Trick or treat is the mainstay slogan of Halloween season. We have to remember Jesus is not in the tricking business. Jesus is in the truth business. Satan is called the father of lies and is the original trickster. What are the things in which Satan is tricking us? What are the treasures (treats) that we have through Jesus? The promises of God are amazing and fulfilling.
Some of the philosophical items in which Satan is tricking us:
Secularism: Absence of God is presence of evil. But the world is bent on eradicating spiritual connection from all aspects of the society. Seeking divine providence is national and personal matters is discouraged and looked down upon through the lens of secularism. For a person to have fullness of joy, he or she needs Jesus Christ.
Relativism: There are many choices and so all should be good. I should take upon all spiritual matters lest I offend anyone. There is no absolute truth, goes the thinking of relativism in the midst of pluralistic choices. John 14:6 “Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life”.
Spirituality is a private matter: To avoid offending anyone, we should keep spirituality as a private matter, goes this way of thinking. A person consists of body, soul and spirit. Spirituality is an integral part of a persons life. There is no compromise between good and evil.
We read in 1 Corinthians 6:20 “You were bought for a price. Honor God with your bodies” This halloween season, let us honor God with our bodies.
What is the price Christ paid for you?
Value of Jesus + value of you = Value of Jesus.
Infinity (Jesus) + anything else = Infinity (Jesus)
Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Your soul is so important, the most precious piece of currency the denomination of which determines your value.
Jesus Christ is our treasure and to honor our bodies that was bought with a price, you should:
Know your value
James 4:5 “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”
A person anointed by the Holy Spirit is a valuable person indeed. The spirit of God dwells in that person.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
1 Corinthians 12: 7-11 “7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.
11 All of the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives them to each person, just as he decides.”
Ephesians 1:4 “ Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. “
John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
The price of an item goes higher with the knowledge of longevity. If God thought about us, before he laid down earth’s foundations, how valuable are we?
God dwells on our praises. Psalm 22:3 says, “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Maintain your value
Matthew 13:4-5 “45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
A diamond is usually enshrined on a precious metal like gold, silver or titanium. If the precious stone is not secured in place, it can easily get lost. Let us remember to hold on to our salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Get rewards for maintaining the value
Parable of three servants. Matthew 25:21
5, 2 and 1 bags of silver were given to servants. The servant with the one bag did not earn anything more.
Attitude of man with 1 bag of silver, Matthew 25:24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.”
We need to continue towards working to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a secret, when shared gives more rewards.
