Allow me to read the lyrics to a song titled “Devil’s Pie” by rapper D’Angelo which was popularized in the movie “Belly”.
Forget the slice; we want the pie
Why ask why till we fry
Watch us all stand in line
For a slice of the devil’s pie
Drugs and thugs, women and wine
Three or four at a time
Watch them stand all in line
For a slice of the devil’s pie
Who am I to justify
All the evil in our eye
When I myself feel the high
From all that I despise
Behind the jail or in the grave
I have to lay in this bed I made
If I die before I wake
I hope the Lord don’t hesitate
To get me to heaven
’cause I’ve done been through hell
Tell my peeps all is well
All them fools whose soul’s for sale
Sitting next to the Jezebel
Demons screaming in my ear
All my anger all my fear
If I holler let them hear
In this spinning sphere
Main ingredients to this dish
Goes like this; Here’s the list
Materialism, greed and lust, jealousy, envious
Bread and dough, cheddar cheese, flash and stash, cash and cream
Temperatures at a high degree
Where niggas come to feast
Hell’s this all about
Apocalypse ain’t no doubt
Everbody’s ho’ing out all the loot all the clout
Right or wrong
Do or die
Only the vengeance will pacify
Watch your back
And so will I
In these days and time
Ain’t no justice
It’s just us
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
The time has come for most of us
To choose in which God we trust
I know I was born to die
Searching to find
Peace of mind
With eighty five dumb and blind
There can be no compromise
These lyrics clearly describe the sinful desires and activities of mankind — taking drugs, being involved in violent gang activity, illicit sexual relationships, and drunkenness. D’Angelo’s song describes people as eager to engage in such activity. They are actually standing in line to get in on the action even though it is detrimental to their well-being.
The Bible describes mankind in much the same way. Isaiah 59:7 says, “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.” This tendency for sin is something that every person has. D’Angelo goes on to say of himself:
Who am I to justify
All the evil in our eye
When I myself feel the high
From all that I despise
D’Angelo identifies himself as a sinner as well. In fact, all of us can be categorized under that label. We all “feel the high” — the pleasure of sinful action — even though we may come to regret and despise our evil deeds. As the Bible says in Romans 3: “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Just as God’s Word declares that we are all sinners, it also declares that we must all be punished for our sins. Or, as D’Angelo puts it:
Behind the jail or in the grave
I have to lay in this bed I made
If I die before I wake
I hope the Lord don’t hesitate
To get me to heaven
’cause I’ve done been through hell
Tell my peeps all is well
Dear friend, you and I are held accountable by God for our sinful actions. That is why we suffer from the consequences of sin. Governments punish wrongdoers by sending them to jail. But, the Bible tells us that the “wages of sin is death.” Each and every one of us will die and go to the grave because of our sins. After we die, we will go to one of two eternal destinations — Heaven or Hell — based on a decision we make in this life. Listen to how D’Angelo’s song explains this choice:
Ain’t no justice
It’s just us
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
The time has come for most of us
To choose in which God we trust
What is the choice you have to make today? The choice is this: Knowing that one day you will die — your body will return to dust — you must choose now whether or not you will trust God for salvation and deliverance from sin and the consequences of sin, or if you will continue taking slices from the devil’s pie. You must choose between the Lord who can get you into Heaven or the devil’s way which leads to Hell and eternal punishment.
The Bible tells us that in Heaven, the effects of sin will be eradicated. The best thing about this place, however, is that everyone who goes there will be in the presence of the loving Creator who is the source of all life and everything that is good. Inspite of our sins, God still loves us and wants us to enjoy His presence forever. He does not want us to suffer from sickness, disease, death, and ultimately Hell. That is why he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and take the punishment for our sins.
John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Through the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross, God has opened the doorway for every person in the world to be saved from sin and the eternal punishment of sin. You do not have to keep eating from the devil’s pie and wallowing in the consequences of those actions. When you are “saved” you are given “everlasting life” through Jesus Christ, and you will not have to suffer spiritual death or eternal punishment in hell.
You can be washed and cleansed of your sins, of the bad things that you have done, if you receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Isaiah 1:18 tells us about this washing and cleansing when it says, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
This can happen to you if you choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to come into your heart and save you. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you will begin a relationship with God that will last for eternity. If you want to begin this relationship right now, you can pray a short prayer to let God know that you are deciding to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour so that you can spend eternity with him. Please repeat after me and mean it from your heart.
Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Believe by faith. Share the faith. And keep the faith! God Bless You!