Aiding and Abetting Sin

 

After watching a BBC program recently, I was reminded of how dangerous it can be when we make up our minds, not only to tolerate the evident transgressions of others, but also to support and condone their actions- through our own.

In this program there was a mother of several children whose husband, away at sea, was not being of any help or support to his family. This mother was very irresponsible and even took her oldest son’s earnings and squandered them on a keg of beer. She put only a down payment on this drink, thinking how good it would be to have on hand to cheer herself and make merry when the occasion gave rise to celebration (of any kind). This little episode landed her in court, due to her failure to make the additional payments on the beer. Her ‘kind’ friends rallied around her and one even spoke up for her at the court hearing, trying to lay the blame on the fellow who sold her the beer to begin with. While it was foolish of this man to sell a woman (who was well known for shirking her debts) a keg of beer, it was even more foolish of this mother to buy something on credit that, first of all, she could not afford to pay for and secondly, she really had no need of. The needs of her children, not her own merry-making, should have been foremost in her mind. Well, due to the support of her ‘friends’ and the judge who had a kind heart (but evidently wasn’t very just), this lady was let off the hook, so to speak. She was admonished to make payments on the beer, but was not put into debtor’s prison, which is where her debtor had wanted to land her.

Time went by and this foolish mother did not change her ways. She continued to be irresponsible and squander her son’s hard earnings, failing to pay her debts. Her failure to take responsibility for her wrong actions led to the neglect of her children’s needs, and she did indeed end up in debtor’s prison at the close of the last episode. It was interesting to note that the friend and neighbor of this lady, who had spoken up for her (trying to justify her action), admitted to the judge who had let her off that he had been in the wrong. He could see his action had been of no benefit to her whatsoever, for it did not encourage this lady to repent of her past mistakes. She merely went on her merry way, likely thinking others would continue to tolerate her wrong actions, thus allowing her to go on living in the way she was accustomed. But she turned out to be sadly mistaken.

This story reminds me so much of what our society has become today. So many wrong behaviors that go on today would not have been tolerated at one time. Actions that once were deemed shameful are now widely accepted. Not only heterosexual unions outside of marriage have become the norm and are even approved of, but homosexual lifestyles are accepted by many as well, and even within various churches. These lifestyles, which God clearly condemns within His word, have been gaining progressive support and acceptance within our society. This is a tragedy, and the whole transgender agenda is a travesty as well. Now we have people who were born of one sex, deciding they would rather be of the other, and so are also crying out for acceptance to altar God’s intended plan for His creatures. Mark 10:6-9 reads, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” God’s design for men and women from the beginning of time is that a man and a woman be joined in holy matrimony, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Nor should a man and a woman be joined apart from marriage. The reason for so much of what goes on in society today and why it is accepted by so many is largely that there is a lack of sound biblical teaching within the churches. However, we cannot put all of the blame on those who teach, for those who listen must be discerning enough to tell whether they are hearing truth or falsehood. May we be like the Bereans, who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). We all are responsible for our own actions- or in-actions, regardless of any past negative influences within our lives. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 would teach us, we must “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..”

We also must screen our every thought, word and deed through the clear teaching of scripture. It is God’s word to us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Not only do we read in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “…….that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God,” but Ephesians 5:5-11 tells us, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.”

This does not mean that we are to shun or be unkind to those who practice these things, and thereby fail to show them the love of Christ. Rather, it means that we are to have no part in supporting a lifestyle which God clearly condemns. To do so is aiding and abetting, as was done by the friendly village people in the BBC program. And as they discovered their support and condoning of this lady’s bad behavior did not help her at all, (as she ended up having to suffer the just punishment she deserved).. so we may one day discover the harm we have done by showing support and approval for actions God clearly condemns. Proverbs 17:15 reads, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” There will come a day when, just as this poor woman, others will suffer the just punishment of their sins. And some of those people may be ones we had justified- through our actions of approval and acceptance. May we take warning from the following verses;

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:28-32).

There is coming a day of judgment, whether people like to acknowledge this or not.. It will come, and many will be caught off guard. May we not be among the ones who will be dragged off to a far gloomier place than an earthly debtor’s prison to pay the penalty for our sins. Revelations 20:12-15 reads, “And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is what will happen to all those who are not trusting in Christ’s righteousness alone to save them.

May we not be found guilty of the following, “For you hate discipline, (which is the teaching and training of God’s people to make us more like Christ) and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you” (Psalm 50: 17-21).

