Dear Editor,
So you believe in God and Jesus. Guess what? That puts you in the same company with Satan and the demons, for they too believe. *James 2:19) When confronted by Jesus, a demon cried out “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are-the Holy One of God...And demons were coming out of many (as Jesus healed the sick) crying out and saying  ‘You are the Son of God!” (Luke 4:33-41 Satan and all demons personally know and believe in the existence of god and Jesus. But does one really think that Satan and the demons are going to enter Heaven?
And could we be so foolish and deceived as to believe that we will inherit eternal life simply by professing belief in God and Jesus, when in truth we rebel against God by transgressing His law? “Sin is the transgression of the law.” (Jn 3:4) The prophet Jeremiah confessed “We have transgressed and rebelled,” (Lam. 3:42) Do we not understand that sin is rebellion against God and His authority? To disobey is to rebel.
Ever since Satan started his rebellion against God and brought it to earth there has always and only been two sides in the battle-Christ and anti-christ. Jesus proclaimed this profound truth “He who is not with Me is against Me.” (Matt. 12:30) If while we profess Christ as our Lord and Saviour we continue to transgress and rebel against the commandments of God, whose camp are we really in? Jesus asked many who were professing Him “Why do you call Me Lord, but don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) The apostle Paul declared “Do you not know...you are servants of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Rom. 6:16) And Jesus warned that when He comes to claim His own that “Many will say to Me on that day ‘Lord, Lord’... And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me you who commit lawlessness.’” (Matt. 7:21-23) But “to all those who obey Him (Jesus), He became the source of eternal salvation.” (Heb 5:9) Scripture is clear-salvation to those who obey Christ, rejection to those who disobey Him.
Many proclaim that they love the Lord. Jesus defines and identifies those who truly love Hi. :He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and disclose Myself to him.” Jn 14:21) Though men through Satan’s leading have tried to rescind and nullify God’s covenant agreement, it remains unalterable- “Obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people.” (Ex. 19:5).
In the battle between God and Satan, know and remember this-there are only two sides, and we can’t serve two masters. Jesus declared “You are My friends, if you do what I command you,” (Jn. 15:14) What then do we become if we don’t do what He commands? Friend or foe, Christ or anti-christ. We choose whose side we are on.
When Satan and those angels who followed him rebelled against God, there was no longer a place found for them in heaven-they were cast our. And when Adam and Eve sinned against god by disobeying Him, they were cast out of their paradise home. And if we choose to continue to disobey, to sin and rebel against God, be assured of this-neither will there be found a place, a home for us in heaven.
Rod Schmidt
Larned