“Window On The Word”: Read John 8: 43-44. This passage presents Jesus involved in a long-running confrontation with the Jewish religious authorities regarding His teachings about God the Father. Jesus taught truth about God, with which the authorities so deeply disagreed, that they sought to discredit Him and charge him with blasphemy. In this passage, Jesus is not speaking as gentle Jesus, meek and mild. One can almost see the has fire in His eyes and hear the boldness in His voice. What He said tells us something about the authorities, but, just as important, He tells us something about Satan. (1) Jesus clarifies the reality or Satans personhood. Today, most modern thinking has dismissed the notion of a satanic being of personal evil, as the holdover of religious superstition by the uneducated. Many of the so called theologically sophisticated, who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus seem to forget this same Jesus believed in and encountered Satan as a person. There is not a person alive who knows more about the person of Satan, than Jesus. As Pre-existent Christ, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.” As Incarnate Son, Jesus was confronted with the person of Satan in the wilderness temptation. As preacher/teacher, Jesus confronted Satan twisted religion of legalism. As self-sacrificing Messiah, Jesus confronted and defeated Satan on the cross and by the resurrection. (2) Jesus clarified the nature of Satans personhood. Jesus called Satan, a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth. Wherever Satan is at work, stuff dies! When Satan is active in a marriage, love dies. When Satan is active in a church, the work of the Holy Spirit dies. When Satan is active in the community morality dies. When Satan is active in the human heart, the soul dies. Satans nature is to kill everything he touches. (3) Jesus clarified the manifestation of his personhood. Connected to Satans nature as a murderer, is how he manifests himself as a liar. Jesus called him a liar and the father of lies. The Apostle Paul said he manifest himself as an angel of light [II Cor. 11:14]. Evangelist, the late Vance Havner said, “If the Devil came to town in a body, you wont likely find him in a night club, or gambling dive. Hes already got those folks. Youll more likely find him in a pulpit, with a D. D., drawing a salary for denying his own existence.” The Devil is the father of lies who specializes in half-truths. A half truth is a complete lie, but it can be presented so attractively that people are led down a pleasing garden path to their own destruction. Given the decisions of some legalistic authorities recently, it is evident Satan is still alive and well on planet earth... to quote Hal Lendsey. Think about it. Have a Great Day and spread the Word!
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 13:03:18 +0000
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