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The Messengers of God
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Lesson: When making a decision we can narrow it down into making one of two choices. As we stand as the fruit of the tree of knowledge from the Garden of Eden, our choices are either of good or evil. The "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4) has a plan and God has a plan. If we listen very carefully, we will hear God's plan for us in making our decision. And sometimes the answer comes from a visiting angel. Perhaps in a dream or in a vision or our eyes are opened so that we can see them. We receive instruction from the heavenly and from the earthly. The voice we choose to listen to, is the voice that will continue to instruct us. In the example of Joseph, he did as what was instructed by the angel and continued to be instructed by the angel. (Matt. 2:13, 19). We look to the human (earthly) or the divine (heavenly) message, the human (earthly) or the divine (heavenly) messenger. Adam and Eve is also an example. They heard the voice of God (Gen. 2:16,17), and the voice of Satan (Gen. 3:1,4,5). The decision they made was from which voice? (Gen. 3:6). Another example, is when Satan visits Jesus. (Matt. 4). You will notice that in Matthew chapter 4, Jesus uses the sword of God (His Word, Eph. 6:17) in His response to Satan. In these two examples, we see Satan operating, he tries to succeed by operating through the "lust of the flesh" (Gen. 3:6: Matt. 4:3), "lust of the eyes" (Gen. 3:6; Matt. 4:5) and "boastful of life" (Gen. 3:6; Matt. 4:8). Making a decision? ask this question. Does God or Satan have authority in my life? Results can be found by decisions made: Adam and Eve received judgement (Gen. 3:8), what did Jesus receive? "angels came and ministered" (Matt. 4:11). There is actually more going on here than meets the eye. Mankind is called "flesh and blood". And we can find this to be so by what Jesus says to Peter. He say onto him "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 16:17). We are also told, "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." (1 Cor. 15:50). You will notice that as soon as Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil it is written that "they knew they were naked". What had happened is they had lost something of God's glorious likeness and was replaced with the "likeness of sin's flesh". (Rom. 8:3). Clothed in God's glorious likeness, Adam and Eve were allowed to be in the Garden of Eden. But what happened after the fall? They were no longer allowed to dwell there. (Gen. 3:23,24). So what was Satan doing there then? Satan is spirit and is not flesh and blood. We find written in Rev. 12:7, "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels," therefore, spirits are not bound by the earthly realm. Therefore, Satan was allowed to venture into the Garden of Eden as well as outside the Garden at that time. Since the time of the Garden of Eden, mankind who are descendants of Adam and Eve are born naked in the likeness of Adam (Gen. 5:3). So then you may wonder, what about Jesus? The Word says He "was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7). He was clothed in "sin's flesh". And it is through His "faith" that we are clothed once again in God's glorious likeness. (Matt. 6:30). The "new cloth" is not put on (or over) the "old garment" (Matt. 9:16). The dead are wrapped in a clean white linen (Matt. 27:59), the living rents their clothes (Matt. 26:65) and they do not turn back to put on the old clothing left in the field. (Matt. 24:18). So what is this clothing, this new cloth? It is the Spirit of God.
God Bless,
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