‎”When the devil comes courting, tell him you’re already married.” Poor Dave’s Almanac, July 12, 2012. The devil comes courting our affection quite often, and desires us to leave all and follow him and his pernicious ways. I hope we will be able to tell him, “Sorry, I’m already married.” We’re married to the Lord of glory. We were given to Christ as His bride before the foundation of the world. We were born again into a vital relationship with the bridegroom and thus a partaker of all the eternal benefits of our union with the Lord. The gospel comes to us to tell us to leave all that might hinder and follow Him in obedience. Paul said, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:31-21). Then we hear the Savior, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24). Many have heard The Savior calling in the gospel but evidently have yielding to the courting of the devil because they haven’t forsaken all to follow the Lord in baptism; therefore, they cannot tell the devil, “Sorry, I’m married to the Lord.” They are a partaker of the heavenly marriage but not of the gospel church marriage that is between Jesus and His followers. The devil wanted Jesus to fall down and worship him, but Jesus rebuked him with the word of God. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10). The devil comes calling on a daily basis, but God’s grace is there each day to enable us to thwart the efforts of Satan to rob us of the joys of our salvation. I hope you are married to the Lord in obedience; if not, this Sunday would be a good time to begin a sweet gospel marriage relationship with the Savior.–July 12, 2012–Elder Larry Wise
