Spiritual U-turns
Notes
Transcript
If you have had your driver’s license for very long at all, you have probably executed a few U-turns. Of course, we know a U-turn to be a 180-degree turn, usually done to quickly reverse direction without turning off of the road. U-turns are often illegal, because multiple open lanes of traffic are required in order to complete such a turn. The car performing the U-turn can cause an accident or hinder the flow of traffic, making this maneuver a dangerous one.
On a road with multiple lanes going both directions, you’ll sometimes see a sign at a traffic light, indicating that cars in the left-hand turn lane are permitted to perform a U-turn when they have the green arrow. When I take a wrong turn in an unfamiliar area, I am glad to see these signs! A U-turn allows me to quickly get back on course.
How about this scenario: have you ever found yourself driving the wrong way down a one-way street? That is often a very dangerous situation! Perhaps an immediate U-turn, legal or not, is your safest choice in a situation like that. U-turns can be dangerous or wise, depending on the traffic situation.
We’re not going to discuss safe driving practices in today’s broadcast, but we are going to discuss both dangerous and wise U-turns as illustrations of the spiritual world. In the Holy Scriptures, we will see that God points out how sinners may perform a dangerous “U-turn” by reversing how they think about right and wrong. In God’s mercy, He calls sinners to turn their thinking around to be in agreement with Him. This latter reversal is a wise U-turn to make, and one that needs to be made immediately. Stay tuned, and in a moment we will consider “Spiritual U-turns.”
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Good morning, and welcome to Truth for Today, a weekly radio ministry of Bible Baptist Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. My name is Ethan Custer, and I serve as the assistant under Pastor Mike Custer, the regular host of this broadcast. We at Bible Baptist Church desire to be a spiritual help to you in any way that we can. Our church building is located at 6367 Gateway Drive, on the west edge of Grand Forks. We meet several times each week to worship God, and our highest desire in life is to obey and please the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. Our source of truth and guide for living is the Authorized King James Bible, the Word of God in the English language. In the Scriptures, God offers solutions for every one of life’s problems! If we can help you in any way, please let us know. We would appreciate that opportunity. I’ll be giving our contact information at the end of the broadcast, so I hope you’ll stick with me.
A moment ago, I mentioned driving the wrong way down a one-way street. If you have ever done this, you may have realized your mistake with great alarm! If you were in an unfamiliar area or on a busy street, or worse yet, on a high-speed road like a highway, you may have been shocked into awareness of your dangerous situation. Even if you don’t get in an accident, this mistake will often get you a ticket from the policeman who discovers your error. Realizing this error comes with a sense of urgency to correct it. That’s the effect that danger has on us. As the amount of danger grows, so does the amount of urgency.
In the book of Isaiah, chapter 5, we find Isaiah the prophet describing several kinds of behaviors. For each one, he describes them with great alarm. Their situation is very dangerous, and Isaiah speaks with great urgency, declaring the danger that threatens these people. Beginning in verse 8, Isaiah describes six different behaviors that put individuals in great danger. May we receive his words as a warning to us today!
The word that Isaiah uses to show his alarm is the word, “woe,” W-O-E. This word means, “A condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief; ruinous trouble.” Just as performing a dangerous U-turn on the road can bring misfortune and ruinous trouble in a serious and even deadly automobile accident, you and I may make spiritual choices that bring great affliction and trouble in our lives! God was speaking through Isaiah to warn us of that potential, and to call us to make right and true choices.
We will focus on Isaiah 5:20 this morning, which says:
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
That put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
God, through the voice of Isaiah, is pronouncing woe—deep suffering and ruinous trouble—unto those that perform a “U-turn” of sorts. What is this U-turn?
First, we find this U-turn to be the choice to call that which is evil by a different name instead: to call it good. This choice means the opposite is true as well: that which is actually good, is now called evil. This of course is a full reversal of what God calls these things!
One might ask, “Does this actually happen in the world? If so, what does it look like?” It’s true that most people probably believe that they see things correctly. Most people probably don’t set out to turn things upside down and make this spiritual “U-turn.” However, people did this in Bible times, and they still do it today. Let’s look at some examples.
First, we’ll see how Jews in Jesus’ day resisted His work, and claimed that He was sent by Satan, not by God. This is absurd for many reasons, including the miracles that He did.
And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
First, consider the stubborn resistance from the Pharisees. Jesus had healed a man who had a paralyzed hand. What an exciting, life-changing event for this poor man! Yet the Pharisees didn’t rejoice that this man’s body was made whole, nor did they marvel at the power of God that was displayed for all to see. Instead, they became angry, probably because Jesus’ loving and powerful deeds were drawing people unto Him. The Pharisees didn’t appreciate this threat to their political power, and so they clutched at the flimsy protest that Jesus had violated the sabbath by His “work” of healing this man. (The ignored the fact that Jesus addressed this complaint by showing in verses 11 and 12 that it was lawful to do well on the sabbath!)
