Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” When Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, it is not in the magnitude that a regular thief comes. Notice in Part-B of the quotation that Jesus provides a remedy to the aftermath of being the thief’s victim because the thief that Jesus speaks of comes to steal much more than your money and possessions. Oftentimes, this thief steals things that have no monetary value at all, but they are worth more than you can imagine. The thief comes to thwart your destiny. How? You ask. He does it by getting you to sin and thus out of the will of God.
There’s a children’s story, “There Was an Old woman who Swallowed a Fly” that I read as a child and now have read to each of my own children. In that story, the main character, the old woman, originally swallows a fly and subsequently a whole lot of other animals in hopes of catching the fly she originally swallowed. After she’s swallowed these insects and animals, she dies. I mention this story to illustrate the devastation caused by sin. Scripture tells us, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23. Just like when we sin, we try to cover the consequences of sin by committing more sin. While the only thing that realigns our destiny is repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10 declares, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” So, you see, sin severs a tie between you and God; however, repentance bridges the gap.
It is so important not to remain in sin. There is a form of compensation for sin which is death as was mentioned. What is not said in the scripture is if this death is instant as in your life on earth will end or if it means you lose the ability to spend eternity with your heavenly Father. There are some certainties of what you could stand to lose by living a sinful life. One thing is the loss of your Godly relationships. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) Your real Godly friends will not agree with your sin. It adds strain to a relationship when there is no agreement. Additionally, as an unrepentant and unremorseful sinner, you will likely not want to be in the sight of God. God’s spirit dwells in believers, so wherever they are, the Spirit is there also. I know this uncomfortable feeling all too well because I have experienced it firsthand. When I was not professing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I went to church, but mentally I was not present. Furthermore, I did not want to hear about what I was doing wrong or how to restore relationship with my Father. I was just not hearing its. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, and I honestly felt in my doing there would be no repercussion. I was incorrect in my thinking. Moreover, I felt judged sometimes by those who had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The feeling of judgement was somewhat agonizing, but it was not really the judgement at all. I was ashamed of myself because I knew better. But, more than that, I was ashamed because in every way that I had sinned against God, none of it produced the results I really wanted.
The reason my efforts didn’t work is because I attempted life without God. I tried to go to college without God. I tried to raise my oldest child without God. I tried to be a wife without God. I did all of this while choosing a life of rebellion and disobedience instead. Simply put, I was disobedient because I did not trust God. Bottom line, the reason we all choose our own way instead of that which was given to us is because we think we know better than the one who gave us the instruction. Every action performed outside of what we’re told is disobedience. I personally acted out of ignorance. God’s way didn’t make sense to me. If he gave me my own brain, why am I charged with submitting to my husband and other authority figures? Well, it doesn’t really matter why. It’s important to just obey. Because of the technological advancements of today, I am prone to be impatient. However, the Lord often uses tribulation or hard times to make us patient (See Romans 5:3). I’ve had to learn that in order to stay on track with God, it is important for me to wait and not get ahead of each step that He wants me to go through. But, it is so tempting to want a peek at the future. The only time anything good will be withheld from you is if you are living in sin. “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you” Jeremiah 5:25. “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” Psalms 84:11.
It is imperative to maintain a relationship with God by following His commands. He is the holder of your purpose and your destiny. Your whole life is in God. Do not be deceived by the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). He is cunning and crafty, and he wants to destroy the reason you exist. Not only that, Satan does not even want you to discover the reason you exist. Do not forget the way he deceived Eve in Genesis 3:4 “And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” But, we know she did. Everything that was meant was changed the moment Eve disobeyed God. When Jesus came, He re-opened the ability for us to have relationship with God through Him. If you have been committing sin that you have not addressed with God, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Today is the day of salvation. Jesus died so you could ever be connected to your Heavenly Father. You have more power than the devil. You are smarter than he’ll ever be. Walk in the authority that you have been given. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Receive your gift.