WHAT WERE THE CONFUSING TREES IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

INTRODUCTION

          There are two trees mentioned in Genesis in the story about the Garden of Eden that confuse us as to what they were, the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and “the tree of life.” Were they literal trees or is there some symbolic meaning that we need to look for in order to understand the real meaning of the story of man’s beginning? They may have been literal but I expect that their ultimate meaning was meant to be symbolic. Anytime the Bible uses symbolism it gives us the meaning of the symbols somewhere else in the Bible. Let’s look at the scriptures about these two trees and then search the Bible to see if we can figure out what they might be. We’ll first try to identify the fruit that the trees produce; if we can do that we can identify the trees by their fruit (Matt 7:15-20).

THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL

Gen 2:15-17

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

          Here God tells man that he has free will and can eat from any tree in the garden. However, he also indicates that there is one tree that will result in his ultimate death if he eats from it. This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Satan soon enters the realm of man in the garden and uses lies and deceitfulness to tempt man to eat from the tree which God had warned man about. Listen to the lies that Satan used:

Gen 3:1-5

1 He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,

3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.

5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

What was Satan really telling the woman? He was telling her that the real reason that God didn’t want them to eat the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was that it would make them like God. They would then be gods themselves and God didn’t want that. It so happens that this is the same thing that caused Satan to fall and be cast down from the mount of God in heaven (God’s heavenly government). He wanted to be like God and to be worshipped like God. Let’s read about this. The details of Satan’s fall are recorded in Isa 14 and Ezek 28.

Isa 14:12-15 12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. (the Abyss)

Ezek 28:17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

So, why did Satan fall? It was because of his pride in himself which resulted in him believing that he was so great that he could become like God. This attempt to make himself like God resulted in his fall and we see in Genesis that Satan was trying to cause man to make the same mistake. Misery likes company. He used lies and deceit to try to get man to join him in his fallen state. Of course he was successful. (See the study of “Satan’s Four Biggest Lies” later in this section for details.)

So what does this tell us about the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” the thing that man couldn’t do (eat) or he would fall from God’s sight? The thing that man could not do was the same thing that Satan could not do; to believe through pride that he could do something to make himself like God. After some undetermined time of living in the Garden with God, man began to look at himself and think “wow, look at me, I’m really something; I’m so beautiful and I can do anything that I want to do.” He also thought “There is no reason that I can’t also become like God.” Man eventually partook of the same fruit that Satan had partaken of which led to his fall, the fruit of “selfish pride.” Selfish pride is at the very heart of every sin that man can commit, just as the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was at the center of the garden. Selfish pride is the seed of every sin that man can commit.

Again, the fruit of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was selfish pride. This selfish pride caused man to think that he could know everything, do anything, be anything he wanted to be including a god. This was man’s first sin and every sin committed since then has the same basic seed in it.

Well, if the fruit of the tree was selfish pride, then what was the tree itself? What was the thing that produced “selfish pride?” It was “Satan and his lies.” Satan and his lies are what produce selfish pride in us. John 8:42-45 tells us that Satan is the “father of lies” and that he was a murderer from the beginning. Who did he murder in the beginning? Mankind, when his lies led to mans fall from paradise. Thus, the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is “Satan and his lies.” What a surprise! Satan’s lies are often sweet to the taste, pleasant to the eye and lead us to knowledge, just as Gen 3:6 says of the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” If we eat of this fruit it leads to death in that it results in eternal separation from God and his Son, Jesus. As we know it also led to the physical death of Adam’s soul, and therefore to the death of everyone who came after Adam.

THE TREE OF LIFE

Is there another surprise in store for us here? We’ll see. Let’s first look at the scriptures about this tree, the “tree of life.”

Gen 3:22-23 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

This is our first encounter with the “tree of life.” What do we learn about it here? If man partakes from this tree he will live forever. This tree produced “eternal life,” so the fruit of this tree was eternal life. As long as man was in the Garden of Eden he could partake of this tree. Man was originally created to live forever in heaven with God and Jesus. Again, as long as man was in the presence of the “tree of life” he would live forever. However, when man tasted of the apparent beauty of sin he instantly became a sinner and subject to death. He was banned from paradise and the company of the “tree of life.” Well, what is it that produces eternal life for us? Several scriptures tell us that God’s requirement for living in heaven is perfection, total freedom from sin (Matt 5:48, 19:21-26, Heb 10:13, 11:40, 12:22-24, James 1:4). In the study of the sermon on the mount later in this section we will see that man proved that he could not reach perfection for himself, that Jesus had to come to earth and live the perfect life for man, and then make the perfect sacrifice for man to buy mans pardon from sin so that man could one day again live in heaven. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice God now sees believers in Jesus as perfect even though they really aren’t. So we see that Jesus is the one who allows us to return to paradise with God because of his sacrifice for us. He is the one who provides eternal life for us. Let’s look at some additional scriptures as we home in on our conclusion about the “tree of life.”

