The life of man is a small time in the scope of eternity; and, as I previously stated, “We live in a split second of eternity. Because of our greed and indifference we have become trapped in our own desire for equality.” We find extreme difficulty making the right decisions from day to day. We, because of our lack of discernment, choose leadership that is corrupt, make decisions that are destructive, discard good advice from those who are wiser; in general, we really mess up. Many people reading this will say, “He’s really gone off the deep end now.” But if we are to be honest,—and we really need to be honest, especially with ourselves,—I’m really on track. If we are to deceive ourselves about the smaller things in life, how are we to treat ourselves when it comes to those things which will have an eternal impact upon our lives? I’m sure everything will remain consistent, and the wise will, in most cases, remain the wise; the fool, in most cases, will always remain the fool. Wise or foolish, the choice is yours. Wisdom is of the Lord while the fool seeks to go his own way. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
The truly abundant life is that of learning to lean on Jesus. Being dependent upon Him is where true stability and fulfillment are derived. Wisdom, as the Bible speaks about it, is from the Lord, and knowing that without Him you are helpless and can accomplish nothing, is only a sign of real maturity. If I am to be a blessing to others, then I must first receive my motivation and power from God. “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:11). Without God, I will never have the desire or ability to love those who are unlovely. I will never be able to see those things that are truly important or care for the true things of God. “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Everything in life and in nature is interdependent; everything will rise and fall on the same truth. In order to live, we must have and know that place where life-giving power is obtained. It is not about being feeble or weak, only of having and showing true wisdom. The knowledge of who God is, and then allowing Him to do all that He has promised, is the utmost evidence and example of total wisdom. “Life is short; enjoy it while you can.” I’m sure you’ve heard this statement made as it applies to the carnal or secular way of life, but I also believe it can apply to the spiritual. In the secular world, it is given as an excuse for living it up or doing what should be considered unwise, while in the spiritual, it is only expressing life’s true value or worth. Understanding the importance of life and why God has seen fit to place us here, I make this statement with the following explanation. Christian or non-Christian, we have been given no guarantee or promise as to the number of days we will be allowed here on earth. This being the case, it is only prudent that we appreciate what we have been given and use it wisely. The Bible refers to life on earth as a vapor that exists only for a moment and then vanishes away (James 4:14).
I know in my heart that life is the ultimate gift of God. It was God’s intention that we, as His creation, enjoy the abundant life. As I have explained before, without life, everything is pointless, and to die will only mean the end of all things that are meaningful and productive. This is what makes life so important and memories so precious. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). I do not think that the Son of God made this statement meaning anything other than what it says. God’s love was proven when He died for man. Even un-regenerated man has difficulty in believing that anyone, especially with the status or rank of God, could willingly exhibit such an awesome love. Sinful humanity is not aware of the magnitude of God’s love for them; that is why so many wander this world despairing and forlorn. Clearly, it was God’s intent and purpose that His creation live a life unencumbered by the trials and burdens of sin. Part of the true beauty of God is His honesty and His simplicity. He is what He is, and He will never pretend to be someone or something He is not. It is man, through the deception and power of Satan, which has made God uncompassionate and difficult. It is God’s will that everyone, man, woman, boy and girl, find peace through the deliverance of His Holy Son. Jesus is the only deliverance for mankind: He is the only way through the valley and the darkness this world seeks to give us. God has told His children to lay their burdens upon Him and he would carry them; it is not His intention that we walk alone. Jesus is the only source of peace, true purpose, and fulfillment. Satan has given us the only true difficulty in life. He is the father of lies and deception, and his intent is to deceive and destroy. Satan understands that life is short. He, in his evil plot, means to draw your thoughts and mind off Jesus, and in doing so, he will capture your soul. That is his only intent; that is his only desire. He is not a friend to the weary; he has no purpose but to condemn and subdue.
A busy man is a man without time to reason. Fixing your mind upon the things of this world, its evil and all of its divisiveness, Satan’s ultimate desire is to gain your soul. He has convinced you of your self-reliance and personal strength and stability. In other words, the big I: pride. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Somehow, I feel like Satan’s most often used words must be, “You don’t need God.” The prudent intellectual knows this to be a lie; but if Satan can keep you occupied with the inconsistencies of life, he can keep you from thinking about or accepting what God has prepared for you. Satan has no claim upon your soul; he must cause you to doubt the importance of God if he is to claim the victory. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He has nothing to give you; he only labors to steal what is God’s. Satan cannot take your soul; you must give it to him. One of the most pitiful cries from hell must be, “My soul was mine to give, and I gave it to the devil.” I reiterate my previous statement. “Enjoy it while you can”. Everyone is going to die. It is not my intention to deny anyone those things that give them relief from their lamentable state. This statement does not mean that it’s time to party or to, as the world says it, live it up. If, in fact, a condemned sinner destined to a devil’s hell, unwilling to seek forgiveness, finds solace in living for self, I say let him enjoy it because, as the statement begins, “Life is short,” and his penalty will be dispensed soon enough. As the condemned felon is allowed the selection of his last meal before his execution, should we not give the hardened sinner the same consideration? God has warned us of judging others and tells us that He is the dispenser of judgment and true vengeance. “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:1-2). I am sure those that are dying and going to hell will be judged accordantly, they are in need of our pity and not our scorn. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ saith the Lord. “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12: 19-22. You cannot legislate morality, and I question anyone’s ability in living a life of fulfillment without the forgiveness of sin and the partnership of Christ as their Savior. As Christians, we are to be forgiving and single minded, being thankful for what Christ has done for our eternal survival. Being critical is not a form of forgiveness, and to hold grudges cannot insure our inner peace. Revenge is not a way of gaining perfect satisfaction, and to secure gratification at the expense of another is nothing more than barbaric.
