"The Paradox of Sin"
Focus (10)
Petition (10)
Preparing to Dive (10)
God's words hold truth and divinity in it. He is holy and approaching Him, we must prepare our souls to receive the truth of God.
Claim:
Proverbs 18:15
[15]The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Bible Reading and Meditation (30):
Read while meditating on the following verses:
Ezekiel 28:12-19
[12]‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
[13]You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: ...
[14]“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
[15]You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
* * *
God was describing Lucifer as 'perfect in beauty.' He was a creation of God and God created nothing less than perfect. He was a covering cherub. Based on our previous lessons, who and what are the cherubs? And the passage continues to say 'until iniquity was found in thee.' the bible describes iniquity or sin as:
I John 3:4
[4]Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
* * *
[16]“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
[17]“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.
[18]“You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.
[19]All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.”
* * *
God said that He has "cast down" Lucifer. What did you know about Lucifer's story and how does this relate? God continues and say "I have sent fire down to you." How does this verse tell us to what happens at the time of the end, at Christ's second coming? God finishes His declaration by saying, "and you shall be no more." How does this assure us of the future life? How does this line give hope to the overcomers?
* * *
Isaiah 14:12-14
[12]“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
[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.’
* * *
If you read the chapter of Ezekiel, it was talking about the King of Tyre. What are the similarities of Lucifer and the King of Tyre?
Going back to the passage of Isaiah, it was recorded and we all know that Lucifer turned against God. At the same time he also said that he would be "like the Most High." The law of God is a transcript of His character. It shows us our wrongs in contrast to His righteousness. In essence, Lucifer was saying that he would be "like God" in character without the need to obey the law!
Meditate on this argument. How deceptive is Lucifer's claim? Go back to what the bible says about sin.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4
Lucifer was saying that he could be holy (like God) without the need to obey the law. But sin is disobedience to the law. Can someone be holy without the law? What kind of sin is claiming to be holy without true communion with God? Hence, Lucifer created a paradox of sin.
Heart Searching (20):
Allow God to search your heart at this moment. Let Him burn all the fat of sin away. Let Him cleanse and make you holy.
Claim:
Jeremiah 33:8
[8]I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.
Is there any desire in you to rebel against the will of God? Do you rather listen to your self than the Heavenly Father? Do you think you could be holy by your works? What is the thing we should do to be holy? Do you think you could enter heaven with your state right now? Are you one with God?
Silence (5)
Rest (5):
Hebrews 4:10
[10]For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.