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hmmhmm
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Joined: 2006/1/31
Posts: 4994
Sweden

 Re: the beginning of evil



THE ORIGIN OF SATAN


We know that God existed from all eternity. The Bible begins with the statement, "In the beginning God....." (Gen.1:1). Those are the first four words in the Bible. That is referring to the ages of eternity past - so far back that our minds cannot even understand it, because our minds can only comprehend time. God existed before time began.

But Satan did not exist before time began. Satan is a created being. But does that mean that God created an evil being? No. That would be impossible. God can never create anything evil. Everything that He creates is perfect. Even Adam and Eve, when they were created were perfect. Likewise, Satan too when he was created, was perfect. He was known then as `The morning star', or Lucifer (Isa.14:12). That name has a bad connotation now. But it was not so, way back then when he was first created.

He was created as the head of the angels, to lead the angels in the worship of God. God gave him many supernatural abilities and powers when he was created. But then he fell into sin and became Satan.

But Satan still has those powers today, because God did not take them away from him when he fell. We may wonder why God didn't take away those powers from the Devil. The reason is that God doesn't usually take back the gifts He gives. Even we human beings would not normally take back a gift that we have given to another - even if that other person turns against us one day! And so Satan uses his power to harm people. And that is why people who get in touch with him can do supernatural things through witchcraft.

It is written concerning Satan, "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning (that was his name - the shining one), O son of the dawn" (Isa.14:12)

As the head of the angels, Lucifer was in God's presence constantly. Why did he fall away? The reason is given in the next two verses (Isa.14:13,14) "Because you said in your heart `I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God....I will be like the Most High'.... Nevertheless you will be cast down into hell."

Lucifer was more gifted, more beautiful and had more supernatural abilities than all the other angels. He led the angels in the worship of God - until pride entered his heart. He then began to think, "Only One Person is above me, and that is God Himself. I will rule over Him as well."

That was really a stupid thought that came into his heart. How could he ever ascend above his Creator? But that is how Satan is - quite foolish in many of the things he does and thinks, even though he is so clever!! Many clever people in the world too do a lot of utterly foolish things, spiritually speaking. The more we study about Satan, the more we will see how stupid he is in many of the things he does.

Satan was not happy to be where God had placed him. He wanted to ascend to the place where everyone would worship him! He did not say so. He just began to have such thoughts in his heart. We read that in verse 13. But God looks at our hearts, and he looked at Lucifer's heart, and saw what he was aiming at.

There is a difference between temptation and sin. Temptation comes initially as a thought in the mind. It is only when we agree with that thought however that we sin. If, on the other hand, we reject the thought immediately, we do not sin.

For example, have you ever had an evil thought of doing something to pull another person down in the eyes of others, so that you can appear as a better person?

Do you know who was the first person to have such a thought? It was Lucifer. Whom did he want to pull down? Not the angels, because they were already below him. He wanted to pull God down. To pull people down in order to get on top yourself is the very spirit of Satan.

Why do I say that you must know your enemy? Because when such a thought enters your mind, you should recognize that your enemy is trying to get in. The roaring lion is waiting to devour you.

It did not take many years for the highest archangel to become the devil. No. Only a moment. He did not fall gradually, step-by-step. No. He came down like lightning, as Jesus said - in a moment (Lk.10:18). One moment, he was the shining one. As soon as he began nourishing the thought of becoming like God, immediately he became the devil.

How long does it take for an angel to become a devil?. Not even one second. Just a moment. How long does it take for a really good person to become like the devil? Just a moment. That's all. Remember that.

Another passage that tells us about the origin of Satan is Ezekiel 28. There we see Satan called "the king of Tyre" (Ezek.28:12). There are demon powers behind the rulers of this world and at that time Satan himself was behind the ruler of Tyre. And the Lord spoke to Satan who indwelt that human ruler.

The Lord reminded Satan of the time when he was in the garden of Eden (Ezek.28:13) This tells us that Lucifer was in Eden before Adam and Eve were there. And the Lord reminded Satan of how he had been "perfect in his ways from the day he was created until sin was found in him" (v.16,17).

Lucifer's heart was lifted up primarily because of his beauty. Is your heart ever lifted up when you look into the mirror and see how good looking you are compared to others? Beware of that. Thank God for the good gifts he has given you. There's nothing wrong in having a good-looking face. But there is everything wrong in being proud of it. For then you open the door to Satan.

Another reason for Lucifer's pride was his cleverness. Do you know that the most intelligent among all created being is Satan? There is nothing wrong with being intelligent. We can use our intelligence for the glory of God. But we have no right to be proud of it. We don't have to be stupid to serve the Lord. No. Thank God for your intelligence, and thank God for your beauty, but never be proud of either.

The third reason for Lucifer's conceit was that he had the highest position among all created beings. He failed to recognise that all these three things that he was proud of - his beauty, his cleverness and his position - were all gifts of God. And that is what many human beings - and many Christians too - fail to recognise. And that's how Satan gets a foothold in their lives, and finally destroys them.

So we see that all the sin in the world originated with pride. Not with murder or adultery but with pride. And that's why salvation came through Jesus humbling himself. The way of humility is the way of deliverance from all of Satan's schemes and wiles.

In Lucifer, we also see the origin of the spirit of discontentment with one's appointed lot in life. If we could look at this world from God's point of view, we would see the world full of grumbling, complaining, murmuring people everywhere - a spirit that they have all imbibed from Satan.

