But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Jesus casting out demons by the Spirit of God, healing what no human power could heal, was proof that the kingdom of God had come to the people as evidence of His heavenly commission and identity as the Anointed. That work by the Spirit stood in sharp contrast to Satan's power and answered the charge that He acted by Beelzebub, which the Pharisees made though they could not deny or naturally explain the works before them. To ascribe what the Holy Spirit has done to Satan, calling God's holy power satanic, is blasphemy against the Spirit, the unpardonable sin for which there is no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. Speaking against Jesus Himself without discerning His divine character can still be forgiven upon repentance, but wilfully resisting the convicting Spirit and declaring His work to be from Satan rejects the very channel by which God works on the heart, until perception is benumbed and repentance and faith can no longer come.
Kingdom Proved by Exorcism
Jesus cast out demons by the Spirit of God, and the healing of the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was done by that same Spirit. His casting out of devils and works of healing were such as no man had done or could do, wrought in mercy and manifesting the holy power of God and attending divine power. This proved that the kingdom of God had come to the Pharisees and to the people before Him, as evidence of His heavenly commission and of His identity as the Anointed of Israel.
The verse sets the work of the Spirit of God against the power of Satan and exposes as false the charge that He acted by Beelzebub. The Pharisees could not deny the wonderful works standing before them nor explain them by natural causes, yet in unbelief they spoke of the Son of God as merely human and in league with hell, saying His works were the works of the devil. In so doing they attributed God's holy power to satanic agencies.
The picture that follows of binding the strong man shows how Jesus could overcome Satan and set free those under his power. The naming of Beelzebub beside Christ marks the sharp opposition between Satan's work and God's work, for Satan may imitate truth and righteousness, but his counterfeit falls short of God's work and is exposed by its bitter fruit in contrast with the glories of God's kingdom.
Blasphemy Against the Spirit
To call the power by which Christ cast out devils satanic is to commit blasphemy against the Spirit, the sin against the Holy Ghost. It is to ascribe to Satan what belongs to God and what the Holy Spirit has done, attributing God's holy power to satanic agencies and to the devil, as was charged against Christ and as has likewise been charged against miracles done in Christ's name. His works of healing, which no man had done or could do, were done by the Spirit of God and were a manifestation of holy power proving that the kingdom of God had come, works the Pharisees could not deny before their eyes nor explain by natural causes. Yet in unbelief they spoke of the Son of God as merely human and in league with hell, saying His works were the works of the devil. This deliberate rejection and misrepresentation of the Holy Spirit's work is the unpardonable sin, for which there is no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come.
The Spirit bore this witness in the hearts of the beholders, so that in the light of His presence they were convicted of their unholiness and longed for a righteousness they could not create. From pride and unwillingness to confess error and receive Him as Messiah, and because accepting the evidence would mean admitting their sin, they resisted the truth and built barriers against the convicting Spirit. With stubborn, sullen, ironhearted determination they closed their eyes to all evidence, tried with desperate violence to misrepresent Him and falsify His words, and used their talent of speech to abuse the world's Redeemer while the mightiest agency upon the human heart strove with them. By deliberately choosing deception and attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, their spiritual perception was benumbed until darkness increased to night in the soul, and they yielded themselves to Satan to be controlled by his power.
Speaking against Jesus Himself without discerning His divine character can still be forgiven, because through the Holy Spirit a person can be brought to see error and repent. Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ. But wilfully rejecting the Spirit and declaring His work to be from Satan rejects the means by which God works on the heart, cutting off the fountain of blessing and the channel by which God communicates. Such a one is placed where repentance and faith cannot come to him, and when the Spirit is finally rejected there is nothing more that God can do for the soul. Those who said the shut door was of the devil committed this sin against their own lives and shall die the death, being lost in foggy, terrible fear, unable to tell where they are and seized with anguish of spirit, yet having to admit the door is shut.
Warning for Later Believers
The opposition to Jesus by the Jews of His day, who resisted His work done by the Spirit of God, revealed the same rebellious spirit as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. That spirit was resistance to God's warning and despite done to the Holy Spirit. His casting out of demons by the Spirit of God made clear that God's kingdom had come to the people, and the account stands connected with that opposing spirit of the Jews. Men who reject the warnings of the Spirit and pursue their own course display that same spirit.
When a person separates from God so that the heart is no longer under the subduing power of the Holy Spirit, the attributes of Satan are revealed. He then begins to oppress his fellow men and sends forth an influence contrary to truth and justice and righteousness. This is what happens when men entrusted with weighty responsibilities have no living connection with God and do despite to the Holy Spirit. It is manifested in institutions both in the relation of workers to one another and in the desire of one institution to control all others, persisted in though warnings from God have come again and again.
Christ's teachings are to be held as firm as a rock, while those who hold them remain meek and lowly and tenderhearted. His words of instruction are to be strictly heeded with not one word lost sight of, because the truth abides forever and His counsel is life eternal. Trust in any lie or pretense is done at the loss of eternal life, for it exchanges His counsel for words of deception originating with the father of lies. Straight paths are to be made for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, and those who set His counsel at naught and mislead the lame from safe paths are accountable for turning them aside. Safety is to look at the Pattern, to follow Him because He is meek and lowly in heart, and to shut the eyes to everything but present, saving truth.
