If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. PSALM 66:18
In pre-Revolution Russia, one of the most influential people in Czar Nicholas II’s court was a wandering Orthodox monk named Grigori Rasputin. Empress Alexandra fell under Rasputin’s spell and his doctrine of immorality—that it is the believer’s responsibility to sin with abandon in order to experience the joy of repentance. The greater the sin, the greater the joy. Rasputin clearly had not read Romans 6:1–2: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” And had he read Psalm 32:3–4, he would have discovered that David found no pleasure in sin: “My bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.” The Bible is clear that sin is what separates us from God. Choosing not to confess our sin and turn from it is like cutting the communication lines with God. Confession means to say the same thing about our sin that God says about it. And agreeing with God is always good for the soul. Dr. David Jeremiah Morning and Evening
We have no idea how softly and tenderly the voices are. Of the world, the demons at Satan's bec and call. Some probably thought that I meant that voice of God, well there is that voice too.
Point to remember is that not only does the Scripture say that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so would his minions. Most have heard it said about if you put a frog in a hot pan it will jump out. If put in a unheated pan and you slowly turn up the heat you will cook it because it didn't see it coming.
In the arsenal of Satan and his minions is soft and tender words of enticement. If people saw upfront the true cost of sin and disobedience to God they wouldn't do it.
In the Garden of Eden, he didn't say "Here's a preview of Hell! Say, what are your thoughts on eternity for punishment?" And then go on from there as all television and movie villains do and tell their evil plans to the thought to be soon dying heroes.
Yet you and those around us all sooner or later find out which frog we are. Sin always comes with consequences. There is no just little sins. All sins are evil in the sight and court of God.
If in some possible world nobody sinned. Yet at some point 1 person told what the world calls a "little white lie" that would have been enough to send someone to God's judgment. That sin would have been enough to require what happened in our world. That a perfect sacrifice would need to take place. Jesus would still need to have been that sacrifice.
Full spirit beings can have no Savior because they have no excuse in seeing God's perfection and choosing to reject it. Demons are those who rejected God and have no recourse. When Jesus cried out "It is FINISHED!" Their judgment was complete. The Father's plan to save those of mankind was officially implemented without any further delay. Only physical man has the option of choosing Christ or rejection of Christ.
All too often both Christians and non-Christian people try living as close to sin as they can get to see what they can "enjoy". All the while not knowing that the frying pan is slowly having the heat turned up.
Success in this world can still mean separation from God. Failure in this world doesn't necessarily mean separation from God. God's Word defines success and failure differently than the world. The world says to be the best you can be. Get as much power and wealth as you can. God's Word says the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.
Many who followed Christ in the early years of the Church looked to have been failures in the world's eyes. All the Apostles were killed by the world but one. Some brutally killed. Doesn't make them failures. 2,000 plus years later the seeds they sowed in obedience are why Christians are still here today.
Be careful of what the world entices you with. There's good reason why the Bible says to take every thought captive. A wild horse never becomes a trained thoroughbred because of allowing it to do what feels right. Noah rejected what his world offered in favor of obedience to God. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Noah was in Paradise when Jesus arrived to take him and all who believed with Him to Heaven. Paradise left when Jesus ascended. All that remains is Hell.
Are you at all sure of what's behind your thoughts and actions?
Are you listening to the world or to God in your life?
Who you listen to determines which pan you are in.
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