The Original State and Fall of Satan (2)

He can be strong in the Lord. He has given us the victory through his power over Satan. Good to know that. And it also is good to know that we are commanded and given the privilege of having the armor of God to stand against the strategies, the wiles, the schemes of the devil. And it's important that we understand who our enemy is. And so that's what we're doing. When's the night we're looking at in this section of a larger study on angels. We're looking at what the Bible teaches about Satan. And last week we began to talk about his original state and fall. And it's important to understand that because you can't really understand a lot about what Satan does, who he is, what he's all about until you understand where he came from and how he fell to his present state. So we're spending a couple of maybe even three weeks on this particular topic to see what his original state was and how he fell from that. We began just while we have a quick review. We began last week talking about the privileges and perversion of Satan in Ezekiel chapter 28. And we saw that Ezekiel talks about a dual reference speaking addressing first Ezekiel dresses his comments first to the king of tire, but then seems to or the prince of tire, but then seems to be referring to the real power behind that prince who has Satan himself. And he focuses on Ezekiel focuses on those initial privileges that Satan had in heaven. We saw that he was a cherub an angel an anointed cherub which indicates that he had some kind of high position, maybe even over the other cherub. He was a cherub, his habitation was in the mount of God or in the presence of God himself and he was perfect in his person and his ways. That was his original state. But then the Bible says in Ezekiel 38 that sin was found in him. You were perfect in your ways until sin was found in you. Ezekiel says. It does not specify exactly what that sin was, although he does indicate that it had something to do with pride in verse 17 of that chapter. We saw that he was lifted up with pride. And of course there's a statement about that in 1 Timothy 3 as well about Satan's fall because of pride. Because of that he was punished cast out of the privileges and position he had near the throne of God in heaven. That's all found in Ezekiel 28. Now there's a little more in Isaiah 14 and that's where we were when we ended last week's study. Isaiah 14 verses 12 through 17. So I invite your attention to that passage for our study tonight. We found a similar situation in Isaiah that we had in Ezekiel where you find a dual reference. The profit is first of all addressing the king of Babylon. But then seems to speak of one who goes beyond any human reference and probably is referring to Satan, the real power behind the king of Babylon. And as we saw last week, he's talking about in all likelihood a future king of the future Babylon, the Babylon in the tribulation time and the king that will be ruling the antichrist who will be ruling through that world power will be ruling the earth at that time. Of course, Satan is the ultimate power behind him. So remember in Isaiah 14 he's addressing Israel as restored in the land. Over all the nations seems to be a millennial reference, reference to the kingdom. And once they are in their kingdom they can look back with this taunt on the antichrist and the power of Satan behind him. So that's where we ended last week. Tonight we begin with the identification that was the identification of persons that we talked about. But now we're going to talk tonight more specifically about the identification of his sin. We've already seen in Ezekiel 28 17 that it had to do with pride for Timothy 3 6. It had to do with pride. But Isaiah pictures that pride as expressed very clearly, very definitely in a determined rebellion against God. So Satan's pride is expressed in this determined rebellion and in the verses we're going to look at we're going to see five statements where Satan says I will, I will, I will. And all of those statements are a determined rebellion against God and an indication of his pride. Okay, ready to jump into any question before we jump into those five I wills. All right. First 12. How you have fallen from heaven morning star son of the dawn remember morning star is a statement of Satan's original position as as one of the cherubs in his brightness. It's shining good angel appearance, but you've fallen from heaven morning star son of the dawn you have been cast down to the earth who you who once laid low the nations you said in your heart here it is verse 13. I will ascend to the heavens. Now these five times he says I will express his intention to rise above the spear that God had given him in his creation and his place which which may have not only been as as a cherub around the throne of God, but may have also involved other responsibilities where he was sent to do things even on. Plan of earth or other places in the universe before the fall of man so he says I will send heaven what does that mean what is he talking about there you already has access and the heaven is already around the throne of God so this must mean something more than that it must mean that he will abide in the very place in heaven that God. Abides in and over take over God's place if you will he wants to be equally recognized with God I will send in heaven I will I will make my permanent abode there in the throne where God is and we'll see how that plays out in some of the other statements. So the first one I will send heaven probably having to do with that lofty goal of being the ruler of heaven being in