The Glory of God: Satan Wants to Steal It
/The Glory of God
Last week, the message was about how Adam lost his connection to the glory of God and felt fearful and naked because of the fall. But we also learned that God’s glory is closely associated with light and splendor. Through the progression of God’s plan, He has brought His glory closer to man. Through Jesus, a portion of His glory is in us now (Jn 17:22) and a future promise of more to come. Through this process we are being metamorphed, changed from glory to glory, looking more like Jesus and less like us. There were 3 places where the word metamorphosis was used: (1). Matthew 17:2 Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shined as the sun and His clothing became white before them. (2). 2 Corinthians 3:18– we behold as in a glass His glory and are being changed from glory to glory. The closer we get to Jesus, the closer we get to His glory.
(3). Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Present- to place a person or thing at one's disposal— present and accounted for sir
Jesus, the Word, who was God, became man, and laid down His life as a sacrifice for sinful man. He paid the penalty for our sin. Exposure and faith in this truth resulted in a new creation. Now, , it’s our reasonable service to present ourselves and make ourselves available to His work. That doesn’t mean that you have to keep the nursery, clean the church or help w/ children’s ministry… most ministry for the Lord is needed out there. Put Jesus in us and then bring Him out there.
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
How much time is spent watching regular tv?
How much time is spent listening to secular music?
How much time is spent in carnal conversation?
How much time is spent in God’s word?
How much time is spent in God’s presence?’
God has given us a portion of His glory, and it’s a treasure—it’s a precious thing. He expects us to treat it that way— like it’s a precious treasure. His presence can be practiced. Because He died you can step into His glory (illustration of Niya’s story-man w/sword). Prayer, worship, intimacy are ways we can access and practice His presence. But if we esteem God’s glory as a common thing and prefer over His presence, activities the world has to offer, we will experience a minimal portion of God’s glory/presence on this side and that will affect our reward in eternity. He has given us a portion now, and as we submit to His will, we are being changed from glory to glory and there is more to come for God’s people and there is more for all of creation in the ages to come:
Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
These scriptures promise that there is a new day coming when the glory and knowledge of God will fill the earth. By now, most true believers are hyper aware that the earth is filled with darkness and if you start talking to people about the Lord, you quickly realize that there is very little knowledge about God in the hearts of most people—many times even in the church. Nevertheless, God promised that believers would receive a glorified body, and He promises in His word that the world will be filled with His glory.
Even though the days grow darker, our lights will burn brighter. There is a world of Adam’s out there. A world of people who have only been born once and are separated from God’s presence. They’re naked, without His glory, hurting and sick: physically, spiritually and emotionally and the Jesus in you can heal them— will you be made whole.
The same way that Satan stole Adam’s glory, he wants to steal every human’s opportunity to regain the glory of God through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice. He wants to steal that opportunity from your family, your friends, your co workers. It’s what he does:
John 10:10-11
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Satan can try to steal it from them, but the mystery of hope can be unlocked in our hearts and released out of us and into them and they can regain the glory that was lost in the first Adam but regained in the last Adam—Jesus.
Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The thief steals through deception. Paul warned in the second letter to the Corinthians that Satan was going to try to deceive not only the world but also the church:
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Satan’s workers transform themselves to deceive, just as he transforms himself to deceive. The word is not the same as metamorphosis in the Greek but it can take on the same meaning as to be transfigured, so he disguises himself in order to bring deception.
And that was Paul’s concern that God’s people would lose their purity, just as Eve lost her purity, because Satan, in his subtlety would present himself as an angel of light and present a different Jesus with a different spirit and that people would receive an altogether different gospel that they would think was right, but it wasn’t right:
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
What we must understand is that Satan is well acquainted with the glory of God. As we spoke last week, I mentioned that the cherubim were closely associated with the glory of God, well Satan, before he fell was the anointed cherub that covered. God prepared a mercy seat on earth with cherubim that covered the place where God promised His presence would dwell and God explains that the earthly tabernacle instructions were given to Moses based off the heavenly instructions:
Heavenly tabernacle blueprints
Hebrews 8:4-5 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”
But I guess being the Cherubim that covered that sacred spot in heaven wasn’t good enough for Satan. He wanted his own glory. Let’s look at a couple of those scriptures, but as we do, let’s remember that he was so close to God, it’s hard to believe he didn’t radiate God’s glory, and by wanting to steal God’s glory, he lost access to the glory of God, and now posing as something he’s not, he transforms himself as an angel of light, because just as he stole Adam and Eve’s glory, he also wants to steal our opportunity to regain the glory of God in our lives. Remember— He can only offer a Counterfeit
Ezekiel 28:2
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Ezekiel 28:12-17
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Isaiah 14:12-15
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
He destroyed his position and access to God’s glory by demanding his own and rebelling against God’s will. Through His subtlety and deception, he has caused man to follow in his footsteps. Ephesians 6 explains to us that he has a hierarchy of evil, which is made up of various levels of fallen angels and demonic spirits and through their combined efforts, they have been able to deceive and weaken the nations. They have been able to cause the leaders of nations to spread their deception on earth and attempt to steal God’s glory from the human race, but God will not be mocked. He has a remnant. He has always had a remnant. He has a people and to them, He speaks and reveals His glory and they accept, and they cultivate and they spread that glory—unless they are deceived and then they’re at risk of losing the glory.
The glory leaves the temple
Ezekiel 10:15-19
15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. 16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. 17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
When you read this passage, in context with Ezekiel 8, you realize that God’s people were finally able to offend Him enough that He departed and took His glory with Him. They had embraced an image of jealousy, some form of idolatrous practice that they allowed into their temple and thought that they could just allow that to coexist with God’s glory, but God is not going to continue to remain in an unclean environment. He is patient, He is kind, He is loving and longsuffering. Trust me. I know, but don’t put Him to the test church. It’s not wisdom.
Psalms 24
A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.