Lost & Found: Deliverance From Evil - Genesis 3:1

Lost & Found: Deliverance From Evil - Genesis 3:1: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said...

Deliverance From Evil - Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1

    Now some will contend that the voice of Satan was allegorical. I won’t submit otherwise but only to say that the voice Eve heard, whether allegorically, literally, or in her head, was indeed the voice of Satan, as is the voice we hear that prompts us to sin. Be that as it may, we must understand unequivocally: Genesis 3 is the origin of mankind’s stake in spiritual warfare.
    I am thoroughly convinced that the devil can so control the thoughts, words, and deeds of a man or a woman that their deliverance can only be wrought by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no psychological, psychiatric, or pharmacological remedy. There is only the Spirit of Jesus Christ. A jail sentence is merely a penalty. True conviction can only be given by the Holy Spirit. Therein lies deliverance.
    “And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.” - Mark 5:2-4. I refer to Mark’s account of the Gerasene demoniac because of the Apostle’s straight-forward writing style. He doesn’t mince words.
    The symbolism contained in the Gerasene account cannot be minimized. Here we see a man whose behavior was described as that of an “unclean spirit.” He lived among the tombs (the dead) as do all who have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. And despite his being bound with shackles and chains (laws and convention), he broke them all and no one could tame his impulses (thoughts, words, and deeds). His “possession,” as it were, was uncontrollable and unbound.
    Consider again our title verse - the cunning of the serpent. The devil and his demonic army is no junior varsity team. They are smarter than we are. They know our weaknesses and how to exploit them. And they are extremely successful doing so. Consider the temptation of Christ in the wilderness - “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.” - Matthew 4:5. Yes, the devil is that powerful! There are two trains of thought regarding this incident. One, suggests that Satan literally took Christ to the temple, while a second suggests that it occurred only in Christ’s mind. Regardless of the view, what is of the most import is that the devil was capable of such a task. And if Satan was able to move Christ to the temple, where can he move us to?
    There will be many who laugh and suggest I am giving too much credit to an evil spiritual entity, assuming that such an entity even exists. The Bible assures us . . . it does and it is dangerous. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8.
    Satan uses the beautiful, enjoyable, and delicious things in life to entice us to sin. He did so from the beginning and he does so now. After all, if sin was not pleasurable who would entertain the thought of it let alone enter into it? “So when the woman saw that the tree was for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” - Genesis 3:6. We see that sin appears desirable and not only draws us into it but encourages us to draw others into it.
    Before coming to Christ we are as unbridled horses running at full speed toward perdition and destruction. This is the direct result of our fallen or sin nature and it is groomed and fed by none other than Satan himself. The devil doesn’t have to work too hard to move us in his direction. Nothing short of a divine intervention can possibly save us from ourselves. This is the curse of Genesis 3. Again, faith in Christ is the only remedy.
    There is evil in the world. To deny this is not only naive but dangerous. The savagery of fallen man knows no limit. History, whether written by the victor or the vanquished, is the story of man’s evil disposition toward himself or one another. There is only one response to evil and that is the presence of Jesus Christ. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Christ has defeated death itself; we need never fear.
                       

The Social Justice Gospel Revisited - Revelation 14:6-7

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—  saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” - Revelation 14:6-7

