No Shortcut to Glory

Posted : 7 Jan, 2012 10:49 AM

Matthew 4:8�11



Bible Text:



"Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only ...' " (Matt. 4:10).



Devotional:



In the third temptation the devil throws all his cards on the table: If Jesus would�just once�worship Satan, he could have the whole world.



That would save our Lord a hard road of obedience, a long way of sorrow, the pain of the cross, and the terror of death.



But there is no shortcut to glory. Not for Jesus and not for us. Jesus will indeed become the Master of "all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor." Whatever territory of this world has been usurped by the devil, Christ will own it. But he will get it only by a life of obedience.



We too have a road of obedience ahead of us. Our road to glory is a path of obedience. "We share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory" (Rom. 8: 17). During the days of his life on earth Jesus "learned obedience from what he suffered" and thus "he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" (Heb. 5:7-10).



Many of us will face a moment when it seems we might hit the jackpot, gain the whole world, make it big. The one hitch will be that we have to bow the knee to the devil.



Don't sell your soul in that critical moment. Remember the text Christ quoted: "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." And think of his word: "Seek first the kingdom and God's righteousness." All the rest will be given to you.



by the Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

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