Jesus casting out demons by the Spirit of God, healing what no human power could heal, was proof that the kingdom of God had come to the people as evidence of His heavenly commission and identity as the Anointed. That work by the Spirit stood in sharp contrast to Satan's power and answered the charge that He acted by Beelzebub, which the Pharisees made though they could not deny or naturally explain the works before them. To ascribe what the Holy Spirit has done to Satan, calling God's holy power satanic, is blasphemy against the Spirit, the unpardonable sin for which there is no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. Speaking against Jesus Himself without discerning His divine character can still be forgiven upon repentance, but wilfully resisting the convicting Spirit and declaring His work to be from Satan rejects the very channel by which God works on the heart, until perception is benumbed and repentance and faith can no longer come.
Kingdom Proved by Exorcism
Jesus cast out demons by the Spirit of God, and the healing of the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was done by that same Spirit. His casting out of devils and works of healing were such as no man had done or could do, wrought in mercy and manifesting the holy power of God and attending divine power. This proved that the kingdom of God had come to the Pharisees and to the people before Him, as evidence of His heavenly commission and of His identity as the Anointed of Israel.
The verse sets the work of the Spirit of God against the power of Satan and exposes as false the charge that He acted by Beelzebub. The Pharisees could not deny the wonderful works standing before them nor explain them by natural causes, yet in unbelief they spoke of the Son of God as merely human and in league with hell, saying His works were the works of the devil. In so doing they attributed God's holy power to satanic agencies.
The picture that follows of binding the strong man shows how Jesus could overcome Satan and set free those under his power. The naming of Beelzebub beside Christ marks the sharp opposition between Satan's work and God's work, for Satan may imitate truth and righteousness, but his counterfeit falls short of God's work and is exposed by its bitter fruit in contrast with the glories of God's kingdom.
Blasphemy Against the Spirit
To call the power by which Christ cast out devils satanic is to commit blasphemy against the Spirit, the sin against the Holy Ghost. It is to ascribe to Satan what belongs to God and what the Holy Spirit has done, attributing God's holy power to satanic agencies and to the devil, as was charged against Christ and as has likewise been charged against miracles done in Christ's name. His works of healing, which no man had done or could do, were done by the Spirit of God and were a manifestation of holy power proving that the kingdom of God had come, works the Pharisees could not deny before their eyes nor explain by natural causes. Yet in unbelief they spoke of the Son of God as merely human and in league with hell, saying His works were the works of the devil. This deliberate rejection and misrepresentation of the Holy Spirit's work is the unpardonable sin, for which there is no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come.
The Spirit bore this witness in the hearts of the beholders, so that in the light of His presence they were convicted of their unholiness and longed for a righteousness they could not create. From pride and unwillingness to confess error and receive Him as Messiah, and because accepting the evidence would mean admitting their sin, they resisted the truth and built barriers against the convicting Spirit. With stubborn, sullen, ironhearted determination they closed their eyes to all evidence, tried with desperate violence to misrepresent Him and falsify His words, and used their talent of speech to abuse the world's Redeemer while the mightiest agency upon the human heart strove with them. By deliberately choosing deception and attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, their spiritual perception was benumbed until darkness increased to night in the soul, and they yielded themselves to Satan to be controlled by his power.
Speaking against Jesus Himself without discerning His divine character can still be forgiven, because through the Holy Spirit a person can be brought to see error and repent. Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ. But wilfully rejecting the Spirit and declaring His work to be from Satan rejects the means by which God works on the heart, cutting off the fountain of blessing and the channel by which God communicates. Such a one is placed where repentance and faith cannot come to him, and when the Spirit is finally rejected there is nothing more that God can do for the soul. Those who said the shut door was of the devil committed this sin against their own lives and shall die the death, being lost in foggy, terrible fear, unable to tell where they are and seized with anguish of spirit, yet having to admit the door is shut.
Warning for Later Believers
The opposition to Jesus by the Jews of His day, who resisted His work done by the Spirit of God, revealed the same rebellious spirit as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. That spirit was resistance to God's warning and despite done to the Holy Spirit. His casting out of demons by the Spirit of God made clear that God's kingdom had come to the people, and the account stands connected with that opposing spirit of the Jews. Men who reject the warnings of the Spirit and pursue their own course display that same spirit.
When a person separates from God so that the heart is no longer under the subduing power of the Holy Spirit, the attributes of Satan are revealed. He then begins to oppress his fellow men and sends forth an influence contrary to truth and justice and righteousness. This is what happens when men entrusted with weighty responsibilities have no living connection with God and do despite to the Holy Spirit. It is manifested in institutions both in the relation of workers to one another and in the desire of one institution to control all others, persisted in though warnings from God have come again and again.
Christ's teachings are to be held as firm as a rock, while those who hold them remain meek and lowly and tenderhearted. His words of instruction are to be strictly heeded with not one word lost sight of, because the truth abides forever and His counsel is life eternal. Trust in any lie or pretense is done at the loss of eternal life, for it exchanges His counsel for words of deception originating with the father of lies. Straight paths are to be made for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, and those who set His counsel at naught and mislead the lame from safe paths are accountable for turning them aside. Safety is to look at the Pattern, to follow Him because He is meek and lowly in heart, and to shut the eyes to everything but present, saving truth.