Jul 17
15
Satan: Accuser of the Brethren
Joe Terrell
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? -John 8:10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. -Revelation 12:10
In the presence of Christ, the Accuser of the Brethren has no standing. No sooner does the Accuser come to God’s court than he is cast out by the compelling arguments of our Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ.
How is this so? By what means did our Lord, under the name of Michael, banish the Devil from his place in the court of heaven? We might think it is because of His great sovereign authority by which he commands Satan away from the proceedings. No doubt, Christ has authority and power to drive Satan away. But were he to silence our Accuser by that means, would there not be a legitimate cry of, “Unjust!” It is a wholesale miscarriage of justice if a man is set free from his crimes simply because his attorney has strength to throw the prosecutor out of court.
We might think that Satan is thrown out by our Lord’s work as our Advocate, for it is written, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” (1 John 2.1) What a blessing this is: to have the Son of God, Himself, as our defense attorney in heaven’s court. Yet, what argument can our Advocate make for us, seeing that we are guilty of the things of which we are accused? Do we hope that He can find some loophole or some “technicality” of the law by which the guilty might escape punishment? Once again, we hear the cry, “Unjust!” Of this we may be certain: no unjust means of salvation shall ever prosper in the presence of God.
How then was the Accuser cast out? Is it not by this means? – Many years ago, our Advocate appeared before the bar of Divine justice in our name; and there he plead guilty to every charge the Accuser could lay against us; and there our Advocate paid in full the price for all those crimes. What can the Accuser say now? Shall he bring up some sin of ours again? Will a just court allow the same crime to be tried twice? Until the Accuser can find some sin of the brethren which was not plead and paid for on Calvary, then he has no place in the court of heaven!
But, even though Satan has been cast out of heaven’s court, he finds a way into our consciences, and there he accuses again and again. How can we overcome that? “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. . .” (Revelation 12:11) When Satan accuses, do not waste your time trying to defend yourself, for his accusations are true, are they not? Rather, set before Him the blood of the Lamb, which is the irrefutable proof that the sins for which he accuses you have already been plead and paid for, and he has no more standing in the court of your conscience than he does in the court of heaven. Case closed!
He Stood Alone; No Other Man Stood With Him
Drew Dietz
‘And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren’ (Genesis 45:1).
Oh blessed revelation of the gospel in one verse; how simple, how straight forward and clear! Our lovely and omnipotent Redeemer must stand alone before the justice and wrath of God on our behalf, and no one stood with Him as He took my shame and blame before His heavenly Father.
As He cried, “my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me,” such was His solitary position for all His elect. He was very much alone on Calvary’s tree, bearing and shouldering all the pressing burdens that our sins required. The law is against us, our sins are upon us, Satan accuses us, and the world despises us.
Who then will speak peace to the church? Who then will comfort all those who mourn? None other that the one who stood alone to deliver us from all things against us!
Not only is He THE man who stood alone for His elect but He must make himself known to His chosen people. Such He does by His sovereign free eternal grace. Blessed are you who have had the Son revealed to you. In this revelation we can not boast, for He ‘makes himself known’ to whomsoever He will by the singular and supreme workings of grace!
Do you know why I despise free will religion so much? It proclaims that:
1) Christ did not do everything for the salvation of His people ‘by himself’ but the sinner must help in said salvation in some manner and
2) The sinner cooperates in divine revelation, thus Christ did not solely make Himself known without the consent of man.
Rubbish! ‘And there stood no man with him, while he (Christ) made himself known unto HIS brethren (the elect). End of story!
Alone
Do you ever feel alone? Seemingly walking another direction from everyone else? Isolated? On your own?
This is not uncommon for the Lord’s people. Sooner or later they will know what it is to walk this path – to be alone. The One they follow, and the Message they bring, is not welcome here, nor is it wanted. As with their Master they will find that others treat them with reserve and distance themselves from them. The world, friends, and even family, misunderstand, misrepresent and misjudge. The gospel of God’s grace is no more welcome today than it was when Christ sent forth His twelve disciples to preach it in their day and generation. The natural man receives not the things of God – he opposes them, rejects them, despises them and closes his ears to them.
It is understandable then, that in the face of such natural opposition, from so many, that the child of God can feel isolated – alone. Like a faint, flickering candle in a very dark room. Yet, whatever the outward appearance, the reality is so different. For I tell you, that however he may feel, the child of God, in Christ, is never, never, alone! Whatever the opposition of men around him, whatever the disinterest, whatever the disdain, he walks with a Companion so close, so true, so faithful, so trustworthy, so near, and in such a union, that the world could never understand! Christ has said unto His own “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” – and He never does! Indeed, the very cause that sets the believer apart from others, that makes him feel alone, is the very same thing that ensures that the believer, unlike any other, is never, ever, truly alone! He has – unlike the wicked who perish – the “one thing needful”… Christ and Him alone.
