Matthew 12:43-45 – “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.  45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”  NASB

Let us move another step into our consideration of the topic.  Last time we identified that the first blunder or mistake this man-made was in thinking that harmlessness was holiness.  We noted that this is a misconception that is commonplace and refuses to die.  Now let us consider another dimension of this problem.

I contend, as I believe the Bible confirms, that emptiness or idleness falls short of holiness and can be classified as sin.  Please understand, I understand that just being busy is not what God is looking for.  I wrote a book entitled, “Too Busy With Busyness To Hear God.”  It is possible, as the Bible confirms, to bestow all your earthly good to feed the poor, and even give your body to be burned and it be a worthless act. 

An individual’s works may appear great and yet that worker is lacking in moral worth, but an idler is certain to be so.  James 4:17 declares, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  May God help us to never reach the place where sin does not bother us.  Lost humanity crushes the heart of God and should us too.  No person can stand in the midst of a needy world, like the one we live in, and not be guilty in the sight of God if he or she remains empty and idle.

Jesus taught this truth and gave the example of cursing the barren fig tree.  He did not curse it because it produced poisonous fruit but because it bore no fruit.  Sin involves disobedience to God’s Word.  We can become a curse by refusing to be a blessing. 

Remember the parable of the talents?  The one was cast out, not because he wasted the talent, but because he did nothing with it.  Remember the parable of the wedding feast?  The man was cast out not because of the wrongness of his life, but because he did not have on a wedding garment.  Which is equivalent to accepting the Grace of God in Salvation!

I heard a story of an engaged couple who were in a movie theater and a fire broke out.  The man ran and later returned for her.  She refused to acknowledge him because he ran off rather than helping her escape.  She called off the wedding because he failed to do the right thing.

Not only is emptiness sin, the sin of omission, but it leads to positive or active sin.  There is only one cure – Fulness!  There is only one way to conquer the evil which is to bring its opposite into the mix and do good.  The only real foe of darkness is light.  The only way to destroy error is through the truth. 

Jesus taught a unique lesson regarding the tares and the wheat.  You focus on the wheat, not the tares.  It is better to allow some tares with the wheat than to destroy all and leave the field fruitless and barren.  Paul wrote to a semi-barbarous tribe in Galatia, who had been converted. They were having difficulty practicing self-control.  He did not say, “Set your face and make up your mind that you are not going to do wrong.”  Rather he said, “This I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”  Get the right focus!

Please hear me, we cannot win by doing nothing.  We must be filled with Christ and invested in His service.  We cannot simply be emptied of sin; we must be filled with Christ and His Spirit.  The world does not mind us gathering together and keeping all, we do within the four walls of the church building.  It is when we take the Good News to the community and begin to bring change that they resist.

There is a work for us to do and Jesus said, “The harvest is ready to be reaped but the laborers are few.”  Our focus is on the harvest, not the problem.  We do not know how long we have to work the works of Jesus for the night is coming.  We do not know how long it will be before the Lord Jesus returns, but He is coming again, and we need to be busy about the Master’s business. 

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with the Word of God and through the power of the Spirit of God and the Love of God, let us move forth in action rather than sitting idle. 

God bless you as you move forward in your life in Jesus!  Have a Great Day!