You might be familiar with the time Paul the apostle wrote about delivering someone to Satan. If not, you can look it up. This is something I believed to be warranted when Christians abuse the written word of God and the blood of Jesus who is the Word of God.
When we knowingly misuse the scripture for our own purposes, we are abusing the word of God. When we misuse the sacrifice of Jesus, either by forgetting mercy towards others or by using His sacrifice as an excuse to live in sin without repentance, we are abusing the blood of the Word of God.
I also wrote that “with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” I willingly submitted myself to this judgement, and it would seem, that judgment came to pass to a degree.
In a recent article, entitled, “Tempted,” I wrote about something I experienced the night before. It was kind of dream-like, but also very real. Real enough to leave what I think will be a lasting impression on me, and I have considered the experience almost nonstop since. There are some things to take away from this, and once I have considered the ideas more fully, I will write more about it. Lord willing.
For starters, I realized just moments ago that the temptation I experienced was the same temptation that I had judged (and I believe this judgment to be the judgement of the Lord that was given to me, not just my own judgment).
This was a temptation to change the written word of God, then to abuse the sacrifice of the Word of God by joining myself with Satan—by trusting in him instead of Jesus, by loving the things of this world and gaining this world instead of loving the things of the Kingdom of Heaven and gaining Heaven, and by making light of sin as something natural that we all do.
Though I did not give in ultimately, I did feel that temptation. After dealing with that, I no longer have any desire to deliver anyone to Satan. I would rather, in my own small way, deliver people away from him—and I know that many are in bonds to him already.
I can do nothing, but that Jesus would do it in me. Just as Jesus said that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, and Him in us. We should do the work of our Father. We are not the Father. We are not the Son, but His works we should do. As it is written, “as many as walk after the Spirit of God are the sons of God.” We should not do the works of Satan. He is not our father. We need to learn the difference, because “many will kill you thinking they do God’s service.” They “do not know what spirit they are of.”
Jesus is the only name by which man can be saved. He will make a way. We can trust in Him. However, there are scriptures to consider. Is it not possible for people to claim Jesus yet align themselves with Satan?
There are many scriptures about this. There are those who commit fornication with him—and I believe that is in spirit—very similar to the temptation I just went through. Gross. I know. Shameful. I know. A hard truth, however. There is nothing I go through that is not the same for all Christians. It is given to me in a way that my foolish self can understand and share with the brethren. Think nothing over much of it. He seduces us away from Jesus in many ways—and we are often overcome. It should not be so.
There are scriptures about putting Jesus first, not Man. When we put Man first, is it not Satan who we trust in and worship? Man comes up with many idolatries. Many false images. And there will be one Image of Man that many will worship.
There are scriptures about our houses—our temples—which are the temples of the Spirit of God. If our houses are of Satan, or if our houses are built upon sand, they will fall when “the flood” comes. When we realize that our house is a house of Satan, and not the Lord, Jesus, we should get out. Get out fast. Don’t try to take anything with us. Those are dead things. Leave them and don’t look back.
The flood will come. I have seen it. I don’t know how or when. I don’t know if this Satan and this flood I saw are types, just as there are many types within history, or if this is something more akin to the end of all kingdoms of this world. There are cycles in history. There is no way for me to know if this is another cycle or the end.
In any case, we do not need to deliver Christians to Satan. Just as Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it because the world was condemned already, we need to deliver our brethren away from Satan—and Jesus is the way. He will chasten those He loves. Death will have his day. Even so, Jesus will not lose a single soul that is redeemed by Him.
We can trust in Him. The end of this chastisement is Christ. This is refining for those who belong to Him, and it is a destruction of those who are among us but not of us. This is most importantly true for our own selves. What is not of the Kingdom within us will perish. The Kingdom is at hand, in heart and in the new world to come, so be thankful and praise Jesus!
Jesus is faithful and the blood of the Lamb will cover us. Let no man accuse you. Many accuse Christians because of their sin, even other Christians. Though we know that many will fulfill the scriptures pertaining to unfaithful servants, we also know that we stand by grace alone. Not our works. Yet, grace, when it is effective, will cause the works of the Father within us.
Even so, most of us have fulfilled the scriptures pertaining to unfaithful servants at some point. However, the Lord will bring all lost sheep back to Him. He will lose none—but the son of perdition—as it is written. Never assume that is you. All who trust in Him will not be desolate, as it is written.
Trust in Jesus cannot be stressed enough. However, we should also fear because we can trust that He is not to be trifled with, and those who fear God will find mercy. Those who fear Man will find false hope only and death.
This is a kind of summary of what I have to share with you. Take this thought home: with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. Can you withstand it? Even in this, there is mercy. I know this from experience also. The mercy of the Lord is incredible. Yet, do not take that for granted.
Jesus Alone 