Satan's Invitation To Hell

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” [Luke 21.34-36] 

Carousing and drunkenness make a person's heart dull. This dullness has an adverse effect upon a person's readiness for the Lord's return. This dullness adversely affects a person's ability to "watch" for Jesus. This dullness is directly related to a person's inability to "see" Jesus' return. This dullness is likened to a trap preventing a person from standing before Jesus. Carousing and drunkenness prevent a person from entering heaven.

Carousing and drunkenness however are not the only things that prevent a person from entering heaven. The worries of this life do everything carousing and drunkenness do.

Jesus spoke emphatically to this issue earlier in His ministry:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.19-34]

"Seeing" is as much a spiritual word as it is a physical word in the Bible, and certainly so in the two scripture passages referenced heretofore in this article. It should be noted that "seeing" is also very much affected by idolatry.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8 bold added]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18 bold added] 

Idols and idolatry prevent a person from "seeing." They prevent a person from "watching out." It is just as much an affront to God to be "blinded" by carousing and drunkenness as it is to be "blinded" by the worries of this life (food, clothing, etc.). God's desire is that His people very soberly and intentionally look to and trust in Him ALONE. It is God's desire that His people "watch out" for Jesus. Carousing and drunkenness foolheartedly ignores the issue, and worrying about the cares of this life foolheartedly thinks the issue can be fixed by human means. Both are dulling distractions from "watching out" for Jesus.

The faith Jesus repeatedly demanded of His followers is not optional. If we can "see" it, the consequences of not "watching out" for Jesus was demonstrated when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and waves (worries of this life) instead...

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. [Matthew 14.30]

The carnal, imposter, false church today, while to some degree discouraging carousing and drunkenness, unashamedly excuses and even defends the worries of this life (after all, a person has to have food and clothes, right? ...and God knows our hearts, right?). If the church today is not so much blinded by carousing and drunkenness, it is very much blinded by the worries of this life. Saying it isn't so is just a lie. There is little, if any, distinction between those who are God's and those who are not when it comes to the worries of this life.

It is not possible to "watch out" for Jesus while "watching out" for the worries of this life.

How important is this matter, really? It is important enough that Jesus addressed it at length as His earthly ministry drew near its end (profoundly discussed in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading).

"Watching out" for the worries of this life screams, "I do not trust God!" The only remedy for this is to "watch out" for Jesus Who said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

What is my "own way" if it is not my own idolatrous solutions to the worries of this life? And, in amazingly preemptive forethought, Jesus addressed what we all ultimately fear if we do not tend to the worries of this life - that we might die - when He said we must take up our cross... Following Jesus is "watching out" for Him with no concern whatsoever for the worries of this life (even unto death).

So, just real quick, let's go ahead and address the "where's the grace?" question. The grace is found in faith: grace is not found where there is no faith.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [Ephesians 2.8 underline added]

In other words, "if there is no faith, then there is no grace." Grace is not mandatory, but faith is. Faith is "watching out" for Jesus while the wind-and-waves-worries-of-this-life are Satan's invitation to hell.

Father, I find no Biblical excuse for my worries of this life. May I be found watching out for Jesus - giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Him. So be it.