Rev 22:1-3

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3 No longer will there be any curse (sin). The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

From this scripture in Rev 22 we see that when believers get to heaven the “tree of life” will still be there. What does that mean? Eternal life for everyone there! We also see that there is a river, the “river of the water of life,” flowing through the heavenly city. Again, is this a literal tree, is this a literal river, and is this a literal city? Again, it may be literal but there is also a very meaningful figurative meaning implied. Let’s see if we can figure out what this tree, this river of life, and this city are all about. Let’s start with John 4:13-14, John 7:37-39 and John 14:6.

John 4:13-14

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 7:37-39

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

John 14:6   Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 3:16   "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

We see that Jesus provides water that gives eternal life, that he is life, that he gives eternal life, and that he is the author of life. This theme runs throughout the book of John. It’s abundantly clear that whoever drinks of the water that Jesus provides receives eternal life in heaven. But what exactly are the streams of living water that flow through those who accept Jesus? John 3:38-39 quoted above say that they are the Holy Spirit.

Now what about the city in heaven through which the river of life runs? What is this city? Rev 21:2-3, 9-10 indicate that this is a figurative city and represents the bride of Christ, the church. The river, the Holy Spirit, runs through the bride of Christ, and the Tree of Life, Jesus, is also there in heaven within the bride. The city may also be literal, but it certainly has a very meaningful figurative or symbolic application.

We also see that Jesus is the author of life; and that all life and all eternal life springs from him! The fruit that is received from believing in him is eternal life. He produces it. He is the “tree of life!” He was the symbolic tree in the Garden of Eden that provided eternal life to all who ate of it. John 6:47-58 cinches it, I believe.

John 6:47-58

47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

48 I am the bread of life.

49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.

50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

Amen! He who feeds on the fruit or the bread provided by Jesus will live forever. Jesus is the “Tree of Life!” He always has been the “tree of life,” he was the “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden and he will be the “tree of life” in heaven. He is our “Tree of Life” even today, even as we speak. If we believe in him we will have eternal life! Thank you God!!!!!!!

Do you see from this last passage in John how confused the Pharisees and many Jews were about what Jesus said? Jesus spoke in these often confusing terms to them on purpose as he explained in Matt 13:10-17. It was all part of God’s eternal plan to select a bride for his Son. In fact, the bride was created as a gift for Jesus. We were made for him (Col 1:16).

Things have always been the same, even from the time of the Garden of Eden. Satan and his lies have always been there and Jesus as the provider of eternal life has always been there. Man has always had a choice between the two and we still do today.

SUMMARY

          In summary, we see that there has always been a conflict between Satan and his lies and Jesus and his truth. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the way to heaven, the truth as opposed to the lies of Satan, and the life or the producer of eternal life. We see that originally in the Garden of Eden both trees were there; both Satan and Jesus were in Paradise with man. However, we also see that after the Millennium only one tree is in paradise, Jesus. Satan is not to be found in Paradise as described in Rev 22, for he has already been thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:10).

Let’s do one final summary of the trees and their fruits.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

Satan and his lies

The fruit of the tree: Selfish Pride, the seed of all sin

Eating this fruit leads to death or eternal separation from God and Jesus

The Tree of Life

Jesus and his truth (John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life)

The fruit of the tree: Eternal life

Eating of the fruit leads to eternal life in heaven with God and Jesus (John 6:47-58)

 WHO IS SATAN AND WHAT DOES HE DO?

THE BIBLE’S ANSWERS

Is there a real being someplace in the universe called Satan?

Yes

How do we know that he is real?

We believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God and the Bible presents Satan as being a real being.

Who or what is Satan?

Satan is an angel, in fact a very special angel.

