April 23, 2023

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” Mark 3:11

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! James 2:19

“Many say that all we have to do is believe, but they make the service of Christ altogether too superficial. They are satisfied with a nominal belief in Christ; but it is not enough to merely assert that Jesus is the Son of God. We must abide in Him as the branch abides in the vine. We must have a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Then we have evidence that we bear fruit to the glory of God. What is it to bear fruit to the glory of God? It is to manifest the love of Jesus in our daily life, to be kind and courteous and forbearing to those around us, and to try to lead them to the Savior. The divine light that shines in the face of Jesus shines also in the heart of the believers, and they walk in the light as He is in the light. That same Jesus represents Himself as standing at the door of our hearts and knocking for entrance. Every one of us has a work to do to open the door, if we would have Jesus as our guest. The work of perfecting the soul through obedience to all God’s requirements must be constantly going on in our lives.” Ellen G. White (Signs of the Times, March 3, 1890)

“A faith that works by love…”! Your acceptance of Jesus makes you a particular target of Satan who works to intercept anyone who turns toward Jesus. Our lives must be intentionally directional, and discernment is a necessary part of maintaining a heavenly direction. Unlike a football game when an interception alters events in a split-second, a spiritual interception can occur in extremely slow-motion. In Satan’s playbook, such a play is meant to be imperceptible.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12