27/09/2011 - THE DIFFERENCE

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The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

(John 10:10) 

Christ asserts a fact to which we must pay attention: the devil came to deceive our forefathers – and succeeded! Today, he keeps coming in our direction  aiming  to  steal, kill and destroy us. In contrast, Jesus came to give us abundant life. 

Note the difference in  the verb  tense used by the Master: He said that Satan  comes. The  tense is present, which indicates that the devil is doing this action at the same time this word is spoken. On the other hand, the Lord said: I came = past tense. This shows us that the Savior does not have to come to our presence for us to be blessed because the work has already been fulfilled. All we have to do is believe what He has done so we can receive the victory.

Jesus said the devil is a thief. In fact, Satan – who  is always  full of bad  intentions – did not achieve,  through  lawful means,  the power that God had given to mankind to be the highest authority on earth, but he lied and thus stole that position. The devil causes, for example, a person who is  already committed to another  to be  seduced by an attractive person, without realizing that this is a snare of the enemy  in order  to destroy him/her. Then, like a sheep goes to the slaughter, he follows his “fate” and before he knows it he is already in the claws of the enemy (Proverbs 7:21-22).

 

The good part of John 10:10, however, is the revelation that Jesus came to give us life  - which translates to holiness, purity, honesty and other attributes that everyone should have because, otherwise, they cannot  enter the  Heavens. Christ came to give us,  amongst  so many blessings, the  deliverance from  forbidden passions, which  might seem enticing but will lead to suffering not only those who are overpowered by them, but also their families. The outstanding reputation of a person is one of the greatest legacies  he/she  can  enjoy and  bequeath to his/her own. 

The Bible states that besides mastering the fowls of heaven (Genesis 1:26) which, in the parable of the sower, are identified with demons (Luke 8:4-15), man would also exercise dominion over the fish of the sea (beings who work in the Kingdom of God, the angels) and the animals that crawl (the microscopic life, which, coming into contact with our body cause us a tremendous harm). Man would  issue a command and they would do the work, but mankind  has lost it all with Adam’s fall. Even so, God’s Word was not annulled; after all, with the coming of Jesus, we can restore  the authority given to us one day. 

What must be pointed out is that we have life more abundantly. Therefore, my brethren, pay no heed to adverse circumstances and do not even think of scarcity or not being able to achieve victory. Enter into the presence of the Lord right now and demand your right to fully exercise the divine power. Whoever you are, do not accept defeat. The work was completed, and the Word of God says that there is no limit for your actions after you are enlightened by the Scriptures.

 

In Christ with love, 

R. R. Soares