Here are more notes and comments from my Bible reading in the Gospel of Luke, along with the expanded clarifications of my thoughts.
*+*
Luke18 & 19
Chapter 18 introduces us to a young man who comes to Jesus with a question of the value of his own righteousness.
The rich young ruler is upset when he finds he cannot buy his salvation but that he must have a change of heart. And Jesus says this after he leaves:
"For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" 18:25.
Then we meet Zacchaeus in chapter 19, a very rich man who proves a rich man can enter the kingdom of God because he met Jesus and understood his riches meant nothing at all for his salvation.
Margin Note for the conversion of Zacchaeus: Contrast the rich young ruler who thought keeping the law would save him. Zacchaeus met with Jesus and was saved.
Expanded: Unlike the rich young ruler who was upset because salvation wasn't obtained through his social status, Zacchaeus' was commended by Jesus for his life-changing faith
"And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham" 19:9.
Cross referenced Zacchaeus' story with Matthew 5:3.
*+*
Luke 20:27-38 record the absurd question of the Sadducees about the resurrection.
The Sadducees are the silliest cult that questions Jesus. They don't believe in the resurrection, the afterlife, spirits, or souls, yet they follow Jesus and pester Him about His knowledge of God? Whatever for?!
Just like today. Born again Christians are followed by many who pester us about our faith in Jesus. They do not bother so much to question Buddhists, or Muslims, or witches, or Hindus, or Evolutionists about their faith or the origins of their religions. They ridicule, persecute and question the faith of Christians and attempt to turn people from following Jesus.
Notice Jesus' response to their question did not answer the Sadducees according to their religion, but He did speak Biblical truth to them, quoting Scripture.
Matthew 4, Jesus answers Satan the same way--with Scriptural truth, quoting the Bible correctly. Not answering Satan according to his lies.
Ephesians 6 says put on the armor of God and use the sword of the Spirit--the Word of God--The Scriptures. So does 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
*+*
"Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was one of the twelve" 22:3
What a sad verse. And after Satan used Judas, he destroyed him with so much guilt that Judas hanged himself. Matt 27:5)
For many lost people today it's the same story. The same demons and Satan destroy people today with hate, anger, drugs, crime, murder, sex, possession and the like. And Satan even uses power and wealth sometimes to destroy people. After the demons are through sadistically playing with people as toys, they leave them broken and destroyed. If they haven't gotten them killed, then they bury them in so much guilt their former hosts kill or destroy themselves.
And it all began in the Garden of Eden when Satan asked Eve to question God's love for her because God told her not to do something. Satan is still getting people to not believe God loves them.
But the Christian has a different perspective.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. but against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" Ephesians 6:12.
There are a lot of movies and books with the topic of demon possession. How interesting that many people will believe in demonic spirits possessing people to commit evil, yet they cannot accept the fact of God the Holy Spirit indwelling people to give them eternal life.
*+*
Bonus: from Luke 9:12-17, the record of Jesus feeding the multitude
##
If not commenting here, for your convenience, please use this link to place comments: SusanEstesRecommends/Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment