Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":
Satan was once the bright and shining light, the Lucifer, of all the heavenly angels. But he became proud and wanted to take the place of God; that meant he really wanted to kill God so he could be “God” instead. He reached the height of his ambition when he inspired the leaders of the then-true “church” to reject and murder their true Christ, Jesus of Nazareth.
Well, not yet the ultimate height of his true ambition. Paul says that he wants to squirm his way into that true church, the one of which Jesus said “I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Paul explains what’s happening: it’s a massive deception that has worked to deceive millions of sincere people: Satan “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:3, 4).
Wherever this Enemy spots a church that professes to “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17) he wants to squirm his way in, to corrupt and deceive. He wants to go to the top.
One example is the popular idea of “the moral influence theory.” It distorts the purest truth in proclaiming Christ and Him crucified.
Let’s begin with the pure truth: “The love [agape] of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead,” that is, all would be dead if He hadn’t died for “all,” or, if One died for “all,” then that means that “all died” when He died. Either way, the sacrifice of Christ on His cross affects every human on this fallen planet (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14, 15, KJV).
Those who permit their sinful hearts to be moved or motivated by His love “henceforth” are transformed from within: it’s now impossible for them to go on living “unto themselves,” but now they are motivated to live for the One who died for them. (These are people preparing to meet the Lord Jesus when He returns.) They believe in keeping all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus but in New Covenant realism, not from fear of punishment or hope of reward, but motivated by His love (agape).
Even this powerful truth the fallen Lucifer would like to distort—“the moral influence theory.” Yes, he wants to go to the top and poison the pure gospel at its Source.
But we need not be deceived: the Lord continually sends “a most precious message” that will yet “lighten the earth with glory” (cf. Rev. 18:1-4). Join us as we pray for His blessing in our year-end get-together at Weimar College Chapel, December 28-30. We will study into the message. If you can’t come (and it’s a long ways), pray for us.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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