Satan was created as a model of perfection, wisdom and beauty, but fell because of pride (Ezek 28:11-19). He was cast out of his place of authority in God’s heavenly government (Rev 12:7-9). Satan wanted to be worshipped like God and was therefore banished from his position in heaven (Isa 14:9-23).

One third of all angels in heaven fell with Satan and became wicked angels (Rev 12:4).

Satan is the leader of the evil angels (Rev 12:9, Matt 25:41).

Satan’s fallen angels are sometimes called demons (Matt 12:24), evil spirits (Lk 7:21), unclean spirits (Matt 10:1), and spiritual forces of evil (Eph 6:12).

Angels are invisible and immaterial spirits (Heb 1:14), and we can only see them on very special occasions (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Angels sometimes become visible on earth and look like people, to the extent that they may be mistaken for men (Gen 18:2, 22, 19:1, Dan 10:12, 18-21, 11:1, Zech 2:1-3, Heb 13:2).

We live in a fishbowl, so to speak, since angels can see everything we do (1 Cor 4:9, Eph 3:8-12, 2 Sam 14:20).

Are Satan and other angels eternal or were they created?

Angels were created by Jesus (John 1:1-5, Prov 8:27-30, Ps 148:1-5, Col 1:15-18).

Angels were created as permanent beings; they were apparently all created at the same time and don’t die (Lk 20:34-36, Ps 148:1-5).

Angels don’t get married and procreate in heaven (Matt 22:29-30, Luke 20:34-36).

Is Satan omnipresent like God?

Angels have presence; they can only be at one place at a time. They are not omnipresent. This includes Satan. (Dan 10:10-14).

Angels have great knowledge and power (2 Sam 14:17, 20, 2Thess 1:7, Ps 103:20-21, 2 Pet 2:10-11). They could strike people blind (Gen 19:10-11) and dumb (Lk 1:18-20).

Angels are not all-powerful (Dan 10:2-5, 12-14) and all-knowing. They don’t fully understand prophecies about the future (1 Pet 1:10-12, Dan 12:5-6, Mark 13:32).

Where does Satan live?

In heaven (Matt 18:10, 22:30, Mark 13:32, Eph 6:12, Job 1:6).

He is also characterized as the ruler and god of the earth (John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4).

He goes about on the earth (Job 1:7).

What is the earliest mention of angels existing?

Angels were present during the creation of the physical universe (Job 38:4-7). Since they were also created beings this means that they were originally created as spiritual beings and may not have had the capability to manifest themselves physically until the creation of the physical universe.

When and where do we first see Satan interacting with mankind?

In the Garden of Eden after the creation of mankind (Gen 3:1-6).

Was this interaction positive or negative for mankind?

Very negative, in that it resulted in the ultimate death of man and his banishment from heaven (Gen 3:1-6) and in the introduction of sin into the domain of mankind (Rom 5:12).

Was Satan active in the lives of other Old Testament characters? Give an example.

Job (Job 1:6-12).

Was Satan active in the life of Jesus when he was on earth as a man?

Yes. In fact he tempted Jesus just as he was beginning his ministry (Matt 4:1-11).

How did he interact with Jesus?

He used the same basic lies on Jesus that he had used on Eve. He used deception and half-truths.

What was Satan’s goal in his interaction with Jesus?

Satan’s principal goal was to thwart God’s plan to provide a kinsman redeemer for mankind and to oppose the work of Christ in the world (1 John 4:2-3).

Jesus came to earth to destroy Satan’s work (1 John 3:7-8, John 12:31).

How did Jesus characterize Satan?

Satan is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).

Was Satan active during the lives of those starting the New Testament church?

Yes.

How did the New Testament authors characterize Satan?

Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2).

Satan is the deceiver of the whole world (Rev 12:9. 20:3).

Satan is man’s adversary and opposes him in every way he can (1 Pet 5:8), he is our enemy (Matt 13:39), he opposes all that is good and promotes all that is evil (1 Jn 5:19). In fact he is a man killer (1 John 3:12, 15).

Is Satan still active in the lives of people living on earth today?

Yes.

How is Satan active in the world today?

Satan is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44). He uses deception and half truths to try to lead mankind away from the truth of Jesus.

Satan has power over world governments (Matt 4:8-9, 2 Cor 4:4), in the physical realm (Lk 13:11, 16), in the angelic realm (Eph 6:11-12, Jude 9), and even in the church realm (Rev 2:9, 3:9).

