“The Deception of Neutrality”
Luke 11:1-28
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. – Luke 11:23
When it comes to Jesus you are either for Him or against Him. Neutrality is a deception from the devil.
So often you hear someone say, “I am neutral.” But the fact of the matter is that neutrality is not an option when it comes to Christ. You are either for Him or against Him, and as Jesus Himself stated, it is one or the other.
It really is Logic 101, an indecision is a decision, it is a decision not to decide, which is a decision against. “He who is not with Me is against Me” [Luke 11:23].
We are in a portion of Luke’s gospel where there are a lot of indecisions. In Chapter 10 there was the scribe who knew the Law but did not follow Jesus. “And who is my neighbor?” He posed the question “to justify himself.” And when Jesus answered with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, you get the sense that he still did not follow, he remained neutral. But neutrality is a deception, not an option. You are either with Him or against Him, a sobering thought.
Our passage this morning reveals a high point in the rejection of Christ. Not only did the religious leaders deny Him, they went one further and accused Him of a demon. “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” [Lk 11:15]
This approaches the unpardonable sin, a subject to be discussed in Chapter 12. However, our text this morning reveals the basis of that sin, which is denying Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” Therefore, if you deny Christ, you stand unpardoned, a consequence of a bad decision.
But there is a wicked aspect of the Pharisees rejection. Not only did they deny Christ, they also accused Him of a demon, thus attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Beelzebub [the prince of demons]. And that brought upon them unpardonable eternal consequences.
Do not be fooled with the neutrality option because it really is not an option. You are either for Jesus or against Him.
Also do not be fooled by a “tomorrow” attitude. There are no guarantees for tomorrow except for those who are secured in Christ. Do not wait. Decide to follow Jesus today.
