In the
garden called Eden where God had placed the man and woman He had created, they
enjoyed incredible FREEDOM. Not simply the freedom to do as they chose to
do; but a freedom from certain things.
-
They were free from worry
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They were free from adversity
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They were free from shame
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They were free from strife
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They were free from horror
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They were free from tragedy
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They were free from SIN and its cost of DEATH and DESTRUCTION
Then
along came a serpent. A slithering, slimy snake bent on just that,
both Death and Destruction. With one action, that of deceiving the
woman, which caused the man to join her, this serpent brought down every ounce
of freedom the man and woman had enjoyed.
Suddenly
they found themselves confronted with their own nakedness, and with that
discovery came worse.
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They began to worry about being naked
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They tensed with the idea of being confronted by God
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They tried to hide from their shame
- They
realized too late the horror of the consequences of what they had done
- They
understood the tragic loss of freedom they had suffered
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SIN and its darkness entered their hearts, their minds and
their souls and as a direct result, their
fellowship with God was destroyed and they suffered immediate
spiritual death and eventual physical death
This same
deceit occurs today with the same consequences of death and destruction still
accompanying it everywhere it finds a soul who falls prey to its lie.
Ephesians
6:12
12 For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Satan has
no need to wreak havoc in the lives of some.
He is content to leave them alone in the quietness of their own sad
desperation. Because they are no threat to him. A great deceit has
taken place and many are only too happy to accept it.
It is the
deceit that there is no enemy. No devil, no hell and no spiritual
wickedness existing on this earth preying on the hearts of men and women.
We have no need to guard our hearts against
an adversary who we have been convinced does not exist. It isn't that we
don't "believe in" God.
It is
more that if there is no enemy, there is no need of a deliverer. In this
way then, many live in apathy toward the truth God has given us. After
all, if we have no devil, we have no need of a Savior. This is one of the
deceitful ways satan has kept many who live otherwise “good” and “decent” lives
from receiving Christ and living the truly ABUNDANT lives of JOY and PEACE and
RIGHTEOUSNESS that God actually intends for us.
What then
are we to do?
I can
tell you truly that it is not Gods intention that we sit passively and
complacently while He spoon feeds truth and deliverance to us.
We are to
take action!
FOLLOW AFTER
DILIGENTLY
SEEK
ZEALOUSLY
PURSUE
EARNESTLY
DESIRE
1
Corinthians 6:9
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites...
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve
by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ.
Consider
this:
If I am
wrong, if the Bible is a book of fairy tales and there is no God, I've lost
nothing by living as if every word is true and absolute. I'll die when my
time comes, and whatever there is, will be. Meanwhile, I can tell you
truthfully that my life has been filled with meaning and purpose beyond myself,
and I have personally witnessed and been the recipient
of miraculous things that defy description.
If you
who insist there is no truth, no God and no need of a Savior named Jesus; if you have been deceived and are
wrong, you will die when your time comes, and you will face unspeakable regret
that you did not receive the truth when it was presented to you.
Meanwhile, where do you turn when life is difficult? Where do you
find peace and comfort? When this world has no answers and you NEED
answers, where do you turn?
God's
greatest desire is that ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN HE CREATED will turn to Him,
trust Him and receive the forgiveness of sin and deliverance he made available
through the sacrificial death on a cross of His only begotten son, Jesus.
WHY? That's an easy question to answer.
John 3:16: for God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten son that whosoever will believe on Him will not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Isn't that what all the popular songs we sing tell us?
THAT LOVE IS THE ANSWER! :O)
If you need help, there is a loving answer for your situation. Please fill out the prayer request form in the upper left. We'll pray. You pray. And watch God come to rescue the child He loves unconditionally!
