Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - July 25, 2011

Monday, July 25, 2011

Captives

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. —2 Timothy 2:25–26

Sometimes Christians will look at non-Christians as the enemy. But they are not the enemy—they are trapped by the enemy, who is the devil. They are like you and I once were: captives of sin. That is how Christians need to see nonbelievers.

We are told in 2 Timothy 2:24–26,

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

They are in bondage, and they don’t know why or how. But you know. They are under the power of the enemy. So pray that God will open their eyes spiritually. Pray they will see their need for Jesus. Pray they will respond to the gospel message.

The big question is, do we really believe what the Bible says? Because if we do, then it means that someone who doesn’t know Jesus Christ when he or she dies will go to hell. Do we really believe this? If we do, then how can be so cavalier about evangelism? How can we be so uncaring if we really believe what we say we believe?

If we are disciples, then we need to go and make disciples of others. And if we are not making disciples of others, the question arises as to whether we are really the disciples God wants us to be. The prescription for spiritual dryness is to go out and try to win people to Christ and help them grow spiritually—that is fulfilling the Great Commission.

Summary sentence: Non-Christians are not our enemies, but are in bondage to the enemy!

Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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