heaven over everything else and that is expressed in these other statements notice the second one I will raise my throne above the stars of God. Now the stars of God as we saw last week are probably referring to angels not the stars in the sky but probably for angels that is a common use of that word particularly in the book of Revelation but may also be the case here these are not the stars of the heavens these are the stars of God and so these are his angels so what Satan is saying here is I want to usurp God's place. I want to rule over all the angels I'm not content to be one of the main cherubs that that worships God I want to rule over all the angels of God I want to take that place. Okay, those third statement verse 13 I will sit in throne on the mount of assembly on the utmost heights of Mount Zafon now to sit on the mount of assembly and the reference to mount Zafon. You have to understand that in the context of Old Testament thinking Mount Zafon by the way was one of the primary mountains in Canaanite in the land of Canaanites were ruling and worshiping there and that was their main worship place and so it's a reference to a main worship center and Mount Zafon kind of became well known for that kind of a place. It's kind of a symbol of any kind of worship center but being on the mount of assembly in throne on the mount of assembly seems to refer to God's kingdom and God's rule which is often referred to in terms of a mountain in the Old Testament. Let me give you a couple of references and they'll be on the screen Isaiah 2.2. In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains it will be exalted above the hills and all nations will stream into it. This is Christ's kingdom. The millennial kingdom is referred to as a mountain which is exalted above up the other mountains and and all nations will stream into it. Another reference in Psalms, Psalm 48.2 actually uses that same word that Isaiah uses. Beautiful in its lawfulness, the joy of the whole earth like the heights of Zafon. In other words this is a worship mountain. Not the heights of Zafon is mountain Zion, the city of the great king. So the great king Christ will have his rule, his reign centered on a mountain in Jerusalem. It's interesting that even in Daniel's prophecies remember there was a stone cut out of the mountain that came rolling down the mountain side to crush all the other kingdoms of men and then it grew into a great mountain. So often in Old Testament imagery, you know in prophetic imagery God's kingdom is pictured as a great mountain. And so when Satan says I will sit and throne on the mount of assembly where people assemble together to worship in God's kingdom, I'm going to be on the throne. Not Christ, not God. That's what I want. I want to take the place of Messiah. I want to rule over all the nations. I think that's the idea there. Notice the fourth one verse 14, I will ascend above the tops of the clouds or above the heights of the clouds. Again, this is prophetic literature and often in prophetic literature, you have a lot of symbolism and words are used symbolically like mountain was in the last verse clouds may be used that way in this verse. This may not be literally Satan saying I want to be above the clouds like in a 747. No, it's not it's not that often in the Old Testament clouds refer to the glory of God. Again, couple of references that are clear in showing that Exodus 13 verse 21 by day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. This is before the children of Israel and the wilderness to guide them on their way and by night and a pillar of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or night also in Exodus 40. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. So often in the Old Testament in particular, a cloud symbolizes the glory of God or is representative of the glory of God is present when the glory of God is being discussed. So again, Satan could be saying here, I will ascend above the glory of God. I want glory higher than his glory. And then the last one, and I'll stop for a minute. See if you have any comments or questions. The last one in verse 14 is the pinnacle, the capstone of all of these arrogant boasts. I will make myself like the most high. This is the pinnacle of his self will and rebellion. I want God's power and authority for myself. In fact, I will do anything to get it. I will use serpent. I will replace God. This is the essence of his rebellion against God. I'm going to overthrow God and I'm going to take this place. I'm going to rule over the angels. I'm going to sit on the throne. I'm going to be above his glory. This is all a part of of Satan's rebellion. Isaiah seems to clearly indicate the specifics of what Ezekiel just kind of refers to as being pride. But this is the essence of his pride in these verses. Okay, comments or questions about Satan's I wills his pride and rebellion. Okay, anything? I'll put you to sleep with all that from Isaiah. Okay, let's take just a few moments then to highlight first of all the wretchedness of his sin and then the results of his sin. But I think it's important that we put his sin in perspective to see how awful, how horrible, how arrogant, how wretched it is. When you think of these five things, number one, there is no previous example of any such rebellion. This is the first time anyone has rebelled against God. So there's no precedent here. There's no example. And that highlights the wretchedness of it even more. Secondly, when you think of the fact that Satan was created beautiful and perfect, he lacked nothing as a creature. He's at the very pinnacle of the angels. And to want