Satan's Premature Victory Dance

Satan was defeated the very moment Jesus died and the fear of death and subsequent punishment evaporated into a cloud of forgiveness. I’m sure Satan’s victory dance turned to an agonizing wail when he realised what had happened. God had gained ultimate victory by rescuing his people and breaking the power he had over people.

We get to chose whose team we are on

It seems as though this story has a happy ending for us all. Jesus died and we will all now live in heaven with God for ever and ever and ever.

But it is not that simple. The end of the story has not been written – we get to choose how the story ends for each of our lives.

You see, Jesus has died and in so doing he has offered to forgive our sins and redeem us from slavery to fear. But this is just an offer. It doesn’t apply to our lives until we accept the offer.

If I am offered a job, I don’t get that job unless I accept the offer. If I am offered an ice-cream, I don’t get to enjoy that ice-cream unless I accept that offer.

You are offered forgiveness and a freedom from the condemnation and fear of death. But it is only an offer until you accept it.

The choice is yours – you can accept it and gain forgiveness and redemption or you can reject it and remain in slavery to sin, death and fear.

Many people think that they don’t need Jesus to gain acceptance by God. This is what Satan would have you believe. He has lost the war with God, but is still waging a guerilla campaign against God. He is doing everything he can to try to keep you from finding the grace and forgiveness that Jesus offers. Sometimes he uses lies to try to convince you that you can please God through doing good things. Sometimes he uses deception to convince you that there are 100’s of ways to God and you can choose which suits your lifestyle.

But the truth is this that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

How is your story going to end today? Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus “shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. What are you going to do about Jesus? Are you going to accept his sacrifice for you and surrender your life to him or are you going to keep him at an arms length. I pray that this Good Friday, you would see Jesus’ death as being for you and accept the freedom that he offers you.