Satan’s principal tactic in attacking God’s kingdom is to present a counterfeit kingdom and program. He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:13-15). The Bible tells us that Satan is responsible for false churches, ministers, gospels, theologies, teachers, prophets, and christs in the world.

Evil angels inflict disease, mental disorders, and even death upon man in some cases.

The Bible tells us that Satan and his followers do the following to believers; tempt them, slander them, hinder their work, place unbelievers among them, persecute them, hinder answers to their prayers, place doubts in their minds, and place pride and jealousy in their hearts.

Will he be active in the future? In the end times?

Yes, Satan is a key layer in the end time scenarios.

Starting at the mid-point of the Tribulation period Satan will be barred from all access to heaven. He and his evil angels will be banished to earth where they will create havoc for awhile with their primary goal being to pursue and destroy Israel. Jesus will return at the 2nd Coming and defeat Satan and his evil forces. Satan and his evil angels will then face their ultimate destruction and final judgment (Rev 12:1-24, Isa 14:12-17). Believers will be part of the jury (1 Cor 6:2-3).

Satan will be banned to the “Abyss” during the Millennium (Rev 20:2).

What will be the ultimate fate of Satan?

Satan and his evil angels will be judged, found guilty and thrown into the Lake of Fire prepared for them in advance. This will take place after the end of the millennium (Matt 25:41, Rev 20:10).

What is our protection against Satan and his evil angels?

Our defense against Satan and his followers is through Jesus (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25), through the Spirit (1 Jn 4:4), through our spiritual armor (Eph 6:11-18). Also see James 4:7 and Eph 6:13-14.

WHEN DID SATAN FALL FROM HEAVEN?

See the analysis of Satan’s fall in the section Angels past, present and future in God’s plan for the ages for a complete discussion of Satan’s fall.

WHAT ARE SATAN’S FOUR BIGGEST LIES AND HOW DOES HE USE THEM?

INTRODUCTION

          Jesus calls Satan, the devil, a liar and the father of lies in John 8:44. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and unbelieving Jews when he said this.

          John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

          In fact, Satan has been repeatedly lying to man to try to hijack God’s plan for man’s redemption since Adam first fell. As I study the Bible and look at the world around me I see four of Satan’s lies that I would categorize as possibly his biggest lies. We will start with the first two lies next.

SATAN’S FIRST TWO HUGE LIES

          The Old Testament begins with Satan tempting the first man, the first Adam, with two lies; if you do as I say (1) you will surely not die and (2) you will become like God.

Gen 3:4-5

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.

5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

The New Testament begins with Satan tempting the second man, the last Adam, with the same two lies; if you do as I say (1) you will surely not die and (2) you will become like God.

Matt 4:5-6

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Matt 4:8-9

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Adam, the first man, the man from earth, failed the test. He gave in to Satan’s two huge lies and was therefore banned from heaven until he could be redeemed for his great sin. God gave man a chance to redeem himself by proving that he could live a perfect life without sin. Man miserably failed to live up to the measuring stick that God provided for man to prove himself worthy, the law. Man proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could not redeem himself and become perfect again.

God’s plan to redeem man went to phase 2. In this plan Jesus, the last Adam, the second man, the man from heaven, would come to earth and take the same test. The result would be drastically different. The last Adam would face the same two questions from Satan but would not give in to the temptation. He would continue to live a sinless life on earth and at its end would die as a spotless lamb as a sacrifice to cover all of our sins, one death for all of our sins; past, present and future.

Satan’s effort to derail God’s plan for redeeming man by using his proven tactic on the second Adam, the man from heaven, was a complete failure. However, Satan does not give up easily, and after his failure he came up with two new lies that he could cunningly use to keep as many as possible from being redeemed. We will next look at Satan’s two new lies.

SATAN’S TWO NEW LIES; HIS CURRENT LIES

          Satan’s two original lies placed man in a terrible and seemingly hopeless situation, but Jesus won the victory over Satan and these two lies upon the cross. Again, Satan did not give up. He came up with two more vicious lies after Jesus victory and he has been propagandizing the world with these two lies for almost 2000 years now. His two new lies are:

• That there is some way to heaven other than through Jesus Christ, and
• That Jesus (God) is not the creator of the universe.

