In the Blink of an Eye

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In Scripture the devil once took Jesus up upon a high mountain and, “ … showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” (Luke 4:5 NKJV) The devil propositioned Jesus that he would give Jesus authority and glory over those kingdoms if He would worship him. Most people know the rest of the story, how Jesus responded to the devil’s absurdity, but what always struck me about the enemy’s plow was that all he had to offer, everything that could be gained anywhere on the entire planet could all be shown in a single moment of time.

On the other hand, Paul says that, “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Co 2:9) In another place, Paul talked about a man who was “ … caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Cor 12:4) The grandeur that awaits and is present right now in the life of the believer could not be shown, explained, or comprehended by mortal mind in literally a million lifetimes. But the entirety of every passing pleasure the enemy has to offer can be seen in a single moment. Jesus Himself proclaimed that, “In My Father’s house are many mansion; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you …” (John 14:2) Scripture talks extensively about the city gates made entirely of pearl, and the streets of gold refined to glass like purity, the absence of night with all the evils that move there because the Lamb Himself is the light that shines there. Jesus going to a place like that to prepare a place for us is pleasure, made permanent.

Jesus is the only One Who can cause anyone of us to reject the potent but passing pleasures of sin as He did when He willingly took up a heavy coarse cross that meant His agonizing death. Scripture says that He, “ … for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2) Christ died so that we could be free from the penalty of sin we have said yes to. He rose from the grave to make us able to say yes to freedom from sin forever. That’s worth shouting about because there is pleasure in sin for human flesh; the problem is that all the pleasure that could be experienced in the flesh in a million lifetimes could be summed in a single moment. And cost an eternity.