The Problem With Patience

Posted on February 10, 2025 by heatonkent

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

The Problem With Patience

James has a positive view of life when he suggests having joy in the face of various trials, testing the faith of the faithful. This would be radical language in a time when the persecution of the church was a reality for so many. James addresses his letter to the saints that were scattered abroad. There were many undergoing the trials of persecution because of their allegiance to Jesus Christ. James wants them to have joy in the face of such trials, letting it produce the character of patience in them. The need for steadfastness has always characterized the people of God. Enduring life’s hardships and remaining faithful to the Lord was why Jesus told those who desired to follow Him to take up a cross. There is a price to be paid to be a Christian.

It is impossible for trials not to come when one desires to live godly in an ungodly world. James wants Christians to have a proper view of the trials of life. Trials will come, and the people of God must accept the character-building trait of their trials, producing patience. Then, patience should have its perfect work in the heart of the faithful to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. So, the conclusion is that trials are good for the soul. Suffering for the cause of Christ is not only expected but desired. Patience comes from the trials of life so that the heart can be made stronger than it was. That is the problem with patience. It comes from trials.

Vincent’s Word Studies defines patience as “the heroic, brave patience with which a Christian not only bears but contends.” The trials that come upon the faithful develop a character of joy to face whatever the world brings against them. Jesus did not stoically go to the cross. He bore the cross with faith and courage, knowing the end result. His suffering was but a brief time compared to eternity. Death was the door that opened the miracle of resurrection. Suffering for Christ is a brief trial compared to eternity. Facing the trials of life with faith and courage and knowing what fruit is born from those trials is where joy comes.

The problem with patience is that it requires trials so there can be a perfection that molds the heart and soul to the love of God. Those who endure the trials of life with faith find their lives complete, not empty. There is a fullness of God’s grace that fills the heart of the suffering to know that God has not abandoned them. No greater love can one find than that given by the Lord God. During those trials, wisdom from God is liberally given to those who seek the favor of the Lord. There is a crown of life promised to all who endure temptation. God has promised a crown to those who love Him. Courageous faith moves the soul to trust in God’s will to endure life’s trials. Finding joy in patience is not easy, but the reward is eternal. It puts life in perspective to know the true value of living for Jesus Christ. The problem with patience is what it takes to get it. Thank God for His grace that rewards those who wait.

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Facing Criticism

Posted on February 9, 2025 by heatonkent

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:28-29)

Facing Criticism

Skeptics are never satisfied. When Robert Fulton first showed off his new invention, the steamboat, skeptics crowded the riverbank, yelling, “It will never start.” It did. It got going with a lot of cranking and groaning, and as it made its way down the river, the skeptics were quiet for a moment. Then they started shouting, “I will never stop; it will never stop.” If Fulton had listened to his critics, he would have never changed the course of travel and industry.

One of the great stories of the Old Testament is how David defeated Goliath. As a shepherd, David was unaccustomed to the battlefield and had no formal training in combat. He was a shepherd, a tender of sheep. Being a shepherd was not a passive job and came with many dangers. When David went to the battlefield to find his brothers and bring them provisions, the young shepherd saw and heard Goliath bellowing his challenges to the army of Israel.

Goliath was a giant of a man. He stood over nine feet tall and wore a bronze coat of mail weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds. The iron spearhead at the end of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. He was the champion of the Philistine army while not himself a Philistine. When David saw Goliath, the giant had presented himself for forty days with no one from the army of God ready to fight him. David took issue with Goliath’s conduct and asked those in the army who would kill the challenger. Elias, David’s oldest brother, was angry at David, accusing the shepherd boy of pride and insolence.

When Saul, king of Israel, heard of David, he sent for him. Saul was also surprised at David’s insistence to have Goliath killed. The king reminded David he was no match for the might of Goliath. David was a young man, and Goliath was a seasoned man of war. David told Saul that he may have been a shepherd, but he had protected the flock from predators in these duties. On one occasion, a bear took a sheep out of the flock, and David went out after it and struck it, saving the sheep. When the bear rose against David, the shepherd boy took the bear by the beard and killed it. Shortly afterward, David went out and killed Goliath.

