Satan Vs God
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The Great Controversy
The Great Controversy
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
The tour group stood on stones where Jesus might have stood when He preached the sermon recorded in John 6. That day He urged His listeners to accept the gift of eternal life. The condition was simple: believe in Him and accept Him.
The guide pointed to the elaborate elegance of this ancient synagogue, now partially restored. From its soaring columns, decorated with floral motifs and the ark, he looked upward. Beyond in that blue sky (the roof was missing) he imagined Jesus looking down with tears in His eyes as He remembered that day when many of His disciples "walked no more with Him" (John 6:66).
The guide continued, "See these foundation stones? They formed the original synagogue of Jesus' time. Here, most of His mighty works were done" (Matthew 11:20). Before Him sat people He had healed of all kinds of disease and sickness, or from whom He had cast out devils. But they wouldn't accept the conditions of eternal life. They refused to repent.
The guide paused. "Once, Capernaum was a thriving town on the shores of Galilee. Now you see only ruins. No one but tourists walk among the rubble. Could Jesus have had sobs in His voice as He spoke the words of Matthew 11:23? "And thou, Capernaum, who art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."
Capernaum is an illustration of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Obviously, the devil won this battle, but he didn't win the cosmic war that involves the entire universe. Some eighty miles south of the Sea of Galilee is a little hill just outside the city of Jerusalem, called Calvary. Here on the cross, Jesus gave the victorious shout, "It is finished." From this place, His words brought joy to angels and unfallen beings in worlds afar.
Who will win the great controversy going on in your life: Christ or Satan?
Preview
Preview
How did it all begin? When did sin rear its ugly head in a perfect environment?
All the universe centered on the Godhead. Everyone in the universe only knew love and compassion and adoration for God. It was always this way that is, until an angel gifted by the Creator with wisdom and beauty turned against his Creator. Ezekiel 28:15 describes Lucifer:
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
The terrible mystery of the origin of evil is not explained and I don’t think that we will ever in reality really understand what happened. There's no reason or excuse for discontent, selfishness, and pride to cause Lucifer to be corrupted by the gifts God gave him. Count the "l" statements in His thoughts.
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
How many are there. .... 5
Thus began the great controversy. Lucifer used a weapon God couldn't use. Lies. God is truth. By twisting facts and creating falsehoods, Lucifer blinded one third of the angels. This rebellion against God's government is recorded in Revelation 12:7-9
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
How did we get involved? Satan hated the peace and purity of our first parents. He envied their joy as he watched them thrill over the beauties of Eden, enhanced by daily visits of their Creator.
God warned Adam and Eve, "Never go near that one tree. Do not eat the fruit, for then you will know death and evil." But disguised as a serpent, Satan undermined their trust and loyalty to God (Genesis 3:5). They believed his lies! In that moment the devil stole dominion over the earth. His government of death, evil, and suffering began.
Saddest of all was the separation of Adam and Eve from God. Before God sent Adam and Eve away from Eden and the Tree of Life, He gave them hope—the promise of a Saviour. That's why Jesus had to come to this planet.
Points to Ponder
Points to Ponder
1. How did Satan's government impact the human race?
1. How did Satan's government impact the human race?
8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Division and disunity and murder within the human family.
5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Increase in human wickedness to the point that only evil occupied their thougths, leading to the flood.
1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Babel and the resultant confusion also show an important element in the great controversy . How much confusion is in our world today?
2. How do we know that the world became the stage on which the dramatic struggle between right and wrong is being played out?
2. How do we know that the world became the stage on which the dramatic struggle between right and wrong is being played out?
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
The story of Job illustrates how Satan and God are deeply interested in our lives, for different reasons. Compare that verse with 1 Corinthians 4:9.
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
3. Consider also God's choice of Abraham and Israel and how the controversy was fought through the story of Israel throughout the Old Testament.
3. Consider also God's choice of Abraham and Israel and how the controversy was fought through the story of Israel throughout the Old Testament.
Can you name some persons or incidents in the Old Testament that exemplify how this great controversy was fought? How about Sodom and Gomorrah, Balaam trying to curse Isreal, David and Goliath, the antagonism between Joseph and his brothers. The list could go on and on.
4. The cross was the ultimate battleground. The victory there assures our victory.
4. The cross was the ultimate battleground. The victory there assures our victory.
When Jesus said, "It is finished," He declared to the universe that Satan is forever a defeated foe.
Sin has separated us from God. That's why Jesus came to this world to fight in the great controversy, to defeat sin and Satan, and to reconcile us with God. He longs to transform us. He hates the sin that pollutes us. Satan has perverted our minds and imaginations, degraded our souls until we are weak, lacking in moral strength. What is the solution to this terrible pollution, separation, and death?
Nuts & Bolts
Nuts & Bolts
What are some of the great issues in the great controversy?
What are some of the great issues in the great controversy?
1. The law of God is just and essential for God's governance in the universe.
1. The law of God is just and essential for God's governance in the universe.
Without the law, there can be no order in the universe. God's law reflects His character, and His character is love. Satan defies that law. God says that sin is ,
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
The KJV says that sin is the transgression of the law.
Satan charges that the law is arbitrary and affects human freedom. How can we be sure that this is a lie?
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
If God’s law is a reflection of Himself or His character and we are told that God is Love, then why would God give us something that would affect our human freedom? The simple answers is that He wouldn’t. He created us, he loves us and he has told us that for over 6000 years and He gave us His Son to die in our stead. Logic states that Satan is the lier and not God.
