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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