Skeptics and critics can keep us from being the people we need to be in Christ. If David had listened to his critics, he would never have gone into the valley of Elah. When we have God on our side, we have a majority of One. God can do all things through our lives when we open our hearts to His will. We can make Satan flee. Temptation can be overcome. Prayers can embolden our lives to greater service. Nothing is impossible with God. Do not let the world hinder your growth in Christ. Be a David and have courage to stand for truth.

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A Notorious Prisoner

Posted on February 7, 2025 by heatonkent

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. (Matthew 27:15-16)

A Notorious Prisoner

The Romans, who subdued Jerusalem’s Jewish population, knew the need to keep the city pacified to maintain peace. There were many conflicts erupting in the city and around Judea when Jewish patriots fought against the Roman occupation. Many of the criminals had been caught and crucified. The prisons were full of insurrectionists accused of sedition and treason. A custom developed by the Roman authorities to release one prisoner of the people’s choosing during the feast of the governor sought to pacify the population.

Jesus was brought before Pilate, governor of Judea, by the Jewish council seeking to have the man from Nazareth executed. Pilate knew there was no legal basis for the claims made against Jesus and that only for envy had the council delivered Him for crucifixion. In an attempt to appease the people, the leaders, and possibly his own conscience, Pilate reminded the crowd of the custom to release anyone they desired. He offered them a man called Barabbas, a known criminal and murderer, or Jesus, a man claiming to be the King of the Jews.

Nothing is known about Barabbas apart from holy writ. He appears briefly in scripture but at the most pivotal time in history. Barabbas was a well-known prisoner who had committed robbery and was accused of murder in a rebellion. He languished in prison with his fellow conspirators, waiting for certain death on a cross. Every day drew closer as others were led off to their deaths. The day of execution had come for Barabbas as he waited for the Roman guard to lead him to the place of scourging before being nailed to a cross. The Roman guard went to the cell where Barabbas was kept and called his name. Barabbas knew his time had come. He had heard the shouts of the crowd but probably could not discern the meaning.

The Roman guard took Barabbas out of the prison and, to the shock and surprise of the murderer, set him free. Another man was scourged and led to Golgotha, where He was crucified between two thieves (possible accomplices of Barabbas). He would die that day and be buried in a rich man’s new grave. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. A little over a month later, the New Testament church began in the city of Jerusalem. The silence of the scriptures would suggest that after Barabbas was released from prison, he returned to his fellow robbers and continued his life of crime. Nothing is said in the books of the New Testament about the man who was released in the place of Jesus. Whether he knew Jesus or cared is not known.

Barabbas was a man of the world who lived preying on others. He did not have a jailhouse conversion and became a disciple of Jesus. From the world’s view, the man in the middle of the three crosses was a convicted criminal who deserved to die. The disciples who gathered around the cross and the Roman centurion recognized Jesus as more than man but not Barabbas. Like the world, he could have cared less about the man from Nazareth. There was nothing special about the death of Jesus from a worldview. A man died, and they buried Him.

The story of Barabbas is more revealing of the worldview than many want to admit. Jesus took the place of a robber and a murderer. Barabbas did not care. He only wanted to be free. His life was not concerned with Jesus of Nazareth. It would be fifty days before Peter preached a sermon about the risen Messiah. Those who responded to the gospel were devout men. Barabbas was not a devout man. There are more than eight billion people on the planet, and the vast majority of them are not devout, not concerned, and care nothing for Jesus Christ. Like Barabbas, they do not care that Jesus took their place to save them from the wrath of God. It would be heartwarming to think that Barabbas became a Christian, which is the same feeling God has about the world. He is not willing for anyone to perish. But too many people care nothing for Jesus and will never know how Jesus set them free until it is too late.

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Sleeping In Church

Posted on February 6, 2025 by heatonkent

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)

Sleeping In Church

The early church experienced phenomenal growth in the first days of the kingdom. Three thousand souls were added to the church on the day of Pentecost; later, the number of men came to be about five thousand. The first converts devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and worship. Fear came upon every soul as the apostles showed the power of God with miracles. If anyone lacked the basic necessities of life, the saints helped other saints, praising God and having favor with all the people. Men like Barnabas sold land and brought the proceeds to the church. The first days of the church were filled with unity and love. But that would not last.