The spirit of rebellion against authority is yet another thing that originated with Lucifer. There was only one authority that Lucifer had above him - and that was God. And he rebelled against that authority. He wanted to be above that authority and to push God down. Do we find that spirit in the human race? The spirit of rebellion against authority is what has led to numerous revolutions in countries and what has caused strikes in factories. And in these days, we find that rebellious spirit even among students - not only among college students, but among school students as well, and even among small children in a home.

All this is a sure sign that the world is deteriorating. Disrespect for teachers, and for parents and even for elder brothers in the church is rife everywhere. Never forget that it was this spirit that changed the best of the angels into a devil. And this spirit can change a good boy or girl into a devil even today.

God never makes anyone evil. It is when we open ourselves to the spirit of Satan that we make ourselves evil.

And now notice one final characteristic about Lucifer. When he fell, he didn't fall alone. He had company. We read in Revelation 12:4 that he dragged down one-third of the other angels along with him. They too foolishly joined him in his spirit of pride, discontentment and rebellion. It is the same today. Where one person is evil, he is not content to remain evil by himself alone. He wants to drag others down with him into his misery and evil, as well. A root of bitterness in one person can infect many others, if those others are not watchful (See Heb.12:15).


[url=http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/book_window.php?book=know_your_enemy]Zac Poonen[/url]


_________________
CHRISTIAN

 2009/1/22 6:53Profile









 Re:

great insight hhhmmm and integrity. Great questions too, very very good questions. My friend had a question too does God predestine little babies and retarted or disabled people to hell too or our they apart of the elect? My how point in the beginning was satan was perfect in heaven but that was by gods grace, is it possible that God took away that grace so he would turn from him? That is a question for someone who believes God ordained all of this from the beginning. I still think it is a crutch to say well it is not Gods fault for man to turn against him and willfully choose to disobey and reject the gospel, according to some who believe he ordained their salvation even though they our and won't be their sheep it is their fault for not choosing because that they willingly did. But they lacked one thing the grace of God to believe, but because God passed over them it is still their fault, that is very hard to take in that we our guilty no matter what even if god passes over us, even though we really don't no better because we our blinded by satan and our dead in our spirit. But if you our a free willist you would say that god gave us free will to choose, i would say to you that the unregenerate will never choose god in his dead state, god must make you born again so you can choose to repent and believe and which you will. But see the confusion, i just want to rip my hair out, please God helps on this to find the truth, john ch. 10, 6 and romans ch. 9 our very convincing though that god ordained.ephesians ch.1 too.

 2009/1/22 13:52
rbanks
Member



Joined: 2008/6/19
Posts: 1330


 Re:

Dear bible4life,

Do you believe you have been born of God...saved by the grace of God.

Jesus said man must be born again. That is God's miracle of the new birth. Jesus said repent and believe the gospel. The gospel of Christ is nothing to be ashamed of for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

Are you saved and bringing forth the fruit of the spirit in your life, then you have believed in Christ? If you have not, nor are believing in Christ, then you are not saved.

Don't make it so hard on yourself. Get away from man's dogma and read the plain word of God. Some times you need to put what you don't understand on a shelf so to speak until God gives you better understanding. Don't let what you don't understand rob you of the joy of what you do understand. God is not the author of confusion.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Jesus from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The bible does not confuse us. What is confusing about John 3:16. What is confusing about repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for your salvation and give him all the glory for it.

I feel sorry for people who get hung up in all these "isms". We are to read the gospels over and over. Read the new testament over and over. Don't try to dissect the word of God to some man's way of thinking. Read the word of God in context with everything that is said in the passage. I will not put myself on the side of any man's 'ism' but I'm on the Lord's side knowing that there are some things I want know in this life.

I don't care which side you cling to, there are still going to be mysteries, so don't cling to neither side in there errors but cling to the Lord with praise and say Lord thou knowest and I will praise thee for Loving me with thy salvation.

Blessings to all!



 2009/1/22 14:43Profile
int3grity
Member



Joined: 2008/10/24
Posts: 76


 Re:

Great question Bible4life. Considering people go to hell for unbelief, how can those who are unable to believe be held accountable? Romans 1 tells us man is without excuse and is judged by his conscience if he never hears the Gospel. Babies and mentally retarded people cannot make such discernments and are therefore incapable of supressing the Truth in unrighteousness since they are not aware of such distinctions as right and wrong.

Therefore those who die before the age of moral awareness are of the elect. Some may say it is possible that those who caanot have awareness of morality and GOD could possibly cease to exist at death but Scripture is not clear on this.

Look up these verses: Gen 8:21, Deut 1:39, Isa 7:15-16, Jer 3:25, 2Sam 12:23.

They show a definit point in which a person comes to an age of moral awareness and give this distinction with words such as "youth", "child", etc.

Brother Rbanks- there is an anti-intellectual tone to what you have said. We shouldn't discourage people from digging in depth and trying to understand some questions the Scriptures raise.


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Ryan

 2009/1/22 16:07Profile
int3grity
Member



Joined: 2008/10/24
Posts: 76


 Re:

Brother Bible4life, I should also mention that GOD does not actively predestine people to hell as your friend asserted in his question. He predestines people to be conformed to the image of CHRIST (Rom 8:29) in order to bring glory to Himself. Being conformed to the image of CHRIST results in righteousness and holiness which are things the natural man doesn't want to begin with. The ultimate result of this conformity is heavenly enjoyment of GOD which the natural man doesn't enjoy either. To quote Paul Washer, "everyone wants to go to heaven, they just don't want GOD to be there".


_________________
Ryan

 2009/1/22 16:21Profile





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