May we instead, be able to say with the Psalmist, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6). May we be true “imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1), showing Christ-like love to all by refusing to be an aider and abetter of sin. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

God's Love is Not about Feelings

 


 
 

I think it is very important to have a right understanding of God’s love as opposed to the world’s idea of love. The Bible tells us that God not only loves, but that God IS love. Everything He does is done in perfect love. None of God’s actions are tainted by sin, as are ours. Why then, do we seem to have such a distorted view of God’s love at times? I think we need to understand first and foremost, that God’s love should not be assessed from an earthly perspective. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

From a human viewpoint, when we think of showing love to someone, we think in terms of feelings or emotions. We want to do what we deem as ‘good’ in order to feel good, or make others feel good. James 4:9 reads, “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” The scripture surrounding verse 9 reads, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:8-10). God is not ruled by emotions as we are, nor does He concern Himself with whether or not we feel good. God does desire what is good for His people however, and that good can only come about through obedience to His words, “Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 12:28). If we are to “be imitators of God, as beloved children,” as admonished in Ephesians 5:1, then we must...with the goal of glorifying God.. allow our knowledge of God’s truth, and a desire for obedience to that truth, to make us demonstrators of God’s love. It is not always easy to show Christ- like love to others, and it will not always make us feel good to do so, for our decisions and actions will not always be understood or well received.

The good news of the gospel message cannot be properly understood without the balanced understanding of God’s wrath (against sin-which is idolatry)- versus His love. The following verse makes clear God’s stand in regard to anyone who practices idolatry, which is defined as “image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object”. Any time we place a higher honour on something or someone (which would include ourselves), above God- we are displaying a form of idolatry. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Proverbs 21:2). Romans 10:3 reads, “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness,” and Ephesians 5:5-6 tells us, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” In lieu of this teaching, a follower of Christ is, in fact, demonstrating the love of Christ when they refuse to condone or support in any way an immoral lifestyle-- even when it involves a friend or family member. To those who do not understand the truth of scripture’s teaching, this action would appear to be condemning and not at all loving, for it does not make either party feel good. To be un-supportive of behavior God condemns does not mean we should be unloving toward the individual person, however. It is God’s kindness which leads to repentance, “do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)? Many will not accept that kindness however, if it is not followed up by support of the behavior they wish to indulge in. Sadly, this may lead to divisions—even among family members at times.

Matthew 10:36-38 reads, “a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

In Luke 14:26, Jesus tells us that, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” We know this does not mean that we are to truly hate our loved ones in the worldly sense of the term, but rather that God must come first in all of our relationships, even at the cost of losing them.

There is a cost to following Christ and in some countries a once- loved family member may face persecution or even death if they turn from their former religion to embrace Christianity. In Matthew 16:24 we read, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The cross is a symbol of death, death to self, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). We must die to self and live for Christ, even if that means physical persecution or perhaps even death. In Philippians 1:20-21 Paul writes, “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Our motivation, in all that we do, must be the glory of God, out of love for what He has done for us, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). When our motivation is sincere love for God and a desire to glorify Him through obedience to His word, then we can be assured we are demonstrating true Christ-like love to those around us, starting with our families and working out from there. Showing no acceptance toward behavior God clearly condemns in His word, while at the same time exhibiting kindness and patience toward those who live in defiance to God’s commands is a hard balance to strike. May we find that balance, by the grace of God, and through living in obedience to His Word, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Knowledge to do Right- Without the Ability

It is quite a paradox Paul speaks of in Romans 7:15-20, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” This passage could prove very confusing. Why is it we do not do what we want to do, but keep on doing what we hate to do?

As followers of Christ, our desire is to please God through our every action. However, even though sin no longer reigns in our lives, it does still remain and so we are tempted to give in to our sinful desires over and over. How must we handle this paradox of knowing that we must do right, but do not have the ability to do so? While it is true, we cannot do right in and of ourselves, it is also true that we can do right- through the work of the Spirit in our lives. Through His power we are enabled to do good. It is when we fail to be looking to Christ and striving by His enabling grace to overcome sin’s temptation, that we often give in to frustration and discouragement. This is why it is so important that we be in prayer for ourselves and for one another- for God’s enabling grace.

Paul writes in Colossians 1:6-14, “since ……...you heard.. and understood the grace of God in truth……. we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

I think it is important to understand that every time we give in to the sinful desires of our hearts, we are showing our love for that sin to be stronger than our love for our Heavenly Father who is able and willing to deliver us from that sin. The key to overcoming is found in Romans 8:5, ‘ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” We must be setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. We all start out on the Christian journey as babes in Christ, with our minds set on the flesh more than on the Spirit, but as we grow and mature in the faith and knowledge of God, we learn to set our minds more and more on the Spirit, for as we grow in the faith, our desire to set our minds on the Spirit increases.

