God Doesn't Want You To Perish

2 Peter 3 : 8 - 9, But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

There is no power anywhere that is greater than God's love for our soul. In fact, we will never know, on this side of eternity, all the things that God has done on our behalf to keep our souls from being lost forever. His love is SO great toward us that He will wrestle with us until we finally yield control of our soul over to Him. When it comes to saving souls, God is relentless!

Did you know that there was a war going on between God and Satan long before Adam committed sin? Satan, through his rebellion, was convinced in his heart that he could become greater than God (Isaiah 14). Satan may have written the book on sin; however, God wrote the Book on love and on how to overcome sin. When I say that Satan may have written the book on sin, I mean that he is the author of sin. Jesus tells us in John 8 that Satan was a liar from the beginning and the father of all lies.

Like the brothers of Joseph, who threw him into a pit, Satan has used deception and seduction to lure mankind into the pit of sin. Without God's mercy and love, no one would ever have the power to climb out of the proverbial "pit of sin" on their own...but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Christ to die to sin and live free from its power.

This is where the war begins to intensify between the Spirit of God and the spirit of bondage to fear over our souls. Satan doesn't want to lose one soul to God's love, so he works very diligently in people's lives distracting them, so that they don't recognize God's goodness for what it is in their lives. As a result, people will dismiss the longsuffering and the love God has for their souls and will keep their attention on the cares and pleasures of this world. Meanwhile, their time is quickly running out.

Nevertheless, God's Spirit continues to deal with people's hearts about their sinful condition. Remember, God is relentless because He loves us so intensely. Consequently, He pursues us and gives every person ample opportunity to come to the place in their lives where they become broken over sin and repent. We can conclude that God's grace and longsuffering aren't about God giving us time to get our "fill" of sin's pleasures; He is giving you and me time to "come to our senses," as was illustrated through the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11).

Are you running from God? Like Adam after he sinned in the garden, are you hiding something from the Lord? He knows where you are, and He knows what is hidden in your heart. Nevertheless, you need to know that the spirit of fear is driving you from God's presence. In God's presence is fullness of joy. If you're running or hiding, won't you just stop, drop, and pray? Ask the Lord to forgive you and grant you repentance, so that He can restore your soul from sin and death.

God Loves You So Much!
Pastor Asa Dockery

P.S. If this word has brought spiritual restoration to your soul, please email me and share the good things that God has performed in your life. pastorasadockery@whcnorth.org