I can certainly appreciate you wanting to give even ‘more heed’ to the words that Jesus spoke as we have recorded in the four gospels, and are printed in ‘red letters’ at that! But I would also caution you to avoid being too quick to dismiss all those ‘other letters in black’, that we have recorded in the various epistles written down by the likes of Paul, Peter, James and John.

I heard a congressman make the statement last week that he was a “Matthew 25 Only Christian”…which made me chuckle. I’m sorry…but I don’t believe that is an ‘option’ for us; but to each their own.

So let’s look at some of those words Jesus spoke, and I’d like to draw your attention to Luke 13:1-5, where a conversation is unfolding between Jesus and a gathering of folks wanting to understand why some unfortunate tragedies befell a number of people in the region. Many of us  often want to ask ‘why’…such things happen to people, so let's listen to the question Jesus asked them, twice…citing two different incidents, and then how He answered that same question…twice:

“Do you think these things happened because those people were worse sinners than anyone else? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (3,5)

So what are we to make of those 'red letters' I just quoted from Luke 13? Would take a moment and ask why Jesus would make such a statement, twice in a row? And do you read that as a ‘threat’ or a ‘warning’?

Now, let’s turn to John 17, where we have those same ‘red letters’ recording a prayer Jesus offered up to the Father. He’s praying for those who have come to Him, reminding us all that those who do come to Him are ‘in this world but not of this world’ just as He Himself is not. (9-19). But please give extra attention to vs. 15, where Jesus prays this:

“I pray that You (Father) should not take them out of the world, but that You should keep them and protect them from the evil one.”

If Jesus was concerned enough about the reality of an ‘evil entity’ who was present and had the potential to harm, if not destroy people, should we also…not be concerned as well, and maybe want to lean in more to what scripture teaches?

I think it’s safe to conclude that this ‘evil one’ is the same one Jesus refers to in John 10:10, where he calls him a ‘thief…who comes to steal, kill, and destroy’. (Red letters used here too)

I find it interesting that Jesus assured those 70 disciples who had just returned from a short ‘mission trip’ and were elated to discover that ‘demons were subject to them through the name of Jesus’ (Luke 10:17)…that He had given them (and us today) ‘power/authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (19). I don’t know about you, but I sure like that promise of assurance. Have you ever thought to ask ‘how’ that works, though? What does that mean when Jesus says we’ve been empowered and are protected from this ‘evil one’... who Peter would later describe as a ‘roaring lion who goes about seeking to devour’? (1 Peter 5:8-9). And since Peter wrote those words after the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus, I guess we can assume this ‘wicked one’ is still on the prowl and an imminent threat to anyone today who is not in covenant with Jesus.

I know…Peter’s words were ‘printed in black’, just as Paul’s words were where he admonishes us to “give no place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27). So again, I ask: “How do we give place to the devil”, who comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’?

I’m about to stray one more time into more ‘black letters’, so let’s go read 1 John 5:19 again, where John writes: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway/influence of the wicked one.” John would have also penned this long after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, which leads me to believe that this evil one is still ‘on the loose’, or at least a threat to anyone not walking in covenant with Jesus. I would also hope that after reading the lesson yesterday that one realzies that a person can ‘believe in Jesus’ yet not walk with Him nor be in covenant with Him.

So let’s just back up one verse there in 1 John 5 and take into account those words penned by John: “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin…and the wicked one does not touch him.” (18).  Oh, and that promise Jesus made in 'red letters' about how 'no one will snatch you from out of His hand...nor will you ever perish', in John 10:28...guess who that promise is made to, also found in 'red letters'? It's to those who 'hear His voice...and follow Him' (27).

Here is where the Holy Spirit can remove some ‘blinders’ for a lot of sincere but misguided ‘believers’ today. If you have always been taught that as a ‘child of God’…you will always continue to ‘be a sinner… and sin’…then verses like this don’t land well with you. And how many sincere people today continue to suffer, if not be ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’ (Hosea 4:6), because they have been ill-informed to what Jesus actually came to set us free from, which is ‘sin’? (John 8:32-36; Rom. 6:2,7,12,17,18,20,22; Luke 4:18)

While millions of Americans today around the country, if not the world…celebrate the 250th ‘birthday’ of America…and are waving ‘flags of freedom’…perhaps we ‘believers’ might take another look at the real ‘freedom’…that we ought to be not only celebrating…but ‘walking’ in today as well.

Happy 4th of July.