And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.”
--Exodus 14:13
In the Scriptures you and I are told that Satan is defeated! This is an incredibly important truth for us to grasp and understand. But I also want you to see how he is defeated.
Do you remember what happened when Moses and the children of Israel were leaving Egypt? The army of Pharaoh was advancing upon them and they were between a rock and a hard place… between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea. The Israelites were terrified!
But God said through Moses, “Fear not! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord!” God opened the sea so the Hebrews could cross over, and then he swallowed up Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea.
Now here’s what you need to know. In Scripture, Pharaoh is not only a literal historic person, he is also an illustration of Satan and how he operates in the world. But here’s what you must see. Satan is defeated! The powers of darkness are destroyed in the name of Jesus and in the power of his blood!
So when you are in a difficult place, don’t start trying to fix everything. Take a stand of faith, don’t be afraid, and see the salvation of God!
“Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
Acts 10:33–35
Because humans are fallible, our idea of justice is often slanted and skewed. Despite the best efforts to set up our legal system with safeguards, there are times when the outcome is influenced by much more than the facts of the case. Differences in age, income, education, or background sometimes matter more than the evidence when the outcome is being weighed. In a startling look at the way our assumptions can affect justice, repeated studies have shown that even appearance can make a large difference. Good-looking defendants are more likely to be found not guilty than less attractive defendants by a jury.
God does not treat us that way. He judges justly, without regard to who we are or where we come from. And He expects the same from His children. God demands that we use the same standard in treating others, regardless of what those around us may do. “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:8–9).
The world around us is divided by many factors, and too often people are treated differently because of something over which they have no control. It is wrong to allow the divisions and prejudices that are part of our society to creep into the church. All men stand equal before God, and all should be viewed by a fair and equal standard.
Today’s Growth Principle:
We must not allow any prejudice to keep us from treating all people with equal love and respect.
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