THE THIEF COMES TO STEAL, KILL & DESTROY (PART XXIII)

“Satan Promises Heaven But Delivers Hell”

By Akin Ojumu

Religion, in its simplest definition, is a worship of a deity i.e., a higher entity. While religions may exist in many shades and flavors, on a granular level, they can all be boiled down to just two namely, true religion and false religion. In essence, it’s Christianity and others. Whereas in the former, God is the object of worship, in the latter, Satan is worshiped.

All religions promise Heaven. The attractiveness of religion is the promised nirvana. You won’t find a single religion where the adherents are not assured they’ll end up in eternal bliss. Every single one of them guarantees the converts they are travelers on the road that leads straight to paradise. Yet, except for Biblical Christianity, they all deliver hell.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Given the fact that the gates to all religions are deceptively marked, “This way leads to Heaven,” it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we enter through the right gate. Because there are eternal consequences to whichever gate we decide to take, we must take great care to choose wisely.

Even though the gates that lead to the final eternal destinations for both the true and false religions are marked Heaven, the roads, the final destination, and the number of people traveling on both roads couldn’t be more different. Whereas the highway to Hell is broad, and its gate wide for the many who choose that way, the gateway to Heaven is narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

The reason a great number of people choose to go on the road that leads to hell is because of the nature and allure of false religions. Unlike the true religion which may appear unremarkable and unappealing, false religions are highly desirable, fashionable, and pleasing to the eyes. It’s a religious system that offers the adherents the longing of their hearts and the desires of their mind without any encumbrances and limitations whatsoever.

The false religious system is a religion of human achievement where the worshipers are taught that man can save himself by his own works, his own achievement, and his own self-righteousness. It’s a religion where the way to God is through ceremonies, rites and rituals. In all false religions, spirituality and favor with the deity is achieved by human efforts such as fasting for months, speaking in tongues for hours, and praying at the witching hour, i.e. 3-4 AM.

John 10:7-10

“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to 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 comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Christ is the door of the sheep. He is the gate that leads to the true religion. The narrow road that leads to eternal life with God passes through Christ. Yet only a few find this road. It’s a difficult road to find because it’s a difficult road to travel. There’s nothing temporally attractive about it. It’s not a road of pomp and pageantry. You won’t find on the narrow road the typical glitzy ostentatiousness or glamorous extravagance associated with false religious systems such as the Prosperity Gospel of the Name It, Claim It, Word of Faith Movement.

On the narrow road, the travelers are told to deny themselves, carry their cross, and follow Christ. Apostle Paul embodies what it means to carry the cross on the narrow road.

2 Corinthians 11:23b-27

“With far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

In addition to all the laboring, beatings, and imprisonments, the aversion of people to choosing the narrow road can also be attributed to the folks positioned in front of both gates whose job it is to persuade people to come through their own door. These emissaries of the two religions serve as vendors charged with marketing their respective religions. They are the megaphones of their respective kingdoms.

Unlike their counterparts from the true religion of the kingdom of Heaven who look dour, sound unimpressive, and give plain unpersuasive messages, the emissaries representing the false religion of the kingdom of Hell are endowed with an uncanny gift of gab. They employ lofty words, clever and persuasive speeches, and impressive wisdom to make their sales pitch. Dressed in the finest of apparels and brimming with self-confidence, the salespersons for hell ooze an aura of wealth, health, and success. It’s understandable that their opulent appearance makes it a lot easier for them to attract lots of customers.

We’ll take it from here next time.