By Ken Murrell, Depew Church of Christ
“For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
This is not a declaration of the devil’s power being superior or equal to God’s supreme authority, but we can certainly be influenced by the devil.
God can use Satan to accomplish your Spiritual growth. You grow when you are challenged to focus more on the Lord (Romans 5:1-5).
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing” (2 Corinthians 4:8). When your life is out of control, Paul says, “Focus more on the Lord!”
The Bible clearly teaches that even faithful believers, those who belong to God, those who are actively sharing the Gospel of Jesus, will have difficulties. In the New Testament, persecutors stood in the way of Paul’s outreach to the Gentiles, thus curtailing his ability to give them the opportunity to be saved (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16).
King David suffered because his child suffered and then died. The child was conceived in lustful acts of adultery. Bathsheba was married, but not to David. They were both married! (2 Samuel 12: 14) It may seem harsh of God to take the life of an innocent child, especially when it was the child’s parents who sinned against Him. David felt the pain that his sin had caused. Sin requires punishment, and David realized that clear message. He repented.
God wants you to see His message: all sin requires death. Sin is serious!
God can change the circumstances, but you can change how you view your circumstances. Paul wrote, “Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead” 2 Corinthians1: 8- 10).
The suffering that Jesus endured on the cruel cross, the pain of the beatings, the scourging, the humiliation, and the ultimate suffering when the nails were driven into his hands and feet demonstrate that God must punish sin! Jesus did all that because of your sins. He did it all for you! He took the punishment for your sins, so that you wouldn’t have to face that punishment.
When Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned Me?” That’s when Jesus took on the world's sins – including yours! The Father turned away from His Son, Jesus. His body on the cross was filled with all the world's sins - past, present, and future! He suffered and died for your and my sins!