Luke describes the early church as united, but trouble was brewing, and Satan was beginning to work his evil in the hearts of the saints. Problems with members of the church brought division. In the church of God at Corinth, the body of Christ was plagued by many problems, such as allegiance to certain preachers, carnality, sectarianism, open sexual immorality, brethren suing one another, questions of marriage, refusal to abide by cultural norms, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, division over spiritual gifts leading to chaos in the worship services, and teachers denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What was the reason for such problems? The answer Paul gave pointed to those who were asleep in church.

Jesus died to build His church. The Holy Spirit warned of the apostasy that would come as men left the teachings of Christ for their own doctrines. When Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for abusing the Lord’s Supper, he gave a reason why the brethren had failed in their worship. The Lord’s Supper is a hinge-pin to the problems that plague the local church. Instead of the reverent communion of discerning the body of Jesus Christ, the Corinthian Christians were creating an unworthy atmosphere of worship. This was caused by brethren who were spiritually weak and sick among them. Many of the saints were spiritually dead. Paul was not talking about physical weakness, sickness, or death. He reproved the brethren for the weakness of their faith. The worship service at Corinth had become a three-ring circus by brethren who failed to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. They were spiritually asleep and nearing spiritual death.

Sleeping in church has always been a problem when the members doze off (some even snoring). A greater problem is the unseen number of people sitting in the pew with their eyes wide open who are spiritually weak and asleep. They have little or no interest in the things of God. Their lives are empty shells of materialism, pleasure, and recreation. When the Lord’s Supper is passed, they have no feelings of guilt or remorse over the death of God’s Son. They take some bread, drink some juice, and go about their lives like always. Paul warned the Corinthian church about those who were sleeping in their faith. God will bring judgment upon those who sleep.

When people sleep in church, they fail to realize how close the judgment of God draws near each day. It is time for brethren to awaken from their spiritual slumber and grow in Christ. Sleeping in church comes from not knowing God in the heart. Righteousness is a learned character that comes from study and application. Paul would use the sleeping metaphor to arouse the saints from their spiritual lethargy to “arise from the dead.” If someone sleeps too much, they will die (spiritually). When the Lord returns, do not be found sleeping. Spiritual slumber will lead to the wrath of God. Wake up. Be alert. Watch and pray. And again, watch.

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A Prepared Place

Posted on February 5, 2025 by heatonkent

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”… Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:34,41)

A Prepared Place

It has been observed that Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Before God created the world, He prepared to receive to Himself His creation He was about to form. The eternal plan of grace was formulated and set forth long before Adam and Eve were created. When the man and woman disobeyed Him, the Lord removed them from paradise but offered them salvation. The central theme of human history is the revelation that God wants His creation to worship Him and prepare themselves to dwell in His eternal glory. Through the Holy Spirit, the word of grace was given to man to know what must be done to be saved. The problem humanity faced was what to do with sin. Only God had the answer.

For many centuries, the Creator spoke to His creation, revealing His word. To save the seed of Christ, God formed the Jewish nation of Israel and gave them a law. Through the Law of Moses, the Jews found grace before the Lord. When Jesus came, the Gentiles had proven they could not save themselves as a law to themselves, and the Jews showed they could not be justified in keeping the law. Eternal life came through the sacrifice of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Before His death, Jesus promised to open the way to everlasting life. He told His disciples He would prepare a place for them to find salvation. Jesus was not going to prepare Heaven because it had already been prepared before the foundation of the world. The Son of God was setting in place the final part of God’s plan to prepare eternal life for all those who believed in Him.

Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day to prepare the way to a prepared place. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, anyone can find the grace of God to chart their path to eternal life. Faith without works is dead, and by finding the grace and mercy of God and obeying the will of the Father, those who prepared their lives with the blessings of God could look forward to receiving the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. Paul wrote about the crown of life that was prepared for him (he had his name on it). Peter spoke about the assurance of making the calling and election certain for the faithful. The New Testament church believed in a prepared place where God dwells as a promise given by God – who cannot lie.

