Glory Experienced In the Life of the Believer. Part 3

Glory Experienced In the Life of the Believer. Part 3.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Church-age believers exist in this world having three very effective and dangerous enemies that are sources of darkness with a vigorous intent on putting darkness where God’s glory should be.

Your first enemy is Satan, who stands on this earth and works hard to darken our hearts and replace the glory that could be there, ACT 26:18. If you allow Satan to have dominion over you, you will live in darkness rather than the glory that God has restored to you as a free gift.

Your second enemy is the world system or cosmic system, run by the KOD which is the organized army of fallen angels who function under the command of Satan, EPH 6:12.

Your third enemy is the agent within, the old sin nature.

The old sin nature desires to control your soul with the result that you will be minus the filling of the Holy Spirit and reside in the darkness of the cosmic system.

The Church-age believer is restored to the full glory of God through Jesus Christ at the moment of salvation; however, the believer can be shrouded in the darkness of his enemies by failing to learn and use the four spiritual skills.

Your pre-salvation veil has been removed in Christ,
2CO 3:14, but you can refuse to see by being darkened in your understanding by living like an unbeliever in the cosmic system, EPH 4:18.

The first spiritual skill is the provision that God foresaw for our failures; the rebound technique.

When you allow one or all of your three enemies to darken your heart, you are given the grace provision of problem solving device #1, the rebound technique.

“Darkness” - skotos = darkness to the extent that there is a total absence of light.

Darkness in this life is a bad place to be, especially when you are a born again believer in the Church-age who has been given free reign of God’s glory.

Skotos is used in reference to the Lake of Fire, MAT 25:30 And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Skotos - the darkness that existed before restoration (GEN 1:2,4,5 Septuagint; Hebrew equivalent: choshekh).
Skotos - the plague of darkness that covered Egypt while the Israelites had light within their dwellings (EXO 10:21ff; cf. 14:20 Septuagint).

Skotos symbolizes the discipline of Israel for their disobedience
(DEU 28:29 Septuagint).
Skotos refers to the Tribulational period; the worst time this earth will ever see (JOE 2:2 Septuagint).

Skotos denotes the spiritual condition of blindness (ISA 59:9 Septuagint)
Skotos is used for severe divine discipline
(LAM 3:1-6 Septuagint).
Skotos is used for influence of the KOD over the believer’s soul (EPH 6:12), intellectual darkness (ROM 2:19), spiritual darkness (2CO 6:14; COL 1:13; 1TH 5:4-5; 1PE 2:9; 1JO 1:6), having an evil eye (MAT 6:23), the status quo of the unbeliever (EPH 5:8), life in the cosmic system (2CO 6:14).

It is only now in time that you have a CHOICE to walk in the darkness or to walk in the light. Adversity is inevitable, but stress is optional.

Christ entered the darkness for each and every one of us so that we would never be lost in the dark again.

MAT 27:45-46
Now from the sixth hour darkness [skotos] fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Problem solving device #1: the Rebound technique.