Satan Desireth to Have You

Today I read the book of Jude, which also only has 1 chapter. If I had to pick an over arching theme for this chapter it would be that there are diverse ways to fall and lose your way. As I read the chapter I could not help but notice all the warnings that were in there. He talks about Sodom and Gomorrah, he talks about mockers in the last day. He talks about speaking evil things. There are so many ways to fall and not live up to our potential.

He speaks about those who lost their first estate, or the angels of the devil. These as we know rebelled even from the beginning and denied the plan of God and His mercies. These are they who would rather have given up all hope rather than follow the plan of our Heavenly Father. I can't help but wonder about these men and women. I mean, it's it better to at least have some chance of success as opposed to certain defeat? Or perhaps they did not know that backing Satan's plan would result in their being cast out and never having a body? I almost think it was the latter because who would honestly choose certain damnation over the possibility of damnation?

I can't help but feel sorrow over these people. These are men and women that we probably knew and loved. These could have been our friends. And they so completely turned against God that their only delight is our destruction and our downfall. They delight in wickedness and in debauchery. Jude talks about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their depravity, two of their greatest triumphs. If we are not careful, we can fall into the same trap that those cities fell into. Not the sexual trap, but rather the true sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, indifference and lack of caring for the poor. Hugh Nibley taught that the great sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not sexual in nature, but rather financial. The inhabitants of the city, overall, were very wealthy. And with that wealth came free time which was followed by idleness which led to despising the poor. The sins of those infamous cities, was pride. And we see it happening again all around us. Jesus told Peter, his most ardent supporter that if he was not careful he would fall because Satan desired to have him. If Peter was in danger of falling, how close are the rest of us? It sometimes feels like walking on the edge of a knife to me. One false step and we fall.

But that is where the Atonement comes in. Few sins are irreversible and with His help, we can become clean again. Thanks to the love He has for us and the sacrifice He made, we can become clean once more. I will forever be grateful for the love He has for us and for the gift of eternal life He has made possible. Until tomorrow.