The Intention of the Thief

John 10:7-10

Message No. 0754 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

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Hello readers! This week we will be looking at the tripartite job of the thief, as stated by Jesus in the Book of John, chapter 10 verse 10. We will examine some of the ways in which the devil plays his tricks on people and takes away their joy. Kindly share this message with friends and family by forwarding to them the email or the link to the blog. We write every week. If for some reason you miss the email for a particular week, please head to www.wisdom-speaks.ca/blog and you will find all the messages there. Happy reading and God bless you!

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If you’ve ever had your goods stolen by someone, then you do not need the dictionary to tell you what the thief does. They rob you of your belongings, and you’ll be glad if they stopped there. Depending on the scale of thievery, they actually rob you of your joy, kill your drive, and destroy your future. I’ve heard the story of someone who gathered all his life savings and opened a store just so he could run a business and not only survive on it but also feed his family. Then there was rioting in his city, and looters broke into his store and stole almost all his goods. The man saw no reason to live anymore, and this led to him committing suicide.

Bad as the foregoing incident may be, there are thieves, and there are thieves. Some steal and run away to avoid being detected, and others kill the people they steal from. You will not fall victim of thieves or robbers in Jesus’ name. In the Book of John chapter 10, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees after an argument ensued because of His healing of a man who was born blind. The Pharisees tried to convince the Jews and the man who was healed that Jesus was not from God but a sinner who dared to perform a miracle on a Sabbath day. In verses 7-10, Jesus explained:

…"Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Why would anyone expect a demon-possessed sinner to heal someone who had been blind from birth! Only the Pharisees could have accused Jesus of such a senseless thing. They were professionals in trying to discredit Jesus, because He came doing the works that they never were able to do. The jealousy of Jesus by these self-appointed religious police was palpable. They wanted to have nothing to do with the good news that our Lord came preaching. Any attempt to set the captive free was viewed as demon activity. This essentially gave the devil free reign in the society, as he remained unchallenged until our Deliverer showed up.

The thief is still stealing from people today, even from the very elect! Constant attacks remain prevalent in the life of the believer. When we allow the devil to deceive us regarding the truth of the scripture, we not only are subject to attacks, but we also actually open the door to such attacks. When the devil tricks a believer into disobeying the Word of God, he finds an open door for him to come into the life of such believer and deliver blow upon blow. When the devil tricks you into neglecting the gathering of believers, he is gradually isolating you from the truth. When he tricks you into indulging in substances that even the government prohibits, you think that you are experiencing some ecstasy, but you are gradually losing your mind and your salvation. Then he tricks you into all manner of immorality, and you will be lucky if he does not deliver the final blow that will end your life and send you to eternal damnation.

Jesus emphasized to the Pharisees that He was the Good Shepherd, because He pulled a son of Abraham out of the devil’s dungeon, who had been blind from birth. That was hell losing another one (as the song writer wrote), but the Pharisees, who were themselves blind spiritually, could only see the negatives of someone doing the work that they could never do. The thief will never advise you to secure your property, so the devil could never trick anyone into salvation.

Has the devil been telling you that you do not need to go to church, or to remain holy before Him, or to keep His Words and to watch over your salvation? Yeah, that’s the thief asking you to leave your doors open so he can come in and steal your goods. The devil is a liar. In fact, the Bible says that lying is his native language. If you give him the room, he will get you to a situation where you’re lost all over again. The way to maintain your journey to eternity with the Lord is to say no to the devil at every opportunity and remain committed to the One who laid down His Life for you. Are you being deceived right now? Is the devil still stealing from you?

What to Do?

If you are currently being deceived by the devil, have backslidden or lost your salvation altogether, there is hope. Please come back to Jesus today. Some people who delayed in the past had waited too long and had lost their lives with all hope vanishing in the process. Please do not wait for this to happen. Examine the ways you have drifted from the Lord and make amends immediately. The Lord is waiting to have you back.