that I read that.

That is the band of men who were chosen to go together on their mission. But for each one in the legend. We get some detail you think about the difference. There's some detail you learn a little something about the elf and the dwarf and the ranger.

There's some description of who they are something about their personality because it serves the fictional story. You don't just name names in fiction but you might in history who chooses 12 Apostles.

Not a legend or a lunatic or a liar. Why 12? Well, Israel had 12 tribes. But literal National Israel didn't turn out to be the faithful servant of the Lord. So Jesus calls 12 from the old Israel. He calls them to be found Israel from the old to carry on as the true Israel who can found and Refound Israel not a legend or a lunatic or a liar.

On what side are you? Then in verse 20 he comes down from the mountain to his home base in Capernaum and now the crowds are so packed. He and his Apostles they can't even eat. I mean, there's just people right in front of them.

You know a place to put your plate just one of those details is there because it's history it's not a legend and When Jesus is family in nearby Nazareth here about how Jesus is is now all the rage. What he's doing and what he's teaching how he admits that no one could forgive sins.

But God alone and then he proves that he can forgive sins in verse 21. They went to Capernaum. That's the family went to Capernaum to it says to seize him. That is to take him by force if they could take him under their control.

Legally, we might say today Take custody of him to put him under their charge their guardianship because they say He is out of his mind literally he is beside himself. They've made their choice at least at this point.

He's a lunatic. Now we could try to soften this as much as possible because one of Jesus's brothers James. He becomes an apostle and Mary among them his mother. We like to look at them as turning out.

Well, but we can soften it. Let's say what let's say they they really thought that they were acting in his best interests that they really thought that they were motivated by family love. Kind of Britney Spears father if you've been paying attention to that at all.

Britney Spears father has legal guardianship over her because the courts have found advised by Psychiatrists that she is not capable of making decisions for herself. So Mr. Spears thinks that he is acting in her best interest now here.

Jesus's family probably thought the same that they were acting in his best interest and they're just trying to do what's good for him. They think if necessary, they'll even resort to force. They're gonna seize him to be his guardian.

We don't really given the details of how they never really got through to him. But they didn't they probably wouldn't put it so bluntly as to say he's a lunatic. They probably didn't say that they would probably be offended to hear me saying that they thought that but they did think that to say He's crazy.

Maybe they've nice sounding words. Nice sounding talk about him. Getting he's getting too extreme. Brother Jesus is getting Too far out there. He's letting it get to his head. All that fame and attention has gotten to him has put him out of balance.

The wild-eyed followers have deluded him. They're leading him astray. We have to take him away from that unhealthy environment for his mental health. They probably said something like that. That's what we would say today, right?

But the truth is bluntly put that for now they've decided He's a lunatic. What side of you now some say He's a liar. Starting in verse 22 the scribes from Jerusalem says they were saying Notice that is a present continuous verb.

They were saying meaning that they were saying it Continually they didn't they didn't just say it once they said it over and over again. He is possessed by Beelzebul. Which is another word for Satan or someone like Satan prince of demons.

Jesus called Satan the father of lies. And so Jesus has claimed to be bringing in the kingdom of God to be doing the father's work is false. They are saying he's lying. They say he's doing Beelzebul's work by the prince of demons.

He cast out demons. By casting out demons. He is actually giving evidence. They were saying that he's demonic. That's where they came down on Jesus. He's a liar. Because he's Satanic. Well, this leads to three issues in quick succession first the absurdity of it.

Second the proof. What he's doing it what is really proof of and third? The unforgivable the unforgivable sin. First he takes apart their accusation. Basically saying let's think about this be rational about this.

He cast out demons with the power of the prince of demons. In verse 23 Jesus says well then think about this. How can Satan cast out Satan. Now, I suppose he could. But if he did Satan cast out Satan that is a demon.

Lower ranking demon gave up territory gave up a human soul. That it has gave it up willingly because Satan a higher ranking demon tells him to. That would mean that the demons are resisting the demons.

That would mean that there's a civil war in Satan's realm in Satan dumb they're fighting each other. He's divided against.

Himself.

So his kingdom is about to collapse If the house or family is divided against himself in verse 25 If the members of a family are there's fighting each other that family will soon split apart. They will dissolve.

So.

Jesus is saying think about it. If what you're saying is true, then Satan's kingdom is Collapsing right now. Satan is really casting out demons like you scribes are saying then his rule is ending right now.

Of course, we know that cannot be happening. And so the accusation is absurd. Jesus has shown the absurdity of What they had decided about Jesus now. In verse 27 He explains how he is casting out demons and it's a little parable says Jesus spoke to them in parables.

It's a parable that gives proof of who he is. How is Jesus casting out demons? No one can enter a strong man's house. The strong man here is Satan. He's the one with powers with strength over his house.

The house is This world as in 1st John chapter 5 verse 19 The whole world is under the power of the evil one that is in this world. He's the strong man. Satan is the one who is stronger than everyone else in the world.

Unless.

Unless someone from outside the world comes in. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods. Now his goods are people. Like those that Jesus has been casting demons out of they were Satan's goods they were his property.

He had them in his power, but now they are being set free. Now they are believing in Jesus. How is that happening? The scribe said it was happening by Satan's power, but that's absurd. It makes no sense here Jesus is explaining how it is really happening.

No one could come into Satan's realm and.

Take his things.

Just like no one could go into the strongest man in the world. Whoever he is or the the boxing champion of the world. Into his house, whoever he is and take his things unless.

He first.

Binds the strongman. Someone coming into Satan's house. That is this world to get his things his people has to first tie up. Disable Incapacitate Shackle Arrest. What term do you like? Satan buying Satan.

Then indeed if he's done that then indeed He may plunder his house. So since Jesus is indeed Plundering Satan's house. He is in the process of doing that here in Mark chapter 3 still in the process of doing that right now.

He's in the process he's taking Satan's things he's taking people who used to belong to Satan. Who live like Satan who loves Satan's lies? Who had an ego like Satan who I said thought I will be exalted.

I'm the greatest. Who were lovers of the world who lovers of the flesh lived according the flesh. Jesus is now taking them and making them his disciples and That is proof That Jesus has bound the strongman that he's tied up Satan.

Got it now some Christians today they misread this passage. They think it's telling us what to do as though this passage is telling us that we need to bind the strongman. But that's wrong. You're forgetting what's going on here what Jesus is responding to it's not this passage is not telling us What we need to do.

We can say to Satan I bind you. If that was the case, why does he keep getting supposedly keep getting loose? And why we have to bind him every day or whatever actually heard someone ask that question.

Why is he keep getting why don't we keep having to bind him? Well, we don't you've totally misunderstood the passage. Jesus is here telling us what he has already Done what he's done here and bringing the kingdom of God.

Satan is bound. Jesus did it that is people are now Breaking free from Satan to believe in Jesus. Jesus has made it possible to get free from Satan before we couldn't do that because he was stronger than us.

But now he's bound. That's why now we have Jim jr. We have Jim. That's why we preach the gospel. It's why we tell the gospel to our children and we can hope we can pray and we can see that they get saved because Satan cannot Hold them anymore.

Jesus already bound Satan. That we plundered his house of his goods of the people. He holds is proof of. That is proof of what Jesus has done. Satan is now for us. Like a mean dog, you know the meanest dog you can think of like a rottweiler.

That's been badly treated. But it's tied up. Right. It has this little circle. It's tied up in a tie out on the ground in the yard and all it could go is in this little circle in this Yard that it's been tied up in and now as long as you stay out of his circle Satan can't hurt you because he's bound.

Because Jesus brought the kingdom of God and bound Satan. Now if you go in his circle By bias by sinning by living his way by being like him. Well, then he can then yeah. He can then maul you if you're going to get in a circle, but the good news is You can stay out of a circle because Jesus bound him.

You understand that's what it means. Satan is bound finally describes demonstrate perhaps. Perhaps and actually say exactly but it seems to be they've not already crossed the line that they're coming close to it.

They demonstrate the unforgivable sin. Amen, Jesus begins in verse 28 translated. Here is truly Jesus way of saying stop pay attention To this this is serious. This is absolutely true. Amen, all kinds of sins will be forgiven at the end of history at the judgment there will be some of.

Any kind of sin you can think of that is forgiven. Right when you're in the kingdom of God when steer perfectly in eternity. Mill I guess I don't know what we'd be doing and mingling around with people.

There will be people of every kind of sin who committed it you can think of that had that sin forgiven. If people are now if people are not repentant, don't get us wrong if people are not repentant. They won't be forgiven but any kind of sin that you can imagine will be repented of and forgiven.

Whoever even if they blaspheme or they slander.

Jesus.

Like Burt Ehrman does by calling him a legend or even like here in this passage his own brothers do by calling him crazy. Or they slander you or me as infuriating as we find that. All of that can be forgiven and there will be examples of it being forgiven at the judgment at the end of history.

Except in verse 29 the one exception one sin. That you'll never be able to find someone who's been forgiven of. Whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness in Eternity when history is over There will be not one example of anyone who has blasphemed The Holy Spirit who like these scribes here called the Holy Spirit Beelzebul the power of Satan.

Who slandered the Holy Spirit by calling his work satanic or maybe today we call his work. It's just psychological. It's just natural. There's natural explanations for a law. All blasphemers of the Holy Spirit will be on the wrong side of history.

That's because the Holy Spirit is a person. And you blaspheme him you offend him. He's a person. He's not just a force like electricity. You can insult electricity all day long. It doesn't care is still get running and some people think of Holy Spirit's just a force like electricity.

No early speech a person. So you blaspheme him you offend him and He's the one you rely on. To soften your heart to give you faith. You think you just make it up yourself. No, he's got to give you that faith.

It's a gift from him. He's the one you rely on to be able to repent and to pray have mercy. Lord.

If you so.

Infuriate him by calling him Satanic or just a psychological reaction. He can withdraw from you and you'll never be able to or even want to repent. The unforgivable sin is Insulting the Holy Spirit. So be very careful of your judgments.

That's why Jesus said judge not. Don't go around judging that this is satanic. You know be careful of that now unless someone really says Satan is Lord.

Yeah.

Then you can judge it but don't go around passing judgment of satanic or if that's just natural if it if reports be in the Name of the Lord doesn't mean you guys have to believe it. But just you're not to judge don't be guilty of any eternal sin a sin, which has an impact that lasts forever if You're able to come down on the right side of that divisive question About Jesus about who he is.

That's because the Holy Spirit Enabled you to come down on the right side. It's not because you were smarter. You were more noble. You were just raising a better family. You made the right choices something about you.