In Romans 8:12-17, Paul writes, “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

The passage of 2 Peter 1 :3-11 is a great aid in setting our minds on the Spirit, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

As those who have been set free from sin’s power, we must be doing the good that we want to do and refraining from the evil that we do not want to do, understanding that this is only possible as we walk in step with God’s Holy Spirit, making every effort to live holy lives, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). It is a paradox, giving evidence to the truth of the balanced understanding of man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty. God is 100% sovereign, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10), “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63), and man is 100 % responsible to obey God’s commands, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

Worship and Sin - Cannot Live in the Same Heart

Prodigals and Those who Love Them is such a good book. In fact, it was so good I read it more than once. In this book, written by Ruth Bell Graham, she tells of a time that she awoke in the early hours of the morning to think of one she loved- who was “trying hard to run from God.” She said she lay there and prayed. Then she made the statement, “When it is dark and the imagination runs wild, there are fears only a mother can understand”. (I'm sure there are those of us who can heartily agree to that.) I was very impressed by her further writing in this chapter as she sensed God encouraging her to, “Quit studying the problems and start studying the promises.” So she turned on her light and got out her bible, and the first verses that came to her were Philippians 4:6-7, “do not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let y(our) requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard y(our) hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (ESV).

After reading these verses, Mrs. Graham was struck with the following thought, “Suddenly I realized the missing ingredient in my prayers had been “with thanksgiving.” So I put down my Bible and spent time worshiping Him for who and what He is......I began to thank God for giving me this one I loved so dearly in the first place. I even thanked him for the difficult spots that taught me so much. And you know what happened? It was as if someone turned on the lights in my mind and heart, and the little fears and worries that had been nibbling away in the darkness like mice and cockroaches hurriedly scuttled for cover.” The following words she had to say made a great impression on me, “That was when I learned that worship and worry cannot live in the same heart: they are mutually exclusive.”

As I got thinking on this excerpt from Mrs. Graham's book, it impressed me with the fact that worship and worry are not the only things that cannot live in the same heart. Worship- and anger cannot live in the same heart; worship- and selfishness cannot live in the same heart; worship- and discontentment cannot live in the same heart.... etc. etc. Any kind of sinful tendency we may be tempted with- cannot live in the same heart as worship. As Christians, we need to understand the importance of being a worshipful people- from our hearts. We must “worship the Lord y(our) God and him only shall (we) serve” (Luke 4:8). When we give into our sinful tendencies- (which one pastor referred to as sowing to the flesh)- then we are serving self. On the other hand, when we exercise our will to obey God's word (which would be sowing to the Spirit)- then we are serving God. We cannot serve God and self at the same time. Any kind of sin- and worship cannot live in the same heart. This understanding really helps one to see how far we are from what we need to be, because we are faced with (what Jerry Bridges would refer to as) “Respectable Sins”- every day. Those sins we think nothing of- such as anger, discontentment, selfishness, pride.. etc. etc. tempt us- every day and sometimes several times a day- (depending on how well or how badly our day is going).

In order to be a worshipful people, we need to be glorifying God in all that we do. To do this, we must “put off y(our) old self, which belongs to y(our) former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to “be renewed in the spirit of y(our) minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). The way to renew our minds is to be in diligent study of God's word daily-seeking the help of the Spirit to “guide us into all truth”. When we do live in obedience (by God's grace) to scripture's teaching in this way- we also will be able to experience such sinful tendencies as: worry, anger, discontent, selfishness.. etc. scuttling for cover- “like mice and cockroaches”. As Christians, being filled with the Spirit of God's love, we really “do not (need) to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let y(our) requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard y(our) hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (ESV); “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

Sanctification - Growing in Grace

According to Wikipedia, “Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy.... To sanctify is to literally "set apart for particular use in a special purpose or work and to make holy or sacred." I have been thinking about this whole sanctification process and how it works and shows itself evident through the lives of believers. In Galatians 1:15-16, Paul refers to himself as one whom God had ‘set apart,’ “..he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles”. We must understand, that while it is true that God is the One who sets us apart and sanctifies us, it is also true that we are responsible to make every effort to live holy lives. In 1 Peter 1:14-16 we are told,”As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

In 1 Peter 1:5-8 we are told to, “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I think we should make note of that phrase, ‘if these qualities are yours and increasing,’ for if we appear to have these qualities and yet they do not increase, but rather diminish over time to a point where they no longer exist, this displays evidence that we were not in Christ to begin with.

The joy of the sanctification process is that God works in us (as we walk with Him), throughout our lifetime conforming us to the image of Christ. Romans 8:29 reads, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..” In Romans 6:19 Paul writes, “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19). Here we have two aspects of truth displayed in regard to the gospel message- God’s sovereignty in salvation and man’s responsibility to live a righteous life.

