Giving Satan an Inroad

As I was driving to work yesterday, a thought percolated to the top of my awareness. Perhaps by making the decision to exceed the speed limit, I am giving Satan an inroad into my life.

Maybe....
When I am speeding, I am giving Satan an opportunity to harm me because I am choosing to not follow the Word of God and am therefore taking myself out of the Spirit and into the world. After all, speeding by choice is an act of rebellion. 

After studying my bible, 
I have decided that the thought is correct. I am giving Satan an inroad by being in rebellion to the law of man.

Yes, I am supposed to follow the rules of man. 
Acts 25:8
While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
Titus 3:1
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

No, Satan is not going to harm me because I belong to God. Conversely, I also have to sin not. The decision to speed is the sin and I am acting unrighteously. 

1 John 5:17 - 18
All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not to death. We know that whoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not. 
James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Satan isn't going to harm me. Satan is going to flee from me because I love Jesus with all my heart and have submitted myself to God in all areas of my life.

The Holy Spirit resides in me. I am sealed by the Holy Spirit into the new covenant of God through Jesus Christ my Savior and mediator. 

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2 Timothy 1:14
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I am not perfect.I know this. 
However, I am going to have to get my foot off of the gas pedal, or lighten up on the throttle. Clearly, my decision to intentionally exceed the speed limit has given Satan an inroad into my life.

Sin is not an option for me because I have submitted to God. 
I have a new heart that is God-focused. Sin is NOT an option for me because I know I am born of God through Jesus Christ. 
Romans 8:13
For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
1 John 3:9
Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.

Conclusion
Don't give Satan an inroad into your life because you think you are only sinning a little bit. Speeding is breaking the law of man. I am supposed to follow that law because it is not contrary to the Bible. Speeding is living after the flesh and I want to live through the Spirit. 

Verse of the Week - Zechariah 6:12 - January 29, 2017

Even thought the prophet was speaking to Joshua, most understand that "The Branch" is also the coming Messiah. Below is a list of cross references for Zechariah 6:12.

Isaiah 11:1 

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Isaiah 53:2

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

Jeremiah 23:5

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.

Jeremiah 33:15

'In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

Psalm of the Week - 89:4 - January 29, 2017

God's faithfulness was sure. 

In Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, the true King of the everlasting kingdom was raised up - every pledge made to David was fulfilled. "Messiah the Prince," eternal King of an eternal kingdom, appeared as the true "Seed' intended, and began his spiritual reign over the spiritual Israel, which still continues, and will continue forever.                        Pulpit Commentary

Jesus - "The True Seed"

Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to King David. Through Jesus, all of the redeemed will ascend to the eternal kingdom in heaven. 

Salvation is through Jesus Christ, The True Seed

Every sinner can be redeemed because of the sacrifice of The True Seed, Jesus Christ

Eternal life is available for the redeemed children of God

Dear beloved, ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today

How to Become a Christian     Click Here

Psalm of the Week - 89:3-4 - January 22, 2017

God's covenant was fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. 

Jesus was in the line of David and the throne that was built up for all generations is in heaven. Jesus sits at the right hand of God in heaven. 

God always wants to bring his children closer to himself. 

He gave all of his children the freedom to choose to follow him. Choices are what separate us from Him and Jesus. Not his choices, but our choices. God always chooses to be in a close relationship with us. 

Today, I choose to be in a closer relationship with Jesus and God. 

I choose to study the bible so that I can close the distance between my heart and Jesus Christ in heaven. He is my King and the Lord of My Life. 

Verse of the Week - Isaiah 16:5 - January 22, 2017

The Lamb of God 

"Send him the lamb, the best you have, yourselves a living sacrifice. When you come to God, the great Ruler, come in the name of the Lamb, the Lamb of God." Matthew Henry

Yourself a living sacrifice, giving yourself to God through Jesus, the Lamb of God.

I haven't thought about my surrender to Jesus in quite this way before. Mostly, I think about how I surrendered my self-will to Jesus. I made a decision to be a servant in all areas of my life, but hadn't considered this as giving myself as a living sacrifice. 

"Those who will not submit to Christ, shall be as a bird that wanders from her nest, which shall be snatched up by the next bird of prey."Matthew Henry

I love this simile from Matthew Henry. After reading it, I can picture Satan as a bird of prey that will snatch you up if you will not choose to stay safe in the nest of Jesus Christ.  

 Submission Doesn't Mean Worldly Wealth

Even though we submit to Jesus, we may not enjoy worldly riches, honour, or a wealth of wants. However, even if we are living in poverty and persection, we shall have peace of conscience and eternal life in heaven waiting for us. Serenity and an eternal life in heaven is the reward for following Jesus Christ. 

Psalm of the Week - 89:2 - January 15, 2017

God is faithful. His faithfulness is know in the very heavens. Praise his faithfulness today!

Verse of the Week - Isaiah 9:7 - January 15, 2017

Jesus the Messiah

• The Messiah's kingdom shall ever increase more and more; there shall be no limits to it; ultimately it shall fill the world (comp. Matthew 28:18, 19). 
• The continual spread of Christianity tends to the accomplishment of this prophecy. 
• That the Messiah is to sit on the throne of David, suggests, but does not absolutely imply, his descent from King David. That descent is, however, announced with sufficient clearness in Isaiah 11:1, 10. 
•  A gradual establishment of the kingdom would seem to be implied, such as is taught also in the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. 
• The kingdom is to be both universal in respect of extent and in respect of duration eternal. 
• God's zeal...which is bound up with the prosperity and final triumph of his people over all their enemies, will assure the performance of all that is here prophesied.

adapted from the Pulpit Commentary

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/9-7.htm

Psalm of the Week - 89:1 - January 8, 2017

 "Faith in the boundless mercy and everlasting truth of God, may bring comfort even in the deepest trials." Matthew Henry

Praising God no matter what is happening in my life is important. Praising Him in the midst of a chaotic situation shows that my faith is unshakeable and I believe that God will intervene for me.

Faith is:fearlessly proclaiming the Word of God with courage and boldness. Acts 4:29

Faith is: always turning to God in repentence. Mark 6:12

Faith is: invariably honoring my parents and loving my neighbor. Matthew 19:19

Faith is: trusting God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to be "over all, through all, and in all." Eph. 4:6

Faith is: honestly trying to walk in love, just as Jesus loves me, and died for me. Eph. 5:2

Verse of the Week - Isaiah 9:6 - January 8, 2017

• This Child (Jesus) was born for the benefit of all sinners and believers, from the beginning to the end of the world. 
• He is called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints. 
• He is the Counsellor, for he knew the counsels of God from eternity; and he gives counsel to men, in which he consults our welfare. 
• He is the Wonderful Counsellor; none teaches like him. 
• He is God, the mighty One. Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that of the mighty God could bring it to pass. He is God, one with the Father. 
• As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us to God; he is the Giver of peace in the heart and conscience; and when his kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more. 
• The government shall be upon him; he shall bear the burden of it. Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government. There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last for ever. 

The exact agreement of this prophecy with the doctrine of the New Testament, shows that Jewish prophets and Christian teachers have the same view of the person and salvation of the Messiah.
                                                                                                                                                      adapted from Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary