Forbidden Fruit (The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil)

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Examination:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ ”
(Genesis 2:16-17) -ESV

Prosecution:

There exists four common objections to this specific Scripture:

1. If GOD is truly omnipresent (everywhere at all times) and omniscient (all-knowing), then why would GOD put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden if He knew Adam and Eve would sin while He was not around?
2. Even if GOD is truly omniscient and omnipresent, GOD cannot be truly omnibenevolent (all-good) because GOD didn’t care enough to prevent the serpent from tempting Adam and Eve and thus prevent them from falling into sin. If GOD is a good Father, He would protect His children, not banish them out of the garden for something He caused out from His own negligence.
3. Even if GOD is truly omnipresent, omniscient and omnibenevolent, GOD cannot be omnipotent (all-powerful) because GOD did not prevent the serpent from causing Adam and Eve to sin.
4. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and did not die as Scripture promised. That’s an obvious contradiction!

Cross-examination:

“The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins.”
(Proverbs 18:17) -NLT

Defense:

The skeptic is right to first call attention to the nature of GOD. For unless we understand who GOD is, we will never understand the reasoning behind anything in the Bible. Knowing that GOD’s thoughts and ways are far higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9), it is reasonable to expect that we will not understand everything. If your 3-pound, 15-centimeter brain could contain all knowledge about a god, then that god would be too small to be the real GOD. As it is, we don’t even possess all knowledge about the ocean within our own planet, much less the entire universe where our infinitesimal planet swirls about within our galaxy. So, do you truly expect to know everything about the one true GOD who created the entire universe? In the future, on the New Earth under the new heavens, when we meet Him face-to-face, I believe we will be given the wisdom to understand all that happened in the past; however, I do not believe we can presently know absolutely everything there is to know about GOD in this limited lifetime of learning during our process of sanctification. For this reason, it is written in 1Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

But with that said, GOD has given us information from revelation in the form of GOD’s Word to provide us with answers to difficult questions. Granted, the skeptics will not trust the information from the Bible unless the Bible can be shown to be reliable and accurate. The investigation will reveal that the Bible is actually not full of contradictions, only apparent contradictions that require explanations. But even when the Bible can be acknowledged as reliable and accurate, one still needs to know if the Bible should be taken literally. Only after coming to the conclusion that the Bible is not only reliable and accurate but that the Bible is also inspired by GOD, the revelation can be trusted and then understood with the help from the Holy Spirit who speaks Truth and reveals Truth (John 14:26; 15:26; 1Corinthians 2:10).

So, it is first important to understand who we are talking about – the Creator GOD and the Source of all that exists. Second, we need to understand what we are talking about – GOD’s perfect plan! GOD has not chosen to reveal every detail of His plan to us all at once (Exodus 6:2-3; Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Mark 4:41; John 16:12; Acts 1:7; 1Corinthians 13:12). We can only know what He chooses to reveal. And, since we are part of that plan, we are responsible to it, even if we do not fully understand it or agree with it at times. However, there are some things GOD has revealed to us:

1. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not a bad tree. Everything that GOD made – including the tree – was “good” (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25). In fact, after creating Adam and Eve, creation was declared to be “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The origin of sin in this story came from the serpent, Adam, and Eve; the tree did not sin; the tree was good for the specific purpose for which it had been created.
   
2. Adam and Eve had every reason to trust GOD. The Creator did a good job creating them, and He placed them in a beautiful location where they had everything they needed. GOD was trustworthy, but Adam and Eve chose not to trust GOD.
3. Adam and Eve were created with freedom in mind. GOD places high value on our choice to obey Him, and He created Adam and Eve with freedom so that obedience would be possible. Life without freedom is not really life at all. GOD wisely gave them freedom, but Adam and Eve abused that freedom.
4. Adam and Eve were not ignorant of GOD’s boundaries. Just as wise teachers test their students on what they’ve learned and parents test their children with new responsibilities, GOD tested Adam and Eve in their obedience. However, GOD didn’t test them on what they didn’t know. They knew which tree was off limits, and they knew the consequences if they ate from it. The rules were plain, but they violated the rules anyway.
5. GOD provided for Adam and Eve. Before GOD told them not to eat of the tree, He told them they were “free to eat” of every other tree in the garden (Genesis 2:16). They were not in danger of starving, nor were they deprived of variety. They had an all-you-can-eat buffet in the garden, but Adam and Eve chose to place their focus on what they did not have rather than on what they did have.
6. The decision to sin opened the eyes of both Adam and Eve to the reality of evil. For the first time, they knew what it was to do evil, to feel shame, and to want to hide from GOD. Their sin of disobeying GOD brought corruption into their lives and into the world. Eating the fruit, as an act of disobedience against GOD, was what gave Adam and Eve the knowledge of evil – and the knowledge of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7-13).
7. Adam and Eve did die just as Scripture promised. The Fall was a separation which led to an eventual physical death of Adam and Eve. The physical death wasn’t immediate though the spiritual death was immediate. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
8. GOD’s perfect plan is much bigger than the original garden of Eden. His plan for His creation and His people did not end when Adam and Eve sinned. In fact, GOD’s plan from the very beginning was to redeem His people and His creation. The drama of the Fall and redemption could never have happened if the tree had not been in the garden. Indeed, GOD did know that Adam and Eve would sin and fall, but GOD’s plan was bigger than their sin.

Reasonable Response:

But why did GOD allow the sin? How could the permitting of the Fall be in alignment with the nature of the all-good, loving, and perfectly Holy GOD? From the first half of Romans 6:23, we know that the wages of sin is death; however, the other half of that verse provides the key to understanding why GOD permitted the Fall: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The response to the perceived problem of the forbidden fruit is as follows:

• GOD is love (1John 4:8,16)
• GOD created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and thus created us out from love for the purpose to love (Matthew 22:36-40).
• GOD desires for us to know Him and for us to have a loving relationship with Him (Matthew 6:33).
• For a mutual loving relationship to exist, free will is absolutely necessary.
• From GOD’s omniscience, He knew that free will would be absolutely necessary; therefore, He gave us the great gift of free will.
• Because GOD is omnibenevolent, He gives us free will and permits the consequences that come from created beings who possess free will.
• Through GOD’s omnipresence and omnipotence, He created miracles in order to release the Israelites from slavery, set them up as a free people, and instituted the commandments and sacrificial system in order to reveal the standards of Holy perfection that are impossible to keep through a fallen and sinful people.
• GOD set up the sacrificial system so that He could become the willing ultimate sacrifice on our behalf to atone for our sins, doing what we could never do on our own. For this reason, it is written in John 3:16-17, “¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
  

Closing Statement:

Understanding that GOD is wisdom enables us to put everything into proper perspective in order to help us see that GOD foresaw the Fall from free will. The Father’s wise, good plan included sending the Son into the world that Adam and Eve ruined. Think about it: from eternity past, GOD ordained that Jesus would become the victim of His own plan (Revelation 5). For this reason, it is written in John 10:17-18, “¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

The Good News (the Gospel) is that He guaranteed our redemption by His sacrificial crucifixion and miraculous resurrection. GOD foresaw the separation and created in advance the relentless rescue operation to build the bridge of salvation for our redemption. That’s how much GOD loves us. GOD did for us what we could never do by our own efforts. GOD loves us so much that He allowed us the freedom to choose wrong so that He can help us to see what is right. GOD has allowed us to experience the Fall, evil, and pain and suffering so that we can be grateful for the life that is to come. This limited lifetime of learning through our process of sanctification will become our comparison for completeness in Christ. And when we’re finally with Him, Adam and Eve will probably be the first ones to tell you that GOD’s commands are for our good, not to restrict us. On this present earth, which is destined for destruction by fire (Psalm 97:3-5; Isaiah 64:1-2; Amos 9:5; Micah 1:4; Nahum 1:5-6; 2Peter 3:7,10,12), GOD is showing us that the best humans can have apart from Him is pain and suffering. We ruin everything and that’s why we need Him. And that should be more than enough reason to trust in GOD on the New Earth under the new heavens where only righteousness dwells (2Peter 3:13; Revelation 20:15; 21:3-8,27). Death is merely graduation into the real life. Where we end up will be our choice. And that’s why Hell is justified. GOD loves you so much that He is going to allow you to choose where you end up: Heaven or Hell. So, what will you choose? GOD’s desire is that you will choose blessing over curse, life over death, good over evil, and that you will repent and live (Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 30:15-20; Ezekiel 18; Matthew 11:20; 12:41; Mark 1:15; 6:12; Luke 5:32; 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30).

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ”
(John 14:6) -ESV

GOD desires for all people to be saved (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9; John 3:16-17). However, do you need to be saved?

What Is Love?

The following article is Lesson 3 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Superheroes, having the correct understanding of what is good and right, are full of love, and they are compelled to act out from love. This is the only reason we can distinguish the hero from the villain. Spider-Man doesn’t save a falling person from splatting on the ground because he hates the person he saves, right? The superhero saves someone from danger/death because he/she has love for the person he/she is saving. In stark contrast, the villain performs acts of evil, not love. Again, evil is merely a privation of what is good; hatred is a privation or lack of love. It is written in James 2:8 that we are doing right by living a life of love toward others. But what is love? 

Love is not something we can have or hold like materialists would like us to believe. Not everything in life can be boiled down to materialism. Think about it: Can you describe the physical features of love or even the thought about love? How much does love weigh? Of what is the love molecule comprised? There is no infinity stone of love we can possess that can be contained in a gauntlet. In fact, of all the infinity stones Thanos (from the Avengers) had been able to collect that provided him with seemingly unlimited power and ability, it is evident that he lacked love, and that is why he had no qualms about murdering half of the created creatures in the universe—including his own daughter! In fact, Thanos had to sacrifice love in order to be able to obtain one of the infinity stones. Ultimately, Thanos traded love for power because he could not possess both. 

But what is love? And why do humans possess the capability to love? If love is not a material that can be weighed, or measured, how are humans able to possess love? How do we even know that love exists? Does love exist? We know that love exists—not because humans have defined the term—but because the Creator provided the definition of love and humans live by that defined divine design. 

Think about this: Oxygen—the air we breathe—exists whether humanity believes in it or not. In fact, oxygen exists even if humans call it something else. Humanity never created or invented oxygen; we merely discovered it. Likewise, love exists whether humanity believes love exists or not. Love exists even if humans call it something else. In fact, the definition of love is so confused by many humans because they believe it to be something it is not. Many people misuse the word love when they are actually referring to something else that love is not. And this is why it is important that the word love be clearly defined. 

(1 John 4:7–8, NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

(1 John 4:19, ESV)
“We love because he first loved us.”

Scripture makes sense. If GOD is love, then we would love because GOD first loved us because GOD created us. We are able to love because GOD is love and we are from GOD. If love is GOD, then we must know who GOD is so we can better understand what love is. So who is GOD? We will examine that in detail in Lesson 32, but for now suffice it to say that GOD is love and the absolute moral standard and therefore provides the definition of love (which we will soon examine and define). But we can also better understand love by examining what love is not. 

Love Is Not An Emotion 

Many people in the world claim that love is an emotion, but that simply isn’t true. Love affects our emotions and even causes us to produce emotions within us, but love is not an emotion in and of itself. You may claim that you can feel as if someone loves you, but love is not a feeling. 

Love Is Not Sexual Intercourse 

It is unwise to confuse sex for love and love for sex. Sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; however, love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. A person can have sex with another person simply for the pleasure all while possessing no love for that individual. Examples of this, of course, is prostitution or rape. Such acts of sexual intercourse are meaningless because there is no love in the act of sex. That kind of sex serves a selfish purpose, but has no ultimate meaning. And of course, sex isn’t necessary for love to exist, to be relevant and be meaningful (I will expound upon this later when I define love). Now sex may be found in one of the definitions of love (Eros—I’ll get to this soon), but Eros is within the definition of love; love is ultimately selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. A distorted desire is often misconstrued, mistaken as love. It is unwise to confuse lust for love. 

Even if love is not an emotion, a feeling, or even the act of sexual intercourse, does it matter if love can be clearly defined? If so, why does it matter? Consider what is written: 

(1 Corin. 13:1–3, NLT)
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

The definition of love matters because GOD is love and GOD created us in His image (Gen. 1:27). For without GOD, love would not matter because life would ultimately be meaningless and purposeless. And if we are to be loving beings, it is important that we understand the definition of love. 

What Is Love? 

(1 Corin. 13:4–8, NLT)
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

Love Is an Action 

Though it is not specifically and solely the act of sexual intercourse, love is definitely an action; it is something we do. Read verses 4–7 again and take notice of the fourteen different active descriptions the Holy Spirit (via Paul) uses to define love (patience, kindness, etc.). It’s important to note that this is not Paul’s definition of love, but the definition of love written by Paul while he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Love Is a Choice 

The fourteen active descriptions are actions that we choose to do or not to do. There’s a nonsensical saying that states, “You can’t help who you love.” But yes—you can! We get to decide if we love and who we will love if we decide to love. And this is because we have free will (discussed in Lesson 41). 

Also, there’s a saying that states, “I fell in love.” It sounds so romantic, but this is also nonsense. Love is not a hole or trapdoor we can fall in. You don’t fall in love any more than you fall out of love. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. People do not fall in love; people decide to love. People do, however, fall into the trapdoor of lust. When people talk about love at first sight, what they really mean is lust at first sight. Now is it possible to possess love for someone at first sight? General love? Yes. Complete love? No. Love in the sense that you want the best for someone? Yes. Love in the sense that you desire the best for someone despite all his/her flaws and mistakes? No. It’s not possible to love someone so deeply at first sight because you wouldn’t know the flaws and mistakes associated with the person. And how is it possible to truly love someone unless you love despite the flaws and mistakes? 

Love, in a nutshell, is the good you will show toward someone and/or others. It’s treating someone else with the qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Take the Supreme Superhero (Jesus) as an example (after all, the Savior is the definition of love and the ultimate example of love): 

(John 15:12–13, NLT)
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

However, the Supreme Superhero goes even further by commanding us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). And then the Savior did exactly that—Jesus went out and laid down His life for us by dying on the cross as our atoning sacrifice while being mocked, spat on, beaten, lacerated, and murdered by those who hated Him for no good reason. Love is caring more for others than for self because love is selfless. Love is sacrificial. Love is unconditional. 

Love Defined 

Unlike the English language, which uses the one word of love ambiguously, the ancient Greek language used different words to define the one word of love so that people wouldn’t be confused as to which definition of love should be inferred. Examine the four following words and their associated definitions: 

• Storge/stergo—This is a familial love such as the love of a parent toward offspring and vice versa. Devotion can be a key word associated with this type of love.

• Phileo—This love is companionable and relational. It means brotherly/sisterly love or friendship. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible with each other.

• Eros—This is the word for sexual or romantic love. In fact, this is where we get the word erotic. This word implies a sexual demand. And because it is unwise to confuse lust for love, it is imperative that we not confuse lust for Eros. The passion and intimacy of Eros is to be confined within the covenant bond between husband and wife, as was designed by the Designer. Lust is only about the pelvic thrust, to seek pleasure and fulfill a selfish desire. Lust is committed only to fulfilling a distorted desire whereas love (eros) is committed to fulfilling the needs of the partner within the covenant union. Therefore, be wise: pursue love and reject thoughts produced from the lustful lair of the Liar—they are lies created in the cave of the contemptible con artist and Counterfeiter, the Salesman that is Satan. Don’t buy the lies. Even a lustful look is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28). Money can’t buy you love. And no—that’s actually not from the Beatles—it’s from the Song of Solomon 8:7.

• Agape—This is the highest and deepest level of love. This is the ultimate love and is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. This is the love of GOD. This is the type of love all superheroes should possess. 

(1 Pet. 4:8, NLT)
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love covers a multitude of sins? Is that true? Yes! In fact, that is exactly what Jesus did for us:

(Rom. 5:6–8, NLT)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

For love, compassion is the key and empathy is everything: 

(Luke 23:34, NLT)
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is able to see us as His precious people, not a pervasive problem such as a plague. The Savior sees us as eternal beings, not mortal enemies. The Supreme Superhero sees us as family who belong in His heavenly home, not failures to be flung in the fiery furnace. Hell is where evil belongs and will ultimately be quarantined, but GOD doesn’t desire for us to go to that awful place. In fact, the Lord desires for everyone to be saved and doesn’t take any delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:21–23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). 

Jesus is our awesome, ardent advocate who absorbed for us the penalty of sin. Apostle Paul assists us by providing an important reminder that helps us put people into proper perspective: 

(Eph. 6:12, NLT)
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is of the utmost importance that all superheroes remember this: we are to hate evil/sin, but we are to love people. 

Conclusion 

1. Love never fails. 

(Song of Sol. 8:7, NLT)
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.”

2. Love perfects us. 

(1 John 4:12–18, NLT)
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

3. Love is supreme. 

(1 Corin. 13:13, NLT)
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

Reflection 

If you want to be a superhero, you must possess love and choose to love others. A superhero can only be a superhero if the hero first and foremost possesses love for others. Do you possess love for others? If not, you resemble a villain. But wait—is that a fair statement? Consider the words of the Supreme Superhero:

(Matt. 12:30, ESV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

The late and great Martin Luther King Jr. once posed a powerful question to the clergymen of Alabama in his renowned letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He asked, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” 

And that’s not a fallacy of false dilemma—if we’re not loving others, then…we’re not loving people. Therefore, I implore everyone to examine the motives and intentions of each and every choice/decision you make. Are you able to recognize good from bad? Right from wrong? Are you living a life of love or hate? For if you’re not living a life of love, what are you doing and what is your life? I choose to live an extreme life of love (not lust), and I urge you to do the same. Don’t scatter. Be a gatherer. Ironically, the best way to be a gatherer of people is to scatter seeds of love. How many seeds of love can you sow today? 

So ask yourself, do you love others? From where did you get this desire to love? Do you feel compelled to act out from love? If so, why do you think that is? All superheroes possess love for people. If you love people, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday! 

Does GOD love Satan?

Does GOD Love Satan? Many critics love to ask Christians this question because it is supposedly designed to place the Christian at an awkward point of an apparent “checkmate” with no right answer. The critic typically follows this question by saying, “If GOD loves Satan, and Satan is evil, then GOD loves evil. But if GOD hates Satan, then GOD cannot be love because GOD hates.”

This question, however, is not a problem nor is it difficult to answer. To answer this question, we must go back to the beginning. In Genesis 1:31, it is written that “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” And everything GOD creates is good because GOD is the definition of good (Psalm 106:1; 135:3; Nahum 1:7; Mark 10:18; John 3:16-17; Galatians 5:22; 2Thessalonians 1:11; Titus 3:4). Because everything comes from GOD and belongs to GOD (Psalm 24:1; 89:11; 1Corinthians 10:26), and because Satan is a fallen angelic being (Genesis 3:14-15; Job 1:6; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Luke 10:18; 2Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 12:7-9), Satan was a creation of GOD. Thus, in the beginning, GOD called Satan good because he was a creation of GOD (Ezekiel 28:15). Further, to answer this question, we must understand GOD’s nature in that GOD is both love and mercy (John 3:16; 1John 4:8,16; Psalm 86:15; Luke 6:36), and Truth and justice (1Samuel 15:29; John 14:6; Romans 3:4; Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:12). In fact, GOD is Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1John 1:5; Revelation 4:8; 15:4) and this is why GOD hates evil and commands us to also hate evil (Amos 5:15; Zechariah 8:17; Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13), because evil is contrary to GOD’s nature and GOD cannot love evil which is contrary to His nature. 

And now that we know who Satan was in the beginning, we need to know who Satan was soon thereafter his creation, who he is now, and who he will be in the future. It is written in Ezekiel 28:15: “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.” Of course, the obvious context of this verse is in reference to the king of Tyre, but the depth beyond the surface references Satan as the real king of pride and evil. Likewise, Isaiah 14:12-15 has an immediate surface context yet also has a deeper meaning as well. It would not be uncommon for Hebrew prophetic speech to pass from descriptions of human events to descriptions of heavenly events that are parallel to them and that the earthly events picture in a limited way. For example, Psalm 45, which moves from a description of an earthly king to a description of a divine Messiah (who is the one true King). 

Satan became evil after his creation. It is written that Satan sinned from the beginning and all who are evil are not children of GOD but are children of the devil (John 8:38-47; 1John 3:8-10). Therefore, Satan was a good creation in the beginning and GOD loved His good creations. However, GOD gave Satan the great gift of free will (out of love), yet Satan became prideful and chose to exalt himself above the Lord, rebel against GOD, became the accuser of human beings, and attempted to put GOD on trial. Thus, Satan became the epitome of everything evil. The very name of Satan means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Another of his titles, the devil, means “slanderer.” Satan tempted Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden, and Adam followed her into sin, plunging the whole human race into a curse (Genesis 3:16–19; Romans 5:12). Pictured as a serpent and dragon in the Bible (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9), Satan is a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44). The devil promotes false doctrines and craftily seeks to keep unbelievers in spiritual bondage (2Corinthians 4:4; 11:14; 1Timothy 4:1). Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1Peter 5:8). In addition to being a tempter (Matthew 4:1-11; 1Thessalonians 3:5), Satan is also “the accuser” (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5; Zechariah 3:1; Revelation 12:10), a deceiver (Acts 13:10), a schemer (Ephesians 6:11), and a thief (Luke 8:12).

Therefore, Satan now does everything GOD hates because Satan is the definition of evil, which is the absence of good and antithesis of GOD. The heart/will of Satan is fixed and confirmed in his hatred of humans and rebellion against GOD. Satan’s judgment is determined and his destruction is decreed. Revelation 20 describes GOD’s future plan for Satan and mercy has no part in the plan due to Satan’s choices. Instead, GOD must act consistently with His nature according to Truth and justice. GOD is omniscient (all-knowing) (1Kings 8:39; Psalm 139:1-4,15-16; Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 9:4; 10:29-30; 12:25; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8; John 1:47-48; 4:18; 11:11-15; Acts 1:24; 1Corinthians 2:10-11; 1John 3:20). And because GOD is omniscient, knowing the beginning from the end, we can trust GOD’s Word when GOD says that Satan is evil, he will not change, and he will not be saved.

A common claim amongst the critics is that Jesus made a contradictory command in Matthew 5:44: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” According to some critics, this means that both humans and GOD should love Satan and pray for him. However, this is only an apparent contradiction, not an actual contradiction, because the context is in regards to all other human beings, not Satan. That command is meant to govern interpersonal relationships in this world and help us view every human being as a creation whom GOD loves. We know from GOD’s Word that Satan is evil, he will not change, and he will not be saved; therefore, we are not to pray for his salvation. 

As an example of why we don’t need to pray for Satan, consider the fact that GOD told Jeremiah not to pray for his fellow Israelites because judgment had already been decreed. Three times GOD told Jeremiah, “do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). The reason behind GOD’s command was that He had already decided to judge and punish His people (Jeremiah 7:20) because they had repeatedly broken their covenant with Him by disobeying His commands and pursuing other gods, which He had forbidden (Exodus 20:2-4; Ezekiel 20:4-24). Israel’s idolatry was terrible in Jeremiah’s day and even included human sacrifice, as many caused their children to be burned alive (Jeremiah 19:4-5; Ezekiel 16:20-21; 20:25-26,31). Over and over again, Israel disobeyed GOD’s commands and would not change their behavior (Jeremiah 7:21-26; 11:1-13). Though Jeremiah had repeatedly spoken GOD’s Word to them for over two decades (Jeremiah 25:3), the people openly defied His message, telling him, “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you!” (Jeremiah 44:16). Their hearts were hardened to GOD’s Word. If Israel had listened to GOD and turned back to Him from their idolatry, GOD would have reversed His discipline and provided blessing instead (Jeremiah 7:3-7). Until they changed their ways, no amount of prayer was going to change their situation. GOD would not be moved by their pleas, or the petitions of His prophets because they would not repent.

Therefore, we do not need to pray for Satan or his evil angels because GOD has already decreed their judgment (Revelation 20:10). However, we are to love human beings even if they are perceived to be our enemies because GOD’s Word does not state whether those specific individuals in our lives will be saved or not. But GOD’s Word does say that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for all people and that some people will repent and come to the Lord (Acts 11:13-18; 16:29-34; 2Corinthians 7:9; 2Timothy 2:25). The New Testament teaches that GOD will discipline His disobedient people (Hebrews 12:6; Revelation 3:19; 1Corinthians 11:32), even to the point of death (Acts 5:1-11; 1Corinthians 11:27-30, 1John 5:16-17). However, there are no examples in the New Testament of GOD telling anyone not to pray. Instead, we are commanded to be “devoted to prayer” (Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2), to “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18), and to “pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1). This means the believer is to look to GOD always for wisdom and strength to do His will, lifting others before His throne of grace, requesting He will intervene as we ask, for His glory and their benefit.

Conclusion:

And now we come to the question: does GOD love Satan? As a parent would love a child as a creation of beauty, GOD loved Satan as His beautiful creation in the beginning. But if a child eventually becomes a heartless murderer and seeks to destroy all that is good, a moral parent would not love the actions that the child chose to do even if he/she still has love for the child. Likewise, GOD cannot love anything Satan does because Satan chose to become everything that is antithetical to GOD. However, GOD is love (1John 4:8,16) and so GOD loves even those who are condemned to Hell. The fact that Satan is now fallen and unspeakably evil does not imply that GOD ceases to love him, any more than the Lord ceased to love us when we fell and became enemies of GOD (Romans 5:8-10). Both Satan and I are fallen. In fact, I am not even good and do not deserve salvation (Romans 3:10-12,23; 6:23). The only difference between my fallen state and Satan’s fallen state is that I repented, humbled myself, sought GOD’s forgiveness, and chose to live according to GOD’s will and was saved by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). GOD loves everyone universally, impartially, and unconditionally, but that does not mean that GOD will act contradictory to His nature. This means despite GOD’s love, GOD is still Truth and justice and will declare holy judgment against evil. 

Now, if we love GOD (all that is Holy and good), we also cannot love anything Satan does. And even if, as loving children of GOD, our hearts desire to pray for Satan, judgment has already been decreed and GOD will not listen to those prayers because they’ll be against His will. But we shouldn’t pray for Satan because his very nature is evil and everything he stands for is evil (John 8:44). And if we side with Satan, we would be forced to hate GOD, because evil is opposite of good and no one can serve two masters (Joshua 24:14-15; 1Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:23-24; 1Corinthians 10:21; 2Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 1:10; James 4:4). GOD has already determined that there will be no forgiveness for Satan, but that’s because GOD already knows Satan will not repent. We, however, as children of GOD, are the objects of His sacrificial love, shown on the cross. As the Lord was lovingly redeeming mankind, He was putting Satan “to open shame” (Colossians 2:15). GOD’s judgment of Satan will be part of His great love for His children. 

So, does GOD love Satan? Yes; however, at the end of days, Truth and justice will bring a Holy wrath against all that is evil. And since Satan will never repent, refusing to separate himself from sin and all that is unholy, GOD will act according to His nature and bring judgment against all beings He loves due to their choices to live evil lives. But that action of eternal separation in Hell will be an act of love, protecting His true children from all evil that would harm them (Revelation 21:4,27). And so even GOD’s wrath and judgment is done out from His love because it upholds Truth and justice. But understand this: Hell breaks GOD’s heart (Ezekiel 18:23,32; 33:11). Why? Because GOD is love. 

Are You Offended?

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If you’d rather read this message, the words are provided below:

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I made a short video on TikTok to address the app’s obvious agenda to promote the sinful lifestyle of the LGBTQ community. 

In my video, I said the following: “Oof, I’m going to receive a lot of hate for this one, but I love you enough to tell you the Truth. So, TikTok is openly promoting stuff like this [ad with transgender who is promoting acceptance of LGBTQ community]. Transgender. Now, listen: I love you. You’re loved. We don’t hate you. But you need to know the Truth. And the Truth is you’re either male or female and that’s the way it is at birth. This is the way GOD created us. Look: biology, anthropology, and GOD’s Word — that’s a tripled-braided cord you’re not going to snap. That’s just the Truth of things. You’re loved, but we need to stop spreading lies because a tolerance to lies is an intolerance to Truth. And I love you enough to tell you the Truth.”

In response to my video, a girl who claimed to be Christian wrote to me essentially a letter of rebuke. So, the following is her letter to me and my response to her. And hopefully, we can all learn from this.

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From: Girl who claims to be a Christian
To: Pastor Trenton

Hi, I don’t know you very well. I’m not sure of your history or what you may know (or not know) about the Bible.  So I’ll assume you are educated, probably more than I am on the subject.  

I don’t need a response back.  I’m not here to degrade your morals.  I just want you to do me one favor.  Please really carefully consider what I’m about to say. In the end you can agree or disagree and go on without messaging me back anything harsh or unkind because I genuinely want to show you something that I feel God is telling me to show you.  Much better written out in an email than on a small tik tok post.  

Let’s assume you are right about what is and is not a sin.  I won’t argue that point even though I could, I understand where you are coming from, and I also know that I’m not capable of handling that debate.  Again not saying I think you are wrong, I just see both sides and I think it’s possible you are wrong. But that is neither here nor there.  

Your profile says you were once an atheist, and you are now a pastor. That is amazing!  Can I ask you one thing?  How did you come to that very drastic change?  I don’t need to know of course, but it would help to think of it during this.  Was it someone shaming atheism and it just showed you the error of your ways? Or was it more personal?  Was it someone shouting to all their followers their personal beliefs and you just got saved right there? Or does your story have a more intimate meaning?  

You are a pastor. You are a shepherd.  Do you love that job? How do you define yourself?  Have you ever witnessed someone being saved?  How did they get to be that way?  I assume you take this role very seriously.  You spread your truth.  I’ll even go as far as to say His truth. But how do you come across?  Do you gain faith believers in the way you communicate?  Does shouting on your video… “ohhh I’m going to receive a lot of hate for this one” sound like an invitation to learn about God?  Is that really how He wants you displaying His message?  

If you’re answer to that is yes, please think hard.  Did Jesus come down and shame everyone who was walking in the wrong light? Or did He befriend them? Did He walk through town with His head held high as he looked down on all the people who were non believers? Or did He try a different approach? 

Did that message, or similar harsh messages, bring anyone to salvation? I’m serious, did anyone message you after that post and say I have sinned and I want you to teach me the error of my ways?  If the answer to that is no, than I ask you.  What is the point? Because if that is how you make disciples I would be astonished. If it was that easy we’d have a world much more full of them! 

Granted you have a following, I haven’t seen a lot of your videos. Although I added you at one point, I’m sure for a good reason.  Besides the people that follow you on your journey because they believe in your message.  Tell me, as one of God’s shepherd’s…. if you are not awakening anyone’s desire for Christ. Then what are you doing?  

We all sin. Every single one of us.  And gay or not, Trans or not, we are ALL sinners. And you are no less a sinner than your transgender brothers and sisters.  Please remember that when you post.  It’s really hard to take advice from someone who seems so high on his pedestal.  Come down, and show everyone your personal side.  Engage with people on a real level.  And if God wants to change them, He will change them, let Him do that work. He does miracles.  

You are not leading anyone to pasture by pointing out their sins as if your own sins aren’t also a sin to God.   Ask yourself, is this the best way that I can serve Him?  If you’re not getting non believers or sinners to come to you repenting and being saved, I would take a step back from your platform and pray for a better understanding on how to communicate with the other side. 

