Satan's schemes

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=120 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2cb68680.gif" border=0 width="104" height="104" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>Satan's schemes</B></div> <div> There is confusion over this area of unity, and the authority of the Bible.</div> <div> The reason is because Satan recognises it as being important, and fundamental.</div> <div> So let’s look at the subtlety of Satan now:</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="276" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#0099CC > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 18 ><NOBR><div> <B>Firstly, Satan hates God’s Word.</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> He tries to sow doubt into our minds about the Bible. </div> <div> He tries to tell us that the Old Testament is now redundant, that it is all “Old Covenant” and therefore irrelevant.</div> <div> But the truth is that we can learn so much about mankind, and a tremendous amount about God.</div> <div> It is the same God throughout the Bible.</div> <div> He wasn’t angry and breathing out threats through the Old Testament, then He had a change of heart when Jesus came.</div> <div> No it is the same God.</div> <div> Peter tells us to pay attention to what the prophets in the Old Testament have said:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to <B>pay attention to it</B>, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but <B>men spoke from God</B> as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >2 Peter 1:19-21 </FONT></div> <div> Paul tells us that our foundation includes the prophets:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “...you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >Ephesians 2:20 </FONT></div> <div> Jesus Himself repeatedly <B>confirms the authority of the Old Testament</B> by quoting from it.</div> <div> Satan tries to pour doubt on Paul’s teachings. </div> <div> The modern theologians may say:-</div> <div> “The style seems so different, perhaps God didn’t want Paul’s letters to be in the Bible.”</div> <div> But <B>Peter confirms that Paul’s writings are Scripture</B>, that they are God breathed, and that they have God’s authority upon them:-</div> <div> Peter wrote:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “Paul writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do <B>the other Scriptures</B>, to their own destruction.”   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >2 Peter 3:16 </FONT></div> <div> Satan tries to make us <B>doubt the authority</B> of the Bible, so don’t listen to him!</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="400" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#0099CC > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 18 ><NOBR><div> <B>Secondly, Satan hates unity among Christians</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Because, as it says in Psalm 133 talking about unity,</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2cf5a5b0.jpg" border=0 width="90" height="91" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="7" VSPACE="7"></div> <div> "it is there that the Lord bestows the blessing." </div> <div> So <B>Satan's plan is to put unity above God’s teachings</B>.</div> <div> Why does he do that?</div> <bR> <div> <B>Why does Satan raise the importance of unity, if he wants to destroy it?</B></div> <div> That may seem like going against his plan.</div> <div> But by getting the <B>largest amount</B> of people, to agree on the <B>smallest amount</B> of Biblical Truth, then he can very effectively bring in <B>false teaching</B>. </div> <div> By succeeding to put unity, above God’s teachings, then many people will be allowed to teach in churches, who don’t hold to Christ’s teachings.</div> <div> They “say” that they are Christians, but they <B>don’t obey</B> the Bible’s teachings.</div> <div> And they say that the important thing is “unity”!</div> <div> People say that:- </div> <div> “so and so, doesn’t agree with the virgin birth, nor the effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice, but he’s a good bloke, he’s <B>entitled to his views!</B>”</div> <div> Therefore they are allowed to teach error. </div> <div> But what about what Paul said:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “...stand firm and <B>hold to the teachings</B> we passed on to you...” <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >? </FONT></div> <div> Or what about what Jesus said: </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> "If you love me, you <B>will obey</B> what I command.” <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >? </FONT></div> <div> The truth is that Jesus only wants us to be united with Christians, <B>who want to submit themselves to the Bible. </B></div> <div> He does not want us to be united with those people who <B>say</B> that they are Christians, but who <B>deny Him by their actions</B>. </div> <bR> <div> See <A HREF="people_types.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Two types of people"><U>part 4</U></A> for two types of people who don’t follow Jesus’ teaching.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Church Faith"><U>Comment or contact</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Back to <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible centred menu"><U>Bible</U></A> Centred menu</div> <bR> <div> Back to <A HREF="church_faith.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church faith issues"><U>Church & faith</U></A> issues menu</div> <bR> <div> Text images: thanks to Serif PagePlus 8.</div> <div> People image: thanks to Release International (The Voice of the Persecuted Church).</div> <div> ©  2003 Bible  Explained part of www.seeking-god.co.uk</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>