There is another prepared place. This place, like the home with God, was prepared before the world began. What makes this place different is the character, makeup, and purpose for which it would serve. Satan and his angels existed before the creation of the world. In God’s eternal plan, Jesus would become flesh and walk as men on the earth. He would be killed by the ruthless hatred of men and buried. What changed everything eternally was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. When God brought Jesus out of the grave, the Son of God conquered death, Hades, and Satan. Now, the purpose of Hell was revealed.

Jesus says the everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. In truth, the lake of fire and brimstone was not purposed for humanity but the devil and his angels. The judgment of the Lord demands a righteous accounting, and all those who follow the wiles of the devil will suffer the same punishment. A greater tragedy takes place when a man refuses to honor God and chooses rather to follow after Satan. There is no doubt in the mind of Satan what his eternal destiny is. He knows without a shadow of a doubt that Hell is real. In the time before the final judgment, the devil is trying to take as many of God’s creation with him to the place of darkness. The evil of Satan is heightened by the bloodthirsty desire that if he is damned to Hell, he will take as many as he can with him.

Heaven is a prepared place, expecting the faithful of God to dwell with the glorious hosts. God created the heavenly paradise to bless the godly with eternal life. Heaven fulfills its grand purpose by filling itself with the praises of glory and honor to God. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. It grieves the heart of God to send men to Hell when that was not His plan. His grace demands it. Divine mercy requires it. Justice will be meted out, and the boundaries of Hell will fill with the devil, his angels, and all humanity that does not do the will of the Father. As they languish in eternal torment, someone may say, “I am not meant to be here.” And they will be right – too late.

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The Miracle Of A Global Flood

Posted on February 4, 2025 by heatonkent

For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. (Isaiah 54:9)

The Miracle Of A Global Flood

The Bible is a book of miracles. From the first page of Genesis to the conclusion of John in the Revelation, God’s handiwork through the power of miracles is established time and again. Everyone who comes to the Bible is faced with the choice of believing the miracles or denying them. Genesis 1 is the beginning of all miracles as Moses tells the story of creation. God spoke the universe into existence in a series of six days from nothing. The power of the spoken word illustrates the magnitude of God’s divine power. Many centuries pass from Adam to Noah, and the second greatest miracle happens when God brings a flood of water upon the earth that covers the tallest mountains more than twenty feet. How is that possible?

Nothing has changed in the size of the earth from its beginning. The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid with the widest points at the equator (3,963 miles) and a polar radius of 3,950 miles. Measuring through its center, Earth is 7,926 miles. At present, the land mass of Earth is 57,308,738 square miles out of a surface mass of 196,900,000 square miles. Contrary to a popular song, it’s not a small world after all. Earth is a massive sphere where God placed Adam and Eve, and humanity began to thrive. In the days of Noah, God covered 196,900,000 square miles with water to a depth covering the tallest mountains by more than twenty feet. Using present-day Mt. Everest as a guide, the water would have been approximately 29,052 deep, covering the whole earth.

The creation of the universe was an impressive miracle, and the second miracle of scripture is no less impressive. It is beyond the wisdom of man to imagine a flood so extensive to cover the face of the earth with such force, volume, and destruction. Isaiah declares the flood covered the world because that is what God did. The Lord speaks through the prophet to tell His people of His power. Many more miracles follow in holy writ, leading to the greatest miracle in the resurrection of God’s Son from the dead. If a man does not believe in the power of the flood in the days of Noah, he will not believe in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. Faith requires the belief and acceptance of the word of God to the magnitude of the flood to cover the earth.

Moses did not witness the flood. He wrote about it with stunning words of divine revelation. He had heard the stories of the flood all his life, but when the Lord revealed the details of the flood through revelation, it must have astounded the mind of Moses. How could such a flood take place? Without knowing the scientific analysis of the earth’s size, Moses could appreciate the volume of water required to cover the earth. Men like Isaiah read about the flood and believed God had the power to perform such an act. The flood covered the earth. What a concept. It proved to hearts of faith the divine power of a God full of grace.