    Is there any mention of a specific message to people of color, the poor, the sick, or any other specific worldly demographic? Of course not! Here’s the point: The moment any minister or anyone for that matter molds, dissects or otherwise presents the gospel in such a way that appeals to anyone but sinners, they have violated both the veracity and the holiness of God’s revealed word!
    The gospel is the word of God presented to all men without respect to their race, ethnicity, or status in life to present them with the “good news” of Christ’s salvific offering. This is the only gospel contained in the Holy Bible and outside of the Bible there is no gospel offered. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” - Romans 1:16.
    There is never a point in time that Jesus offered anything but salvation to those who would believe in Him. He never offers worldly riches, status, privilege, justice, social equality, gender equality, choice of sexual orientation, or even basic health . . . to anyone at any time or anywhere during this earthly life. The gospel of Jesus Christ, as given to us in the Bible, is offered to anyone who believes that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son and His promise of salvation. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6. This is all that the Bible has promised! How dare they raise their fists as signs of worldly power against the word of God!
    There is no “word weaver magic,” language deconstruction, or “speech-act theory gobbledygook” affecting semantics or the intended meaning of Holy Scripture. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that the Bible is in error and quite fallible! We have had over 2000 years of the greatest commentators (Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, et al.) in Christian history, led by the Holy Spirit, exegeting what the meaning of Holy Scripture is. The social justice gospel is nothing more than a wet mongrel that has crawled into consideration in the last century! And might I remind those who believe this patent heresy: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7. I wouldn’t want to be attached to the hand that sowed that seed. Remember well the words of Paul to the Galatians - “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” - Galatians 1:8.
    So what of people who have been disenfranchised by the status quo? What about people who are denied their basic rights and necessities? Do they have no recourse in this world? As Christians, we are to treat everyone as we would be treated. BUT Christ’s message of love drives even deeper than just “doing unto others.” There is a command that goes to the heart of the “Golden Rule.”
    “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” - 1 John 4:20-21. And it doesn’t stop there. “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” - 1 John 3:17.
    Yes, as Christians we most certainly do have a responsibility to right injustice when we encounter it. But our responsibility is to “mankind,” not one or two particular demographics. No specific “identity group” has a monopoly on the word of God. And when such groups boldly declare that the Gospel holds a special revelation for them and for them alone, they are lying. These are lies devised by the devil himself and disseminated by his minions.
    The Christian responsibility to brotherhood extends beyond race, ethnicity, color or denomination; it extends to mankind. Remember the Lord’s Prayer - “OUR Father . . . .” That applies to all mankind, believers and unbelievers, without prejudice until the Day of Judgment when Jesus Christ returns. “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:12.
    May we all understand the love of God for His elect, chosen from before the foundation of the world from all the nations of man.

The Sweet Aroma God Requires - Hosea 6:6

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
 - Hosea 6:6

    How many of us have placed our ritual practices front and forward as evidence of our piety? Of our faith? Think about it for a moment. Have our pharisaical robes supplanted the contents of our hearts? God couldn’t care less for our theatrics. He doesn’t care about profession; He cares about possession.  Do we possess the love for one another that God demands of us? “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” - Colossians 3:12-14.
    Our religious trappings mean nothing compared to what we hold in our hearts. As Christians, we can fast, say Novenas, rosaries, the stations of the cross. We can sing in the choir,  tithe until we are financially broken, or we can fast ourselves to death! None of that matters. There are so many traditions of men that dilute what God wants from each of us, and what God wants and expects from us is . . . love. “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” - Romans 13:8.
    We seem to avoid the obvious lessons of Jesus Christ when we seek to appease God with our traditions and rituals. All the time believing we are pleasing Him with the perfume of our offerings. But are we guilty of the sin of proclaiming our belief and faith in God yet failing to fulfill His law? “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”- Galatians 5:14. Do we? Do we?
    Do we absolutely love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Can any of us stand before a mirror and proclaim that we absolutely love our neighbors as we love ourselves? But more important: can we stand before God and make that claim?
    We boldly state that we understand God’s will for us. But God demands that we know Him. If we know Him, we know His will for us. “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” - John 17:25-26.
    The knowledge of God must produce in us the love of Him and our neighbors. “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’”- Matthew 22:36-40.
    God doesn’t require sacrifice, burnt offerings, or any other contrivance to show our knowledge or love for Him. He requires we put on love for both Him and our neighbors. Love is the sweet aroma God requires.

