“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”

John Milton, Paradise Lost

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5

I approached this journal entry with a great deal of trepidation, for I want it to be understood in the way it was intended. I don’t wish it to be judgmental or condemning. My motivation for writing this is sorrow and concern. I see what is happening in the world, and I hope to offer a little light in the darkness. If you find this offensive, I am truly sorry. but it won’t change my mind and heart. My hope is you will consider what I say with an open and honest mind.

In the last post, we looked at how God chose to make mankind, male and female, in His own image, and created them differently than all the rest of creation. We saw the heartbreaking episode in the Garden where Satan, disguised as a serpent, enticed the man and woman to disobey and rebel against God’s command, causing a separation between God and mankind that was only restored through Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross.

We have been sold a lie all of our lives. We are under the same curse, the same BIG LIE that led to Adam and Eve being thrown out of the garden. Our rebellion is the same as theirs; we deceive ourselves with the same lie: we think we can be our own god and control our own life. We’ve rejected the true God because we don’t want Him anymore. Worse yet, we may deceive ourselves into thinking we can act in whatever way we choose and still be alright with God.

We think we don’t have to answer to anyone, and we’re no one’s slave. But as Bob Dylan once sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. It might be the devil, it might be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody“. Satan convinced Adam and Eve they were free to do as they please, and he tells us the same lie. The secret is, when we continue in rebellion and disobey God’s commands, we serve Satan. We’re acting exactly the same as him.

Satan hates you, because you are God’s greatest creation. Satan wants to destroy you, and his choice of weapon is deception. He convinces you there is no such thing as absolute truth and reality. That the Bible is nothing more than myths and stories, full of contradictions and errors, written by a patriarchal, misogynistic, racist group to oppress and subjugate. That reality is what you say it is. That you can do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy. That you can define yourself by any gender, race, or even species you choose. That you were ‘born that way’, and anyone who questions it is hateful and intolerant.

Why is it so important that everyone must accept ‘your’ truth, if every person has the right to formulate their own? If tolerance and inclusiveness are the ultimate end, why must ‘privileged’ people and other ‘incorrect’ groups be negated or eliminated? Why are some considered of greater value than others? Why is victimhood such a prized commodity? If power and control aren’t the true goals of silencing those who are not sufficiently “woke” or properly supportive, then what is?

We can’t withstand a challenge to our image of who we are because our self-esteem won’t allow it. It is pride driven. Pride is why Satan led a rebellion in Heaven against God and was cast out with his followers. If you serve Satan, and if you do not belong to Jesus Christ the sad truth is that you do, you are subject to that same spirit of pride and rebellion. You’ve been told the most important thing in life is to feel good about yourself, and you must do whatever is necessary to accomplish that, including constructing your own reality. To admit that there is an absolute truth as set forth by God in His word, and your life, your ‘truth’, your ‘reality’ doesn’t square up with it is to admit that your life is a lie.

Satan tells you God is a lie and you need to love your life, no matter what it takes. Jesus said you must hate (repudiate) your “life” if you wish to be His disciple and be reconciled to God. Satan would have you believe that you can never be good enough for God to love you. Jesus agrees you can never be good enough but tells you it’s not necessary, because God already loves you enough to sacrifice His son, and His blood shed for you makes you clean no matter how sin-stained you may be. Satan would have you believe it’s better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. Jesus tells us He has many mansions ready for us, and a great feast, and serving at God’s throne is the greatest privilege and glory we could ever hope to experience.

The Bible tells us that every one of us will come face to face with God’s truth and reality at the final judgment. You have the choice to do one of two things right now. You can continue in your ‘reality’ and reject God’s, or you can repudiate the lie that Satan has held you under, surrender your life to Christ, obey His commands, and become His servant. If you choose to reject God, He will allow you that choice, but living without Him will be for eternity in the same torment and punishment reserved for Satan. Because you either serve God or Satan; there is no third choice. You will receive the same reward or punishment as the one you choose to follow.