A Matter of the Heart

Genesis 3:1 - Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

I read and hear so often: if government would step in, if laws were enacted, if people would be more tolerant. But if one takes any issue, whether political, personal (addictions) or governmental and takes steps backward to identify the root cause you will always find it boils down to a heart issue. 

I say this often. We live in a fallen world. The Word of God describes this in great detail...for us to know and “take to heart.” However, many choose not to believe all that is written in this Book. And this is exactly how sin came into the world. “Did God really say...?”

It doesn’t matter if it was not eating a particular fruit or walking down a certain path or sitting on “that” rock. It was the fact that God told them not to...for their own benefit. The end of this scriptural thought goes like this: Eve told the serpent that God said not to eat of this fruit lest they die. And the serpent, that lying, deceitful guy that he is even today, countered with: ...”You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Well, this deceiver devil is still up to his tricks and many fall for his lies hook, “lie” and sinker. Abortion is not murder, being attracted to someone of the same sex is not a sin, drunkenness is okay, looking at another of the opposite sex with specific desires is not lust if not carried out, a white lie is okay. I could go on...way beyond the 10 Commandments. There are many more subtle sins found. Ones we are all guilty of: impatience, anger, gluttony, gossip, using God’s name in vain (as an exclamation of anger, frustration or just because instead of in praise).

If any of this sounds a bit much, it isn’t to God. His standards are way higher than ours. And it’s why He calls us to come to Christ to be forgiven and receive a heart change...the major thing God wants to do.

This heart change isn’t something we can determine to do on our own. He supplies the power to overcome. When we come to Christ we are justified, of our sins like this is sometimes said, “just as if I’d” never sinned. All sins are forgotten. But not all sins are removed; we are in a perpetual state of sanctification until we die. But...we have the ability to go direct to God when we realize our sin and ask His forgiveness on the spot. And Jesus stands in the gap between us and the Father. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus...(1Timothy 2:3-5)

I know I am far from perfect and I know that only Jesus was perfectly free from sin and guilt. It’s why He has become our Redeemer. Though we cannot be perfect until He returns and we receive our glorified bodies, we can choose to have the assurance of perfection and a perfect life as God had originally intended for us. All we have to do is sincerely ask Him for the forgives of our sins and ask that His Spirit become that one who guides us. 

God absolutely knows the intents of our heart. Often, as we sadly are seeing in the world today, He has given man over to their evil desires, not that He wants to, but that He must if they decide not to seek Him and turn from their sin.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 -“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

Did God Really Say???

Genesis 3:1,5 - Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’? For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Did God really say...? Those were the first words the enemy said. Seeds of doubt planted in an about-to-be-separated-from-God being...Eve. So it all started, this thing about sin and separation.

The enemy, a deceiver and liar. He had the upper hand, although he had no hands! He had been relegated to slithering on the ground. Amazing, seeing as how snakes have that reputation of being slimy and scaly. A snake in the grass, a cold-blooded snake, one who feigns friendship. How can we be so deceived by something many abhor? And what is it that is said about removing the scales from one's eyes? It's all about snakes...one particular snake from 6,000 years ago.

This serpent had cunning words. He only wanted revenge for something he had brought upon himself through pride...extinction from the heavenly places...by God Himself. His anger toward God has festered in him ever since and he takes it out on us. He still has an upper hand in this world. He only wants evil, brings evil, speaks evil through his deception. And we listen...

There is another hand that is greater than his, though. Thankfully. Gratefully. 

Do you know the story of Saul who became the Apostle Paul? It's one of my favorite stories. From unbeliever and persecutor to believer in a heartbeat. He was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus. He saw a great light which blinded him. A great light! He was blind for...get this...three days. On the third day... Here, read it yourself: As he journeyed he [Saul] came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem..." (‭Acts‬ ‭9‬:‭3,8-9,17-18,20-21‬)

We once were blind and now we see. The scales fall from our eyes when the light of Christ is revealed to us, when truth is revealed and the lies diminish. And we are then called to preach the gospel! And I need to remind myself it can happen to anyone. And I need to remember that I was there once myself. Oh, the grace we must give...

We all believe the lie, his words, until the truth of God's Word becomes known to us. Did God really say??? Yes, He did. He does not lie, never has, never will. He has given us the means to know the truth of His Word and live by it and know if we falter we can be again forgiven by it...by Him, the Word of God made flesh, Who died but rose again and still lives, as do the words He speaks through His Word. Jesus, God's only Son. There at the beginning, Creator of all. Worthy of all honor, praise and glory, forever and ever. Who only wants good for us. Hallelujah!

He has been made known to us, this Word, this God, this Creator...this Jesus. We either believe in Him or we do not. There is no middle of the road. We either believe His Word or we do not. We either read His Word or we do not. We either trust His Word or we do not. We either follow or we do not. Black and white just like good and evil. We do or do not. Which leads to...

Either life or death. If we believe in Jesus, believe His Word, understand what His Word says and obey His commands we have life. His Word is life. It is the water that quenches our thirst. It is the daily bread of life, our fresh manna. Life - life - life. He's all about life.

What good has satan brought? I'm waiting for an answer. Hmmmm. Nothing. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Times up! No good, that's what he is. That's what he's up to. Has God really said??? He's quick to plant seeds of doubt of God's Word as truth. 

Know the Word and those seeds of doubt can be like the seeds planted on rocky soil. They will blow away. I say, satan, blow away! Get lost. Let his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth, never more to yield words of doubt. Did God really say??? Yes, He did. He not only said, He promised. He has told us all about this snake in the grass and his wicked ways. He has shown us how he has deceived and still does today. He has shown us Who is victorious in the end. How many want to follow a loser? How many want to follow One who is victorious? My name is Laurie...or Lauren. My name means crowned with laurels...victorious. I will stand by that as a promise from God. 

We are either for God or against Him. We either live or we die. We either believe the truth or are deceived. We either believe His Word or we reject it. We either receive the Word or reject Him. If we do not believe what the Word of God says we believe him who asked did God really say...

We are called to run to Him, not away. Call on the name of the Lord so the enemy must flee. We are to humble ourselves before a mighty God or be humbled by Him. We either submit on our own or we will be submitted some day. We are either joined with God or separated from Him. 

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other... (‭‬Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭30‬,6‬:‭24)