From His Heart - Week of May 9
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SATAN
"God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." - Acts 17:30
No doubt you have heard of The Gospel According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But, have you heard of The Gospel According to Satan? It is saturating our world today, and it is even being embraced and disseminated in churches that call themselves Christian. Perhaps you yourself have unknowingly bought into The Gospel According to Satan.
So, what is this Gospel? It is a teaching that says you can be right with God apart from repentance. The Gospel According to Satan refuses to agree with God on the issue of sin. Furthermore, this false gospel jumps through hoops to explain away clear cut sin and immorality. With The Gospel According to Satan, sex before marriage is so trivial we no longer even consider it as wrong. Living together and having children together outside of holy confines of marriage is as common as the sniffles. Homosexuality, a form of sexual expression that the Bible has clearly called sin from the dawn of civilization, is now something to be championed and celebrated … even in the church.
The favorite sermon in The Gospel According to Satan is “I’m OK, You’re OK.” High points in this sermon are as follows: “God loves you just the way you are. There is nothing you need to do but just continue living as you are, basking in His love and unconditional acceptance. Rest assured heaven is for you, regardless of what you believe or how you live, because, after all, you are a good person … and all good people go to heaven.”
The Gospel According to Satan is a lie. That should be no shock to anyone, since Jesus said Satan was “a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44). If you believe his lies and his false gospel, you will die and go to hell forever and ever.
WHAT IS THE TRUE GOSPEL?
The truth is that God does love us just the way we are … but He cannot accept us just the way we are. God is holy and cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Make no mistake; we are all wicked sinners before a holy God. We have willfully broken His law and gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We are traveling in the wrong direction, on the broad road that leads to eternal hell. We are in serious trouble. We are in desperate need. We can’t save ourselves. God knows this. That is why He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, and pay a debt we could not pay.
Unless and until we recognize our sinfulness before God, repent (change our mind regarding sin, self, and the Savior), and turn from our sins to Jesus Christ, we will never be saved.
Repentance is critical and crucial. John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The apostles preached, “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Peter said, “[God is] not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).
THE NEW MORALITY IS DEADLY
The devil is working overtime to erase the moral out of bounds markers that God has permanently established. Once that diabolical job is completed, it is Katy bar the door. If I don’t see and believe that I am a sinner before God, I will never repent. Repent of what? Being a good person? I have nothing to be sorry for and no need to repent, if indeed sin is no longer sin.
May the Lord help us to see how desperately wicked we are before Him. May our eyes be opened to the truth. May we learn from the poor, blind beggar in Jericho named Bartimaeus and cry out in brokenness and repentance, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Unless we do, we are doomed. But if we do, we will experience the unspeakable joy of eternal salvation.
So which Gospel will you follow?
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
P.S. Discover that you are not alone in prayer. Allow many people to join you in prayer. Go to www.fromhisheart.org/prayer.
Jeff Schreve founded From His Heart Ministries, www.fromhisheart.org, in 2005 with the vision to reach as many people as possible with the good news of God's love. Jeff believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a great plan just for you. He broadcast on radio, TV and in the internet around the world from his pulpit ministry as Pastor of First Baptist in Texarkana, Texas. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.
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