And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out,” Luke 4:36.
The guest speaker at church was Jesus, a most controversial Person. About halfway through the sermon, He was severely heckled by one in the midst of the congregation. What the man said revealed that he was controlled by a diabolical power that spoke through him. He shouted out, “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know Who you are, the Holy One of God,” (verse 34, RSV).
Jesus was not in the least perturbed. He commanded the evil spirit to be quiet and to come out of the man. After a terrible but short struggle, in which the poor fellow was violently hurled to the ground, the evil spirit was vanquished. Dr. Luke points out that the man was not injured from the fall.
The insight given to us through the Spirit of Prophecy reveals that intemperance and self-indulgence had so perverted this man’s nature that Satan eventually gained full control over him. In this helpless condition, he longed for deliverance. And, although Satan had led him to the synagogue for the purpose of disturbing Christ’s work, something the Savior said penetrated his enslaved mind. The Lord “read between the lines,” as it were, and delivered the victim from demon possession.
The text introducing this Vantage Point editorial is vitally important. It reveals the reaction of the people. Amazement came over them at the Word and authority of Christ. They were astonished at His doctrine: for His Word was with power.
We need to understand this point. Our minds are constantly distracted from the Word to everything else. Yet our power to overcome Satan is found in the Word. Our difficulty is in setting up a system of values that puts the Word first. When our minds grasp that Word and appropriate it to our lives, deliverance from evil is just as certain as it was for the man who disturbed the Capernaum church service 2,000 years ago. The same One Who preached in that service is still speaking from the pulpit of His Word to us today. I implore you to listen to Him carefully and attentively.
The Word from Jesus as you read this editorial is simple and succinct. He declares to this post-modern, post-Christian, and COVID-19 generation the emancipating words: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” It is possible to do what the apostle Peter did while walking toward Jesus in the midst of a boisterous storm on a body of water. The Word from Jesus was, “COME.” Peter was successful as long as he walked on the Word; however, he began to sink as he focused on the winds. The authority and power of God’s Word are liberating in your health, family, business, ministry, and personal spiritual journey. Let’s be set free by that Word. –RCS
Southern Union | September 2020
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