These lies seem to be more popular today that ever before in history. To believe otherwise has become very politically incorrect all over the world. And Satan asks us “Who wants to be politically incorrect?” Not many it seems; not even professing Christians in many instances. As we read in 2 Thess 2:7-12, Satan’s great new lies were already being spread in Paul’s day.

II Th 2:7-12

7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie

12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

This delusion seems to be so clearly present today. When we see such huge numbers of very intelligent people believing such irrational things it is extremely hard to believe. We will next study Satan’s first new lie; that there are multiple paths to heaven and they don’t have to go through Jesus. We have showed conclusively in Jesus is the only way to heaven in the section Jesus and his gospel that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that the only way to the Father is through Jesus. For completeness we will include a short study that leads to the conclusion that you cannot get to the Father without going through the Son, Jesus the Christ.

SATAN’S FIRST NEW LIE; THERE ARE WAYS TO HEAVEN OTHER THAN THROUGH JESUS

          There are several religions in the world who claim to worship the same Father God as the Christians yet deny that Jesus is also God. What does our Bible say about people who believe this? We have the answer if we believe that our Bible in literally true and is the word of God. There are several scriptures that deal directly with this question. We will next read a few of them and find our answer.

John 5:22-29

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,

23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice

29 and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

John 8:54-56

54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.

55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

I Jn 2:22-24

22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist-- he denies the Father and the Son.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

II Jn 1:8-11

8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

John 16:1-4

1 "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.

2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.

3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

So we have our question answered very clearly. We cannot know God the Father unless we also know God the Son, accept him for who he is, become a believer and try to pattern our lives after his.

It appears to conservative Christians that Satan is behind the other religions and cults being practiced around the world. We have seen Satan using his great new lie for almost 2000 years now. It seems to be reaching a crescendo in our lifetimes. We are eyewitnesses to this and must be blind to the lessons of history not to see this.

Satan’s second new lie is a bit more recent that his first new lie but it also seems to be reaching a crescendo in our lifetimes. We will look at the second new lie next.

SATAN’S SECOND NEW LIE; EVOLUTION, GOD WAS NOT THE CREATOR

          Satan’s second new lie is again that Jesus (God) is not the creator of the universe, that the universe somehow cane into being by natural forces and living things somehow evolved out of some sort of primordial soup. The theory of evolution is at the heart of this belief system. I find it to really be a religious system that takes far more faith than believing in God.

          I am a scientist and have studied the complexities of the design of the human sight and sound systems. It confounds me as to how anyone who has really studied the details of these human systems can believe that they somehow evolved without the aid of an intelligent designer.

         If you trace the history of the theory of evolution you will see a history littered with rigged experiments, fraudulent claims, deceptive teaching, all kinds of counterfeit claims, delusions, etc. It seems to be faulty science at its apex. In spite of the stench, belief in the theory of evolution has become so widespread throughout the academic community that it is hard to even conceive of anyone behind it less powerful that Satan. How can so many intelligent people believe such open deception? Many creationists claim that the reason that evolutionists hide their heads in the sand is because to not continue to believe in evolution leads to the conclusion that there must be a God. What a horrible thought to many people. It is as though believing in creationism or intelligent design is incompatible with believing in science. Nonsense!

CONCLUSION

         We see these lies being endorsed in America by the media, by corporations through their policies, by the government through the educational system where only the lie of evolution can be taught, by the government through the endorsement of all religions as being equally valid, and by many other religions believing and teaching that there are multiple ways to God and heaven, and even by many Christian churches and denominations which have been caught up in the politically correct atmosphere that exists today and have changed their stated beliefs. Jesus warned us about this type of thing happening in the future in Matt 24:23-25.

Matt 24:23-25

23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.

24 For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible.

25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

2 Thess 2:9-12 has a setting in the end times and it is very predictive of what we see happening in the world today.

2 Thess 2:9-12

9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved.

11 For this reason God sends them a powerful deception so that they will believe the lie

12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

         We are in a world of trouble, much of it caused by believing Satan’s two current huge lies. Something has changed drastically in the last 50 years and the rate of change is increasing at a frantic pace. But, what can we do? We can make sure that we tell the truth. What is the truth? John makes the truth very clear in John 14:6 and in several places in his writings. The truth is that Jesus is the Christ; he is the way, the truth and the life! There is no way to get to heaven except through him. We must clearly proclaim that truth to a world that does not want to hear it! We must not cower in fear of those who seek to kill Christians for proclaiming that truth!