The Satanic Will

During my youth there was a rise of overt satanism.  Occult symbols and practices were expressed in children's cartoons and there were reports of cats being used as sacrifices.  Satanic imagery was employed in artwork and lyrics of rock musicians which shocked the conservative public.  A personal example is when my family arrived early to church on a Sunday morning to find large pentagrams etched onto the doors of the building and also discovered "666" carved by vandals on the communion table.  Though the sensational reports of satanic activity these days is rare, Satan continues to lie, steal, and destroy.

I was reminded of this reality when I read a passage of scripture toward the end of King David's life in 1 Kings 1:5:  "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him."  Like Absalom his brother before him, Adonijah the son of David proudly exalted himself and declared, "I will be king."  He felt entitled to the kingdom of Israel.  The tone of his statement bears a striking resemblance to Lucifer's claim (also called Satan or the devil, among other names) in Isaiah 14:12-15:  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! ¹³ For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."

God created Lucifer perfect yet pride was found in him that asserted, "I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne; I will be like the Most High!"  One of the modern satanic maxims taps directly into this satanic will:  "Do what thou wilt shalt be the whole of the Law."  Don't we live in an age which exalts self, which urges people to follow their hearts, to do or be whoever they want to be--without acknowledgement of God or humility before Him?  James exposed the wickedness in boastfully asserting our will without faith and submission to God in James 4:13-17:  "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil."  Boasting isn't just the tone we use but relates to sinful motives in our hearts.

James followed the example of Jesus Christ who did not rail upon the sins in the world but exhorted people to personally repent for their own sin, pride, and boasting.  James wrote to believers who needed correction from a self-willed perspective so they might repent of evil and adopt a humble, God-honouring one instead.  It is interesting to me James encourages people to say, "If the LORD wills, we shall live and do this or that."  This emphasises our connection to Jesus Christ through faith and the Body of Christ the church.  If we are in Christ we are never alone!  This is not to suggest Christians are obliged to speak to pastors or ministers in the church to run their plans by them for approval, but that we are in submission to God.  God is the one being Who is not presumptuous, boastful, or proud when He says, "I will!"  The satanic "I will" is a subtle (or not so subtle!) way of playing God, a vain boast we ought to repent of.  We should choose instead to humble ourselves before God like Jesus:  "Not my will but Yours be done."

Showers of Grace

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Matthew 5:43-45

People across Sydney and much of Australia awakened this morning praising God for the rain that has come to our dry land.  This soaking rain has been predicted to remain for at least a week and will provide much needed relief from bushfires, smoke, and high heat coupled with drought conditions.  For months now I have been praying for rain and it is a blessing to see God answer the requests of many toward this refreshing end.

Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies, doing good to those who hate them, and pray for those who spitefully use them.  The reason given for this is based upon the example of God who makes the sun to rise on the evil and good, and sends rain on the just and unjust.  People across the globe are benefactors of God's goodness, grace, and generous provision who do not acknowledge or thank Him.  Australia is called by many "the lucky country" and do not ascribe glory to God for the richness of the land He has provided for us.  Yet even on avowed enemies of God He has sent an abundance of rain today we all desperately need:  fires are burning, dams are at the lowest level in over a decade, and because of water restrictions our gardens and lawns are dry.

If we are born again children of God through faith in Jesus, then our acts can and ought to reflect His love and grace.  On people who walk in darkness He allows the sun to shine and the Light of the World Jesus Christ has been sent to save them.  Sydney is known to have scattered showers which drench one area and another remains dry.  God has the power to withhold rain and to cause it to fall, but let us not think any of us deserve His blessings because of our goodness or our relation to Him:  all we have received is of grace.  God answers our prayers for rain with showers from heaven because He is gracious, not because He owes us anything.  God is compassionate and gracious to all, commanding rain to fall on the just and unjust because He is good, faithful, and delights in mercy.