To deny the flood is to deny Jesus Christ. During the ministry of Jesus, the Son of God spoke of the days of Noah as the days before the flood. Jesus said the flood came and destroyed all those outside the ark, and only Noah and his family were saved. The flood that Jesus spoke of covered the earth. If God has the power to cover the earth with a flood, He has the power to save the world through His grace. Noah and his family were saved by God’s grace and mercy. Believing the word of the Lord and obeying the command of God, Noah saved himself and his family.

The story of the flood is the story of the gospel. God’s grace warns of a coming destruction. It will never be a flood, but a judgment of fire is coming. God has told the world it is coming. The Lord has also instructed men what to do to be saved. Through the knowledge of the Bible, the gospel of salvation has been preached, showing all men how to save themselves. Like Noah, those who believe in the gospel must respond to the grace and mercy of God by being obedient. Peter likens the flood in the days of Noah to salvation through Jesus Christ, where eight souls were saved through water. In Jesus Christ, baptism is where one is saved from their sins. When a man believes God can cover the earth with a flood, he will accept the word of the gospel and obey.

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Our Twelve Stones

Posted on February 3, 2025 by heatonkent

That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever. (Joshua 4:24)

Our Twelve Stones

The crossing of the Jordan River was a powerful statement for Israel and their new leader, Joshua, son of Nun. Like the crossing of the Red Sea, God showed His power when the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant dipped the edge of the water; the waters that came down from upstream stood still and rose in a heap. The act of dividing the Jordan River was proof of God’s promise to drive out the people of the land. God instructed Joshua to have the priests bearing the ark of the covenant stand still in the midst of the Jordan, letting the children of Israel pass over on dry land. After the people crossed the Jordan on dry land, the Lord instructed Joshua to take twelve men who would gather twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan. These men would carry the twelve stones across the Jordan to where they would lodge that night.

Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan as a sign and memorial to the events of the Red Sea forty years earlier and the crossing of the Jordan River before the conquest of the land. Twelve stones represented the mighty hand of the Lord and brought about fear in the minds of those who saw the stones as a reminder of the Lord’s greatness. God wanted the people to have a memorial to remember the great things done through divine grace and mercy. Israel did not deliver itself from Egypt. The promised land was given to the Hebrews by the hand of God. No man could claim the power to possess the land without the will of God. The twelve stones became a memorial of the inability of man to save himself and the divine power of God to carry out His will.

A memorial is established to turn the mind back to a person or an event. Twelve stones served the purpose of turning the hearts of the people back to how God delivered them. The stones remained for a long time to remind Israel of the grace of God. Jesus became the symbol of hope and grace when He offered Himself as the lamb before the slaughter. He was the metaphorical twelve stones reminding all men they could not save themselves. Only through God’s divine will and the grace of a loving Father can man find salvation. The Bible is a grand memorial declaring all God has done for His glory. Reading the text of holy writ tells the story of God’s deliverance. The conclusion is determined that man could not save himself. It took the grace and mercy of God for man to find salvation.

The Lord’s Supper is a direct memorial to the reminder that man could not save himself, and there is nothing man can do to repay the debt owed to the Father in heaven. Like the twelve stones, the Bible and the Lord’s Supper are testimonies that all the people of the earth may know the hand of the Lord is mighty, and there is a need to fear the wrath of God. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man to understand who God is and what purpose man has on earth. God created man to glorify Him. The Bible reveals this glory. Taking the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation that God loved the world and sent His only begotten Son. It is called a memorial because it will remind the child of God of His saving grace. Israel crossed the Red Sea and the River Jordan by the power of God. The child of God is forgiven of his sins by the power of God.

No one can argue ignorance on the final day. All the peoples of the earth can know the will of the Father. The Bible teaches the fear of God. As memorials, the Bible and the Lord’s Supper declare the message of God to give His only begotten Son as a sacrifice to save them from their sins. There is nothing more God will give the world than the revelation of His word and the revelation of the Word, Jesus Christ. These memorials testify that God is mighty. He is powerful. The Lord is full of love and grace. Embrace the twelve stones of God’s memorial contained within the pages of the Bible and the remembrance of the death of Jesus.

