satan and God in Conflict (subtitle)
Jesus disclaimed any part in or relationship to the satanic system called "the world."
John 17:16, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
John 14:30, "For the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."
In fact Jesus declared that this satanic system had an unchangeable attitude toward Him - that of unrelenting hate which would spend itself ultimately in crucifying Him."
John 15:18, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."
John 15:20, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."
There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that God makes any attempt to change or to convert "the world." The Lord Jesus frankly acknowledges that "the world would lieth in the evil one" (1 John 5:19) and is under satan's control.
God's purpose in Christ is to call men out of the world; to emancipate them from love for it, even to crucify them unto the world and it unto them.
John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
1 John 2:15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
God's purpose in this age Scripture makes unmistakably clear to the spiritual mind. It is to call out individuals, here and there, from all nations, kindreds, peoples and tongues, who through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross became a very part of Him and He of them. This living organism He calls His Body, the Church.
Colossians 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence"
Christ's purpose in this age is to call out of the world and into union with Himself those "chosen in him before the foundation of the world," who become a holy, heavenly people fit to be members of the body of which the holy Christ in Heaven is the Head.
Ephesians 1:4, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
Ephesians 1:22, 23, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
1 Corinthians 12:27, "Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
From God's viewpoint "the world" and "the Church" are exact opposites. "The world is a vast organization of the whole mass of unbelieving mankind under satan's leadership. "The Church" is an invisible organism of all true believers under Christ's Headship. These two are in conflict on the earth and are pitted against each other as the instruments of satan and of Christ in their attempt to get and keep possession and control of men.
How does God win response to His appeal to men to come out of the world and into fellowship with Christ? Does He have an associate in this task? We shall see in succeeding lessons that this is the work of the Holy Spirit who kindles life anew in the human spirit and then comes Himself to dwell in it.
Ez. 36:26, 27, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: ... And I will put my Spirit within you."
Romans 8:9, "But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit he is none of his."
The Consummation of the Conflict
God's eternal purpose in man's redemption has been in gradual process of fulfillment ever since it was formed and each succeeding century has brought it nearer to its consummation. The heart of God's plan of redemption was a Saviour. This Saviour was to come through the seed of a woman. God was to become man. So God chose a people and set them apart that through them the Saviour might come "according to the flesh." In the fullness of time Christ came, lived, died and rose again. Man's redemption was accomplished.
Romans 9:4, 5, "Who are Israelites: ... Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came."
Following therein a written Word was needed to proclaim this wondrous Gospel to sinners everywhere. So God chose and set apart a people through whom the written Word might come.
2 Corinthians 15: 3, 4, "I delivered unto you fist of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
Romans 3:1, 2, "What advantage then hath the Jew? ... Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
Through the Israelites, God's chosen people, He gave both the incarnate Word and the written Word to the world.
God' next move was to preach this Gospel through His own ministers and missionaries throughout the whole world that all men everywhere might have the opportunity to behold the Son and to believe on Him.
Mark 16:15, "And he said unto them, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' "
When this work has been completed to God's satisfaction and the Bride is made ready for the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ will come again to take His own unto Himself and to set up His kingdom upon earth.
This is the beginning of the end for satan. He will be bound, cast into the bottomless pit for one thousand years. Then he will be loosed for a little season. He will go forth to deceive the nations and to gather them together for battle against the Lord, thus proving his unchanging and unchangeable attitude of self-will and of opposition to God (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-9).
Then comes God's final and full judgment upon him. He is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).
Christ Jesus having consummated to the full God's plan to redeem men and reconcile all things unto Himself now restores the absolute, undivided sovereignty of God over His entire. universe.
1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 28 "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when h shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son, also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with # 1 - "False and Futile Attempts for Salvation")
[I am going to leave the original title and replace it with the one above. We are barely getting in to the words of Ms. Paxson]
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