Daily Devotional for Wednesday January 2, 2002

Satan is the Great Justifier

(Genesis 3:4-5)

From the advent of man's first sin, satan has been on the scene helping to justify man's rebellion against God. Sin was foreign to man at first, but now after generation upon generation, it is almost a natural inclination. For those who live their lives without the Lord, without the discipline of His Word, man and sin coexist with little standing in the way to stop it. Even those who know Christ as their Savior, while under conviction, still often coexist with sin in their life. You see my friend, the problem with sin is that it is like cancer. Once you let it into your life, it spreads into other areas. Over a period of time, it has infected every aspect of your life. You even begin doing things you never would have imagined possible. But when there are those moments when you feel guilty, when you feel conviction, when your conscience begins to bother you, there is always satan ready to step in and help you justify sinning.

Just like in the Garden of Eden, as satan helped Adam and Eve justify their sin, the enemy has not changed his game. Every day I get email from people, good people, many who are working hard at following the Lord in their life, who try to justify the sin in their life. They will take a truth from God's Word and spend paragraph after paragraph trying to explain why it is OK for them to disobey what God's Word clearly teaches. As I read the words, I know that I am reading the words that were given to this person straight from the pits of hell itself. You see, when you want to sin, when you want to rebel against God, satan will give you the justification so that in your mind it is OK. Just like he helped Eve justify in her mind why it would be OK to eat of the fruit God had strictly forbidden them to eat, satan will be there to encourage you.

I love you. I care about you. I am here each day to encourage you, pray for you, and let you know that you are not alone. Today it is my goal to help you clearly see how satan will give you whatever justification you need to rebel against God. The Word of God is very clear, very plain, and is not to be compromised. To do so is a personal choice based on the free will God has given us all. Just remember that God will not and is not going to bless sin. However, He will bless you for being obedient. That really becomes our choice. We obey God, and our lives are blessed because of it, or we rebel and deal with whatever those consequences may be. Don't ever forget, the Bible tells us clearly that it is the goal of the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy. One of the easiest ways for him to accomplish that is to encourage you to sin. Remember, the enemy knows the Bible. He knows that blessings accompany obedience, and consequences accompany sin. Here is the bottom line. Remember this.

THERE IS NO--NO--NO JUSTIFICATION FOR SIN--EVER.