Daily Devotional, Year 3 – January 31 (Highway To Hell, Part 2: Paved With Good Works!?!)
By admin On February 10th, 2021.
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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – January 31
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Highway To Hell,
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Part 2:
Paved With Good Works!?!
To read part 1, go here…October 16th (The Highway To Hell)
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“Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?
and in Thy name have cast out devils?
and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’
And then will I profess unto them,
‘I never knew you:
depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.'”
Matthew 7:22, 23
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No doubt you’ve heard the expression, “The highway to Hell is paved with good intentions!”
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Well, that’s not too far from the truth!
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Oh no, it’s not a Bible verse.
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But it does bring to mind some passages in the Bible, such as the parable of the “Two Sons” in which one son agreed to do his father’s bidding, but did not actually complete the task. The one son had good intentions, but didn’t follow through to perform his good intentions. (see Matthew 21:28-31)
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PAVED WITH GOOD WORKS
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But today’s devotional would like to offer this next saying…“The highway to Hell is paved with good works!”
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Yes, this saying is likewise, not a Bible verse, and yet seems to be a very true statement!
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It is often said in Christian circles that, “Mankind would be happy to earn their way to Heaven, but refuse to receive it as a free gift.” And this again, is a statement which is not directly stated in the Bible, but has much biblical support…
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We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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THE RICH YOUNG MAN
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For instance, the true account of the Rich Young Man who came running to Jesus, wanting to perform some further good work in attempt to earn Heaven.
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But Jesus saw through his façade, and told him, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” Mark 10:21, 22
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Herein is a profound illustration of how so many church-going individuals are desiring to earn their way to Heaven by some good work.
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But like that Rich Young Man who turned away from Jesus, so many today are not willing to forsake all, to follow Jesus! We have far too many earthly possessions!
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Rich Young Ruler – Hoffman – Wikimedia Commons – US Public-Domain
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“STUCK IN LIMBO”
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And so, in the church-world today, there are multitudes who are, “stuck in limbo”, as th
e saying goes. Yes, the vast majority of those who attend church each week, have never come to true Salvation, and are merely stuck in a hopeless void.
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Oh yes, they go through the motions of being a Christian. They do their daily good works. They attempt to live a decent, moral existence. They go to church, pray, hold offices, and serve on committees. And they perform charitable good deeds, and even engage in various acts of self-denial.
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But they cannot find that, “peace that surpasses all understanding”
(Philippians 4:7).
They cannot contemplate the wonderful life of Jesus!
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Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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NEVER RECEIVED A NEW HEART
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The problem is, they have never received a new heart!
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Like Nicodemus in this old painting, they have never truly become Born Again!
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They have never become a New Creation in Christ, but are mere religious moralists!
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William Brassey Hole – Jesus speaks to Nicodemus – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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DOWN TO HELL WITH GOOD WORKS
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And so, Satan comes along and leads them down, down, down the Highway To Hell, causing them to continue their “good works”, which are as counterfeit as the proverbial “three-dollar bill”!
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THREE DOLLAR BILL – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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RADIO & TV MINISTRIES DECEIVE THE NAIVE
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Quite often, Satan will get these unsuspecting and naïve ones to begin some humanitarian ministry. Maybe some evangelistic crusade, or some food baskets to the hungry.
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But the problem is, that Satan uses radio and television ministries to convince churchgoers that evangelism is the most important duty!
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And so, these naïve and deceived listeners come away thinking that their Salvation is based on how many people they can save!
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Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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MANY SURPRISED ON JUDGMENT DAY
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But the fact is, the purification of one’s own heart, to the conformity of the life into His likeness is infinitely more important than trying to save others!
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Listen…
“Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?
and in Thy name have cast out devils?
and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’
And then will I profess unto them,
‘I never knew you:
depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.'”
Matthew 7:22, 23
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Here above in this passage is revealed that there will be a vast throng on Judgment Day, who will be surprised to discover that they went through the motions of the Christian life, and yet never became truly saved! And even though they could take credit for many good and wonderful works, these were useless on that great Day of Judgment, simply because they were not combined with the New Heart experience!
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IMPORTANCE OF EVANGELISM
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The purification of our heart and conformity of our lives into His likeness by no means negates the importance of evangelism.
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Evangelism is a great part of the Gospel!
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But the truest evangelism occurs when our lives reflect the bright image of Christ.
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We are to be an, “epistle, known and read by all mankind”. (2nd Corinthians 3:2)
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Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama
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“REST UNTO YOUR SOULS”
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So just what is the answer to all this? How can we somehow find that true, “rest unto your souls”, which Jesus spoke of…“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…unto your souls…”? Matthew 11:28, 29
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Well, of course, Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace. There is no human work that can be performed to achieve it.
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And so, the seeker must come to the point of realizing that Salvation must be given, and not worked for or somehow earned.
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SEEK IT WITH ALL OUR HEART
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And yet, the Bible is replete with encouragement to seek after God with all our, “heart, soul, strength and mind”!
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And even though we understand that Salvation is a free gift, we are to search for Salvation as if it is by our own strength, even though we understand that, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
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But the true good works that God inspires within us, is to begin to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn of Him, through the daily reading and contemplation of His Word, with all its precious promises.
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Forgive me for thinking that my good works somehow make me righteous! Cause me to cease from these ungodly counterfeits and merely sit at Thy feet and learn of Thee…
Woman praying – Heinrich Seufferheld – 1893 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…Floodwaters of the False Prophet: “Atheism & Psychology”,
Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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“STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN”…
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OR JUST THE “HIGHWAY TO HELL” ?…
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“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:” Isaiah 5:18
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Look at the slope of this third mountain, and notice that it goes straight down to the Dragon Constellation.
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This slope belongs to the constellation commonly called Pisces. Doesn’t it almost look like the Dragon is towing this Mountain? It almost looks like the Dragon is transporting this false mountain from the south…from Hell. And he has pulled it northward…next to these other two mountains. This would almost seem like a comical idea…if it weren’t for the destruction and death and woe caused by Satan for many-a-millennium.
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Just listen to this verse… “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:” Isaiah 5:18.
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So God, it seems, has created this constellation group to present this fearful concept!
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ABOVE PICTURE – Fall Constellations – Valley of Decision Constellation & Revelation 12 Dragon
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THE BROAD WAY
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But there is a second meaning to this long line of stars from this Destroying Mountain down to the Dragon Constellation?
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It would remind one of a highway. But what kind of highway? Need there be any further explanation? They say that a picture paints a thousand words. Well this picture that God has placed in the night sky paints a very poignant portrait indeed! This represents that “broad way which leads to destruction”.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The ‘Valley of Decision’ Constellation”
Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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TOMORROW:
February 1 (“He That Hath An Ear To Hear”)
Ear – Wikipedia – Share-alike-lic.
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90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM
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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO THIS 90-MINUTE OPEN FORUM, A QUESTION/ANSWER CALL-IN, TALK SHOW.
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Harold Camping Bible Conference Open Forum #22 (youtube.com)
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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.