This post was last updated on December 15, 2025

Day 299, Year 1

How Can a Human Like a Viper Escape God’s Sentence?

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (Matthew 23:33 NASB)

If sinners can be freed from “serpents” and “the brood of vipers,” then they can escape the sentence of hell. Indeed, for many first-generation believers, believing in the Lord means transforming into a divine kind of person, such as from a brute to a God-created human being, freed from the devil’s control, and continuing to detoxify the spirit and soul.

First, those who truly believe in Jesus solely belong to God. Sinners belong to their parents, to other people, to wickedness and even evil spirits, but those who truly believe in God will make themselves owned only by Him. Since Adam and Eve sinned, many people have become “serpents.” Those who distorted their humanity and are obeying the devil are “serpents.” But true believers will regain true human nature in God’s eyes, which is filled with His wisdom and understanding. Unfortunately, many temperaments, preferences, and habits of “serpents” are inherited and reinforced through parents, relatives, and predecessors. Thus, we must detest all inhuman preferences, turning brutal into human, so as to be able to regain our humanity and strive to depart from being “serpents.”

Second, and more crucially, we should detoxify ourselves in our faith and spirit after believing in Jesus. Those who do not detoxify, such as the problem of hypocrisy, etc., can lead some ignorant new believers to mistakenly think that it is right to become hypocritical Christians. These are the “vipers,” who will surely cause novices to stumble and will be punished severely by Jesus. Hence, those who have not thoroughly detoxified can sometimes inflict greater harm than non-believers. Detoxification in faith means we need to eliminate our false or toxic beliefs, wrong mentalities, emotions, and habits that are in conflict with the Bible or are harmful. Meanwhile, we need to read and absorb good examples and correct beliefs according to the Scripture so as to eliminate every false belief, word, and deed. Besides, we can read beneficial books or online materials to help ourselves detoxify completely. If you are unsure whether what you have is toxic, you can first examine its impact on people. Even if it has no obvious or negative influence according to the Bible, it is best to remove it. If you have given up something wrongly, rest assured, Jesus will surely bring you back to those good beliefs, mindsets, emotions, or habits.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think that you have been fully transformed into a new person in the eyes of the Lord Jesus? If not, in what areas would you need the Lord’s help to change?

2) Are you able to easily let go of things that are toxic or useless? If not, what are the reasons, and how would you overcome them?