more is again, just a symbol of how awful his rebellion is. Thirdly, he was created with great intelligence and understanding which would give him a great understanding of God's greatness and God's goodness. So why would he want to rebel? Again, it just makes his rebellion that much worse. Fourthly, his high position among the cherubines, the cherubines, those who were around the throne of God worshipping would be sent to do his bidding. And then the high position gave him the privilege of the highest of service to God. And again, makes his rebellion even that much worse. And then the fact that he was so close to the throne and enjoyed the closest of fellowship with the God of the universe. You know, it's like the Psalmist in Psalm 69, David or Christ Christ quotes it in the gospels about my own friend betrayed me for an enemy. I can understand it, but it's my own friend. One who broke bread with me. And that's in essence what's happening in heaven. Satan is close to God. He is perfect. He has great knowledge and wisdom. And he's there to see the greatness of God and the glory of God. And he still chooses to rebel just unthinkable, but it happened. It did happen. Okay, any questions or comments there before we talk about the results of this sin? What happened because of this sin? Yes, Libby? Yes. Well, it happened just as we've described in heaven with Satan. Why it happened? It's hard to put our minds around that really to grasp that. How could that happen? Why would that happen in such a perfect place in him knowing the glory and power of God? It just, I think shows. Obviously, and we're going to talk about this in a little bit. We're going to talk about the moral problem, the problem of evil and how things like this could happen. Why God would allow them to happen? There's a certain element of this that we really can't explain or understand. We just know what happened. What were Satan's motivations? How could he choose to rebel in such a perfect place? It's hard to fathom. But it just shows, I think, the pride and the arrogance of his heart. But yeah, that was the first sin was Satan's fall. Right then? It's a good question. The curse is limited to the earth. The curse is limited to animal kingdom, plant kingdom, and mankind on earth. So the curse doesn't take place until there's sin on earth, not in heaven. Heaven is not cursed or under the curse. But Satan brought his dirty work down to the earth. And when he tempted Eve and Adam, and they fell, then the curse is placed on the earth. I think that's the reason there. Good question. Have never heard that one. Yes. The word clouds, particularly in the New Testament, can be used of a group of a congregation, a gathering of people, the cloud of witnesses. Even as we saw Sunday night, we should be caught up together with him in the clouds or in clouds. Clouds of people going, groups of people, sending up in the rapture. Yeah, you're right. I think it can be used that way, especially in the New Testament. Blaine? Yes. It's a good point. He was thrown out of heaven. And then there's the promise in Genesis 3 that in verse 15, which is the first kind of vague reference to the Messiah, that his head will be crushed. And he is being spoken of in terms of the serpent, but the New Testament makes clear that is a reference to Satan and his ultimate doom. The hands of Christ. Yes. Okay. Good questions. Others? All right. The results of his sin. Quickly, let me just mention five results of his sin. Obviously, he is banished from heaven. Look at verse 12, how you have fallen from heaven morning star Sunday, the dawn saw the same thing in his Zekyll. He's banished from heaven. Not in the sense of he can never enter the presence of God because we know that he was still able to do that. Job pictures him as entering God's presence to accuse Job. It's not to the middle of the tribulation, Revelation 12, that he is thrown out of heaven in that second sense that he can no longer even enter the presence of God. So what this evidently is referring to is he loses his privilege and position in heaven. So he's no longer an anointed cherub around the throne of God. He is cast out of that position and privilege as a cherub as a good angel. So he's banished from heaven in that sense. Second result of his sin was the corruption of his character. I think that's why in referencing his fall, he's called the morning star son of the dawn. He's called the high lights, his original state of being a good angel, but now he's the essence of evil, the essence of darkness, the essence of sin. So it just highlights the corruption of his character, which was once glorious and now is dark and evil. The third result was a perversion of his power. His power was once used to praise God, worship him, glorify him, and now it's used for destructive purposes to try to do battle against God and his kingdom. One result that may not seem quite as negative as the others is that he retains some of his dignity in the sense that he still has a lot of influence and power, but now it's over evil angels. As we're going to see in just a moment, he took a bunch of angels with him and he did become their ruler. So in that sense, he retained something about his dignity and power in the sense that he still is over other angels, but now they're bad angels, evil angels, demons. The fifth result of his sin is that he is destined to eternal punishment. It's referenced in verse 15, you are brought down to the realm of the dead to the depths of the pit. Revelation, chapter 20, in verse 3, references a temporary restriction of Satan to the pit or the abyss during the millennium. He threw him