Lured, Enticed and Destroyed
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The message was very brief but some expressions jumped at me immediately:
“I feel like a failure…I feel worthless…”
While these could look cursory on the surface, they are signs of bigger and deeper problems; mostly perceptions that make whoever is experiencing them feel helpless and hopeless. Ignoring them could prove very fatal to the one experiencing them!
Writing under the title, “Perceptions Matter” two days ago, we put the focus on how both Peter and Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus; and how each handled the events that followed differently, leading to the restoration of Peter, and the destruction of Judas Iscariot!
We can identify four steps that led to the destruction of Judas Iscariot.
1. Entrance of evil (or evil being put in our heart)
Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. (Luke 22:3-5).
John recorded this as:
During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him. (John 13:2)
2. Acting out the evil
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48)
3. Regret and remorse.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:3-4)
4. Destruction (or salvation)
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. ( Matthew 27:5)
Four stages. At each of these stages, making the right decisions can take us out of the destructive loop. In Matthew 4, Jesus used the word of God to deal with evil that was being put in His heart.
The richer we are in God’s word, and the closer we are to Him in prayer, the more capable we are to deal with the lure and enticement of the enemy. Otherwise, we quickly progress to stage two. In stage two, we have actually committed the sin, and are exactly where Satan wants us to be! Here, we are out of God’s will.
How we handle stage three is very crucial, and influences what happens in stage four. First, we start feeling guilty and remorseful. In this state, talking to God leads to forgiveness, salvation and restoration (1 John 1:9-10). Not talking to God gives Satan more zeal to accuse us (Zechariah 3:1, Revelation 12:10), and make us feel worthless and irredeemable (Not that we are worthless – God still loves us. But the perception of worthlessness, helplessness and hopelessness is what Satan wants us to have). This perception of hopelessness is what leads to our destruction if there is no timely intervention.
God always has a way out for his children. In 1 John 2:1-2, we read:
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We may be tricked by the enemy into sin, but not crying out to God for forgiveness is what leads to our destruction.
MEMORY VERSE
“I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ.”
(1 John 2:1)
QUESTIONS
Do you know that the word of God is able to protect you against the enemy’s tricks?
Do you also know that if you fall for the enemy’s tricks, the word of God still makes a way out?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please help me to be
alert and steadfast so that
the enemy would not trick
me into sin; and please
help me not to remain
in sin and be destroyed.
In Jesus' name.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer”
for guidance if you want
to make that decision.
Then develop your new relationship
with God through your Quiet Time.
Then find a Bible-Believing Church
where you can Fellowship with like
minded people.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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