Christian Living

The Sinful Plague

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/06/21
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“Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:7-8)

We live in a world today that exists under the plague of sinful behaviors. Most of them believe there is a God in Heaven, which trips them up because they are not sure Heaven exists. So the question becomes, “If there is a God, then surely He is in Heaven? There can’t be one without the other, right?” I receive something along the line of I guess so, as a reply.  It leads to the next question, “How do you get to Heaven?” the answers are the expected, I’m a good person, a kind person, a person who loves everybody, and I go to Church on Easter. Then some do not believe there is a God or a Heaven. Ordinary people eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow; they will die.

I have been by the side of ones whose tomorrow has come upon them. That tomorrow always comes too soon, no matter the age of their life. One thing has never failed to happen in those last remaining moments, and that is the list of regrets. I wish I could see my family one more time, I’m not ready to say goodbye, and my work is not finished yet. I have to be honest with them and say you’re right, and you will never be able to do it now. How hateful the truth is sometimes. The last thoughts of a parting soul are not. I wish I could see my Shelby Mustang one more time if I could look once more at my portfolio before I go, or could I have one more slice of that apple pie. Their honest regret is not preparing for their next moment in eternity. The answer is while you have a breath of life, you have time to make that preparation. Many do, and I am extremely happy for them and can’t wait to see them again in the morning.

Sadly for most, they die from that terminal illness of Sinful Plague. Never to know true peace of spirit, never to live again in the taste of love, never to have any companionship, only to exists in a state of hate and torment for eternity. For their whole life, they lived with one eternal crucial choice to make. A critical choice made that will set their eternal destiny. It is the choice between peace, joy, and love or complete separation from God’s presence. Maybe they choose early and rejected the truth of God’s love. Perhaps they lived knowing they should and thinking they will someday or tomorrow. Tomorrow soon becomes today, and the tick and tocks pass away in death. If they would have only believed the words of Jesus, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

Most everyone has heard of Jesus. Some say He is the one who came to bring justice to the world. Others will say Jesus was a model of kindness and love. Others, Oh, He is the one who came to reconcile the world back to God. The last is true but seldom do I hear the Apostle John’s answer in his first letter. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17) That is the absolute truth, as Jesus came not to destroy mankind but to save man from the wrath that we due him because of sin. As Jesus proclaimed Himself, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Satan is a mighty fallen Arch Angel that was found to have evil in his heart. Evil cannot exist in Heaven, and God cast him out to the earth. The world is his existing domain, and his purpose is to destroy everything godly. When confronted by the religious leaders of the day, Jesus told them they were of the devil. “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) The characteristics of the devil, murder and lying, describe the goal of Satan in his work.

Satan’s heart is bent to destroy humanity by leading them to hell. Hell is his destination, as it was prepared for him and his demons. In his jealousy, he works to see all of mankind sent to hell, which is the second death. Satan’s most excellent tool is the deception of the truth, which is lying, and because of his lies, many buy into his deception and follow the broad road that leads to destruction.  Satan thought he had won when he deceived Adam and Eve into disobeying God’s Word, which infected all of mankind with the sinful plague and causing humanities death. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

Satan moves to and fro across the earth seeking for whom he may deceive and destroy. He throws his flaming darts of temptation at all who may in weakness fall to the spiritual attack and remain in spiritual darkness. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Man is in an eternal love affair with himself and the desire of the eyes and the flesh. Satan will find a weak spirit and entice it to remain in bondage to sin. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” (James 1:4)

Satan will attack mankind physically, causing sickness, which can lead a soul to death. “And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.” (Luke 13:11) Satan can also disguise himself as a minister of the light of God’s truth and teach the unsuspecting false truths destroying the hope of one seeking God. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) For the one who has never heard the truth of God’s love, Satan can blind that one to the truth, so they may never understand the right and the wrong. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

The righteous are not safe from the schemes of the devil. Even when the truth is heard, the devil can come and steal it away so it cannot take root in the heart. “This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.” (Matthew 13:19) Even those who are closest to God can have Satan bring trials into their life. The righteous falling into the trap of sin destroys their testimony, becomes a barrier to the love they have for Jesus, and develops a lack of concern for others. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32) Satan is forever trying to break the believer’s relationship with God as this is the full purpose of Satan.

 The work of Satan draws the sinners to the eternal lake of fire, the second death. Without knowing the truth of God’s Word, the sinner walks willingly to the Great White Throne of Judgment by his rejection of the Savior and the deception of Satan’s lies. “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)

The Scripture says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. When Jesus was in the wilderness, the devil came to tempt Him. Foolishly Satan tempts the humanity of Jesus in the same way that he tempted Adam and Eve by appealing to physical temptations. Jesus defeated the devil by application of the Word of God, which Satan is bound by. (Matthew 4:1-11) There is power in the name of Jesus, and when the devil comes to tempt the believer can in the power of Jesus’ name, use His Word, and the devil will flee. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

On a day when Jesus was healing many, a person was suffering from demons who were troubling. “Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” (Luke 4:41) The power of Jesus’ name can drive out the devil’s attack on the health of people. Healing like this requires much prayer and fasting. “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:29)

Death is the greatest enemy of humanity. All have sinned and fall short of God’s Glory, and the wage of sin is death. Everyone is born into sin, and everyone must pay the penalty for that sin. There is no way out for mankind except the mercy and grace of God and the free give of salvation through faith in His Son Jesus. Jesus paid that sin debt for the world without any plea from us. Jesus paid our sin debt because of His love for us and the grace of the Heavenly Father. All one needs to do is believe and accept His gift on faith. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) A Christian isn’t living under judgment of death but the liberty of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Not only here in this world, but the world to come. Satan has been defeated, and why should anyone submit to a defeated fallen angel. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31)

Today is the day, and this is the moment that you have the opportunity to choose between life everlasting or death everlasting. Don’t bank on that last moment of chance, don’t bank on the person who may be there to lead you to the cross of Jesus, and don’t risk this day that you have a choice for a day that may never come that you have no decision to make. “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Be like the wise men and commend your spirit to the care of the Lord. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, October 17, 2019