Thank you for listening.  

****
(Matthew 25: 35-40)

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From: Pastor Trenton
To: Girl who claims to be a Christian

Hi Sarah. Thanks for the email. You may not initially believe this, but I truly do appreciate your letter. I know you told me that I don’t need to respond to your letter, but it would be unloving of me to simply ignore what you’ve written. Your words matter, don’t they? I want to acknowledge your thoughts and feelings and let you know that you matter. Indeed, you are loved. In a loving conversation, there exists a dialogue, not just a one-sided monologue. And that’s why I’m always happy to read what others write to me and am also happy to respond.  

First, you asked me how I became a Christian from having once been an atheist. If you truly desire to know, I uploaded my testimony on YouTube:

My Testimony:
https://youtu.be/0pA9qo8FrJA

Next, I appreciate your letter because one of my daily prayers to GOD is much like the one David prayed to the Lord in Psalm 139:23-24. So, I always pray, “Lord, search my heart! Holy Spirit, please fill my heart with conviction if you find any wrong in me and with how I’m representing You! I don’t want to live wrong or misrepresent you. Please give me discernment and greater wisdom and help me to be more like You. I want to be an accurate reflection of who You are!”

After all, the last thing I ever want to do is misrepresent the Lord. So, your letter to me served as a spiritual inspection point where I had to undergo an alignment check. And that is necessary for my walk with Christ. All Christians should regularly have such alignment checks. So, thank you. I appreciate it. When I read your letter, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to expose any lies (inconsistencies with His Word) and reveal all the Truth and to align my thoughts with His will.

You are right to believe that relationship is important and loving people should be a priority. In fact, the Lord commanded us to love people in the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-39). So, should we love people? Yes! Absolutely! 

But this begs the question: what does it mean to love someone? Let’s use a drug user as an example. If my brother was an alcoholic or hooked on crystal meth (which he was at some point in the past), should I approve of what he’s doing even if I accept and love him as a person? If I tell him that he is doing wrong and needs to change his lifestyle by making different and better choices, is that unloving? In this scenario, both love and Truth are necessary. In fact, you simply cannot love someone unless you share Truth with that person. My brother hated me for a long time because I loved him and continued telling him the truth: he was living wrong. Did that change my love for him? No. But Truth is a seed that grows within a person’s heart. Eventually, he realized he was only pursuing his desires, destroying himself, and not living a healthy life of truth. And this scenario would be the same even if I loved a prostitute enough to tell her the truth that she needs to change her ways or if I told my best friend that having an affair on his wife is wrong. In fact, Jesus Himself told us that it is only the Truth of His Word that will set people free:

(John 8:31-34) -NASB
“31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

Only the Truth of GOD’s Word will set people free. And anyone who does not abide in GOD’s Word is not in alignment with Truth; therefore, they are going to continue living a sinful life and will continue to be a slave of sin. Did Jesus love people? Yes. But did people ever get offended by what Jesus said? Yes. 

(John 6:60-69)
“60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” 66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

But wait— wasn’t Jesus the GOD of love? Yes, but Jesus is also the GOD of Truth, justice, and holiness. It is a fact that many people got offended by the things Jesus said. And if people got offended by the loving yet truthful words of Jesus, why would it be any different for me? In fact, Jesus warned all His followers that because the world hates Him, they will also hate us (John 15:18-20). And why do they hate Jesus? Because Jesus is the Word (John 1:1,14) and the Word opposes, rebukes, and condemns all sin while proclaiming holiness. And if GOD’s Word is of the utmost importance, we should thoroughly examine GOD’s Word to see what is written and then ask ourselves if we are in alignment with His Word. 

The truth is that many people want the Jesus who is love, but they don’t want the Jesus who will return with judgment. Many people desire the GOD of grace, but they don’t want the GOD of justice. But GOD is both mercy and justice, love and Truth, grace and judgment. You cannot have one without the other. In fact, even when Jesus loved the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, He warned her before parting ways from her by telling her, “From now on sin no more” (John 8:11). Why did Jesus warn her to sin no more? Because once a person knows the Truth yet still decides to do wrong, there is no longer a covering for that sin. Romans 6 tells us that GOD’s grace is not an excuse for our sins.

(James 4:17)
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

(2Peter 2:21)
“For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.”

(Acts 17:30-32)
“30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”

If you’ll take notice, the message was repentance and accepting Christ Jesus. Some people got offended; however, some people allowed Truth into their hearts and they desired to hear more. Both Jesus and His disciples always preached the message of repentance. Why? Repentance involves recognizing that you have thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future. The repentant person has “second thoughts” about the mindset he/she formerly embraced. There is a change of disposition and a new way of thinking about GOD, about sin, about holiness, and about doing GOD’s will. True repentance is prompted by “godly sorrow,” and it “leads to salvation” (2Corinthians 7:10).

(John 9:39-41)
“39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

And this is why we no longer have an excuse for our sins. We all have GOD’s Word, and GOD’s Word makes it clear as to what is right and what is wrong. Jesus came in love, but He came so that He will be able to judge. Again, GOD’s grace is not our excuse to sin. 

(Hebrews 10:26-27)
“26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. “

The truth is that it is possible to love someone into Hell. How is that possible? Because if by your definition of love you mean to never declare a judgment of right/wrong, then you will be forced to approve of whatever a person decides to do — even if it goes against GOD’s Word. But if they never hear the truth, they will never be set free. And if you claim to love someone yet approve of their wrong actions and never tell that person the truth and that person goes to Hell, you never truly loved that person because you didn’t tell that person the truth. A tolerance to lies is an intolerance to Truth. Allowing a person to live a lie is the most unloving thing you can do; refusing to share Truth with someone is the most unloving thing you can do. Again, relationship is definitely important. Loving people is a must. But speaking Truth is also a must. In fact, we are commanded to speak Truth out from love (Ephesians 4:15). 

Now, you are also right to say that I should consider my sins just as bad as another person’s sins. But there is a great chasm of a difference between acknowledging GOD’s Word and disregarding GOD’s Word while intentionally sinning from slipping in sin, falling, acknowledging GOD’s Word, and always seeking repentance and to come back into alignment with GOD’s absolute moral standard. Too many people desire to change GOD’s Word to suit their desires. But we must never do that. 

