Will of the Devil

The Hebrews, despite their rebellious actions, still believed they were following God. Even after hearing the law thundered out to them, and despite the specificity of the commandment forbidding the fashioning and making of an idol, another god besides God, they proceeded to have Aaron produce a gilded calf, then declared it to be the God who brought them up out of Egypt. In their minds, it was not an “idol” in the sense of being “another god” besides God. It was a representation of God.

People who claim to believe in God but do not, have a habit of redefining what God said into “what God meant.”

John recorded what Jesus said in John 5:17 in regards to the Sabbath, that Jesus worked on the Sabbath. Those insistent that mankind must follow and keep the Decalogue with the weekly Sabbath are quick to respond that Jesus didn’t really work any work that violated the Sabbath law, which said no one was to do “any” work on the Sabbath. For you see, “any” doesn’t really mean “any”, as in all without exception. They argue that had Jesus really worked on the Sabbath, He would have sinned, and disqualified Himself as our Savior; the “spotless” (sinless) lamb of God. In their mind’s eye, Jesus came to live a sinless life, and keeping the law is what defines sin; sin is the transgression of the law; despite other plainly made statements where He gave examples of the law being transgressed with no charge of sin.

Jesus was born sinless, being God Incarnate. And being God, Jesus was at that time the only “good” being walking the face of the earth in the flesh. God cannot sin. Yet, there are some today claiming He could have. There is no evil or iniquity in God. Ask yourself then, who would want people to believe God is not perfect; that God could sin; that God could do something evil and iniquitous?

But these same evil-hearted people believe the only way one can sin is by transgressing the law. Therefore, even God Incarnate must have kept the law, precisely. And so, Jesus’ declaration that good works were lawful on the Sabbath gets put through the legalist’s grist mill of the mind and it comes out as "exempt" works and not just “any” good work.

Jesus is not seen as the final authority when it comes to the law. That was also the case with the Pharisees. When Jesus, speaking in His defense, referenced their own examples of works done on the Sabbath, they exposed their duplicity and hypocrisy by excusing one of their own for working on the Sabbath to avoid causing distress to an animal, while condemning His actions of alleviating the distress of people, whom God sees as of greater value than those animals, who were suffering various illnesses Jesus attributed to the works of the devil. The Pharisees were, as a result, siding with the devil. Their hypocrisy and duplicity further demonstrated their hatred for Him and the Father in Heaven. No wonder, then, that Jesus referred to them as evil children of the devil, doing the works of their father the devil.

There are two examples where people came to Jesus asking Him what they could do in order to do the works of God.
In the first, the man specifically asked what “good work” could “he” do in order to acquire eternal life.

With the group of people, he responded:

(John 6:29) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

When it came to the other man, Jesus first responded with the fact that only God was good. And because only God is good, only God can do good. This is another concept rejected by legalists, despite the other passages of Scripture where He spoke of good men and the good treasure of their hearts, and evil men and their evil treasures, as well as His discourse on good and bad/evil trees and the only fruit each is able to produce, with a warning that unless one produces good fruits, they, like such a tree, will be cast into the fire.

Here then are some revealing statements made by Jesus the Christ; each vehemently rejected by today’s legalist Pharisee replacements.

Jesus stated that those who came before Him were thieves and robbers.

(Matthew 23:14) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Jesus referred to the Pharisees as evil children of the devil, who did the will of their father the devil.

What did they do, what did they advocate, and what did they teach?

They taught the law. They kept the law. They kept the Sabbath. They were advocates of the law.

One more time, for emphasis. What they did Jesus attributed to them as doing the will of the devil, and everything they did revolved around the law.

Today’s Sabbatarian legalist insist real Christians keep the law, overlooking so much in Scripture.

(John 7:48-49) Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

Two things not to be overlooked:

They did not believe on Him, Christ Jesus. Jesus' followers that did believe on Him were those whom the Pharisees claimed “did not know the law,” and as such, would not be keeping it. Those people who recognized the One among them who was greater than the law - greater than Moses who gave them the law - they followed Him, not the law.

The Pharisees, scribes, and others kept the law. The Pharisees, the evil children of the devil doing the will of their father the devil, kept the law; advocated for the law; defended the law, and later persecuted those same followers of Jesus, over the law.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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