BIBLE PASSAGE:
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out
your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning,
not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the
father of lies.
(John 8:44)
MEDITATION:
Satan wants us to focus on his NEGATIVE lies. Why?
Because he wants us to miss out on God’s POSITIVE good news.
For instance, many of us have made sinful mistakes after being saved
by the Lord. Satan wants to convince us that due to our failures, we
are no longer a child of the King, and we are no longer qualified for
Heaven. But when we look at the scriptures (God’s Word) we see a
different perspective.
When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, she was not
just guilty of a few adulterous mistakes, but she was in
fact, an adulteress. This was her lifestyle!
When Jesus spoke to Saul (later Paul) on his way to Damascus,
he was not just guilty of a couple of murders, but he was in fact
a murderer and persecutor (of believers). He was fully engaged
and thought he was doing a good thing.
When the one on the cross believed Jesus was who He said He
was, he was not just guilty of stealing a couple of things, but
he was in fact a thief. This was his lifestyle.
These people had not just made a few mistakes, but they were
living a lifestyle in opposition to God’s guidelines. Did Jesus
disqualify them from Heaven? No, He didn’t!
He told the adulteress to
“go and sin no more”.
He told Paul to
“go into the city and he would be told what he must do”.
Note:
Paul became one of the greatest
missionary servants of the Lord.
He told the thief,
“today you will be with Me in paradise”.
If He did not condemn those with a lifestyle of sin, then
does it make sense that He would condemn those with
a desire to obey and please God, but have stumbled
and fallen at times?
In these three examples, there is a glaring message to us:
– Regardless of our past, we can be forgiven
if we will choose to “sin no more”. If we
continue in sin then the scriptures tell us
it means we do not know the Lord.
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
No one who continues to sin has either
seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)
– When Jesus speaks to us, we need to make a dramatic
change in our lifestyle, and commit to serving Him in
whatever way He tells us we “must do”.
“Now fear the Lord and SERVE with all faithfulness.
Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond
the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and SERVE the Lord.
But if SERVING the Lord seems undesirable to you, then
choose for yourselves this day whom you will SERVE,
whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.
But as for me and my household, we will SERVE the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:14-15)
Fear the Lord your God and SERVE him. Hold fast to him
and take your oaths in his name. (Deuteronomy 10:20)
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must
revere. Keep his commands and obey him; SERVE him and
hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 13:4)
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written:
‘Worship the Lord your God, and SERVE him only.’”
(Matthew 4:10)
Some may think, “I want to serve Him, but how can I do it?”
God has promised to provide spiritual gifts to those who belong
to Him, so the first thing we can do is pray and ask God to reveal
the “spiritual gift” He has given us, and to show us how to use it.
While we are awaiting His revelation of our gift and His guidance
in using it, we can focus on obeying His commands and openly
expressing our faith so that our lives will serve as a testimony.
– When we express our belief in Jesus (regardless of the peer
pressure we face, or the problems it may cause us), we will
“be with Him in paradise”.
Look at what we are told in Romans,
and pay special attention to the small two letter word “in”.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
Paul describes the difference between those
who are “in Christ Jesus” and those who are not.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on
what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The
mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by
the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is
hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do
so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
(Romans 8:5-8)
Paul sensed how Satan had been misleading the Galatians.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one
who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning
to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all.
(Galatians 1:6-7)
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your
very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I
would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive
the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you
heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the
Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
(Galatians 3:1-3)
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile,
neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you
are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(Galatians 3:26-29)
Paul reminded the Galatians (and us) that the chains of
bondage to Satan and sin are broken when we are saved.
However, he warns us to avoid misusing the freedom we
have been given as a “free pass” to continue indulging in
sin.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather,
serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is
fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)
In essence the scriptures are saying to us,
“Don’t get the idea that because your name is now written
in God’s Book of Life that you are free to continue in sin.
On the contrary, if you have truly received salvation from
God, you will NOT want to continue in sins which are
repulsive to Him”.
Does that mean we will have no desire to “give in” to temptations
and sin? No, it means that although our “desires of the flesh”
continue, our new desires (after salvation) will align with the
“desires of the Spirit” and we will be able to refuse to indulge
in our sinful desires.
A pastor said,
“Now that my name is written in God’s book of life, I can sin
all I want to, but because I have been blessed with His gift
of salvation, I don’t want to sin!”
Look at what Paul tells the Galatians (and us):
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary
to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.
They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not
to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:16-17)
ACTION:
How has Satan been affecting your life? Has he been destroying
the “joy of your salvation” with his lies. Has he been causing you
to have doubts about your salvation?
You don’t have to allow the evil one to keep you wrapped up in
a mental bondage. God has given you the Holy Spirit to help you
cope with the lies Satan uses to manipulate your mind and
emotions. In addition to His gift of the Holy Spirit, we can
voice our concerns to our Heavenly Father through prayer.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know the schemes of the evil one
to discourage me and cause me to have doubts about my
salvation. I pray that You will turn away his efforts and
that You will remind me of how You have sent the Holy
Spirit to help me battle these negative thoughts. I pray
that I will allow the Holy Spirit to become a bigger part
of my life and that I will call on Him whenever I am
under attack from Satan. Satan’s relentless attacks can
be exhausting but I know that You are more powerful
than him. Thank You for creating in me a desire to
avoid giving in to his temptations.”
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