Now, it seems apparent to me, based on what you wrote, that you struggle immensely with the issue of homosexuality and/or transgenders. Your feelings have allowed you to deeply invest yourself into that lifestyle to the point of accepting sin in order to make yourself and/or others feel better. Understand this: it’s good to care about others’ feelings, but never at the expense of Truth. Feelings don’t determine facts; therefore, feelings should never alter facts. Approving of wrong actions is not the loving thing to do — even if it makes the other person feel accepted. Just as a parent can love and accept a child yet disapprove of wrong actions, so it is with GOD. GOD loves all people and does not desire for anyone to perish, but for all to be saved (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9). However, if we claim to be children of GOD and accurate representatives of GOD, we must speak only what GOD speaks (His Word). And if I speak GOD’s Word out through love (even if people get offended by the Truth), I have done the right thing. It is not my responsibility to change a person’s feelings so that they feel accepted. My responsibility as a committed Christian is to speak Truth out from love. If people get offended by Truth, the problem is within them, not in the message. Too many people are attempting to pervert the Gospel in order to appease peoples’ feelings and/or desires. We must never do this. The perversion of the Gospel is discussed in GOD’s Word:

(Galatians 1:6-10)
“6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

Ponder: are you trying to change GOD’s Word to accommodate your feelings and desires? Are you approving of wrong/sinful actions even though GOD has already judged those certain actions to be wrong/sinful? Now, if you consider yourself to be a believer and a child of GOD, please read the article I wrote regarding marriage, homosexuality, etc. I wrote it out from love. And at the end of the article, I even challenge other Christians to examine their own sins. The purpose of the article is not to point a finger at homosexuals or transgenders to say they are the problem; rather, the purpose of the article is to reveal the Truth regarding GOD’s Word about sexuality, marriage, and the root of all problems, which is sin. The true purpose of the article is to point the finger at sin and challenge us all to come into alignment with GOD’s will. Thus, I point a finger at what is wrong and then I point a finger at what is right. And from what is right, I point you to the One and only GOD who is Holy. 

Defending Marriage:
https://pointlessthorns.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/defending-marriage/

We must seek first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33) and desire to do His will, not pursue our fleshly desires (Matthew 26:39,42,44). The perversion of the Gospel was prophesied long ago. It is for this reason, we must be ready either in season or out of season to destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of GOD, and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2Corinthians 10:3-5).

(2Timothy 4:1-5)
“1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

(1Corinthians 15:33-34)
“33 Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ 34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”

Listen, it’s not my desire to shame you, but I do speak this to your shame. Do not accept a different Gospel other than the one we’ve already received. Listen, you are loved. May you decide, out from the knowledge of being loved and covered by GOD’s grace, to desire to seek GOD’s will, not your own. May you not become a fulfilled prophecy of the perversion of the Gospel. Don’t follow the teachings that tickle your ears and satisfies your sins. We must come into alignment with GOD’s will. Now, did I not speak out from love? I didn’t yell, there was no anger. But it is the Truth. 

Despicable Me!

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If you prefer to read this message, I provided the words below:

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Even as a pastor, I often find inspiration for messages from unlikely secular sources such as memes and popular songs. Not long ago, I came across a meme with Gru from the movie, Despicable Me. This particular meme depicted Gru as “GOD” – a murderous monster. But of course, memes are meant to be funny and so the meme concludes with “even Danny Devito.” 

This meme made me think: is this really how many people view GOD? As a murderous monster? Sadly, yes. Many people don’t understand who GOD is and what GOD is truly all about. In fact, I had once been one of those people. (You can watch the video of my testimony by clicking HERE.) 

However, rather than trying to force Truth down everyone’s throat, perhaps we should change others’ minds by changing our actions.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
(Proverbs 4:23) -NLT

“And then [Jesus] added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
(Mark 7:20-23) -NLT

DO YOU REALLY KNOW THAT PERSON?

At a certain point early in the movie, Despicable Me, we establish that Gru is evil. In one scene, a child’s ice cream falls on the ground. Grr then makes a balloon animal for the child only so he could pop it and shove the child out of his way. Bam. Evil established. …Right?

At a certain point, the audience concludes that Gru is evil. But what do we actually know about him? Do we really know him? Is it fair to call him evil so early on in the movie? Also, if Gru was so evil and bad, why did we find ourselves liking him and even rooting for him and pulling for him at some point during the movie? We start liking Gru and rooting for him because the movie allows us to peak into his past/history; we are allowed the privilege to see the pain in his past and how it made him who he was.

Understand this: everyone has a backstory. Everyone has a past. Most people will be able to share moments of pain. Everyone’s past made them who they are today.

When we truly get to know someone, we can establish a connection with that person. We connected with Gru because we had been invited to see his vulnerable side; we saw that he was more or less just like us, except he had unfortunate circumstances and ended up traveling in a different direction.

PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGING

At a certain point later in the movie, we see that Gru has a change of heart. However, his actions didn’t change until his heart changed. It is evident that Gru genuinely cares about the three girls who came into his life.

So, what caused Gru’s change of heart? Love. Love changes hearts:  Love changed Gru’s rock hard heart into a soft squishy heart. He loved those three girls; because he loved them, he changed his actions to do what was best for those girls. 

But what is love? Put on your thinking cap! How do we even possess the ability to love? Think! If we’re merely matter in motion, atoms freely flying about, and molecules colliding into each other, how would that enable us to love? Look around — all the inanimate objects you see are incapable of loving you or anything else. The chair you’re sitting on is incapable of loving you. So, why are we able to love?

GOD’s Word provides the answer: 1John 4:19 tells us that we love because He first loved us. Thus, love comes from GOD. Furthermore, 1John 4:8,16 tells us that GOD is love. Also, love is clearly defined as a selfless act:

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always ‘me first,’ Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”
1Corinthians 13:4-8 (MSG)

I LOVE THE MINIONS!

I love minions! And not just because they look like delicious Twinkies (Zingers are better though. Let’s not fight about it.).

Minions are definitely not perfect. Think about it: the minions made mistakes – a lot of mistakes! But do I love them any less because they made mistakes? No way! And if we’re honest, we can admit that we all make mistakes. Does GOD love us any less? Nope. GOD still loves us despite our mistakes. However, there’s an unwritten rule about mistakes: learn from mistakes and don’t do them again. That’s what repentance looks like. When we repent, we admit our wrong and do our best to never do that wrong again. 