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The Bible Is All Truth

Posted on February 2, 2025 by heatonkent

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible Is All Truth

The Bible is the only source of truth given to the world. Written over a span of 1500 years by forty different men living in different times of history, the Bible is a complete record of the mind of God telling man what he must do to be saved. Many books are written that inspire men and explain the questions of life, but none are as sufficient as the sixty-six books that make up the Bible. God is the author of the book. The fall of man is the subject of the book. Jesus Christ and salvation is the message of the Bible. Everything a man needs to know about life is found on the pages of the Bible.

In a world starving for hope and answers, few souls will venture into the pages of the Bible. It is the most popular book published in the history of man and the least read. Many preachers never mention the Bible in their sermons. Instead, they soothe the guilty hearts by caressing and cajoling the people with great stories and positive messages with little or nothing to save their souls. Fresh from the seminary, a young man said, “Must I confine myself in my preaching to the Bible?” That is like a shrimp asking, “Must I confine my roaming to the Atlantic Ocean? Imagine a minnow saying, “Must I confine myself to the ocean?”

The Bible is the message of salvation given to the world to explain the questions of life and death. Reading it will not make one rich or bring better health, but it will enrich the soul with eternal truths, heal the broken spirit, and mend the troubled heart. Paul told Timothy the value of the scriptures is eternal when he writes, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Seeking the answers to life begins with the Bible. Learning your purpose in life begins with the Bible. Reading and meditating on the words of the Bible will bring hope, peace, and joy to life. The Bible is written to comfort the afflicted and it is written to afflict the comfortable. God also wants the world to know the dangers of disobedience and failure to follow His word. There are many stories of God’s love in the Bible and many more stories of God’s wrath. The Bible is written for our learning.

The Bible is the compass everyone should have to guide them in the way of truth. God’s word is the only truth. To reject the Bible is to turn away from the only ark of safety in the ocean of life. God did not give us a book we cannot understand. Read it to be wise. Neglect it to the danger of eternal condemnation. The Bible is the only revelation given to the world to know what a man must do to be saved. Jesus is the message of the book and, through His death, established the eternal scheme of God’s plan for salvation.

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He Can Be Resisted

Posted on January 31, 2025 by heatonkent

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

He Can Be Resisted

Satan is a potent enemy that must not be underestimated. His goal is to destroy every soul in Hell, along with himself and his angels. The principalities of wickedness, powers of evil, rulers of the darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness align themselves in the war of righteousness against unrighteousness. Satan is crafty. He presents himself as an angel of light. Through deception and manipulation, he tempts the soul to follow his pernicious ways. Like fiery darts, the devil places the lust of the eye, pride of life, and lust of the flesh in the path of the righteous to bring them under his control. Satan is powerful. And he has great success in his evil plans.

As powerful and seductive as the devil can be, the child of God can resist him. It is possible to withstand the allurements of his crafty ways. The child of God can stand up to Satan and refuse to allow his evil influence to harm them. God has given His children the means to oppose the work of the devil. Fighting emboldened with the armor of God, the Christian can stand against and quench all the impositions of the great adversary. The power to overcome Satan does not derive its source from the feeble hearts of men. This can only come through the power of God.

Satan cannot make anyone do anything they do not want to do. It is imperative to understand that God has limited the power of Satan, and he has always been incapable of forcing his will on anyone. If a man sins and disobeys the word of God, the sin lies in the heart of man. Satan is the ultimate reason for sin, as in the garden when he deceived Eve, but it was Adam and Eve who made the choice. God’s wrath will be poured out on Satan in judgment when he is cast into Hell (he knows this), but God will also cast all those who follow him into the lake of fire. The tragedy of sin is that it did not have to consume the heart of man. Satan can be resisted.