Ian Potts.
Tell What Great Things God Has Done For Us
Acts 18:24-28
Drew Dietz
Reading these verses closely you will notice the following words as written under inspiration of God…”who (Apollos) when he was come (unto the church at Achaia), helped them much which believed through grace” (vs.27). My thought is simply this: if you want to help much those of the church, if you want to really bless the sheep of the living God; then simply, consistently and boldly…”publicly shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (vs.28). Said another way…determine not to preach anything other than ‘Christ and Him crucified’. By the faithful discharge of his calling, this man was of great help and encouragement to his brethren. Who among us does not need much comfort and assistance in a cold and dying world? Who among us do not need daily reminding of the lovely and wonderful atoning work of our glorious Redeemer! I do, and I must hear of Him who loved me and died for me! I can think of no other direct and straight forward way to console the bride of Christ than to tell her about the ONE who did everything necessary and everything essential to guarantee her eternal happiness. Lord, may we be found faithful to our calling . . .to tell them what great things God has done for us.
How to be a witness
“Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee” (Mark 5:19).
The Lord had shown great mercy to this poor sinner, setting him free from demons and from sin. Now He tells him to go home to his family and friends and to be THE LORD’S WITNESSS.
Do not go home and begin to preach. Do not go home and take up the great doctrines of grace and expound them. Do not go home and strive to bring everyone to your views and beliefs. Do not go home and condemn all who do not see what you see. Go home and tell them WHAT GREAT THINGS THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU! Not what great things you have read or heard, but what great things you have EXPERIENCED! This is the way to begin our witnessing.
There is never a more interesting story than the story a person has experienced, lived, and felt. If you would really interest others and get their attention, tell them what great things the Lord has done IN you and FOR you!
Notice the Lord said, “Tell them what great things THE LORD HATH DONE.” It is a story of FREE GRACE. Not what we did, willed, or gave, but what He did for us by His own free, sovereign, and undeserved love. We will not convince them nor change them, anymore than another man could convert us. But THE LORD who did great things for us can do great things for them if He is so pleased to use the faithful witness of those who go and tell “how great things the LORD hath done for thee.”
Henry Mahan
Is it good that I am afflicted
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy ways.” Psalm 119:71
God’s ways and God’s word are best learned by experience and in time of trouble. When our Lord is pleased to lay his hand heavily upon us, we do not soon forget the lessons learned. When the Lord singles out a believer or a church for special affliction and adversity, it is not for punishment nor lack of love for them; it is for eternal blessings and because He does love them. “Whom the Lord loveth” he chastens, corrects, and teaches!
When Job sat before his friends, who was afflicted? The one God loved! When Paul stood before King Agrippa, who wore the chains? The one God loved! Humanly speaking, which path of life would you prefer to live on earth, that of Esau or Jacob? Esau had the life of prosperity and ease; Jacob was full of trouble and conflict – But God loved Jacob! Thank God he has not left us alone! Thank God he has loved us in Christ and is pleased to teach us his ways by dealing with us in such a way that we are weaned from the world and find our life, comfort, and hope only in him. A person who measures his blessings and relationship with God by his prosperity, health, happiness, and worldly comforts makes a fatal mistake. “If ye be without chastisement, whereof all believers are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8). Paul said, “Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2nd Cor. 12:9-10). He who sends the trial for his glory and my good will supply the grace sufficient. Those who know the Redeemer also know that when we are weak, we are strong; when we are poor, we are rich; when we are empty, we are full; and when we die, we live!”
Henry Mahan
The testimony to God’s Glory
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Isaiah 40.5
The heavens declare the glory of God, and even the earth in its fallen state is a testimony to the greatness of the God Who made it. But nothing has glorified God as did the Son of God when he was “born of a woman, made under the law” and in that state performed the will of God to perfection. “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Man seems to think God is glorified by the great works of men. The lofty cathedral, the massive choir, and the successful “Christian” business are all supposed testimonies of God’s glory. But God’s glory was revealed in a baby of obscure parentage, a young boy of exceptional spiritual wisdom, a preacher outside the mainstream of popular religion and a crucified substitute. All that man calls wisdom was confounded. All that man calls power was overthrown, and the glory – the true glory – of the Lord was revealed.
Joe Terrell