Unprincipled Success is Failure
Luke 4:6-7
And the devil said to him, All this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered to me…


What looks outwardly like the highest worldly success, may, nevertheless, be the worst kind of failure, because it has been purchased at the price of honesty and principle. It is not so very difficult to gain riches and social position, to secure control over this or that kingdom of earth, provided a man will bend all his energies towards that particular end, and at the same time crush down every conscientious scruple that rises to protest in God's name against the unrighteousness of the methods he is using. Christ would not march to His kingdom except by a king's highway, and along an unswerving path of loyal integrity. In the worship and also in the service of God, that is to say, both by making Him supreme, and then, instead of folding our hands, using every power we have in the work to which He calls us, we too can resist the power of him who comes whispering with honeyed, sympathetic voice, "Peer, weary, unsuccessful one. let me show you an easier way."

(E. E. Johnson, M. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

WEB: The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.




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