Jesus was able to forgive not only those who betrayed and tormented Him, but all people to come, because He knew it was not man's fault. Man is God's creation, created perfectly in His image. By design, we are not evil or corrupt. The devil is who corrupts man, but it is more than corruption. It is inhabitation or possession. Separate the human from the spirit living inside them. There are no evil people, only evil spirits.

False teachers try to make us doubt in who Jesus Christ was, what He did for us, and thus doubt in the truth / Word of God. The devil's deception does not always come as strict opposition, such as to say that Jesus never existed or that God isn't real. Sometimes the devil's deception comes with a slight bending of the truth. The devil gains footholds in our hearts and minds by planting seeds of doubt, and then those seeds grow into weeds that consume us from the inside out.

No matter the circumstance you face, no matter how far you feel you've strayed, God is with you. God is waiting for you. God loves you. And, undoubtedly, His goodness has already shown up in your life. You need only to recognize it. The key to growing your relationship with the Lord and finding strength and peace in Him is through His Word. I encourage you to embark on your own journey through God's Word. Seek Him and you will find Him. Pray to Him and He will listen.

Through this multi-part blog series, The Divine Return, I'm going to address three major areas from my return to God. The first: the lies the devil uses to keep us from seeking God. The second: the difference between religion and relationship with the Lord. The third: how to truly surrender to the Lord and accept the Holy Spirit.

The Book of James reminds us to stand firm in our faith, seek God's wisdom, and exemplify true Christ-like love. It is a reminder of what true Christianity looks like and acts like. Let us remember the truth. Let us remember love. Let us remember we are not each other's enemy. There is only one enemy and his name is Satan.

Many people struggle with skepticism, like James, when it comes to the claims of the Bible. Because it was written by man, translated so many times, and some books were purposefully left out of Biblical cannon, it's easy for doubt to creep in, especially when we don't really want the truth.