Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Great conflict between Christ and Satan


by Guest writer -  Bro. Lennard Coombs (Trinidad & Tobago)

The Great conflict between Christ and Satan, and in particular the sin problem, involves certain individuals and groups:

1) The Godhead is definitely involved (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

2) 2/3 of Angels who remained loyal to God are involved.. as they are still looking
     into how their Creator deals with sin (1 Peter 1:12)

3) The beings from other worlds who have never sinned are also carefully  observing the way God handles the sin issue. We are not alone.. (Matthew 8:12)

4) We have another category; Satan and the 1/3 of his fallen forces of evil (Rev 12:4) who must also be satisfied that God was right in His handling of sin (remember Satan is called the "accuser of the brethren", who accuses God's children of their sins before Him day & night (Rev. 12:10;  Zech.3:1-3)

5) The last group relates to human beings divided into 2 groups; Repentant and unrepentant sinners in the great controversy. As the scriptures say, "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." (Isaiah 45:23;  Rom 14:11),whether they be human beings or demons)... No one in the Cosmos or on earth will be able to say that God was unfair..  the records will speak for themselves.

Therefore we should heed the call of Peter to "...give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail" (2Peter 1:10)
What things does he refer to?
Because we have been given "exceeding great and precious promises that by these [promises] ye might be partakers of the divine nature.."(Christ's character), it becomes necessary to be diligent to "add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance [self-control], and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness (God-likeness), and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity (love in action), for if these things be in you, and abound, they shall make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,"But he that lacketh these things is blind, (Lord have mercy), and cannot see afar off (the future), and hath forgotten that he was purged from his sins" (2Peter 1:4-9)

The emphasis in this admonition is preparation and development for dwelling with beings in heaven and the rest of the universe who have never sinned!
If the counsel of the Holy Spirit using Peter is received,
"ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,... for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 8. 11)When we understand the objective of God toward his human family is love and full restoration to the character of Adam before the fall, we will hate every offensive thought, word or action that opposes Him and shuts us out from the glorious paradise Christ has gone to prepare for those who are faithful.
God has given us a free will, let us use it wisely through His powerful grace.

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