One of the foundational elements of sin is pride. As the seed of evil, pride leads the heart of man to follow after his own will and desires. Satan feeds this desire by tempting the heart with the broken promises that are lies. The first thing that must be done to resist the devil is to remove the proud and arrogant heart. Victory over the devil begins with humility before God. A proud heart cannot stand before God. There is nothing God can do with a man who exalts himself until he humbles himself before the mighty hand of his Creator. Man’s heart must empty itself of pride so that he can learn how to resist the devil.

Humility is the first step toward resisting the devil. When a man humbles himself before God, the Lord will lift that man up. Casting all the care and concern of life to the will of God will bring about the joy of resisting Satan. It takes great courage to stand against Satan. A sober mind fortified with vigilance will defeat the wiles of the devil. Peter describes Satan as a lion, but a lion can be tamed and caged. Satan may be called a roaring lion, but that is all he can do – roar. A roar does not harm or destroy. When the weak hearts of proudful men allow the wiles of the devil to overcome their hearts, they will be devoured and destroyed by Satan. If they had stood against his roar and stood with faith in God, it would have only been a noisy event.

The most amazing part of resisting the devil is that James tells us the devil will flee from our faith. Imagine the puny creation of God on earth having so much power that he can cause the serpent of old to flee in fear. Drawing near to God with a humble heart will drive Satan away. It is possible (and needful) to live in such a way the devil is always running away from our faith. If you are looking for a goal in life, live in such a way you keep the devil on the run. The closer you are to God, the more the devil runs. Keep him running. The end of the road for Satan is Hell. Let him run at a furious pace into the abyss. Resist him. You can do it.

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Good And Evil

Posted on January 30, 2025 by heatonkent

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14-15)

Good And Evil

God has always given humanity a choice. Man was created as a free moral agent able to decide for himself. Adam and Eve were given a choice, and they chose to follow the path of evil. In the days of Noah, the world had become so corrupted with evil that the Lord destroyed all life. Only Noah and his family were saved. Moses warned the nation of Israel to obey the word of the Lord, or they would face His wrath. The Israelites chose to follow the path of unrighteousness and were destroyed. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, imploring them to follow the goodness of God. They killed Jesus and persecuted the early church. Evil reigned over the hearts of men.

Evil is a choice. During the tumultuous days of the divided kingdom of Israel, the prophet Amos sternly warned God’s people to repent and change their ways. As a prophet, he knew what God would do to the people if they did not change. Repentance is making a change and choosing good over evil. Israel did not repent, and they were destroyed. Goodness must be sought after. Life comes from seeking the righteousness of God. To seek goodness, one must hate evil. It is impossible to love good and evil at the same time. Jesus explained that God and mammon are not compatible. A choice must be made. The point is that a choice can be made.

Amos told the people of God to seek good and hate evil. Israel was being destroyed because the people were seeking evil and hating goodness. They loved evil. There was no justice in the land as the poor were being mistreated, immorality was rampant, and God had been forgotten. Evil was promoted as the pleasures of life took over the hearts of the people. They were no longer seeking after the good things of God but rather the carnal desires of the flesh and mind. These were the people of God following in the same ways as the nations around them. Little has changed in the years since Amos warned the people. The world remains under the sway of the devil, and evil is promoted everywhere.

God desires to be with His people, and this can only be done when men seek goodness and hate evil. The heart must seek those things that are true and righteous and, at the same time, have an aversion to anything evil. Goodness does not come on its own. Jesus taught His disciples to seek first the rule of God in their life. Those who would seek are those who will find. Finding goodness will only come to those who are seeking goodness. There must be a hatred for unrighteousness, evil, and sin. Job was a man who hated evil, and he reflected such. The corruption of a good heart comes when evil is tolerated.

God promises to be with those who are righteous, seeking truth, and hating evil. The grace of the Lord comes upon those who direct their lives in the pursuit of those things that are true and holy. It takes effort and prayer to have a heart of righteousness. Those who do evil and seek after every evil thing will not be blessed by God. He will turn them away. Without repenting, they will face God’s wrath. Seeking eternal life is running away from those things that are unholy and unrighteous. Stop doing wrong things and start following the right things. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, but His face is against those who seek evil.

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