The final Score Jesus 3 Satan 0/the choice

Robert, prepare for war! Isaiah 59:17,19 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in, like a flood The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Over the past week, war has erupted in Ukraine that threatens to draw all of Europe into the conflict.  Along with that, the United States is working toward a nuclear deal with the Iranian government that threatens Israel's existence.  Rumors abound that a nuclear deal with Iran will unleash billions of dollars that will fund terrorist organizations on Israel's borders.  How will Israel react?  The war drums are beating ... and the question is -- how should we as believers respond?  First, we have to win the spiritual battle that we're currently fighting!  Whether you realize it or not, we as believers have been at war since we came to faith! "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Thus Paul instructed us in Ephesians. We fight against the kingdom of Satan. We fight with spiritual weapons; prayer, the Word of God, faith in His truth, and His power– these are not carnal weapons but spiritual.  We are seated in the heavenlies with Him [Ephesians 1:20], and in His authority, we make our stand. The enemy's weapons are temptations, fiery darts of doubt and disbelief, discouragement, weariness, earthly pleasures. Thus the enemy distracts us from and disarms us in the battle position. But what soldier goes to war without taking the equipment necessary for war? A soldier on the battlefield without his weapons is useless and helpless and in great danger. So it is in the spiritual realm. We need to actively take up our spiritual armor and weapons to fight the enemy. And we have this promise -- when the enemy comes in -- like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against Him! Are you ready to make your stand in this day?  Robert, now, today, war is a very real threat in the physical realm – but it's already been here for millennia in the spiritual realm. So by all means necessary take up the armor of God today – stand with Him in faith and win your battle, one day at a time -- win the battle over your thoughts and your actions. YHVH Tz'vaot, "The LORD of Hosts" is with you, to strengthen, equip, and overcome; and His victory is assured! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah Dallas, Texas

Let us put ourselves in the moment here and consider the gravity of the situation. what exactly is the stakes? what was held in the balance.

On one side of the line is eternal condemnation

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NASB95) — 22 For as in Adam all die,

Romans 3:23 (NASB95) — 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 (NASB95) — 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:1–2 (NASB95) — 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

On the other side of the barrier is forgiveness of sin, eternal life.

On the left side there is no hope and no life. The entire human race is damned to Hell though one act of Adam the corporate Head of the human race.

Romans 5:12 (NASB95) — 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

when Man sinned, it incurred a debt that must be paid. Where there is perfect Justice there must be a consequences for sin. If not then God is not a just God. You cannot remove one attribute from God and He not being God.

There must be a penalty for the breaking of God’s law to satisfy God’s perfect Righteousness.

It is the Cross that is the only hope for life eternal.

1 Corinthians 15:17–22 (NASB95) — 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Now put yourself in the moment. You are standing before the Judge and he is about to bring down the gavel against you, and declare that you are guilty of all charges and when the sentence is carried out you know that your not going someplace where you have a warm bed, three meals, and cable TV. You are going to a place of eternal suffering.

and here is Jesus with a choice. He could chose to follow God’s plan and suffer the extreme pain on the cross, that which He so dreaded when Jesus asked the Father to take that cup away.

or

Jesus could take up the offer of The tempter. bypass the cross and be given the Kingdoms right then.

“Ah,” you say. Of course Jesus would choose to go to the cross to follow God’s plan. there would be nothing to worry about. But wouldn’t it go through your mind as the event was being played out and the offer is being made,

“What if Jesus chooses, the tempters offer?’

There was desperation on the part of the Devil. The Devil is Damned as well.

Genesis 3:15 (NASB95) — 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Satan is currently the ruler of this world. Every soul is under his dominion. But once the wall is torn down, it will be at that point Satan will start to lose his grip on this world until there is nothing left and he himself will be cast into the lake of fire.

So the offer is an offer made in desperation by Satan.

Satan is desperate.

the entire human race is desperate.

But Jesus? He is weak and in a hurting state, he himself has it all under control as he expertly yield's the sword of the spirit which is the Word of the Lord.

Point of Doctrine:

1. Satan being the ruler of this world has the prerogative to prosper those who are faithful to Him.

2. God prospers for blessing out of Grace and mercy and love. He needs nothing from the creature.

3. Satan prospers only to distract from God’s plan and to fulfill his own evil agenda.

4. Worldly prosperity is often seen by many as blessings from God, but Satan will prosper to distract from God’s plan.

5. In the end those who do take Satan’s deal will suffer Satan’s fate.

Much damage has be incurred to the church due to prosperity. While Jesus did not take the offer of Satan, many within the Body of Christ have.

1 John 2:15–17 (NASB95) — 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Revelation 3:14–17 (NASB95) — 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Nothing is wrong with material wealth unless it becomes an idol and a sought for status rather than logistical support.

Matthew 4:9 (NASB95) — 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

The word for worship

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (4352 προσκυνέω)

4352 προσκυνέω [proskuneo /pros·koo·neh·o/] v. From 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); TDNT 6:758; TDNTA 948; GK 4686; 60 occurrences; AV translates as “worship” 60 times. 1 to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence. 2 among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence. 3 in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. 3A used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank. 3A1 to the Jewish high priests. 3A2 to God. 3A3 to Christ. 3A4 to heavenly beings. 3A5 to demons.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update

Lit prostrate Yourself

All Jesus had to do was to shift his loyalties from the God of Heaven to the God of this world, and he could lay aside the Cross.

1 Corinthians 10:20–24 (NASB95) — 20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? 23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

the item on display is the worldly kingdoms. Jesus could avoid the cross. He can immediately solve his current weak and hungry state. The trials will have ended.

the price tag would be the the souls of man who were already in the debt of sin to the Devil. Jesus would have then included himself in debt to Satan.

this takes us back to the testing of Abraham and the image it provides us here.

the Kings of the East joined forces to overrun the kings of the west in Genesis 14. When they had defeated Sodom they took Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family. Abraham with his trained men and allies went and and defeated the kings of the east and brought back the people and the riches that fell into enemy hands.

Arriving back Sodom comes and meets Abraham.

Genesis 14:17–23 (NASB95) — 17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

The King of Sodom offered the riches to Abraham. the Souls were a higher commodity. Abraham replied

“I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

Satan is not interested in the riches of this world he is interested only to keep what he has claimed which is the souls of man.

But jesus has come as our liberator,

Isaiah 61:1 (NASB95) — 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

What was offered to Jesus who would become sin for us is a plea deal. you give up the souls of man and you can go on in freedom and even secure for yourself the riches of the world if you give up the souls of men.

the cross was necessary. the cross has to come before the crown.

Jesus was offered the kingdoms now, and that would bypass the cross. to bypass the cross we would all still be lost in our sins with no hope for salvation.

Matthew 4:10 (NASB95) — 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ”

For the third time Satan is defeat by the right handling of God’s word and again Jesus Goes back to the second Law, the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 6:13–15 (NASB95) — 13 “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. 14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 10:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 “You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 “He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

Jesus walked away from the offer. He would not trade our souls for all the wealth in the world. Abraham was a hero to many. even at their worst Abraham still loved the people and made intercession for them (Genesis 18:23).

Personal Application:

What did Jesus forfeit on our behalf?

2. How did Jesus chose between the kingdoms of this world and our souls?

He chose us over all the riches of this world even when it would cost him the greatest suffering

3. Jesus made a choice for us, how then should we choose for Him?

Is it not about time that we start choosing the Lord over all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life which is not from the Father but is from the world.

Jesus Chose us. Isn’t it time we begin to chose Him and walk in the way that is worthy of what Jesus gave us and did on our behalf?