You cannot expect the lost to live by God’s moral standard nor expect them to follow a pattern that is just and holy. The love of God does not reign in the hearts and lives of the lost. Sinful man will do those things that their father, Satan, tells them to do. This is not an attempt at excusing immoral conduct; it is only an explanation as to why it happens. Sin will rule this world until God sees fit to destroy it. Let me assert that I am not suggesting that those crimes against humanity be allowed because of the pleasure gained by some perverted, evil mind. I consider it foolish to think that I am suggesting it. I also do not wish to suggest that by making this statement, I have been freed from a conscious effort of prayer and witnessing to the lost. My only intention is to show that God’s desire was for man to enjoy life, but I also emphatically state that it was His desire to have that enjoyment be derived by the forgiveness of His Son. If anyone is to find total fulfillment and satisfaction in this life, it will only be by the forgiveness of their sins through the finished work of the cross. Unconditionally, Jesus is the only way, Jesus is the only truth, and Jesus is the only life. The unrepentant sinners are soon to receive the severe penalty for their indiscretions and sins, and if they are to have any form of satisfaction, it must be on this earth. While I do not condone their actions and will in no way be a part of what they are doing, I somehow feel a deep sympathy for their inability to see where their foolishness is taking them. As has been said so many times before, “May God have mercy on their souls.” I do not believe the primary duty of the Christian is to spend their life fighting social evils and avoiding personal witnessing and soul-winning. You cannot, in a spiritual sense, improve the personal character or change the desires of an individual by simply removing what you consider bad or evil influences. I must admit that a world without all the corruption and social evils would be a much better place to live, but it cannot atone for a heart that is full of evil and vain imaginations. The salvation of God is an inward act that manifests its actions outwardly. This world is what it is: the abode of the prince of the power of the air, and as long as he is in power, the earth will be an evil place. Saying that, I do not believe that we, as Christians, should cave in or offer support to worldly ways and opinions simply on the premise that we can’t stop it. We are to be separate, a peculiar people; as God has said, “Come out from among them” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
In essence, the difficulty in living an honest, moral life today is that everything has become so perverted and so misinterpreted. Man has over-whelmingly become absorbed in the delusions and perversions of the day. The central focus of the devil is to create mayhem and discontent. In his sinful routine, strife and its derivatives are present to cause confinement and bondage. The entrapment of sin is the destruction of righteousness. The snare of Satan is the annihilation of holy, righteous living. We have grown cold to the ways of God and no longer are willing to fight the fight that God expects His children to fight. Life has grown difficult because of our lack of concern and faithfulness, and we have chosen to give up instead of continuing to persevere. We cannot win if we are attempting to fight without His strength and assistance; we can accomplish nothing on our own. The only victory belongs to the Lord, but we can gain that victory if we allow Him to be all and everything He has come here to be. It’s all about Jesus loving us and then willingly showing the true depth of that love by giving us everything, even His own life. Jesus came here to earth, not just to be on the earth but to be closer to those whom He loved. He came here to be the example we are to follow and to die for the sins of an evil world. He is the true model of righteous living; He is the only pattern for an abundant life. The only treasure God finds on this earth is that treasure He finds in the hearts and minds of those who love Him. God wants our love, but to acknowledge Him and not accept His Son is to refuse His perfect gift. Unless we accept His gift, we can have no part of His eternal salvation. The devil wants to keep us away from God by not allowing us to receive that perfect gift. To explain, let me revert back to the beginning, I believe Satan hasn’t changed and is simply using what he has done from the very beginning. I believe the devil knows what works, and I believe he uses what he knows works the best. He has a plan, and he knows how to implement his plan. The number one ploy of Satan is to cause doubt; or, by deception, to get you to believe that God is not who He says He is; or, even better, that He does not exist. “And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good from evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5). We are all born in sin, and if we do not willingly respond to the call of God’s Holy Spirit, we shall willingly live and die in our sin. The powers of sin and the devil are immense; we cannot resist Satan without the help of the Holy Spirit of God. God never intended for us to resist sin in our own strength, but He has provided for our deliverance through our prayers and the power of His Holy Spirit. If our intention is to remove all evil from this world, then it is better accomplished by removing it from the hearts and minds of all mankind. By the regeneration of hearts, evil will be dismissed, and lives will not be under the control of a degenerate evil spirit, but of a holy righteous Savior. Sin can be dismissed only when our lives are saturated by the righteousness of His atoning blood. When we are filled with His power and presence, then the will and desire to sin no longer takes precedence in our daily lives. As the song goes, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
As we seek God’s will, everything else will fall into place. Knowing that everything is under the control of a holy, just God, we are made assured of His righteousness and His ability to govern. Our true responsibility in life is depending upon God. Without His divine leadership and guidance in our lives, we are sure to fail. As we allow God to direct our paths and to control our actions, there becomes no possibility of defeat. Holy and righteous is He who has created all; in Him, we have gained true peace and total deliverance. The true sweetness of life is not found in the gaining of worldly wealth but in knowing God’s beloved Son as your personal Savior. Worldly wealth can never appease or satisfy, while to have Jesus as your Lord, gives you all there is to be desired. To have it all is not to gain this world and all its treasure, but to personally know that one who gave His life is true wealth without measure. When I reach that point in my life where I no longer say, “Look at what I did,” and from my heart can say, “See what He has done,” then I have arrived at a profitable plane of personal and spiritual maturity. I then can and will be living the abundant life. To me, the ultimate, personal shame would be that I could think and write about all I know, and while I live, never be able to attest to what I have learned. It is my personal desire that God will allow me to mature into that unique individual He can use to bless and motivate others. What greater call is there than to share the blessed goodness of God with a weary world?