The doctrine of glorifying God, Part 19, John 15:8.Title: The doctrine of glorifying God, Part 19, John 15:8.
Point 4: Becoming an expert witness for the prosecution in the Angelic Conflict glorifies God.
a. Summary of the Angelic Conflict. 1. Angels are divided into fallen and elect. Satan is the head of the fallen angels and all were sentenced to the Lake of Fire, Mat 25:41.
Matt 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Ezek 28:11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying,
Ezek 28:12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
Ezek 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.
Ezek 28:14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers,And I placed you there.You were on the holy mountain of God;You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek 28:15 "You were blameless in your waysFrom the day you were created,Until unrighteousness was found in you.
Ezek 28:16 "By the abundance of your tradeYou were internally filled with violence,And you sinned;Therefore I have cast you as profaneFrom the mountain of God.And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,From the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek 28:17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I put you before kings,That they may see you.
Ezek 28:18 "By the multitude of your iniquities,In the unrighteousness of your trade,You profaned your sanctuaries.Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;It has consumed you,And I have turned you to ashes on the earthIn the eyes of all who see you.
Ezek 28:19 "All who know you among the peoplesAre appalled at you;You have become terrified,And you will be no more."'"
The fall of man parallels the fall of satan and since salvation was offered to man separating the fallen from the elect, salvation was also offered to satan and the angels.
Isa 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
Isa 14:13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
Isa 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
Isa 14:15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
Isa 14:16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
Isa 14:17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'
2. The sentence was appealed by Satan asking, “How can a loving God throw His creatures into the Lake of Fire,” therefore accusing God of being unjust and unrighteous.
We know this since Satan and the fallen angels were sentenced, but the execution of that sentence doesn’t occur until the end of human history, therefore, what is occurring in human history is the appeal trial of the Angelic Conflict.
3. Mankind was created with a free will with the choices of God’s plankingdom and Satan’s plankingdom before him so that he may resolve this conflict over God’s fairness and matchless grace.
It’s not a majority vote or an electorate college. All that is needed are two witnesses.
4. Jesus Christ became a man and through His cross He revealed the righteousness and justice of God and became the strategic victor in the conflict.
5. Any believer who chooses Christ and grows to spiritual maturity and can therefore receive God’s highest and best becomes a tactical victor and the second witness needed for resolution of the question of God’s character.
Why not end the conflict after the second witness? God’s plan, in spite of evil and sin, is to bring many sons to glory.
God’s not only interested in victory. To Him victory is assured against all enemies. God is interested in a victory that overruns to all believers in an unfathomable and supernatural way.
Heb 2:8 For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Heb 2:9 But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God [ablative of source – “from God”] He might taste death for everyone [on behalf of every man = unlimited atonement].
The humanity of Christ goes from being lower than the angels in the first advent to higher than the angels after His victory on the cross. So verse 9 is his victory in the angelic conflict and since there is no article in front of “grace” the Greek emphasizes grace as the policy in God’s plan.
In verse 10 we have our victory through Him.
Heb 2:10For it was fitting for Him [this is an idiom which states that God was and is always qualified and capable for handling His plan. His plan seems complex and difficult to us but it is easy for Him], for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect [complete, cross the finish line, to carry through to completion] the author [captain or crowned prince] of their salvation through sufferings.
There are wonderful contrasts here.
God is qualified – mankind is not Our glory – Christ’s sufferings God brings – believers cross the finish line Many sons – the Prince leader of their salvation That is grace! |