God’s Law Is the Benchmark - Deuteronomy 6:6-9

   
 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” - Deuteronomy 6:6-9

    One of the most confrontational issues of the 21st Century is the subject of morality. If you want to inflame any social gathering just bring up the subject of morality. Better yet, paraphrase Pontius Pilate when he asked Christ - “What is truth?” - John 18:38. Substitute the word “morality” for truth and you will likely be accused of setting the fields on fire. Yet it need not be this way.
    Using the most conventional language, leaving theology out of it, and entering the laboratory we would all have to agree that a base understanding of the sciences requires that we create and maintain a “set point of reference” for the purpose of measurement. This way, unlike modern math, every equation has one specific right answer. Regardless of which side of the aisle you stand on, this is hardly a contentious position. It is, in fact, the only logical and rational hill to die upon. And when defining a set point of reference we use words like standard, benchmark, model, guideline, yardstick, or norm. Yet when discussing such an ethereal concept as morality, all the conventional points of reference become skewed by the shrill, insistent, and arbitrary demand that there can be no one set standard for morality. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” - Judges 21:25. After all, we are no longer talking science here. Well, so goes that argument.
    The problem with this assertion is that once we leave the security of the laboratory and switch the controls  from benchmark to arbitrary, we wind up with this hot mess we call “the world.” And every problem we are forced to deal with in this world, i.e., crime, hatred, war, deceit, greed, corruption, racism, sexism, poverty, et al, can be traced directly back to the inability to standardize human behavior because the devil’s minions uncompromisingly declare that “what is right for you isn’t necessarily right for me!” Why?  “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” - Romans 8:7.
    So mankind arbitrarily chooses to obey the standards that suit him at the moment while brazenly disobeying those he chooses to ignore. And the fundamental argument is that you cannot force me to follow your morals because I have my own code of morality that I prefer to follow. Can you imagine a world where there were no standards, guidelines, or norms for us to follow? You don’t have to imagine it; that is the world we live in and we have seen the results of such arbitrary compliance. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” - Proverbs 14:12.
    We have visited the laboratory and seen the human experiment in morality gone wrong. It is time to return to God’s creation and the benchmarks He has provided for us. Clearly, there must be a standard we are to follow if we are to live out our days as we are meant to and that standard doesn’t include erroneous delusions of carpe diem, seizing the moment, the Millennial’s cry “you only live once, or the Nike mantra, “Just do it!”  God’s law is the benchmark for all men to follow, not just some men. We ignore His law at our own peril. “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:29.
    Now there are many who will say that we are not saved by the law; the implication being that there is no pressing need to follow the law. This view is held by the Antinomians who contend that “the law is dead” and therefore there is no need to adhere to moral, religious, or social norms. This long-held belief is pure and unadulterated heresy! For while we may not be saved by God’s law, we are certainly for the sake of ourselves and our fellow men to follow it and live by it. Christ Himself issued the proclamation - “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:37-40.
    When it comes down to whose morals we practice it’s not a contest between yours and mine. There is only one set point of morality literally carved into stone for all men, and that benchmark is God’s law.

Deo Volente - Luke 22:41-42

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” - Luke 22:41-42

   Christ agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying to His heavenly Father to remove Him from  the fate of death by crucifixion . . . if He was willing. In lieu of that plea being granted Christ went on to say, “not My will, but Yours, be done.” In short, Jesus prayed for His deliverance from death . . . God willing.   
    How many times in our lives have we heard the desire for a particular outcome petitioned with the small prayer, “God willing.” Even unbelievers will sometimes use the expression revealing their fervent desire for a positive outcome. But in reality, the remark truly describes the decretive will of God. We must make no mistake here: God’s will shall be done. Whether it is the birth of a child, the tragedy of planes hitting buildings, that unexpected promotion at work, or the death of a loved one; they all have one thing in common - they are reflect the will of God. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure . . . .’” - Isaiah 46:10.
    Many will object to the negative events, especially when such calamities involve tragic losses to ostensibly “good people.” How could God do such a thing? How could He allow it? Why would He allow it? All are legitimate questions when seen from a perspective clouded by ignorance of God’s absolute sovereignty. Think about it for just a moment: how do you define God? Perhaps your definition is faulty. Among other traits, God is the absolute. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; all powerful, all knowing and always present. Consider this: only if God was not all-powerful could bad things happen in spite of His authority and if He is not all powerful then He is not God! It is precisely as the late R.C. Sproul so eloquently said - “If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe, then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God.” So what are we left with? We are left with God, who does all things according to His will. “. . . your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:10.
    Many people, both believer and unbeliever alike have a serious problem with this concept. But because a concept is uncomfortable we can’t simply dismiss it for something we find more palatable. The fact is, everything that happens in our fallen world happens according to the ordinance of God Almighty and for no other reason! If it happens, it’s because God ordained for it to happen. “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” - Daniel 4:35.
    The question “why” still remains. Why do terrible things sometimes happen? The simple fact is that we just don’t know. The finite mind of man can never understand the infinite mind of God, nor should we try. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9.
    Praying against the will of God is futile. All we can do is pray for God’s will to be done. “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’;  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. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” - James 4:13-15.
    Of course, there will always be “need” in our lives. We all “need” material possessions simply to function: it is a mark of our humanity. But remember that God is all knowing. He already knows our needs and Jesus has assured us - “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:31-33.
    We must understand the sovereignty of God before we can come to terms with what happens in our lives or the lives of others. And while there will certainly be both happiness and heartache, if we understand God’s will we can face anything, knowing His will for us is without error. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” - Romans 8:28-30. In God’s glory resides our own glory that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ who prayed, “not My will, but Yours be done.”