Scripture With Scripture

Using scripture to interpret scripture is a most valuable practice and provides great insight into God's truth.  Because the Bible is the infallible Word of God apparent contradictions can aid us understanding it is not always "either or" but sometimes "both."

An example is seen in 2 Samuel 24:1-2:  "Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." ² So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people."  As a loving father disciplines a child he loves, God at times disciplined His people for their sin through a variety of means:  being troubled or defeated by enemies, stirring up adversaries from within, famine, pestilence, lack of rain, and on.  We are not told precisely why God's anger was aroused against Israel, but scripture reveals God is sovereign, slow to anger, and longsuffering.  His righteous anger (when stirred up) is always justified and perfectly weighted with love and grace.

A parallel passage with a significant difference is found in 1 Chronicles 21:1-2:  "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. ² So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it."  Some might ask, "Was it Satan or God who moved David to take a census?"  One thing we know about the character of Satan from scripture is he is a liar and murderer from the beginning who always is an adversary against God and His people and desires their destruction.  The explanation is God used Satan as the instrument to chasten and teach His own people--even as He used the Babylonians to judge Israel.  There is always a limit to our knowledge or understanding but we should bring the whole counsel of God to aid us to best interpret a Bible passage.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary puts it like this:  "This is no contradiction for the Lord had simply allowed Satan to prompt David to an improper course of action in order that Israel might be punished and that David might be instructed. This is similar to the Lord's permitting Satan to trouble Job (Job 1:12; 2:6) and His allowing an evil spirit to torment Saul (1 Sam. 16:14). In any case, the Lord Himself did not incite David to do evil for "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone" (James 1:13)."  The Commentary illustrates the need to go beyond even the two passages initially cited to look for precedent which support or reject an interpretation.  Knowing the character of God as revealed in scripture helps us rule out erroneous implications and draw informed and useful interpretations and personal applications from scripture.  Having a solid foundation of scriptural truth under our feet by faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are then enabled to grow in understanding and spiritual maturity.

The Third Dimension

In a world of uncertainty there is security in absolutes.  We like the clear-cut difference between "yes" and "no" or our choices being limited between "A or B."  In Christian circles this desire can filter into doctrine to allow us to make judgments between right or wrong and to determine the "saved" from "unsaved."  Though the truth of God is objective and unchanging our perception of it is in degrees because our limited understanding.  Applying the revelation of God and His Word is more nuanced than a choice between two options.  There are 32 compass points but not one of those readings take vertical elevation into account!

Yesterday I read Romans 1 in the morning and was impacted by something I never noticed before.  It is very easy as a believer in Christ to read this passage (and others like it) with a sort of spiritual superiority akin to the way Jews viewed Gentiles before Jesus established the church and made us one in Him.  When Paul talks about atheists, idolators, fornicators, or homosexuals, surely he is referring to them--not us real Christians, and certainly not me.  Yet see what Romans 1:24-25 says in the KJV, "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: ²⁵ who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

If we relegate the second part of Romans 1 to only the unsaved it has far less personal impact than if we believe it can relate to all people, including myself.  The person who changed the truth of God into a lie is one who "worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator."  The implication of this is enormous because this is not an atheist but one who worships and serves the Creator, to a degree has knowledge of God!  This suggests a degree of worship and service unto God.  The people Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 could be included in this number:  "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" (bold emphasis mine)

Is it possible a genuine Christian can change the truth of God into a lie, to worship and serve the creature more or rather than the Creator?  Sure!  Christianity can be viewed as a means to a better life now through financial gain or blessings.  It is the promise of eternal salvation without forgiveness, forgiveness without repentance, and repentance without brokenness for sin.  The Gospel can be distorted to worship all the benefits we receive from God rather than God who has freely given us all things by His grace.  Christians, like all sinners, have natural leanings towards serving the creature more than the Creator through man-pleasing, self-seeking, and being a respecter of persons.  How important it is to take God's Word personally so we might take it to heart and repent, and not to imagine warnings cannot legitimately apply to us because of our two-dimensional bias.