Nots…. Or knots. Either, or both?
I remember a particular sermon from years ago. The preacher was one of those hell fire and brimstone kinda guys. He’d often turn absolutely red in the face standing in the pulpit, delivering his message to us.
This sermon was entitled “The Nots In The Devil‘s Tale”. It was all about how putting the little three letter word ‘not’ into a sentence was a way the devil worked his treachery.
There must have been some truth to the sermon, the sermon title stuck with me all these years. Certainly it made an impact…truth always does. Unfortunately, lies can as well.
I don’t remember what any of the ‘nots’ were. But I can think of some now..
The first was in the Garden. God had said not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would die. Satan added a not. “..ye shall not surely die’. (Gen.3:4)
One Knot in his tail…lots of knots in all human life thereafter.
I also think of Jesus’ words in John 14:6. “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” The enemy would have us believe that Jesus is not the only way. That ‘not’ could bring eternal separation from God. Jesus IS the only way. The devil’s ‘not’ doesn’t change truth.
Jesus also said “I am the Light of the world.” (John 8:12) The devil says ‘not’…he lies and says that there are other sources of light.
“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power..” (2Thes. 1:8) A ‘not’ in that scripture is deadly. God will punish. Simply being cut off from His Presence is beyond horrible.
I serve the ‘God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth’(Gen. 14:19). He is the God of love (1 John 4:8), mercy (Eph. 2:4), and grace (1Peter 5:10). I love Him because He first loved me (1 John 4:19)
I can’t put a ‘not’ in one truth of scripture and leave the ‘nots’ out in others.
If He is the God of love…He is also the God of judgment. (Ps. 50:6, Ecc. 3:17)
The preacher who shouted this sermon seemed miserable to me. I felt that misery myself for years. But I’ve got the ‘nots’ out of places they don’t belong…and put them where they do belong.
My God is not mean and nasty.
He does not wait, anticipating when He might punish me for messing up.
But at the same time, He means what He says…and it’s always in my best interest to believe Him and do as He has said...
...Because HE WILL do as He says. No 'not' there....
