2013-06-28
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, we established the opposition of the flesh vs. the Spirit [GA 5: 16-17] and thus, the world vs. Christ’s followers (disciples). This notion is emphasized in JN 15: 19-21 which gives us this explanation: “If you love the world, it loves you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world as I [Christ] have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master’ [JN 13: 16]. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also…They will treat you this way because of My name.” Christ is our Covenant Partner, which means His enemies are also ours. Our Lord is One remarkable Person. He suffered all the same temptations and all the same pain and sorrows we suffered, only He never once gave in to them [HE 4: 15]. So why did the Father allow this for Him? So that He could relate to and understand the sinners for whom He would offer the chance for salvation by giving His life on the cross, answers that question. We need to understand that we are the sheep of the Good Shepherd [JN 10: 14-15], and that He and the Father are One [JN 14: 9, 11; JN 10: 30].
James was Christ’s half-brother, and he didn’t come to faith in Christ until after the crucifixion and resurrection. But in his very parental style, he writes, shooting straight from the hip! JAS 4: 4, 7, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God…Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Leading up to a prediction of His own death-- one which the crowd hearing it must have seen as stunning-- Christ spoke words, the full impact of which the crowd didn’t fully understand. Right after they heard a voice from heaven saying, “I have glorified it [referring to Christ’s previous assertion to the Father to glorify His name] and will glorify it again,”[JN 12: 28-29] Christ said, in JN 12: 30-31. “’This voice was for your benefit, not Mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’” (33) “He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.” JN 14: 30-31 supports this prediction. “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold Me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and with that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me. Come, let us leave.’” Christ’s obedience is seen here, although His humanity can be seen later in the Garden of Gethsemane in His words of LK 22: 42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup [of suffering] from Me; yet not My will but Yours be done.” He knew His suffering would be greater than any ordinary human can endure.
At this point, the question arises: Who is this Satan who causes so much suffering? And we can learn more about him. Begin at JN 16: 8-11 with Christ’s own words about the work of the Holy Spirit, then to come. “When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: In regard to sin because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” Satan is the prince of this world. In previous devotions, I have written about how Lucifer had been the Father’s favored angel in charge of worship in heaven, perfect, bright, with a voice like the music of harps, and raised among precious gems [IS 14: 11-15; EZK 28: 11-19]. One so favored decided to raise himself above the highest point in heaven, thinking himself greater than His Creator. Thus, did Lucifer and one third of the heavenly host who followed him get cast out of heaven and down to earth, their fate sealed to death and placement at the bottom of the pit, covered by worms. Satan and his followers, those who serially reject the Lord, will cause much suffering before they are finally cut off [REV 12: 12] by righteous powers greater than themselves [REV 19: 20; REV 20: 10].
The story of the Father’s bet with Satan in the book of Job reveals the Former’s superior power as early as JOB 1: 12, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he [Job] has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger…” It is the Father and not Satan Who determines the ground rules and limitations. Christ, in JN 14: 30-31, conveys important information for us to realize. The devil has no hold on Him! It isn’t off the wall to extrapolate that if we obey Christ, the devil has no hold on us either. That’s why Christ has given us the ability to cause the adversary to take a powder when he tries to use his wiles on us [EPH 1: 18-20]. We are told, in RO 12: 2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” There will be no apology for my frequent references to this crucial verse. One more straight forward description of the evil one is found in JN 8: 44, “…He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speak his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” And, that’s a pretty good argument for choosing not to be his follower!
PRAYER: O Lord, we come to You this morning to acknowledge Your long history with the adversary, Your righteousness in proclaiming him as an enemy, and our willingness to obey Your dictate in 1 PET 5: 8. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” As Your covenant partners, he is our enemy too. We are grateful for Your warnings and the necessary reconnaissance given throughout the Scriptures about who he is and how he behaves. We are also thankful for the power mentioned in EPH 1: 18-20 that You gave us to fend off his temptations and ugly behavior. It saddens us to think that “many are called and few are chosen” [MT 22: 14], with regard to choosing to follow You and not him. Surely, we wish there could be a way that all humans can be brought to that “transformation by the renewal of their mind,” but in reality, You are wise to give us free agency to choose whether or not we come to faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. You know best. We recognize the great help You have given us with the amazingly detailed accounts of who the devil is and how he behaves. We live with the realities of the conflict between the flesh and the Holy Spirit that rage within us [RO 7: 14-25]. And we thank You and praise You for giving Your Son on the cross for us as a Sin-Sacrifice that will allow our salvation to be possible [HE 10: 10]. As we pray, we pray not only for ourselves, but also for those who potentially may come to faith. We pray that they will do so quickly and in many numbers. For Christ has told us that the Kingdom of heaven is already in place in the hearts of the believers in His Son, Jesus Christ [LK 17: 21]. We also know that “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven,” [MT 5: 3] meaning that blessings come to people who know they need the presence and direction of the Holy Spirit before they can choose to reject the adversary’s evil in their lives. You are a great and faithful God, and we love You! We praise and thank You, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am led to continue writing about Christ’s enemies, as this segment of the “Our Covenant” messages continues. We can never cease to be amazed at just how much detail the Lord gives us through His word on this subject, which is of great importance to us. In this author’s way of thinking, God is revealing His loving protection of us by being so instructive. We must remember 2 TIM 3: 16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” While our works alone won’t grant us eternal life, they are natural outgrowths of His most magnificent grace. EPH 2: 8-10 reveals God’s remarkable love for us, even though we don’t deserve it. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God already prepared in advance for us to do.” Our Lord Jesus also wants us to be connected with Him through frequent prayer. If we listen for Him, He will direct us in times of doubt, temptation (one of Satan’s favorite tools), and indecision. He is the Best Friend and the wisest Advisor, we can have. Praise and thanks to Him forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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