THE WEEK OF OCULI – TUESDAY

LESSON: TITUS 3:8-11

Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. Mark 1:25,26

No one should imagine that the evil spirits at times present an appearance of disunity and that one yields to the other to deceive men. For it is quite evident that they offer resistance, demur, cry out and storm, tear and rage when they sense that an earnest effort is being made to drive them out. They are opposed to Christ and at variance with Him, yielding to Him under compulsion and unwillingly. Nothing is left here but the patent and blasphemous lie in which they are held fast and disgraced, so they seize upon God’s work out of poisonous hatred and jealousy in the interests of the devil.

From this we should learn not to be unduly surprised if our doctrine and conduct is blasphemed, and if hardened hearts are never satisfied and converted, even though they have been overcome by palpable truth and their mouths have been stopped.

It is enough that their hardened folly has been disclosed by our answer before the godly, recognized for what it is, and brought to naught so that the godly may not be misled by any mere appearance of good. Thereafter, let them go their own way. Such people are perverted and sinful and even “Self-condemned,” as Paul reminds Titus (3:11).

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PRAYER: In your mercy and grace, O Lord, direct and govern all our efforts as your disciples, that the best interests of your kingdom are always served and our neighbor’s welfare is promoted, in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.