Sunday, June 26, 2016

Satan will tempt you with lies, but do you believe my way is better?

John 8:44

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Adam and Eve Chose Satan’s Way

When Satan came to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden, she unfortunately believed Satan over what God had said. The devil lied to Eve when he told her that she wouldn’t die if she ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:4). No, she didn’t die instantly, but both she and Adam, after they took and ate, died spiritually and lost eternal life. Why was Satan called a murderer from the beginning? Perhaps it was because he was behind Abel’s murder by his brother, Cain (Gen. 4:8). Like Adam and Eve, Cain also chose to believe the enemy instead of God’s way. Ever since then, the vast majority of mankind has been following Satan’s way and rejecting God’s way. Not much has changed since the Garden, and today the world is still following the ways of their true father, the devil (John 8:41).

Instant Gratification

It seems that the devil is always in a hurry, but God takes His time. What I mean by that is that Satan wants us to choose instant self-gratification of the flesh instead of a delayed gratification. Quicker is almost never better, and the enemy often tempts us to find the easiest and quickest way out of something rather than doing something deliberately and correctly. The ways of Satan, like the ways of a man, seem right, but they always end in death (Prov. 16:2).

Challenging God’s Word

Since the very beginning, up to the time of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, Satan has been trying to get people to twist or take out of context the Word of God. Even more, he has tried to get the world to believe that the Bible is only a collection of writings by man and is not believable, despite the Bible’s claim to be the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16). You cannot believe anyone who says that the Bible is a man-made book because God says about His own Word that it was not of human origin but came about by men who were moved to write by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21), and that should settle any lie that challenges the veracity of the Bible.

Jesus Is the Way

There is salvation in no one else but Christ alone (Acts 4:12). Today in the pluralistic society in which we live, many teach that there are many names for god but only one true God. Allah is not God, and Buddha never claimed to be God. The fact is, the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ and Him alone (John 6:44). Another lie is that there are many paths to God. I say there are two paths to God: One leads to eternal life (John 3:16), and the other leads to God but to the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:12-15). You must believe Jesus when He said that He is the one and only way to the Father, the only truth, and the only way to eternal life (John 14:6). He is not one of the ways or one of many ways but the only way that we can be saved (Acts 16:30-31). Will you believe Jesus’ way as the only and the best way?

A Closing Prayer

Great God, our heavenly Father, we know that the enemy seeks to tempt all of us with lies that seem true but only lead to destruction. I know that Jesus’ way is not only the best way but the only way to You, so help me to believe You and that Your way is always best. In the name above all names, Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen

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