Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
~1 Chronicles 21:8 NIV~
Have you ever done something you knew you should not have done? Of course we all have at one point in time or another. I’ve been guilty of this many times, even after I thought I was incapable of such stupidity. I was watching the movie, Maleficent with my daughter today and it occurred to me that there must have been times when Satan felt guilty. Though I’m sure he would never admit it, he cannot feel good about the way he’s acted or the reputation he has earned. Even if there is pride there, surely he realizes that he has made the gravest of errors. Or is it possible that he’s just so bad that there is no part of him that experiences remorse or feelings of shame for doing so much damage to God’s creations? Would he ever come to a point where he would feel compelled to beg for God’s forgiveness and try to right the wrongs he has done?
Before you freak out, don’t think that I am in any way so gullible that I would trust Satan. I’ve read the story, I know what he has done and what he continues to do. I also know how God plans to deal with him in the end. This is just a question that occurred to me after watching a pretty interesting version of one of my all-time favorite fairy tales. Imagine how different our lives would be if Satan would only relent. What if there was no evil in this world? What if all that is bad in man suddenly disappeared and we were left with the perfect reflection of our God in each and every soul we encountered? Well, it’s not really a matter of if…but when. God is going to bring Satan to his knees and although it won’t be in a peaceful, okay-I-give-up kind of encounter, it will happen and we will see God’s glory come bursting forth as a new Heaven and a new Earth. As in Revelation 20:10, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
The judgment of Satan will occur, no matter how desensitized we all become to what constitutes evil. No matter how pretty a picture Satan tries to paint of himself as he continues to prey on those whose foundations are not in Christ. And so, while there are attempts through media and entertainment to make me consider the possibility that maybe Satan is just a misguided soul like the rest of us, I’m grounded enough in the Word to know that Satan possesses an altogether different level of evil. There will not be a time when he can turn back and find redemption as he has already rejected God and even worse, tried to overthrow Him. It is only fitting that Satan be bound in the same way that he has kept God’s creation bound by evil and sin. With each soul that breaks free from his hold, he loses just a little more power and we get closer and closer to the day when he will be bound in chains and cast into the lake of fire! Praise God!
So naturally, for those he can’t seem to win over any other way, he is trying his best to find ways to make God’s people consider having sympathy for him. He knows there is no heaven in store for him, so all he has left is to try his hardest to prevent anyone else from experiencing it…and sadly, many of us fall for it, hook, line and sinker. This is where the mentality that some sin is probably okay comes from. Satan trying to make us believe, as he convinced Eve, that God really didn’t mean what He said. Yes, God means for us to have compassion on our fellow man, but not on demons. This includes the demons that have taken up residency in the people we love. So, we must be vigilant to show the love of Christ in all things, but to remember that being tolerant of sin is to invite evil into your heart and give it clearance to consume all that is good. There is a reason why God’s word tells us to guard our hearts.
The devil will try to convince you that it’s okay, everyone makes mistakes…and besides, you’re not really doing anything that other people aren’t doing. He might even try to convince you that being bad is somehow good. And until your flesh is lined up with your spirit, that logic might work. He might convince you that as long as you’re doing something good somewhere in your life that you don’t necessarily have to be all good. Be advised that this is very much an instance when we MUST choose sides. God is paying attention.
He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.
~Job 36:10 NIV~
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My name is Rebecca Benston. I’m a Christian. I’m a woman. I’m a mother. I’m a writer. I’m a thinker. When I write fiction, I am usually writing a mystery series called The Rona Shively Stories. My P.I. character, Rona Shively is feisty, fearless and fabulous and is usually caught up in something she doesn’t want to be caught up in. In addition to this series, I also have a blog called Higher Ground for Life. Through this blog, I’m hoping to reach women or anyone who is seeking to develop a relationship with God and give them inspiration to get out there and follow His path for their lives!
I also have a blog called Leading the Follower. This one is my favorite. I write about religion, faith, spirituality and all that goes along with it. What we believe, what we don’t believe, what we are told to believe and how society feels about believing in general. I do a lot of testifying here and some of what I say may make you angry. Most of it will make you think. Some of it will make you cry. Any of it could make you laugh. It’s really up to you.
If you are looking for practical advice, honest conversation, and no nonsense observations about living in today’s world, check out my blogs at http://highergroundbooksandmedia.com and http://www.ronashively.wordpress.com and http://www.highergroundforlife.wordpress.com and http://www.leadingthefollower.wordpress.com. And if you’re so inclined, you can purchase my books and some other great, inspirational works from Higher Ground Books & Media at http://highergroundbooksandmedia.com.
Be blessed!
Leading the Follower 