2. Obedience as an expression of love is a necessary part of belonging to God's family.
2. Obedience as an expression of love is a necessary part of belonging to God's family.
Satan accuses God of self-exaltation because He requires obedience to His law. Satan also charges that the law of God cannot be kept. It is arbitrary, too demanding, and too restrictive of human freedom. God, on the other hand, sent His Son, Jesus, to show to the universe that the law can be kept. That Jesus overcame Satan in the wilderness temptations (Matthew 4:4-10) and that He kept God's law while on earth and did not sin, is proof that obedience to God is possible. Jesus said
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Peter says of Jesus
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
Paul adds about Jesus
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
3. Christ's place in God's government
3. Christ's place in God's government
From eternity Christ the Son is coexistent, coeternal, and coequal with God the Father. Satan disputed Christ's role and claimed that he instead should have Christ's place next to God. Can a creature take the place of Christ the Creator in the councils of heaven?
4. The Bible as God's authority and revealed will for human beings.
4. The Bible as God's authority and revealed will for human beings.
After the entrance of sun. God chose to reveal Himself through prophets and His messengers, this revelation is recorded in the Bible
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Throughout history, Satan has attacked the Bible. It is part of his scheme in the great controversy to lead men and women to distrust God's Word. On the other hand, Jesus showed that Scripture is the most effective in winning the battles in the great controversy.
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
5. The most important issue: who Jesus is.
5. The most important issue: who Jesus is.
Jesus asked:
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Is Jesus fully God and equal with God the Father and God the Spirit in the Trinity? And is He fully human, identifying Himself with humans whom He came to save? The answer determines on which side of the great controversy we stand.
6. Truth apart from Jesus.
6. Truth apart from Jesus.
Satan attempts to convince people they can understand truth apart from Jesus.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
In his hatred for Christ, Satan attempts to remove Christ not only from His rightful place in the universe but from the center of all biblical doctrines. Satan uses religious teachers (theologians) to suggest other centers of truth apart from Jesus. 1 John 2:18 perdicts:
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
7. Total dependence on God—or self-dependence.
7. Total dependence on God—or self-dependence.
How can one have eternal life? Satan, through various religious systems and philosophies, cleverly presents that one can have eternal life by one's good works. Self can save itself, is the theme of Satan's deception. On the other hand, the Bible says,
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Self or Christ? Salvation by works or by faith? Are you starting to see a distinctive picture here?
8. The role of the cross.
8. The role of the cross.
Satan attempted to defeat the purpose of God on the cross. Satan tried to show that in the death of Jesus, he won a great victory. But at the cross, Jesus defeated Satan (Genesis 3:15; John 12:31, NIV). The death of Jesus on the cross became the means of our salvation:
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
9. What are some of the important issues in the great controversy that Christ's life, ministry, and death have proved to the onlooking universe?
9. What are some of the important issues in the great controversy that Christ's life, ministry, and death have proved to the onlooking universe?
a. God's Law can be obeyed.
a. God's Law can be obeyed.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
b. The entire universe will declare that God is fair.
b. The entire universe will declare that God is fair.
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
c. Christ dying for our salvation would not only provide forgiveness and make heaven accessible to us, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan.
c. Christ dying for our salvation would not only provide forgiveness and make heaven accessible to us, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan.
3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
d. Sin and evil will never arise again.
d. Sin and evil will never arise again.
9 What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.
e. Evil, cruelty, and suffering did not originate with God. He is not to blame for the world's misery.
e. Evil, cruelty, and suffering did not originate with God. He is not to blame for the world's misery.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
The cross shows both the destructiveness of sin and the depths of God's love for sinners.
Words to Remember
Words to Remember
Cosmic: Controversy involves the entire universe.
Antichrist: False Christ, either an individual or a system, that stands in opposition to Christ
Vindicate God: Establish that God is true and uphold His love and justice in the face of Satan's accusations.
Points to Ponder
Points to Ponder
Faith and presumption: Faith claims God's promises, trusts His love, accepts His salvation' and obeys His commands. Presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith. It also claims God's promises' but uses them to reject God's commands and to hope God will save everyone, regardless.
Interpretation of the Bible: There is the plain reading of the Scriptures as God's Word, using the Bible as its own interpreter' This method of interpretation may also include the Grammatical/Historical method which includes utilizing the tools of history, culture, linguistics, etc.
An alternative method of Biblical study is the Historical/critical method. This method employs the tools of history, culture, linguistics, etc. But with the presupposition of questioning the inspiration or authority of Scripture.
I Truly Believe
I Truly Believe
Sin is as uncontrollable as the South American "superbug," Chirimacha, that thrives on filth and garbage and multiplies at a fantastic rate. Immune to all kinds of poison, it lives for months without food or air. Worst Of all, these large bugs are carriers of the rare, painful, and almost always fatal Chagas' disease. The poor have had to flee to higher elevations where the bugs can't live.
Sin is like these super bugs. Our only hope is to flee higher to God. Knowing Jesus and living with Him each day leads to higher ground. There, we'll be able to grasp these great truths from the great controversy theme.
Mark those truths you wish to make the subject of your daily prayer.
· I can choose to be like Jesus—hate sin and love the sinner.
· Every day I must be aware of the tremendous battle that affects me and everyone else in the world.
· Constantly, I will ask God to give me power to overcome, knowing I'm facing "spiritual hosts of wickedness" (Ephesians 6:12).
· I realize that success is possible only through complete dependence on Jesus, who has promised me victory if I will put on the entire armor of God found in Ephesians 6:13-18.
Prayer
Prayer