The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in 1 John 5:18-19,
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
John points out something that almost everyone senses or feels: there is something wrong with the world. He tells us it is under the control of the evil one! It is not only that people in general are rebellious, sinful, separated and estranged from God, they are under the control of God’s enemy, Satan.
Years ago Bob Dylan wrote a Christian song called “Gotta Serve Somebody”. In the chorus is the refrain, “you’re gonna have to serve somebody”. The truth of this is born out by John here in this passage. We are either a child of God or under the control of Satan, “the evil one”. John’s tells us that as children of God we are released from the control of Satan. We do not “continue to sin”. Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:17-18, “thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
“You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” How wonderful that we have been released from the realm and the power of control of Satan. John says God keeps us safe! In the remaining verses of Romans 6 Paul goes on to say, “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” How wonderful God provides us an opportunity through the gospel to be freed from the tyranny of Satan and sin to enjoy the freedom to serve our wonderful loving, kind and compassionate God!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
Trevor V. Fisk
(314) 814-8486
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