Let's look at John 10:10 from the Amplified Bible today:
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
When you do a word study on this verse, you will find that THIS is exactly what this verse is saying! If there is ANYTHING in your life that is being stolen, having the very life sucked out of it or being totally destroyed, then KNOW beyond doubt that it is the devil and NOT the God of the Bible doing it! If the One, True God wants something in your life to change, He is well able to speak to you about it, by His Spirit, and He does NOT steal, kill or destroy things to get you there! WE may make bad choices and decisions that open the door to the enemy and give him access, but it is NEVER God who does this! He has given us a free will, therefore He has forced Himself to go along with whatever WE choose! All the while continuing to speak in the still small voice to urge us to choose differently!
The reason I wanted to share this verse with you today is because I am continually bombarded with the ignorant phrases "easy grace" or "greasy grace" or "cheap grace"! There is NOTHING cheap or easy about the cost of the Grace that we have received by calling on the Name of the LORD Jesus to be saved! It cost HIM dearly! It is costly grace, that costs US nothing but the choice! Some believers just cannot stand that others live in freedom from the fear of condemnation! The problem with their thinking is what Jesus Himself said in John 3:17-18:
17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]
Sin has already been judged in JESUS and now has no more power to rob us of the Spirit of Life Who lives IN US! We will NOT be judged for sin when the price for that sin has already been PAID IN FULL! If we choose to operate in sin at times in this life, we will open the door for the enemy, the thief, to come in and proceed to steal, to kill and to destroy things in THIS life! Have YOU been having a hard time seeing the answers to your prayers? Find out what the Word of God says about your situation, and then make a check of how obedient you have been to the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit of God! If you find you have missed it, then go to 1 John 1:9 and confess that sin, receive your forgiveness, and forget it! NOW move on in the RIGHT direction! AMEN! Here, to encourage you in this TRUTH, is Hillsong United with "Freedom Is Here":
Shalom in Him!