into the abyss, angel, a good angel, threw him into the abyss, locked and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for short time and he is set free for brief time where he leads one final rebellion against Christ and his kingdom which Christ quickly squashes and then the devil is thrown into the lake of fire, where he will be forever. So he is destined for eternal punishment ultimately in the lake of fire. That's the result of his sin and ultimate result. Alright, that is a picture from the prophets of the fall of Satan, his original position and his fall as a recorder in his Ezekiel and Isaiah. You have the questions there? You only got four? Let me just repeat them real quick because I may have said six or seven. Who knows? I may have only said three. The first one was his banish from heaven, second corruption of his character, third perversion of his power, fourth he still retains his dignity. That's a little different than the others so that may have thrown you and then the fifth one is his destined to eternal punishment. Alright, the next thing in your notes we've already talked about in response to some questions. Yes, Carolyn, I'm sorry. Okay. Satan. I think they I think they I think it would be yes. I think it indicates that even good angels recognize his power and his position among the evil angels and would it's in Jude, Jude nine, which refers back to to do around 34 in Moses being buried and his his body being. Being contented over by Satan and and good angels and or Satan wanting to have his body, but even the good angels will not ridicule Satan, which by the way, we ought to take note of, you know, there's a movement of people in certain. Well, certain pinocostal denominations, for instance, that are very adamant that it is their place to rebuke Satan and to tell him to get out and so forth. And many of them will say in the name of Jesus, but the whole spirit of it is I've got power over you. And I think that's a little dangerous. I at least arrogant maybe we ought to leave that kind of thing up to the Lord and just pray to him rather than talking directly to the devil and telling him what to do. I don't have any power over Satan Christ does. So I have to be a little careful about thinking that's my prerogative. I understand, I understand the kind of gets us excited. The reference in the movie War Room, even where the ladies tell him Satan to get out of her house and so forth. I get that, but just have to be all careful about that kind of arrogance in light of that verse. Not even the angels will do that. They say the Lord rebuke. I'm going to let the Lord take care of that. It's not my place. I think we do need to understand that Satan, although he's a defeated foe, he has a lot of power and he has a lot of smarts. And we're no match for him. We are no match for him in ourselves. It's only through Christ that we can have any victory at all. Let's move on to the time of Satan's fall, which is we've already talked about a little bit last week in reference to a question that was raised. There's no clear statement as to the exact time that Satan fell, but there are some limits that we kind of were infacies that we can put around and kind of identify when it would be. Obviously he had not sinned and fallen from heaven before the six days of creation were up because at the end of the six days of creation, God looks over his creation. Genesis 131 and everything is good. Remember, God also created the angels. So you can't have a bad angel yet because God sees all of his creation, including angels and says it is all very good. So Satan could not have fallen before Genesis 131, but we know he has already fallen by Genesis 3 because he is using the serpent to tempt Eve. So somewhere between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3, and again, we don't know how much time is involved there. I don't think it was, you know, hundreds of thousands or millions of years. I think it was fairly soon after Adam's creation that Satan made his move, but it was somewhere in that time frame between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3. Okay, comments there? Questions? Okay, we've also already anticipated this next section in your outline, the fall of angels with Satan, but it is clear that Satan did solicit other angels to join his rebellion. He persuaded other angels to join with him in this rebellion. Remember these verses, we'll put them on the screen for you so we don't have to turn back, but Ezekiel 28, 18 by your many sins and dishonest trade. You have desecrated your sanctuaries. The dishonest trade, remember we saw was a reference that Hebrew was a reference to a solicitation to someone to do evil. In other words, you're making a case, you're selling a bill of goods. You're trying to get someone on your side to do something that is wrong, and that's what Satan was doing. He was evidently, there's nobody else around except good angels. So evidently, he's appealing to other good angels to join him in his rebellion. In Isaiah, since we're here, I know I say 14 verse 13, but I think it's also on the screen. You said in your heart, I will ascend to the heavens, I will raise my throne above the stars of God. So this fulfills his desire to rule over the angels. It was his plan all along to rule over angels. And so he's able to persuade some of them to come with him. And evidently, it's possible that as many as a third of all the angels did follow Satan in his rebellion. And we saw that in Revelation chapter 12 and verse 4. The dragon, speaking of the dragon, who is identified as Satan later in the chapter. It's hailed, swept a third of the stars, and here's that reference again to angels. Third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth again through the fall. This is very symbolic and picturesque language to describe Satan for rebellion. His gathering of other angels to follow him, his being cast out of heaven in his fall. So quite possibly a third of the angels were recruited to be in his rebellion. And they are now called his angels in the New Testament. They are subservient to him. He rules over them. And they are also called demons in the New Testament. So the evil angels are the same as demons. And we'll get into that later when we shift our study from Satan to demons. All right. Questions, comments? Al? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. It would be interesting to know what the rebellion looked like and how the good angels responded. Yeah. All we can do is speculate. But it would be interesting to know how that all kind of looked. One day we can ask Michael. He'll tell us. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I think we have we have about 10 minutes left. So I think we have time to deal with the moral problem in the fall of angels. And this is a question that has been raised in our study. And we've tried to deal with to some extent. But I wanted to try to wrap up this whole section on the fall of Satan by addressing this issue. Why would God allow this kind of rebellion against him anyway and this kind of sin on the part of some of his good angels? I mean, why would God allow that? It really goes to the root of a question that plagues a lot of people. It's the problem of the existence of evil. Why would God allow evil in his universe? If he has all power and he created all things, then why would he allow evil in the universe? And that that troubles a lot of people. Now, let me say right up front that I don't know that any of us has the perfect pre-packaged answer, very simple, clear to that question. So what I want to do is to nail down what we do know. And that's a good way to approach any issue in the Bible that you really struggle with. And you're not sure you can explain. And you know, there are a few of those kind of issues that we just can't explain completely to our satisfaction logically. There are just some issues that don't seem to fit our neat little rational explanations. And this is one of them. So whenever you come up against a subject like that, the best way to approach it is to nail down what you do know, to nail down what is clear. And that at least sets some parameters. It at least sets some boundaries so that you don't run off in the ditch with whatever your conclusions are. Okay, so that's what we're going to do here. We're going to set some boundary. It will not satisfy all of your questions and curiosities about why God would allow evil. But it does set some boundaries with things that we do know for sure. The first one is we have to nail down for sure in our thinking the character of God. The character of God, the Bible is clear that God is holy. He is righteous. He is perfect in all of his ways. And therefore he cannot promote or condone sin. So God is not the author of evil. God did not create evil because God is good. God is righteous. God is holy. So the character of God is something we do know for sure. So that's going to keep us in certain bounds when we discuss this topic. Second thing that we need to keep in mind is the control of God. Another thing that we know about God is he is omnipotent. He has all power. He is sovereign. He rules over all. So that means he is in control of all things. So that helps us to understand that evil did not arise because God lost control. Because God lost control. Somehow things got away from him. And before he could get it all back in it. It fell off the cliff. No, that's not it at all. God is sovereign. He is in control. He did not lose control of anything. So we know that. That will help us with another kind of boundary line. Third thing we need to be clear on is the choice of God. It seems best to say that God allowed evil to come into being. For his own reasons, not all of which are evident to us. But God allowed evil to come into being. God is the author of a perfect plan. And that plan involves everything that happens in the universe. So how does evil play a part in that plan? Possibly to give us as was referenced by someone in our study last week or week before. Possibly to give us an example of evil, of degeneration, of the result of sin, so that we will have an example of what we don't want to do and what we don't want to be. So that we will obey God. And we will love him because we see the consequences of those who don't. And possibly also to highlight God's holiness and justice and judgment for sin, his hatred of sin. Maybe all of that factors into why God would choose to allow evil. But we know that because God is a good God, he did not create evil. And because he is in control, he didn't lose control and evil overtake him. It really comes down to this was God's choice. This was a part of the way he made the universe with the capacity for evil to happen. Possibly as an example to highlight the blessing of good and the blessing of obedience. The fourth thing we have to understand and really can nail down is another choice, the choice of the angels. Satan, sinned and fell because of his own choice. It is quite clear that both Satan and the angels who followed him are held responsible for their own sin. That indicates they chose that course. It is not God who is responsible. They are fully responsible and accountable to God for their own choice. And so the reason for evil, the