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| Volume 21 Number 10 October 2019 | Page 9 |
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| Volume 21 Number 10 October 2019 | Page 9 |
Satan’s Biggest Lie
Thomas Baxley
The biggest deception Satan plays against humanity is the illusion of time: we all think we will live to really old ages, thus having plenty of time to fix things later. The deception or illusion comes in with the very notion of “later.” None of us really know how long we have. This past Wednesday was the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks where more than 3,000 people lost their lives, and many more later due to complications or injuries. The day before and the morning of the attacks those people were going about their routines, thinking they had all the time in the world to do what they needed to get done. However, sadly that was not the case. Here is the reality that we all need to face and help others to face as well: there is a 100% chance that we will all stand before God, and no one knows when that will be. Don’t fall prey to Satan’s lie; don’t put off till tomorrow what should be done today. Get in and stay in a right relationship with God.
Raymond Elliott
We hear a great deal today about being liberated from various things such as moral standards, authorities and various relationships. People are desirous of freedom, for better or for worse. Wars have been fought to free people from tyranny, slavery and oppression. Movements are begun to seek release from anything and everything that might restrain people too much. Even among religious circles, there are organizations and individuals that seek to rid themselves of any absolute and objective authority such as the Bible. We are also aware of movements among worldly minded people to reject any and all rules of moral and ethical standards. Thus, you have such philosophies as ‘Situation Ethics,’ ‘Existentialism’ and ‘The New Morality’ to illustrate the point.
However, we speak presently of true liberation and the true ‘Liberator,’ Jesus Christ, who came to liberate (to set free, release) men and women from that terrible ‘master’ (Satan) and bondage (sin). The world has never known freedom, happiness and peace of mind as can be had and enjoyed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mankind has sought freedom in earthly pleasures, doctrines of men and worldly wisdom; however, this type of seeking has been in vain. The Master Teacher and Freedom Fighter exclaimed to a group of Jews on one occasion that, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Thus, the agency of release from the fetters of sin, sorrow, doubt, captivity and death is the Truth, the Word of God. Jesus also stated, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Paul wrote in Romans 6:17-18, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” That form the Romans obeyed was the likeness of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, which are the basis of the Gospel of our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). They had died to sin in true repentance, were buried with the Lord in baptism and had been raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:1-6). This is the same manner in which people today can be set free from sin. The apostle Paul also wrote of being made free from the law of sin and death through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-2). Furthermore, in Galatians 5:1, Paul said, “For freedom did Christ set us free…”(KJV). Whether we speak of being free from the Law of Moses or from sin, the principle is the same. The truly liberated persons in this world are those individuals who have willingly surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and have become servants of righteousness.