As we read on, we that Jesus continued to heal the needy in verse 15. In verse 22, we read that He healed a man who was blind and dumb, meaning that he could not speak. This poor man’s condition was a result of being possessed by an evil spirit. When Jesus cast out the evil spirit, this man could both see and speak. What a wondrous miracle! The watching crowds were amazed, as verse 23 tells us, and they asked a logical question: “Is not this the son of David?” They saw Christ’s great power, and they said, “This must be the Messiah!” But the Pharisees were unwilling to admit that Jesus could be from God, and so they performed a spiritual “U-turn” by reversing things. They said, “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”
“Beelzebub” is another name for Satan! Instead of acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, or at least operating by the power of God, these hard-hearted Pharisees claimed that Jesus was actually sent and used by Satan! They had completely reversed the truth; with their words, they had turned God’s good miracles into Satan’s evil works. They were calling good evil, and evil good. Jesus Christ gave a compelling refutation to this claim, and also a sobering warning. We’ll look at these things in a few moments.
In the epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes this in chapter 1, verses 15-25.
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
We looked at these verses last month, but from a different perspective. Today, I want us to notice how sinners responded to God and truth. Paul writes that these sinners became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. As a result, they boasted of being wise, when in reality they were foolish. They proved their own foolishness by ceasing to worship God, and instead began to worship animals. Their downward progression grew worse, and verse 25 tells us that they “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”
This is the kind of decision-making that the prophet Isaiah was talking about! These people changed God’s truth into a lie. They claimed that worshiping God was wrong, and they claimed that worshiping God’s creation was right. This is, of course, very foolish. Imagine praising a computer program more than we praise the software engineer who designed it! Imagine praising a sculpture more than its sculptor, or a book more than its author. The creation is NEVER greater than its creator, yet that is what sinners claim when they worship a created thing instead of worshiping the Creator God. They are foolish; they are calling good evil, and evil good. And God pronounces woe upon people who do such things.
In our world today, sinners are still calling good evil, and evil good. There are many examples I could reference, from morality, to religion, and more. However, I’ll mention just one. In Exodus 20:13, we read the sixth of the Ten Commandments, which is, “Thou shalt not kill.” Most people believe that murder is wrong. Yet, many people are willing to condone the terrible murder of innocent babies in the womb. There is no rational claim that the unborn are not human, but instead of being willing to call abortion murder, many people still choose to defend and excuse the murder of the most innocent among us. This is calling evil good. And those who do this are quick to claim that those seeking to end abortion are evil. This spiritual “U-turn” makes God angry! It is very dangerous to call good evil, and evil good.
Let me read Isaiah 5:20 to you again.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
That put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Notice the difference in verb usage. First, Isaiah uses the word, “call.” Then, he uses the word, “put.” People “call” evil good, and good evil. And then we see that they “put” darkness for light, and “put” bitter for sweet, and so one. What is the difference between “call” and “put?”
Of course, “call” refers to words and identification. It’s well-known that if you want to change behavior, you should first change names and labels. We jokingly say things like, “I’m not short; I’m vertically-challenged.” “I don’t procrastinate; I just work well under pressure.” We know that if we change how we speak about something, it changes how we think about it.
Perhaps you remember as far back as 40 years or more, when divorce was uncommon, and sexual activity outside of marriage was somewhat rare. When that was the case, people spoke about it differently; they thought about it differently. But now, even children are encouraged to “explore” in the area of sexual activity! Divorce is commonplace; it considered normal. How did these behaviors change so drastically? It began with a change in how people labeled these things, then there was a change in how people thought about them.
Once we change how we think about something, our behavior will begin to change. Isaiah refers to this change the second part of Isaiah 5:20. He declares woe unto them “that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” This word “put” means to substitute; to replace. There is a 100% difference between light and darkness, and between sweet and bitter; they are total opposites! Yet because these people have changed how they speak and how they think, it changes how they behave and perceive. They have substituted evil things for good things. He pronounces woe on those who behave this way.
Let’s return to Matthew chapter 12, and consider what Christ said to the Pharisees who claimed that He was casting out evil spirits by the power of Satan.
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
First, notice that the text says, “And Jesus knew their thoughts.” Of course He does, because Jesus Christ is the Son of God! He is the Saviour! He is not the stooge of Satan; He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords! He knows your thoughts, and mine. He knows our hearts. He is God.
Jesus Christ could have annihilated these unbelieving Pharisees with a single word. He could have done or said anything, but He chose to reason with them, and correct their wicked claims using patience and sound conclusions. And the Spirit of God is doing the same things in human hearts still today.
Sinners still do not like to acknowledge the wonderful works of God. They still seek to detract from Christ and deny His claims; they still try to call Him evil. But in sinners’ attempts to do so, they commit grave errors of logic, and they undercut their own claims in the process. Notice how Christ shows their short-sighted errors.
Jesus shows the Pharisees’ claim to be foolish by pointing out that if Satan was casting out his own servants—demons—then he would be opposing his own efforts to destroy the lives of men. Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “A house divided against itself shall not stand.” This is spoken occasionally in our culture, and it is true: Jesus taught this. If the devil was undoing his own work by casting out demons, he would defeat himself. He is not so foolish to do that.
