Your Incredible Freedom of Choice. Part [8] 07/18/2024 (Morning thought)

John 8:35 And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

[The Desire of Ages pp 324] It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart and he will make it his abiding place.

Hence the reason why the genius of the Gospel is to first and foremost, restore one’s ability to choose in a free and clear manner. “If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed” and that includes the freedom to choose. One day I saw a very interesting clip, which asked a  question that’s pertinent to this study. Here it is: “Lord, why don’t you stop me if you see me doing something stupid?”

It sounds like a sincere plea for help, in preventing a person from making any grave mistake, and it’s true, that at times, The Lord could prevent us from doing something stupid, if we are willing to be stopped. In the instance with Balaam, God tried to stop him, but he insisted on doing something stupid. Therefore, whenever push comes to shove, and the human agent insists on having their own way, God respects their freedom of choice, and very often will permit persons to make very grave mistakes.

Numbers 22: 12 And God said unto Balaam, You shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. 20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them…

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

Your Incredible Freedom of Choice. Part [7] 07/18/2024 (Evening thought)

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

In stark contrast is the devil, who does not ask, nor wait to be invited in. He kicks down the door of the heart, and bullies his way in, and takes possession, as persons repeatedly succumb to his temptations. Even if you do not like him, he will take up residence if Christ is not in the heart, for demon possession is at its very core, the use of force. There is currently now a very strong presence of demonic spirits that is actively engaged across the land. And this is as a direct result of the choices being made.

Matthew 12: 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

When persons deliberately choose to go to those meetings where persons are strewn all across the ground, around some preacher who is charismatic, and claims to have slain them in the spirit, we may know for certain that it is not The Spirit of God, but the spirit of satan, for devils throw persons down, but Jesus lifts them up. But, if persons decide to go, against the revealed will of God, then the result would be a person’s own responsibility. The devil cannot make you do it, and he cannot force you to go if you do not first give him leeway through your incredible freedom of choice.

Luke 9: 41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!