While it is true that Christ frees us from the bondage of sin completely in eternity, if we belong to Him, it is also true that He frees us from the bondage of sin daily, as we walk with Him. However, if at any time we do not look to Him and are striving in our own strength (or the flesh nature), it is not because Christ has not freed us from sin, but because we are following that old sinful nature. In 1 Peter 2:16 we are told to “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” In other words, “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Galatians 6:7-8 reads, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” I’m sure we have all heard the familiar quote, “Sow a thought, reap an action.” We need to remember 2 Corinthians 10:5 in this, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” bringing to mind the following verse when faced with the temptation to sin in our thought, word, or deed, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). If we are thinking on these kinds of things, then we will reap these kinds of actions. If you sow thoughts that are commendable, then you will reap acts that are commendable. Likewise, if you sow evil thoughts, you will reap evil actions. Matthew 5:28 reads, “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). The only good any of us can do comes from Christ’s work within us, so if we are not in Christ, we can do no good, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

If we are in Christ, we will be displaying the fruit of the Spirit within our lives, “The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). While we will not exhibit all of these qualities within our lives 100% of the time, there must be evidence that we possess all of these qualities and are exhibiting a greater sense of them more and more, as we grow and mature in our faith and over time due to God’s work of sanctification within us. In other words, we will become more and more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled as God works within us throughout our lives in order to mold us more and more into the image of Christ. These qualities will become more abundantly clear in the lives of God’s people, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified,”(Hebrews 10:14).

If, as one who has read this, you are a professing Christian who feels as if something is just not right within your own heart, I would urge you to examine your life in the light of God’s word and see how you measure up, seeking God diligently as you do so, for He has said, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17), so we must,“Submit (y)ourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7). If we are faithful in our obedience, He will be faithful to finish His work, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Let us be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13). To the praise of His glory, Amen.

Satan's Power over People

      I have been thinking on this whole idea of Satan having control over people and their circumstances. The reason for this is that some people seem to think Satan has far more power in this world than he actually has. I’m sure most of us, if not all, have heard the familiar quote by Flip Wilson from years ago, “The devil made me do it.” This kind of a response comes from a sinful heart that will, more often than not, put the blame for one’s wrong doing on someone else. We can see this trend starting from the beginning of time, right in the garden. When God confronted Adam after the fall, his response was, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Then when Eve was confronted, her response was, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). 

 

     Mankind continues to this day to put the blame on others for his/her own sin. How many times do we find ourselves uttering something like this, “He (or she) makes me so mad”, or words such as this,“That child really tries my patience,” uttered through gritted teeth and due to an angry heart? We often blame others or sometimes, even as Eve did, we blame Satan for our disobedience. In crediting others for our sinful behavior, we are doing the same thing Adam and Eve did in the garden, trying to put the blame for our sin on someone else, when we should simply take responsibility for our own actions. If we truly believed God’s word, that there will be consequences to suffer for disobedience, perhaps we would take more consideration for our actions. Consequences for sin can be dire indeed. 

 

    In Genesis 3:14, God starts with Satan stating, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestock...” and He goes on from there to tell him the consequences he will suffer for deceiving Eve. Then he turns to Eve, and tells her the consequences she will suffer for her disobedience, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Then Adam is informed of the consequences he will suffer for his own disobedience, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).

    We must understand how responsible each of us is, for our every thought, word and deed. All of these things will come under subjection of God’s word, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). In Matthew 12:36-37 we are warned that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” When we fail to live in obedience to God’s word to us, we will suffer the consequences just as Adam and Eve did, and we will not be able to put the blame for our sin on any others or even Satan. In John 3:36 we are told, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” 

 

    Satan cannot receive full credit for all of men’s evil actions. He can and does tempt mankind to disobey God, just as he did Eve, but he does not have the power to make us sin. We are admonished in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” and we are told to “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” 

 

    Satan could not make Eve disobey God any more than he can make us disobey. It is our free will that chooses not to follow God and seek Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. Satan had, and continues to have, only the power to deceive and to tempt. After Satan tempted Eve to doubt God’s word, she told him that God had said,“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:2-3). Satan’s response was, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Eve did not have a sinful nature at that time to struggle with as we do, so she was free to choose whether or not to believe God and obey, or to question God’s word, disobey and so suffer the consequences. We must understand that sin has a ripple effect. Adam and Eve’s sin affected all of mankind and our sin will also affect more than just those God brings into our lives. It will not only affect our families and generations to follow, but it will also affect all those we come in contact with and work out from there. We must understand how imperative it is that we surrender our wills to the commands of God. God said to Cain after he was angry when God did not accept his offering, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:4-7). Sin begins within the heart, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). 

 

    In Romans 7:19-20, Paul wrote,“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Paul does not credit Satan for his wrong doing. He knows it is the sinful desires within his own heart that he struggles with. So where does this leave us? We all have a sinful nature and our bent is toward evil. This shows us our need of a Savior and in Him alone can our hope be found. In Romans 8:13-15 Paul goes on to say, “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

 

    Psalm 111:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” We must seek to live in accordance to God’s will, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God” (1 Peter 15-17).

 

    Let us not give Satan more credit than he deserves. May we be obedient to scripture’s teaching and so experience the blessings that come from that obedience,“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:7-10).