In a similar way, lost sinners still condemn the work of God in men’s hearts. The Bible teaches that when a sinner comes to Christ in faith and repentance and is saved, Christ makes them “a new creature.”
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
When a man is made new in Christ, he is often mocked and ridiculed by the lost, as though he has embraced something evil. But Satan doesn’t seek to destroy men’s lives by making them new creatures: such an act would be self-defeating! Just as Christ’s miracles were labeled as Satan’s work, so true conversion today is often attributed to the devil.
But then Jesus goes on in Matthew 12 to give a serious warning. In a way, He proclaimed “woe” unto certain people.
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Isn’t it a frightening thing to consider—that you or I might have certain sins which would NEVER be forgiven by God? If there is no forgiveness, then we can never enter Heaven! We are doomed; we are condemned. Jesus is describing a situation where certain sinners cannot be forgiven. What is he talking about here?
Remember the context leading up to this verse. Christ was healing those who were in need, and He cast out an evil spirit. The Pharisees then claimed that Christ’s power came from Satan, not from God. Then Christ began to speak of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
Mark 3:29-30 records the same event this way:
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
The Pharisees claimed that Jesus had an unclean spirit, which gave Him power for the miracles. They were blaspheming against God’s Holy Spirit, and calling God’s Spirit an unclean spirit. They were guilty of the ultimate form of the sin that Isaiah described in Isaiah 5:20!
It is wrong to change God’s truth into a lie; it is wicked to serve the creature more than the Creator. But it is utterly depraved to see God’s Holy Spirit at work, doing great things, and then to claim that it is the spirit of Satan instead. That is a very serious offense to God. When we do this, we are spiritually traveling the wrong way down a “one-way street.” We may attempt to claim that we are right, but that doesn’t make it true. We are in grave danger. We must turn around immediately.
Many people today have made a spiritual “U-turn.” They have turned their back on God and His Word, and they have decided that what God says is sin, isn’t so bad after all. They have decided that what God says we must do, isn’t really very important. People have decided that morality can be whatever we decide to make it, and that is good. People decide that God can be whatever they decide He is. They choose to believe that goodness is defined by them, as is evil. They have decided that what the Bible says about these things is wrong. They are calling good evil, and evil good. They have made a very dangerous U-turn, and they are speeding toward deep suffering and ruinous trouble. God has declared woe unto them.
What is the answer? Jesus said in Mark 3:29, “He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:” Is there any hope for someone in this condition?
Thankfully, yes there is! Even though sinners have made a dangerous spiritual U-turn, they may correct their course. God offers them mercy, and pleads with them to turn around!
Jesus says in Luke 13:3, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Peter preached in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
The Apostle Paul deeply desired that his fellow Jews would believe on Christ for salvation. He writes this in Romans 10.
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Many of the Jews, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, had rejected Christ as the Messiah. They were living in direct opposition to the truth. They were calling good evil, and evil good. And Scripture tells us what the solution to this condition is: repentance and faith.
Repentance is like a “spiritual U-turn.” It is a change in our thinking; it is a change in what we recognize to be true. It is a choice to stop calling evil good, and to call it evil, as God does. It’s a change in how we think about truth, and a change in how we talk about truth; this causes a change in our behavior.
The other part of the spiritual solution is faith. Repentance is important, but it alone cannot save us. We may change how we think, but we are still sinners. We cannot remove all sin from our lives. Because we are still sinners, we are not eligible for God’s perfect Heaven. We need Christ to take away our sin. That happens when we trust Him to do so. When you believe what Christ has said, and you trust Him alone to save you, Paul says in Romans 10:9, “Thou shalt be saved.”
Have you been saved, dear listener? I’m not asking if you’re religious; I’m not asking if you think you’re a good person. I’m asking, when were you saved by the blood of Christ, and given eternal life? When did the Holy Spirit come into your heart and change your life? When did He make you a new creature?
God isn’t impressed with our good works. We cannot earn our way to Heaven, because everything we do is stained with our sin. We need a Saviour to pay for our sin, and cleanse us of its terrible stain. Christ wants to do that for you. But you must first make a “spiritual U-turn,” and align yourself with what God says about you and your sin. You must believe that Christ alone is the Saviour; He alone can take away your sin. If you have never done that, I pray that you will make that spiritual U-turn today.
If you have any questions about this broadcast or about other truths from the Bible, we at Bible Baptist Church would be glad to help you! You may contact us in a few ways. First, you may contact me via email by writing to truthfortoday@bbcgf.org. You may also find our website at www.bbcgf.org. Bible Baptist Church is located at 6367 Gateway Drive in Grand Forks, and we have regular Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services. You are welcome to attend any of them. If you would rather watch the livestream of our services, or if you would like to watch archives of past services, you may find them on our website as well.
Thank you for listening today! Please tune in again next week at this same time for more truth from God’s Word, on Truth for Today.