MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
January 18, 2023
GOD’S SAVING ENMITY
Part 3
Without the enmity which God immediately “put between the serpent and his seed and the woman and her seed” (Gen. 3:15), immediately after the transgression and fall of Eve, followed by Adam, in Eden, there was nothing natural or intrinsic in man’s nature to counteract the mysterious power of the “mystery of iniquity” to unite Satan and his fallen angel “seed” with man, now fallen and sinful.
Apostasy and rebellion by a third of the angels led by Lucifer, against the rest of the loyal angels led by Christ, eventually resulted in the first (and last) war ever in heaven. Lucifer and his “seed” of rebellious angels were defeated and cast out of heaven and “fell” to the freshly-created earth.
Lucifer’s pride over his unparalleled beauty and excellence in knowledge, power, and privileged position and honor as a “covering cherub,” led to covetousness and jealousy against the preeminence of Christ the Creator over all heaven, all created beings and all creation.
Lucifer and all the angels were mere created angels to serve exclusively as “ministering spirits” and “all were to worship Christ only.” (Ps.104: 4; 103: 20, 21; Heb. 1: 6, 7). They were of a fixed number and had no power, reason, or purpose for multiplication by procreation. Thus they are sexless. When an angel falls he becomes a fiend. No plan of redemption exists for them for they were not “made in the image and likeness of God,” as only man was. Since then a third in the original number of angels remains “unfilled.” The plan of salvation for fallen men includes the provision for this “vacancy.” But it is not as most would carelessly opine and presumptuously assert. (A subject for another time).
This thing called “enmity,” was first manifested, mysteriously, in heaven, as part of the “mystery of iniquity.” It was LUCIFER’S (later called “the great dragon, the old serpent, Satan, the devil.” Rev. 12: 3-9). HATRED against Christ and His law, asserting the latter could not be kept by created beings and still enjoy “freedom, liberty, and happiness.” He secretly desired more and all the attention, adulation, reverence, and worship due to Christ only for himself. But “The first and greatest of all commandments” and the highest form of love and worship is to “love God with ALL your heart, all your mind, all your might or strength” (see Matt. 22: 35-38: Luke 10:25-18).
Lucifer coveted this “all.” And this led to jealousy, scheming, subtle subterfuge, and primordial “politicking”among the angels, which finally broke out openly in rebellion and finally, war. Since angels are spirits and not made of flesh and blood, this first conflict of the great controversy was “bloodless,”nonetheless an all-out, “scorched-heaven,” and pivotal war bearing eternal consequences.(See Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4).
To be continued next MWM, God willing. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Bless all, NMF.