The Oldest Lie in the World

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To him the prospect was thrilling. He would be able to change things at will, wield unknown powers, exercise unlimited authority, control coming events, and possess secret knowledge unattainable by others. He was an angel that looked at God and lusted. His name was `brilliant star' which we anglicize to `Lucifer.' The Bible records the thought in Lucifer's heart:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><I>I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High</I>.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >1</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >  To this. God quickly replied </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>"</I></FONT><I>...You shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit</I>.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 2</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Lucifer, afterwards called `Satan,' did not receive this judgment by himself. A host of angels were cast out of heaven with him. This is a principle:  Satan never goes anywhere by himself. The Bible shows us that he likes company.  He will always look to take others down with him into judgment. In the book of Revelation, chapter 12, there is an intimation that one-third of all the existing angels</div> <div> followed Satan in his rebellion.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 3</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Now what about this oldest lie in the world? Let us go from the rebellion of the angels to the Garden of Eden. There, talking to Eve was the Serpent, who was Satan. Just examine the way the Serpent reasoned with Eve, trying to get her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I>You shall not surely die, for God knows that the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil</I>.</FONT>"<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 4</FONT>  The Devil was skillfully and indirectly accusing God. Satan twisted God's word to deceive Eve.  He probably told telling Eve something like this: "of course God doesn't want you to eat this fruit, He's afraid. He might have to share unknown and forbidden knowledge with you. He's selfish. If you eat this fruit, you will be just like God. By eating the tree that God told you not to eat, you will take away all the mystique surrounding Him, because you will be gods, too." <B>This became the oldest lie in the world.</B></div> <bR> <div> Friends, we should not be deceived like Eve.  We must realize that the thought of being God or being like God fills the heart of Satan. He was so obsessed with this thought that he seduced away one-third of the angels with him. "God is holding back something from you," he probably told them. "Just look at me. I'm fair. I am here to help you discover your full potential." Then he lied to mankind. "You'll be as gods," he promised Eve. Then today, in like manner, he tells people, "You're missing something. There's some hidden knowledge you need to seek out. The powers of the universe are available to you."</div> <bR> <div> How is this relevant to us today?  In modern times, like no other time, soothsaying, crystals, talismans, witchcraft, Satanism, drugs, astrology, psychics, and fortune tellers are explosively popular. Modern philosophies and religions have helped herald and promote all these things. Why? Misguided, mislead people are thirsting to discover the secret powers of the mind or of the universe. Mankind is sure that God is hiding something from them, that He has held something back from them.  They have fallen for Satan's lie!</div> <bR> <div> So today it is common to hear people refer to being God or becoming an almighty God in order to wield authority and power over others. Where do you really think that kind of teaching came from? Do you believe that it originated with some enlightened contemporary "prophet?" If so, perhaps you should again consider who first spoke in this way. It was not an enlightened person. It was the Devil, a fallen angel, who was cast out of the presence of the Lord because of his rebellion.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >However, we should consider whether there is any substantiation to the notion that God is jealously hoarding something and refuses to share it with His creation, especially people? The Bible firmly and clearly testifies to the contrary. God gave to man His most precious and dear possession; His Son. God said of Jesus, "</FONT><I>This is my Son the beloved, in whom I have found my delight...</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 5</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >  No where else in the New Testament can you find God making a statement indicating He is withholding the top portion from mankind. He says, "</FONT><I>It was not to angels that He says, "You are My Son, this day have I begotten You</I>.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 6</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >  </FONT>And "<I>to which of the angels has He ever said, `Sit at My right hand until I set your enemies as a footstool for Your feet</I>.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 7</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >  Jesus Christ is the highest being in the universe in God's sight.  He is the pre-eminent One.  God does not find His delight in angels, or in heaven, or in man's glory, or in great works of power. Compared to Christ, everything else in the universe is nothing to God. With such an understanding, just look at what God did give to people!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"<I>... </I></FONT><I>God so loved the world that He </I><I><B>gave</B></I><I> His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life</I>.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >"</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 8</FONT></div> <bR> <div> This gift, the free gift of God, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is not just something from God. He is not an item, a thing nor least of all a religion. God considers Christ His everything. The Bible says of Christ, "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I>In Him dwells all the fullness of the godhead bodily</I>.</FONT>"<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > 9</FONT> That means everything of God is in Christ. If you have Christ, you have the most precious item in the universe. You have the fullness of God. You were NOT shortchanged. Once you have Jesus Christ, you have eternal life. When God gives Christ, He gives His all. <B>Now that's not an old lie. It's an ever new and marvelous truth</B>.</div> <bR> <div> J. Myer</div> <bR> <div> 1<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Isaiah 14:13-14</FONT></div> <div> 2<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Isaiah 14:15</FONT></div> <div> 3<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Revelation 12:3-4</FONT></div> <div> 4<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Genesis 3:4-5</FONT></div> <div> 5<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Matthew 17:5</FONT></div> <div> 6<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Hebrews 1:5</FONT></div> <div> 7<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Hebrews 1:13</FONT></div> <div> 8<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >John 3:16</FONT></div> <div> 9<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Colossians 2:9</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Return to:</div> <div> <A HREF="id149.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Harvest"><U><B>The Harvest</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id150.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Testimonies"><U><B>Testimonies</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Tracts"><U><B>Gospel Tracts</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id633.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Tracts by CTR"><U><B>Gospel Tracts by CTR</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id765.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Streams In The Desert"><U><B>Streams In The Desert</B></U></A></div> <div> see also:  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.gospelgreeting.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gospelgreeting.com"><U>www.gospelgreeting.com</U></A></FONT></div> </td> </tr></table></body>