problem of evil cannot be laid at the foot of God as though God is responsible for evil, Satan is responsible for evil. It shows the capacity when you have choice to go either direction. So the choice of the angels is clear in their accountability and responsibility. Fifth thing we need to be sure of is the confinement by God. And what I mean by that is that God did not allow sin to run without control. He has confined it in the scope and he has limited it in its effects. Now I know when you look around at what is happening on earth, it does not look that way. But in the broad picture, when you take into account the whole scope of the plan of God for the ages, from eternity past to eternity future, and knowing what the Bible says about how things are going to end, we know that God has got it all under control. Evil has not taken over, even though in certain pockets of human civilization, sure looks that way, God will bring all things to the right conclusion in his plan. So evil, although it seems to have a lot of power and influence is still confined by God, he will work out his own plan. And then the last one, number six, the condemnation by God. That's something that we need to be clear on as well. God has condemned and judged sin in the fullest sense of the word. And he will in the future punish all sin and all rebels and banish them to the lake of fire. So God will handle the problem of evil in his own way and his own time. So although philosophically, logically, we may not be able to make everything seem to fit in our minds as to why God would allow evil, but, doctrinally, biblically, we can nail down some things that keep us within proper boundaries, so that we don't, again, run off in the ditch into error. All right? Comment your questions about that whole concept. Okay? Yes, Bill? Yes. Not only did he know there was a possibility, he knew there was a certain idea of it. He knew it would happen. You see, all of those kind of questions, we have to rest in God's omniscience, that he knows all things. And I really believe, and I'm talking about myself here, I really believe that we don't fully, well, how can we fully grasp God's omniscience. We don't, we don't understand the depths of that. I certainly don't. When we say that God is omniscient, God knows all things. God knows everything that will happen or could potentially happen. God knows all potential circumstances or results and consequences of all potential actions that will not happen. Remember when Jesus said, if Tyre and saw, if Sodom and Gomorrah had had as much light as Tyre and Sidon and Corson and Bethesda, the cities that saw Jesus miracles, if they had had that much, they would have repented a long time ago and sat cloth and ashes. They didn't have that, they didn't repent, but God knows what would have happened if they had had that much light. So God's omniscience covers every potential consequence of every potential action, some of which will never happen. So in creating all things, that's a great point you make, Bill, when when God created all things, he already knew that man would fall, Satan would fall, Christ's death would be necessary and there would have to be a place of punishment called the Lake of Fire. He already knew all of that and it was all in place. At least the Lake of Fire was in place. Yes, Blaine? That's a great question. I don't think I know. I mean, there had not yet been any moral evil in the world and there had not yet been any consequence or fall of that. There is this place that will handle that when it does come to pass, but it hasn't come to pass yet. So I do think we have to say that everything that was created was created in the six days. I don't know if there's any creation beyond that. Okay, yes, well, there may be something to that. I mean, we don't know all that was in the mind of God as to why he created us. We know that he did not create us because he needed us. He had perfect fellowship within the Trinity, but that may have been in the mind of God. It's hard to know. Certainly the angels in the New Testament, Ephesians 3, 1 Peter 1, the angels long to look into the things that happen in the church. They are they are amazed by what they see of God's redemptive plan. And how people are saved, regenerated, changed. They they love to see that. Okay, we're five after so we better wrap it up. One more question. Right. In the mind of God. Yes. I don't know if you could hear that back there, but basically the the thrust of Kistie's comment was we were chosen before the foundation of the world. Those who were not chosen and I don't want to get into that whole subject tonight. That's a whole half hour subject, but those who were not chosen. That's also determined. And so the place where where people will spend eternity in punishment. That's already in place, but punishment percent is a good thing in the mind of God. And it is. I think that's the bottom line. Even if the place the lake of fire is already created in God's mind, that can still be seen as under the category of good because in his sovereignty and his holy purpose punishment for sin, even though it hasn't happened yet. That potential in place of punishment is a good thing. It is a good thing. With that, we better stop where the kids will be swarming the auditorium here a minute. So let's go ahead and stop. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your goodness to us in giving us your word and giving us the freedom and opportunity we have to study it and to be aware and alert as to our enemy and where he came from and how strong he is. Help us to depend upon you constantly in Jesus name we pray. Amen.