The Gospel vs The World - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

    As Reformed Christians, we find ourselves constantly at odds with everyone around us. Whether it be our insistence on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible or our strict adhesion to the “Five Solas,”we will find resistance everywhere we look. The Gospel we believe in is constantly under assault and far too often by people claiming to be Christians. Many who claim Christianity may feel our Reformed belief system is too restrictive, unforgiving, or exclusive to stand as a beacon of light to the outside world. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” - 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
    Friendships lost, families torn apart, relationships shattered; these are the fruits of disagreement. These are the children of conflict. And far too often unavoidable. In fact, the very hardest detail to accept is that Christ Himself even warned us of this heart-wrenching possibility. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” - Matthew 10:37-38. Christ’s position is clear so the choice we make as Christians must be as equally clear. We may choose Christ or we may choose the world. No amount of worldly logic or chicanery can be entertained if we are to hold fast to our beliefs. No “common sense” approach or basic worldly wisdom can undo the work of the Holy Spirit less it undoes our very souls! And if that means a family being torn apart then let God’s will be done rather than play advocate to sin and mock the very blood of Christ! “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:30. These words of Jesus Christ referencing our hand or eye hold just as true for anything or anyone who would cause us to sin by demanding we soften or alter the Gospel. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” - 2 John:10-11.
    There are even “Christians” who staunchly preach and defend the faith until it involves a cavalier family member or friend. Then they will boldly rail against anyone who would dare rebuke the one in error rather than take the side of “Primum Christo et Christi solus.” They will almost casually dismiss the error of faulty faith in this case. They step back from boldly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hell-fire, like the truth, is seldom popular with those who are more concerned about the approval of men than the salvation of souls.
    We live in a world that insists upon tolerance at any cost. Of course, that tolerance is expected only from church worshiping Reformed Christians and no one else! It is we who are labeled bigots, racists, homophobes, and Islamaphobes. We are cursed at as inflexible, narrow-minded, and intolerant. This is the way of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We must accept it; understand it, and refuse to be shamed or silenced by it. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:2.
    If we want to be true Christians we must understand from the start that we cannot love both the world and Christ! It is spiritually impossible. And once we realize that fact we must also come to terms with the reality that some who are close to us may not care to love Christ at all. Their love of the world is the thing that most matters to them. In many cases, it is the only thing that matters to them! It is thus so because they have never heard the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. Sure, they have heard the Gospel preached but they have only heard with their ears and never with their hearts. Oh, certainly they might have heard the call and shown up for a Sunday or two but then the world came calling them to the game or to the picnic and their fire for God turned as cold as ash because they were forced to make a choice. And choose, they did. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” - Matthew 13:22.
    No one has ever said that choosing Christ would be easy. In fact, Jesus Himself told us that to do so we would have to sacrifice to follow Him. “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” - Luke 9:23. Christ said that our commitment to Him must be total and without hesitation. “And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” - Luke 9:61-62. This is the cost of discipleship and if we are not willing to pay the cost, no matter what that cost is, we cannot be His disciples.
    These are just some of the hard sayings of Jesus but they are indeed His words. And which of us denies Jesus to save or retrieve human relationships denies his or her own faith in Christ. “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” - Matthew 10:32-33. Let us pray boldly for the deliverance of those who are dear to us and never make excuse or exception for sin.