Minions are lovable. Minions are lovable because they are loving. What makes them loving? Minions serve! Minions have a servant’s heart. Consider the wisdom Jesus spoke to us:

“Jesus asked his disciples, ‘What were you discussing out on the road?’ But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, ‘Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.’ ”
(Mark 9:33-35) -NLT

“But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Matthew 20:25-28) -NLT

Think: Jesus! King of kings! Lord of lords! Higher than any other! The Creator of the universe lowered Himself to the bottom in order to serve others. He did more than that, but let’s hang here for a minute.

SERVE WITH PURPOSE

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
(John 13:34-35) -NLT

Is it enough to simply serve? The minions were loving and desired to serve, but was that enough to do good? Not really. In fact, their good intentions caused them to travel in the wrong direction many times. We need to have the heart of the servant, but we also need to be certain that we are following the right leader for the right reasons. 

It’s not enough to simply desire to serve — that’s what the nazis did for Hitler! That’s what the followers of Charles Manson did when they murdered Sharon Tate! We need to know who we are serving and why we are serving that person.

Who are we serving? Jesus — our Lord and Savior who willingly sacrificed Himself on our behalf in order to atone for our sins so that Creator and creation can be reunited once again. We’re serving the GOD of love. GOD is love!

Why are we serving Jesus? Love. He died for us. The least we can do is live for Him. And His commands to us are reasonable. Not only are they reasonable, but I’d go as far as to say they are desirable. Jesus has commanded us to be loved, to be loving, and to love others. In fact, when the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus and outsmart him by asking Him what the greatest commandment was, Jesus had a simple response:

“ ‘Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?’ Jesus replied, ‘ “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’ ”
(Matthew 22:36-40) -NLT

WHAT DOES SERVING WITH PURPOSE LOOK LIKE?

1. Loving:  The motive behind every action must be love. 
2. Seeking:  If you genuinely love someone, you will seek that person. You’ll go find that person, to be near that person. You’ll find a way to communicate with that person. 
3. Serving:  In serving, we truly desire to make life better and/or easier for the person we’re serving. Ask yourself: How can I make that person’s life better? What can I do to help that person? What can I do to bring joy to that person?
4. Sharing/Giving:  Sharing can be giving someone something that person lacks or doesn’t have enough of. 

• Is that person 25¢ short? Give them the money!  🎼 You’re welcome! 🎼 (Moana. Let’s not fight about it.)
• Cold? Wear my coat!
• Hungry? Come eat with me!
• No joy? Let me tell you about the joy of Jesus!
• No peace? Let me tell you about the peace that surpasses all human understanding!

SUMMARY

(1)  What we can learn from Gru:   

• You won’t truly know people unless you take the time to learn about them and connect with them on a personal level.
• People are capable of changing!

(2)  What we can learn from the minions:  

• If we love people, we will find ways to serve them.
• All our actions must be motivated by love.

NOW WHAT?

(1)  What about GOD?:  Pray. Ask GOD to show you the people you need to reach out to. Who do you know but not so well? You know of this person, but you do not know the person. You might know what others say about this person yet you have never connected with this person on a personal level in order to learn about him/her. Write down a list of all the people that come to mind. Remember: the person who loves others the least is probably the person who needs love the most. 

(2)  What about Gru?:  A ‘Gru’ could be anyone. Through your love and acts of service, you can be the reason someone has a change of heart! Through your love, GOD can change someone from Gru to new!

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27) -NLT

(3)  What about you?:  Are you in alignment with GOD’s will? How’s your heart? What’s the status of your spiritual health?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new.” (Psalm 51:10) -Voice

In that psalm, David was repenting, coming clean and then becoming clean. Maybe you’re that particular David and need to come back to GOD. 

LIFE APPLICATION

“Suppose you love those who love you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even sinners love those who love them. And suppose you do good to those who are good to you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even sinners do that. And suppose you lend money to those who can pay you back. Should anyone praise you for that? Even a sinner lends to sinners, expecting them to pay everything back.”
(Luke 6:32-34) -NIRV

Connected to the “come and see” challenge, this is a challenge to genuinely love others. The only way to change hearts is with love. And we need to start with our own. How can you be more loving? We can start by knowing GOD’s Word because GOD is love. Perhaps some of you need to come back to GOD like David did and ask for a clean and restored heart. And once our hearts are full of love and we are in alignment with our assignment of loving others, we need to reach out to those who seem unreachable and love those who seem unlovable. The only way to do that is to align yourself with GOD’s will and to be loving. 

Think about this: the most certain way for evil to prevail is for good people to stand idly by and do nothing. If you want your friends or classmates to remain in depression, with suicidal thoughts, or to remain against GOD and Christianity, then don’t do anything. It’s as simple as that. But we are called to do something about the pain and suffering of others around us! You can be the reason someone has a change of heart! You can be the reason ‘Gru’ decides not to be evil!

Who has a hardened heart and needs a new soft heart? Who has a cold heart like a block of ice? They don’t need to be encased in a cold and calloused way of life. In what ways can you love that person? What can you do to slowly melt away the ice and give them that warm fuzzy feeling? Sometimes even the smallest acts of kindness can create sparks that will produce a fire within them and it will melt away the ice of even the coldest heart.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
(1John 4:18) -NIV

In Despicable Me, did the three girls show signs of fear when approaching Gru? No. Because they were full of love, they were free to approach Gru without fear. Perfect love casts out fear. If you love someone as a person and you care about that person, then you will care enough about that person to share the Good News with that person or even risk your life for that person in order to save him/her. There is no fear in love. There’s no reason to fear approaching someone if your motive is love. You can’t lose by choosing to love someone. 

And if you’re someone who refuses to reach out and love the ones who need love the most, then I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to fill you with conviction so you would feel that guilt and say to yourself, “Oh, despicable me!” Because I believe that choosing not to love someone is a hate crime. 

CALL TO ACTION:

1. If you need to repent and ask for a clean and restored heart, let it be known to GOD.
2. Do you accept the challenge to love those who seem unlovable? To reach out to those who seem unreachable? Do you accept the loving challenge of #comeandsee ?
3. If you have never given your life to Christ, let it be known. Are you ready? Make the commitment. It’s time. You know who you’re serving; you know why you’re serving.

YOU ARE ONE IN A MINION!

Challenge: The date of this post is 2/11/2019. Valentine’s Day is in three days. I want us to become loving minions. Let’s make and give out love-minions to people in your school, place of work, and/or community! I made an example image as the featured image of this article, but here it is again. How many people can you love in three days?