By way of reminder we are looking at the lawlessness that was and is at the very root of mans unbelief and rebellion as first seen in Genesis 3:1-7 and then brought forward to us in 2Thessalonians 2:1-12, which is the bases for this adventure in GOD by Christ. Today's target can be expressed as a Satanic Invasion as it reaches all the way back to the beginning days. But for our purposes we will look at it from the day's of John the baptist through Jesus' appearance to restore mankind to the kingdom of GOD in righteousness and His hidden message within the context of all that He reveals within fallen and then restored humanity, to being a Christ one, sons of GOD, again. And because this target's material is limited I will turn to sin's that increment.
Satanic Invasion, Satan's entrance into human hearts,
Luke 8:2 of 1-3 "Soon afterward Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means."
Of the man of Gadara,
Luke 8:30 of 26-31 "Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him and said with a loud voice, "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, 'What is your name?' And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. And they begged Him not to command them to depart into the abyss."
Of the backslider's heart,
Luke 11:26 of 24-26 (Jesus is speaking) "'When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.'"
Of Judas Iscariot,
Luke 22:3 of 3-6 "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray Jesus to them in the absence of a crowd."
Of All who will give him entrance,
1Peter 5:8 of 6-11 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time HE may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because HE cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the GOD of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Sin's Increments:
Seen in the History of Israel,
Ezra 9:6 of 5-9 and Jeremiah 5:28 "At the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God, saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within His holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us His steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem."
Jeremiah 5:28 of 18-19, 20-29 "'But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you. And when your people say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.'"
'Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah: 'Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear Me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before Me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, "Let us fear the LORD our God, Who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest." Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you. For wicked men are found among My people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich; they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge Myself on a nation such as this?'"
Illustrated in the Life of Backsliders,
Matthew 12:45 of 43-45 and 2Peter 2:20 (Jesus is speaking) "'When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came." And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.'"
2Peter 2:20 of 17-22 "These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it [Christ in this way] to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them (Proverbs 26:11): "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."
Shown by increasing Insensitivity to the Spiritual Faculties,
Matthew 13:15 of 10-17 "The disciples came and said to Jesus, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" And He answered them, 'To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says (Isaiah 6:9-10): "'You will indeed hear (with hearing you will hear) but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'" But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.'"
The Steps in Peter's Fall Illustrate,
Matthew 26:74 of 69-75 "Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean." And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man." After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you." Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly."
Will become more Evident in the Last Days,
2Timothy 3:13 of 10-17 "You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the LORD rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out (as the Word) by GOD and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, equipped for every good work."
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