Matthew 12:43-45 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford, Dake's Annointed Reference, ESV Fire Life Publishing Hendrikson

Worthlessness of self-reformation

Matthew 12:43-45 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Jesus and the Syrophoenician Canaanite woman

Mark 7:24-30 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.

In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she replied," but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter."

She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Worthlessness of self-reformation

Luke 11:24-26 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then he says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

(d) They pervert Christian liberty

2 Peter 2:19-22 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jeses Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

(e) They turn away from the faith

Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Proverbs 26:11 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV New Scofield Study System Oxford It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,

if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again subjecting him to public disgrace.