Sharing the happiness of God, part 11; the schemes of the devil; John 15:11Title: Sharing the happiness of God, part 11; 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.
/We do not value things that come to us too easily. Experiential sanctification takes decades of dedication to God’s word and when you have it you will greatly value it, protect it, and cherish it.\
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.
/Prov 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding. \
Our third enemy, the designer of the world system, the murderer, the corruptor, the deceiver, satan, has been very successful at forcing his world system into the church and the church into the world system, thus destroying the church’s sanctification. The Church is in the world, but not of the world. The Church reaches out to the world with the gospel and truth without succumbing to world systems for doing it.
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.\
A good counterfeiter does not make obvious errors. His errors, which are always there, are subtle.
/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.
2 Cor 2:11 in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
He took advantage of an ignorant woman in the garden and she in turn took advantage of a cognizant man, but offering a shortcut.
Satan did the same to our Lord in the three recorded temptations in the wilderness. Turn the stones into bread and so take a shortcut to logistical grace support. Jump off the pinnacle of the temple so that they will all notice you, therefore taking a shortcut to establishing His ministry. Bow down and worship satan and you’ll receive all the kingdoms of the world and thereby take a shortcut to all power and dominion and skip the suffering of the cross.
/Satan offers things that sound as if they might be from God and there is always a shorter, easier, scheme-ier, route to get them.\
Satan has a false gospel, a false Christ, a false communion table and false doctrines that are taught by false ministers.
1 Tim 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 Tim 3:2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
2 Tim 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
2 Tim 3:5 holding to a form of godliness [outward form of the spiritual life, but like a white washed tomb there is nothing inside except darkness and death], although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.
2 Cor 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
2 Cor 11:11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
2 Cor 11:12 But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
What Paul and his companions boast about is their wisdom and insight into the mystery doctrine of the Church.
2 Cor 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
2 Cor 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.
/Satan is a shape shifter. He will promote false light at one time and obvious darkness at another time. He motivated Ananias’ and Sapphira’s lying hypocrisy and he motivates marital infidelity.\
/Acts 4:32 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?\
/This is the arrogance of promoting yourself in God’s plan. If God doesn’t promote you, you are not promoted.\
Barnabas sold his land and gave the whole price to the church and then Ananias and Sapphira implied that they did the same thing. Barnabas had capacity for graciousness and therefore promotion while this couple had approbation lust.
God is the one who always promotes. When God promotes you, nothing can stop that promotion. Don’t live in fear that you will be over-looked or that you did this or that wrong. When you have the capacity, God will promote you in His timing.
/Heb 10:35-36 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. \
/2 John 8 Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.\
/Satan attacks marriages, 1Co 7:5.\
/1 Cor 7:5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control.\
When you are depriving one another, then the sacrificial nature of your love for one another is gone and there is a barrier between you. Husbands, understand the needs of your wife, and wives, know the needs of your husband and both of you understand that men and women are different and that no one has been designed to be a mind reader. Love, respect, and forgive so that Satan doesn’t find an opening in you or your mate.
Be sure that you know the simple truth: /Satan will use every opening that we give him.\
2 Cor 2:11 in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
/In carrying out his design to counterfeit the plan of God, satan has many devices which he will employ at any time and in any variety and combination of ways. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.\
If you find yourself in C1 or C2, you know that you have been forewarned. Quickly rebound and recover.
/Satan’s schemes: #1 – Master counterfeiter. \
Matt 13:24 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Matt 13:25 "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.
/The blade of a tare is indistinguishable from wheat. Since tares are unsuitable as human food they must be separated, which is much easier after the grains have matured.\ |