Defeat Through the First Man in Eden (continued)
Black Week - In Eden (continued)
He presses the advantage even further. To offset the fear of the penalty, he presents a glowing picture of the pleasure and power that will come to them in having their eyes opened so that they know good and evil. Oh, the intellectual delight and satisfaction of such knowledge! Surely there can be no harm in eating of the fruit of a tree that would bring such benefit and blessing. A preacher, who was a movie addict, told me of the very great blessing (???) he received from attending the movies! The six-thousand-year-old liar still tells the same lie, for he found out in Eden how well it worked.
"Your Eyes Shall be Opened - Knowing Good and Evil"
Here is the archliar's third lie and the most dangerous of them all, for it is a half truth, and a half lie. But even the small measure of apparent truth is really a lie, for it is told with the definite purpose of deception. So our Lord's word that "there is no truth in him: is absolutely accurate. Their eyes were opened, but to what? To their own folly, sin, and shame. They did know good and evil, but to what end? They knew good, but had no power to do it. They knew evil, but had no power to resist it. But worse still was the fact that there was no way out of this condition, for they had been plunged into the midnight darkness of satandom, and the ruler of the kingdom of darkness would keep their minds blinded so that the light of God would not shine in (2 Corinthians 4:4).
satan had fallen down to the depths of hell because he wanted to go up - up - up to a position and power to which God did not appoint him. He had fallen through the sin of pride. The tempter is now tempting Eve to do the same thing. He seeks her ruin in precisely the same way he met his. To succeed he must create discontent. Oh, murmurer and complainer, take warning!
So, he assumes another one of his diabolical roles revealed in Scripture, and becomes a slanderer of God. He accuses God of deliberately withholding something from Adam and Eve that would immeasurably improve their condition. The hiss of the serpent can be heard in these words, "For God doth know." Oh, what a malignant insinuation! God was purposely keeping them in an inferior state, depriving them of something He knew would be to their benefit! The archapostate, deceiver, liar, angel of light, tempter, accuser, has now done his worst. The serpent-satan fangs, full of deadly venom, have entered Eve's lie; the poison of his enmity to God has entered into her spiritual bloodstream and his last work - that of the arch-murderer, will soon be accomplished - Eve will die.
Self-love has had time to do its work in her. Now it is time for action. Eve must make a choice. God's will or self-will? Self-will involved primarily a complete break from the sovereignty, the authority, and the government of God. It meant breaking with the throne of God in heaven and seating self upon a self-made throne. God would be dethroned and self enthroned. This would allow Eve to do as she pleased, to gratify and glorify "self". There would be no need for obedience to God or dependence upon Him. She would be independent of all restraint; would not be bound by a single restriction. She would be free to do her own will, to go her own way, to live wholly unto herself. Oh, what bliss that would be! (?)
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with # 19)
No comments:
Post a Comment