All The Authority And Glory Of This World
2009-02-07 21:32
After Christ Jesus came into the world, God gave the perishable authority and glory of the world to the devil who works in the sons of disobedience. Therefore, the devil gives all the authority and glory of this world to the sons of disobedience whose flesh still lives without being crucified with Jesus.
The Bible said, "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to." (Luke 4:5-6).
If Abraham the ancestor of faith had belonged to the world, he would never have left his country, his people and his father's household. He knew that this world is not true. And so Abraham obeyed the command of God and went, as it is written, "The LORD had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.'" (Genesis 12:1). And also, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8).
The land God would show Abraham did not belong to the world. If it had belonged to the world, Abraham would not easily have given it away to his nephew Lot who traveled with him. It is written, "Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." (Genesis 13:9).
Abraham knew that the land God would show him did not belong to the world. God let Abraham lift up his eyes to see the land. It is written, "The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, 'Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Genesis 13:14-17).
If the land God showed Abraham had belonged to the world, He would not have needed to say to him, "Lift up your eyes." The land God showed Abraham--God opened his spiritual eyes (eyes lifted up)--was an eternal new heaven and earth. Therefore, He promised to give this endless and everlasting land to the children of faith whom no one could count. It is hard for a hundred people to live in the land that can be seen north and south, east and west with the naked eye of the flesh. And so God did not refer to the promised land as 'this land' but 'the land.' "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." In the same way, it is written, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" (John 4:35).
Therefore, the Bible said, "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:18). And so, those who are now given authority and glory in the world do not belong to Christ but to the world; they are under the devil's authority.
Therefore, the prophet of God said, "With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes." (Psalms 17:14).
The Bible said about it, "Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him--For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever--That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish." (Psalms 49:6-12).
Therefore, the children of God who belong to Christ do not belong to this world and the devil, as it is written, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17:16). And so, the Lord Jesus said, "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). And his apostles also said, "You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." (Hebrews 10:34).
Therefore, the Bible said about the elders who went before us to an enduring city, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16). And also, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name." (Hebrews 13:14-15).
Therefore, it is written, "Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'" (Mark 10:23). And also, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16:9,11). And so, the Bible said, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." (Acts 4:32).
I praise the One who made me understand this. "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." Amen. Thank you, Lord.
The Bible said, "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to." (Luke 4:5-6).
If Abraham the ancestor of faith had belonged to the world, he would never have left his country, his people and his father's household. He knew that this world is not true. And so Abraham obeyed the command of God and went, as it is written, "The LORD had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.'" (Genesis 12:1). And also, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8).
The land God would show Abraham did not belong to the world. If it had belonged to the world, Abraham would not easily have given it away to his nephew Lot who traveled with him. It is written, "Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." (Genesis 13:9).
Abraham knew that the land God would show him did not belong to the world. God let Abraham lift up his eyes to see the land. It is written, "The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, 'Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Genesis 13:14-17).
If the land God showed Abraham had belonged to the world, He would not have needed to say to him, "Lift up your eyes." The land God showed Abraham--God opened his spiritual eyes (eyes lifted up)--was an eternal new heaven and earth. Therefore, He promised to give this endless and everlasting land to the children of faith whom no one could count. It is hard for a hundred people to live in the land that can be seen north and south, east and west with the naked eye of the flesh. And so God did not refer to the promised land as 'this land' but 'the land.' "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." In the same way, it is written, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" (John 4:35).
Therefore, the Bible said, "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:18). And so, those who are now given authority and glory in the world do not belong to Christ but to the world; they are under the devil's authority.
Therefore, the prophet of God said, "With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes." (Psalms 17:14).
The Bible said about it, "Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him--For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever--That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish." (Psalms 49:6-12).
Therefore, the children of God who belong to Christ do not belong to this world and the devil, as it is written, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17:16). And so, the Lord Jesus said, "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). And his apostles also said, "You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." (Hebrews 10:34).
Therefore, the Bible said about the elders who went before us to an enduring city, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16). And also, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name." (Hebrews 13:14-15).
Therefore, it is written, "Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'" (Mark 10:23). And also, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16:9,11). And so, the Bible said, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." (Acts 4:32).
I praise the One who made me understand this. "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." Amen. Thank you, Lord.
