Entry #3 -- Go Play With Someone Else

Recently I have been intrigued and motivated by the FB posts of not one, but several, individuals whose theme seems to be united in looking forward to the second coming of Christ.  What a glorious time that will be, indeed!  Many of these posts also carry a secondary theme—giving less credit to the adversary, aka satan, devil, whatever you want to call him.  To this I also give a resounding AMEN!

It is truly discouraging to listen to so many folks who unwittingly build up the adversary by crediting him with all their problems, faults, and illnesses.  I remember back—in many years past—while at some sort of “revival,” that I actually recall the guest speaker suggesting unless Satan was persecuting you then you were apparently no threat to him.  It is my belief that nothing could be further from the truth; allow me to explain…

When I read my Bible I see clearly that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness and salvation.

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23 (NIV)

What I have earned, and what I deserve, is death.

“For the wages of sin is death..”  Romans 6:23 (NIV)

I cannot work my way out of this one!  I simply can’t do it on my own, no matter how hard I might try.  Salvation must come from only ONE source…it is a FREE gift from God.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NIV)

“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were [works], grace would no longer be grace.”  Romans 11:6 (NIV)

What is grace?  The best explanation I have ever heard, and I truly wish I knew an original source, is this:  GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Many may disagree (that is your right to do so), but I personally firmly believe in the Deity of Christ, who was with God in the beginning, came to Earth in human form, was crucified, died, buried, but who was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God our Heavenly Father.  It was God’s incredible plan to use his ONLY Son as payment for the debt of our sins so that we might have eternal life.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”  John 1:1, 2 (NIV)

“The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us.”  John 1:14 (NIV)

Nothing less could make Him be the perfect sacrifice that was required for our lives!

So how do we receive this gift?  Oh my how we tend to complicate the very simple truth! You only need to believe it is true, and ask—that’s it!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 (NIV)

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8 (NIV)

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  Romans 10:9, 10 (NIV)

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10:13 (NIV)

This means EVERYONE… this means me… this means you!

Okay, so by now you are undoubtedly thinking that somehow I forgot what the title was and what the focal point of this devotional was supposed to be. No, I’m actually right there! You see, Jesus Christ won the victory when He shed his precious blood on the cross to pay for my sins.  This was part of God’s incredible plan for ALL of us. But the point is that the “game” is over, the battle has ALREADY been won!  I don’t need to keep battling and struggling through life any more.  I don’t have to be bullied any more by the adversary.  He has already lost, and I (through Christ) have already won.  It’s as simple as that.

Remember when you were little…there was always some kind of bully on the playground.  You would run home and tell your folks how he/she was mean to you and he/she didn’t play fairly.  Remember what your folks said?  I can almost guarantee they did NOT tell you to go engage in a deep theological discussion, and I’m willing to dare say they also did not let you blame the bully for your problems or sign you up for counseling classes.  I’m pretty sure they told you something to the effect of, “There are a lot of other kids on the playground…why don’t you go find someone else to play with?”

Here’s the bottom line:  I don’t have to PLAY with the adversary.  I can PLAY with others now. I am free from my sin through the blood that Christ shed on the cross. The bully has no power unless I give it to him.  He can’t bother me unless I let him.  My job is to:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist [have nothing to do with /don’t even acknowledge] the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”  James 4:7 (NIV)

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

It’s just so incredibly simple—GO  PLAY  WITH  SOMEONE  ELSE!

Respectfully written and submitted by:

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian