10/17/2020
A newlywed told all those around him that he was happy, and fully content with his beautiful new bride, but in his quiet times he thought incessantly of an old girlfriend. If we are not careful we can fall into a similar trap in our faith... we say we have given ourselves to Jesus, and yet when we close our eyes, or dream at night, we can be consumed with the thoughts of worldly pleasures we once enjoyed, or desired. In this way we are untrue to both Jesus, and the world.
““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Matthew 6:24 ESV
If Satan can’t consume you entirely, then his jealousy regarding your soul will lead him to cut you in half with his sword. His reasoning is this... “If I can’t have him entirely to myself, then I will spoil him in God’s eyes, and take the corpse.” In attempting to serve God, and Satan, we are made imperfect, and unfit for God’s table because He will not tolerate sin.
“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
1 John 3:7-9 ESV
As we read this truth in the Bible we see that it is an eternal truth, and men of faith have long taught, preached, and believed it throughout the history of creation and faith. Let’s read the thoughts of Richard Baxter that were written in the 1600s...
“O sirs, take warning of this sin and danger! Jesus told you how necessary self-denial is for His disciples. You must take up His cross, and follow Him in His sufferings to be indeed one of His disciples. Consider the cost to be followers of Christ. See that there is no secret reserve in your hearts for worldly interests and prosperity. Take God as enough for you, yea, as all, or else you do not take Him as your God.” - Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, 1673
When Jesus was tempted, Satan didn’t need to have Him swear total allegiance to him, all he needed to do was to divide the baby... to have Jesus attempt to follow both God, and Satan at the same time. Do you understand this truth, and how it would work to destroy us just as completely today?
“And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.””
1 Kings 3:24-26 ESV
Satan would just as soon have us divided, and put to death, because he knows that we can’t serve two masters any more than a child can have two mothers, or two mothers can give birth to the same baby. So, we say that we have given ourselves to Jesus, but have we really? Is there still a portion of the world, or the old man, that we can’t let go of? Can’t we see that in attempting to stand with one foot on earth, and the other in heaven, that we have sentenced ourselves to death? I ask that we each revisit who we are, who we serve, and then choose either life or death.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for offering us eternal life, and showing us the choice we must make to obtain it. Thank you for Jesus Christ who comes to abide in us, and who can’t live in sin, especially when we attempt to serve two masters. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who is perfect in every way, and requires us to be perfected as well. We praise your name for revealing our sin to us, and providing the blood of Jesus to wash us clean of it. You are a merciful God, and have made an escape from our sins for us. Great is your love for us, and its fruit, your grace, which brings you glory. Hear our prayers as we confess our sins, and witness our contrition as we lie prostrate before you. Hear the humility in our voices as we plead for your forgiveness. See our hearts, and our dedication to you, as we confirm you to be our one master, and as we desire to serve in your house forevermore.
Rich Forbes