Mark 9:43-48
A Christian is a strange being. He exists in the body and is citizen of heaven at the same time. A pilgrim on the way to a glorious and permanent home while holding a temporal residence in this world. The world, however, continues to offer the illusion of a permanent residence. The world attempts to indoctrinate all its inhabitants into believing that this is all the human existence is all about. The success, the comfort, the wealth and accomplishments that are ever so well packaged to tempt the best of us into trading our glorious inheritance for temporary pleasures. The devil and the world systems are designed to pressure men (both Christians and unbelievers) to trade and choose between things of eternal value and glamorous or perceived-to-be necessary temporal things. The question is, are these trades worth our eternity?
The Bible repeatedly instructs us that, just as the devil tempted our Savior, we also will be tempted with the glories of this world. We will go through seasons of pressure and internal conflicts that demand that we choose between temporal satisfaction and safety, and our eternal safety. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life all deployed as tools of entrapment to bring us to the broad way that leads to destruction. The prescribed wisdom of Scripture is that nothing is worth trading eternal life for. The whole world is not a worthy trade for eternal glory. Hell is so terrible, nothing this world offers nor the entire world itself is good enough a trade to spend a minute there, talk less of being eternally condemned to such a damned fate. Eternal life is worth the loss of our lives and the sacrifice of our lifetime to the Lord that we may reign with Him. We must refuse the Esau way and decline to trade eternal glory for temporal pleasure. Eternity is worth the sacrifice.
Prayer focus: Lord I receive grace to hold fast unto salvation. I receive grace and wisdom to refuse all deceitful trades and temptations of the devil in Jesus name. Lord keep me till the end.