The Devil's Two Lies

   In the Bible, Jesus has a lot to say about the devil. He describes the devil as a thief and murderer. Another description of the devil is the 'Father of Lies'. "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's ... When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 NIV). But why is this important to know? 
  There are times in the Bible where we can see the devil lying, such as the time he tricked Eve into disobeying God by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God had instructed Adam and Eve about what they could eat in the Garden of Eden. Eve was by herself when the devil came up to her and asked her, "Did God really say that you should not eat of any tree of the Garden?" Eve told him that they could eat of any tree, but not of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they did, she continued to tell him, they would die. The devil came in and said "You won't die. You will be like God...." Eve considered and fell for the lie. Sad. Ever since that time, people have had hardship and difficulty in life. That was when sin entered the world. Eve took the fruit. Adam came along and joined in and ate as well. The first murder that took place was with their children! A couple of generations down the road, the Bible says that man was so wicked, that he was inventing ways of being evil! Then came the great flood that destroyed the world, except 8 people. You can read about this event starting in Genesis chapter 6 in your Bible.
  What are the two big lies that the devil tells people today? He has told people these same lies down through the centuries, ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God that day in the Garden. 
   The first lie is this; "You are basically a good person." Or another way of looking at this lie is, "You are not a bad person". A lie that the devil also tells that goes along with these two lies (which are both sides of the same coin) is that, "God loves you and He doesn't send people to hell that He loves. Therefore, you won't go to hell because He loves you." 
   One thing that is interesting about the devil's lies is that it is almost always mixed with half-truths. It is true that God loves us. But that doesn't mean that people won't be punished in hell! God's love made a way for us to not have to go to hell, but we have to respond to that. 
   The second lie is this; "You are so bad that God can't forgive you." Or, "You are so bad that God won't forgive you." This lie is directed toward people who understand that they have sinned against a holy God. They know that God will punish sin, but they don't understand the power of the Cross. What is the power of the Cross? 
   During the days of the Old Testament time period, God instructed His people to offer the blood of animals to cover over their sin (this is called 'atonement'). The animal was usually a lamb. The offering was called a sacrifice. People would slaughter a lamb and offer the lamb's blood as a covering for their sins. Lambs were continually being offered because people were always sinning. Acts of sin are committed when we break the 10 Commandments. We break the Commandments because we are born with selfish, sinful hearts. Ever since Eve listened to the devil in the Garden, and took the forbidden fruit, people have been born with sinful, self-centered hearts that don't love God. Because we don't love God, we are always breaking the 10 Commandments. We need our sins atoned for (covered).
   The blood of the Lambs could only cover our sins, but God did something amazing. Two thousand years ago, God sent His Son to live on earth. He lived in the Middle East and He never sinned. He had a cousin named John the Baptist who one day exclaimed, "Look! There is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" That would be an interesting way to talk about your cousin! But this was a situation like no other one. Jesus lived for about 33 years, and never sinned. He went about doing good and helping people. He healed people who were sick and raised up people who had died. He fed people with a lot of food that multiplied from just a couple of fish and loaves of bread! But one thing He did that no other person could do, was to die a terrible death in order to take the place of people who were sinners. Cruel people brought Him to court and told lies about Him. Many people wanted Him dead. He could have been acquitted, but He died in your place and my place for our sins. 
  When He was dying on the Cross (crucifixion), God the Father put His punishment for us, on His Son. All of our sins were placed on Jesus. He died a terrible death. He did this so that we wouldn't have to spend eternity in hell. That is why He is called, "The Lamb of God". But now it is different. You and I do not have to kill lambs when we sin. Jesus died once for all. He doesn't have to die again for our sins! That action provided the power of God to forgive all our sins. 
    After Jesus died that terrible death, He was buried. But this death was different than any other one. You see, He didn't stay dead! He arose from the dead. He walked around with some of the disciples during this time and gave them more instructions. Then He went back up to heaven, while the disciples stood there watching! He is going to come back to earth for those who belong to Him, and He will judge the people who don't know Him. Those people will spend eternity in hell. But those who know Him will be in heaven.
   Don't let the devil lie to you. Every person has sinned against God. Sin is serious and God will punish sinners. On the other hand, your sin is not so great that God cannot forgive you of your debt. I encourage you to consider what I have written here. Before you put your head on your pillow tonight, please make things right between you and God. Turn away from your sin and selfishness, and turn to God. Trust in what Jesus did on the Cross for you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Send an email to RUgood@mail.com  or if you have any comments please write them below.