The worst and sometimes last state of a human being is to be repossessed by a devil and newly possessed by several other devils (Lk 11:26). The first step of the road to this worst state is to be possessed by a devil. Most people think that very few people are in the first or last state. However, in the second letter of Peter, the Lord refers to the first state not as the unusual situation of being demon-possessed but as simply our original state, that is, being a human person with our fallen, demonically-influenced nature. We are freed from this first and original state by being baptized and then living our Baptisms "through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pt 2:20, RSV-CE). Because our Baptisms are irreversible, we can never revert to our first state.
However, we can refuse to live our Baptisms. Thereby we enter a third and worst state of being a fallen-away, lukewarm Christian. When we choose to enter this third state, we make void the cross of Jesus for ourselves (see 1 Cor 1:17), nauseate Jesus (Rv 3:16), cause our Baptisms to backfire, and open the door of our lives to old and new demons. Therefore, we must grow and persevere in our love for the Lord. That is the second and best state, and it should be the last state.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I never love You less. |
| PROMISE: | "All who believe are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." –Gal 3:9 |
| PRAISE: | Pope St. John XXIII called for a renewal of both the clergy and the laity by convoking the Second Vatican Council in 1962. Holy Spirit, come and renew Your Church (see Ps 104:30). |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College