Sharing the happiness of God, part 10, the schemes of the devil; John 15:11.Title: Sharing the happiness of God, part 10, the schemes of the devil; John 15:11.
Cosmic Two: the hatred complex – fighting God.
Room #1: Negative volition. At three places: God consciousness, gospel hearing, post-salvation NVTD.
Before we continue with arguments for the existence of the one and only God, I want to pause for a bit and examine the schemes and temptations that draw us into these two systems of the cosmos.
If we walk in the light as Christ did we will be filled with His joy. If we walk in the darkness we will live in secret and in shame.
Christ has brought the light into the darkness, Gen 1:3, and every believer is positionally sanctified at salvation being placed in union with Christ. So why is there such a draw in the form of continued temptation to not live in that sanctification?
Positional sanctification: the believer is set apart from sin and death in position unto God forever.
Experiential sanctification: through PVTD the believer has a lifestyle set apart from cosmic one and two and has maximum residence in the PPOG.
Very few believers experience sanctification in their lives. Many are indistinguishable from unbelievers and others become religious and self-righteous.
It would be difficult to find a believer who has been offered the happiness of God and refused it. The problem is not in the desire for happiness, but in the method by which it is attained.
We are tempted by our OSN’s and the world system, but I want to focus on the third enemy, the designer of the world system, the murderer, the corruptor, the deceiver, satan.
How can satan be so clever?
Satan is a cherub angel, which makes him superior to man. He has far more experience than any man. He has the power to deceive by transforming himself into an angel of light or a fierce dragon.
From the time of his first sin until his final defeat, Satan’s plan and purpose, have been, are, and always will be to seek to establish a rival rule to God’s kingdom.
Satan’s purpose to establish a rival kingdom to God’s is extremely deceptive because of its subtly in trying to counterfeit God’s program.
If you’re in the business of counterfeiting 0 bills you are not going to put Lincoln’s picture on it. But also, you’d be a fool to make bills that looked so good and close to the original which cost 0 each to produce. The US mint makes it very difficult for counterfeiters to get the same paper, ink, and machines that produce currency. In the same fashion, satan does not have the tools that God possesses in order to pull off a rival kingdom. He is not omniscient, omnipresent, nor omnipotent.
Since satan desires a counterfeit kingdom, but lacks the power to equal God, his kingdom has a lot of the same surface features, but everything promised is by means of a shortcut.
While God promises His own happiness, which is a lifelong pursuit taking decades of PVTD, satan also promises happiness that is much inferior to God’s but is gained in a much shorter fashion.
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
2 Cor 2:5 But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree — in order not to say too much — to all of you.
2 Cor 2:6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority,
2 Cor 2:7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2 Cor 2:8 Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Cor 2:9 For to this end also I wrote that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
2 Cor 2:10 But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
2 Cor 2:11 in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
If we are ignorant of satan’s desire to counterfeit God’s plan then it will be more easy for him to deceive you.
Here we see a lack of forgiveness, which is shrouded by the real fact that the man was having an affair with his father’s wife. Initially the Corinthians were rejoicing in this saying it was all a part of grace [cosmic 1, room #23 – the arrogance of lust]. Then when Paul commanded them to kick the man out of the church they rushed to the other side and condemned the man even after he repented and wouldn’t let him back into the church [cosmic 2, room #5 – religious self-righteousness and lack of grace].
Satan doesn’t care what side of the spectrum you are on in cosmic one or cosmic two. He can offer something that is good, but it is not the best – God’s divine good.
Satan boldly announced his counterfeiting policy when he fell.
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.
Not unlike, but like the Most High.
Satan markets himself to man as someone who is on their side and that he only wants to help, Gen 3:5.
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
Gen 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Gen 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'"
Gen 3: 4 And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!
Gen 3:5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Gen 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
Gen 3:10 And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
Rejecting God’s sphere of love and accepting the counterfeit leads to shame and embarrassment, or what is a seared conscience. Have a good conscience and you shall ever have joy.
The conscience is the place of norms and standards. God’s word changes our conscience. Violated the standards of our conscience removes the happiness of God from our hearts. |