When people talk about Jesus, whether they are non-Christians or professing believers, they rarely if ever describe His coming to earth in the way John spoke of it in 1 John 3:8.
You hear them say things like: “The reason Jesus appeared was to bring justice to the world,” or “The reason that Jesus appeared was to model for us love and kindness,” or “The reason that Jesus appeared was to reconcile us to God.” Of course, the latter statement is true, but how many times have you ever heard people say, as John the Apostle has said, under divine inspiration:
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b, ESV)?
What are Satan’s “works”? Morally, he entices us to sin. Physically, he inflicts disease and seeks to destroy those who bear the image of God. Intellectually, he seduces us into error. And spiritually, he blinds the mind of unbelievers lest they see and believe the gospel.
— Sam Storms, Blogpost, June 1, 2015 (www.samstorms.com)
And Satan’s “works” not only defiled humanity, they also marred other aspects of God’s good creation.
So this morning in our worship service, let us reflect on how Jesus “destroyed” the works of the devil in His life and ministry, in His death, and in His bodily resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of the Father, and on the wondrous cosmic results.
Please join us this Sunday morning at 9:45 for our Worship Service, followed by our Fellowship Break, and then Teaching at 11:15.
Today’s 11:15 Speaker: Tom Wright—BEING OVERCOMERS, Message 3: Abstaining from Every “Appearance” of . . . WHAT?
Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 7:36-50
Scripture Reading for Next Week: Galatians 1:1-10