Did God really say?

Did God really say? Satan, the enemy of our souls, uses many forms of deception, but at the top of his list are two that he relies on the most. He used them both on Eve in the garden and they proved very effective. He unloads the most effective one on Eve in Gen. 3:1 when he questions the integrity of God by saying, “Did God really say?” What is subtle about this question to Eve is that Satan is not only casting disparaging doubt on the believability of God’s Word, but also he is casting doubt on the integrity of her husband. If we back up to Genesis 2:16-17 we find God telling Adam that he was free to eat of any tree in the garden except one. He was also told that if he disobeyed, he would die. After this God took a rib from Adam’s side and created Eve, his wife. Adam then shows his wife around their garden home and when they pass by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he explains the commandment not to eat of this tree and he also tells her what the punishment would be for disobeying. By taking the first bite from the forbidden fruit Eve questions God’s authority, integrity and sovereignty, in effect saying to herself and to her husband, “God couldn’t have meant what you told me that we can’t enjoy this fruit also.” She also denies any responsibility on her part to submit to that authority. That first temptation is still being used today as we look at our culture and sadly at our churches. Did God really say homosexual behavior is sinful, after all if it is consensual what harm can it be? If Romans 1:26&27 are not clear enough it is a slap in the face of God’s design for marriage as a picture of the relationship between Jesus the bridegroom and the church being the bride. It is an attempt to neuter the fatherhood of God as well as the femininity of His bride. Did God really say that adultery is sinful? After all if two people love each other what harm can that do? What if one of us has been married before we still should be able to get married and live a normal life. The law of love should be the first consideration. Exodus 20:14 and ICor.7:10 do not apply in my situation. Did God really say that aborting an unborn fetus is wrong? Why bring an unwanted child into this world? It would be a terrible inconvenience for me. Since God’s desire is for me to be happy, why should I suffer the responsibility that having and raising a baby that I really don’t want or have time for? It is really not murder, it is just disposing of inconvenient tissue. Did God really say that dabbling in pornography is wrong. How can this be wrong since this is only between me and my computer. I know that Jesus said that if one lusts in one’s heart for a woman he is committing adultery but there is no real person involved, just a person on the computer screen. Matt. 5:28. Romans 6:9 This is by no means an exhausted list of the possible temptations. Satan has used this same technique very successfully in our government schools today. By teaching evolution as a fact our kids are taught the universe including the earth and its inhabitants evolved over a period of billions of years or maybe longer. Our children have been taught to believe their teachers since they are professionals and experts in their fields. The child then, after spending five 6 hour sessions in school, attends a one hour session of Sunday school where he is told that God created the earth and its inhabitants in six 24 hour periods. Which teaching is going to have the most impact. Now, if the validity of Geneses chapter one is suspect, what about the rest of the Bible? Can I trust it? Did God really say? Satan’s 2nd weapon in his arsenal questions God’s justice by tell Eve, “You will not die.” Satan has the world and the church as well that God’s warning is not to be taken literally or seriously. After all, a good god would never send anyone to Hell. Most churches today teach that God is a God of grace, not a God of justice. Love covers a multitude of sins. God’s love is unconditional and heaven is just the next step after death. Has anyone attended a funeral lately? If God’s Word cannot be taken seriously or literally and if God’s warning of the consequences for not obeying His law cannot be taken seriously or literally what does that do for man’s perception of God’s character? He certainly is not a god of integrity or justice.