1 John 5:19 (ESV)
19
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Sin came into the world from one man. Everyone who followed him became sinners. The prince of this world got what he wanted. He corrupted God's creation. He has a stronghold in this world. He must be feeling pretty good right now.
Sometimes I see my own sins and wonder whose side I am on. I wonder why I still sin even though I have been born again from a Father that had no sin. I am changed into a new creation but live in the world that is ruled by the evil one. I sometimes see myself as a traitor because I do his will. He enjoys my guilt. He even reminds me of it. There are times that I forget that while he rules this world, it does not belong to him.
I know who my Father is. I know what He desires of me. He wants me to walk with Him. I have to make a daily commitment to walk with Him. I'm afraid I will walk with the evil one if I am don't walk with my Father. It shouldn't be like that.
No one follows the evil one by doing especially evil things. No one become especially evil in one moment.
It is like being taken down deeper and deeper until the light can't make it to you anymore. The darkness comes because you have been conformed to the world. It comes because you have forgotten who you are.
Regrets follow. The evil one will continue to accuse you of your sin. He knows nothing about forgiveness. He never gives forgiveness. He never asks for it.
But I am a child of the One True King. I know forgiveness because He always gives it. He died to give it to me.
3 comments:
Amen and amen.
Bound for Heaven
Sin came into the world from one man. From that first Adam, all men who followed, became sinners; all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Satan was the one who deceived the first Adam (and Eve); he was the one who corrupted God's creation. "Unfair, unfair and unfair. Because of one man, first Adam, we had become sinners and destined to Hell!" No, from one man, too, the second Adam (The Lord Jesus Christ), we can be turned from being a sinner to a saint, from headed to Hell, to headed to Heaven.
Scripture indicated Iniquity became found in Satan (Lucifer), and the latter was banished from Heaven to earth, this world; he is the prince of this world. He fell because of pride, because he had wanted to equal God (if not exceed Him) despite he was probably the Chief angel, below only God. Satan first introduced Iniquity into man, by the same door, Iniquity had come into himself; he told Eve, "you will be like God ...." He coveted what God has, worship of all; today, fallen, he (Satan), in a "sour grape" state, just want to draw man away from worship of God and away from God. He has a stronghold on earth from his successful snaring of the first man from the dust; he has a stronghold in this world. He must have felt good, but as time passes forward, he would be increasingly desperate, for God has put in place, a plan to save, but only for man, and NOT including the vindictive Satan, and his minions (fallen angels who followed Satan).
Although Satan has stronghold in this world and even offered Jesus the whole world when the latter was the second Adam (as a man), he, Satan, does not own the earth. He owns the world system he spun on earth; he has abused the earth and all that is in it, even, but he does not own the earth; God created it, and God owns it. You and I, as believers, are no longer of this world, meaning we are NOT to subscribe to Satan's rule in this world, instead, we are born again to subscribe to the rule of God. Previous, we did not have the chance, for we were all born in sin; we needed to be reborn, and so the term, "born again", born in righteousness. Don't shout, "unfair, unfair and unfair", but receive the solution for the "by one man all have sinned", by receiving the rebirth, by becoming born again, by blood, by the blood of The Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus has ransomed you back unto God, unto the path of righteousness. The Way or Highway of Righteousness leads to Heaven, the way of sins, to Hell. You and I, believers, are back on the pathway of righteousness, with the Spirit of God given to indwell us, as the Help to us, who have become wielding knowledge of good and evil since the Fall.
We are no longer on the side of Satan, we are on the side of God. Again, don't cry, "unfair, unfair and unfair; that Adam's mishandling of his volition got you headed for hell fire"; now, you are in the driver seat of your life. Yes, you and I who are believers, are back in the similar place of Man having the freedom to exercise his volition; in our rebirth (born-again), The Lord Jesus has given us back the full authority over our volition, which He has wrestled back from Satan, in His Victory on the Cross. Our Lord has defeated "legally" Satan, but Satan is NOT yet sent to Hell; he still has his endowed powers given him as a powerful angel, and he still has apparent authority and so, powers over all men who have not appropriated Jesus' Victory. You and I who are believers and on the side of God, know it, Satan has no more hold on our volition; unless we give it to him all over again. In other words, we are in the shoe of managing our volition, the same shoe, the first Adam, had. Now, with hindsight, will you and I, care to do a better job at it! Don't say, "Adam was stupid"; I, having been a believer, had been stupid, many times over.
Cont...
Cont. From above
In our rebirth or born-again, we have NOT been made "unable to sin"; that would turns us into robots. Why not robots? Because robots are devoid of volition, and without volition there is no love to talk about. God is love, and He created us in love and for love. LOVE IS A CHOICE. You and I have to choose to love Him. GOD IS HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS. Because God is first of all, holy and righteous, our love is NOT love unless it is righteous; and God's love for us, can only be love unto righteousness.
Who got a "better deal", the first Adam or us? There is no need to compare. Just know that we are loaded with knowledge of good and evil, which Adam did not have before he fell. But we, in our born-again, has been equipped with the means to manage that, and it is the indwelling Holy Spirit. Furthermore, God promised this to us, 1 John 1:9 - When we confess our sins, God is just and faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of all of our unrighteousness.
Remember, we are still in the world where Satan is still perpetuating his misleading of men away from God, and has still, endowed powers, but we, believers, are on the Highway of righteousness led by our Lord, by His Spirit (the Holy Spirit). Don't stray off the Highway; stay abiding in the Commander of Host. If you do stray, come right back onto the highway, ask The Lord to forgive you from your stray, and persist to follow Him, your Lord and King.
The Lord has His set of highways here, and Satan, his. We travel on our King's highway which we are to build to reach every nook and corner, getting men to be born-again, and so, have them also travel on our King's highway. Satan's highway is built on lies, half truths, and deceptions. Our highways are connected to Heaven, Satan's, are NOT; and so, one telltale signboard on Satan's roads is "Never mind about tomorrow!" We must mind about tomorrow, for tomorrow, we want to be in Heaven.
Anthony Chia, high,expressions
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