The Devil Made Me Do It
Pastor Erickson preaches from Genesis 3, Exodus 32 and Acts 2, showing that the devil cannot force anyone to sin and that people give him too much credit when they blame him for their own choices. He calls the church to stop shifting blame, take responsibility for sin, and come to repentance, baptism in Jesus name and the Holy Ghost.
The message in 6 points
We give the devil too much credit
He recalls the old saying the devil made me do it and says the people of God give Satan credit he does not deserve. The opposite of the devil is not God, because nothing compares to God, and the devil is not all knowing or everywhere at once.
1:01:29He cannot make you do anything
Satan could not touch Job without permission and could not force Eve to eat. James 1:14 says each person is drawn away by his own lust, and after baptism the same temptations come, but now there is power inside to do something about them.
1:10:05Adam and Eve pass the blame
He calls it deferred responsibility. Adam blamed the woman God gave him, and Eve blamed the serpent, and he says Adam taught his wife not only the rule but how to pass along the blame.
1:14:36Aaron and the golden calf
In Exodus 32 Aaron blames the people for the calf, and 3,000 men die that day. Pastor Erickson says Aaron could have stepped up and confessed instead of shifting the blame.
1:19:19A society with no absolutes
The devil cannot force us, but he can influence a culture that lets society decide right and wrong. Like Samson and the days when every man did what was right in his own eyes, the church must let the Word of God define righteousness and holiness.
1:23:00Repentance defeats deferred responsibility
In Acts 2 the people were pricked in their hearts and asked what to do, and 3,000 were added because they repented. He warns that repentance could become extinct in one generation and calls people to repent with joy, be baptized in Jesus name and be filled with the Spirit.
1:32:36
In his words
“I promise you the same thing that you dealt with before baptism is going to be what you're going to deal with after baptism. The only difference is simply this: you're going to have power inside of you to do something about it.”
“Repentance defeats deferred responsibility, because repentance makes a person step up and say, it's me, O Lord, and I'm standing in need of prayer.”
“It's all because I am a sinner that's saved by grace, and I take full responsibility for everything I've ever done wrong.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Genesis 3:13
13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
King James Version.
Judges 21:25
25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
King James Version.
Acts 2:37
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
King James Version.
James 1:14-15
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
King James Version.
Exodus 32:21-24
21And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 24And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
King James Version.
Exodus 32:28
28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
King James Version.
Romans 8:1
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
King James Version.
Acts 2:41
41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
King James Version.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
King James Version.
He also points to
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