By Ramon Arias
We need a breath of fresh air. Of course, I am speaking figuratively, although in some cities it could be literal. We are suffocating, not from lack of oxygen, but from all the asphyxiating erroneous concepts that are circulating about the definition of life and the world. As a human race we are quite “comical.” How are we comical? We are comical in believing that we are the ones who control the destiny of life and the world. It is hilarious to think that we own life and possessions. Maybe we would have a rude awakening just by taking a stroll through a cemetery to remind ourselves that we are sojourners who are only passing through this life. We would do well to keep in mind that nothing can hold us here indefinitely; that this is the place where our physical bodies will wear out and cease to function in this life.
For centuries man has had a dream to be the sole owner of the world. The means that human beings have used in their quest to achieve this goal have been cruel and merciless. Countless alliances, coalitions, and groupings of all kinds that have been formed throughout the ages to try to dominate the world have failed. Men dream of having economical and military might to conquer the world, but they have failed every time. The majority of those who belong to the United Nations dream of forming a one world government, that reason alone will always make it an impossible and unattainable dream.
If Christians were asked: who is the owner of this world? The majority will answer that Satan is the god of this world and to that they attribute the chaotic human condition we find ourselves in. They will very strongly affirm that the social and ecological chaos will continue until Jesus Christ returns to fix everything. Both concepts are wrong. In the first place, Satan is not the god of this world. When Paul wrote, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4), the Greek word he used for world was aion and the correct translation is “epoch” or “period of time” so he was referring to a period of time and not the material world or the globe. For those of you who find this hard to believe let me ask you a question. Is your stomach a god? I hope you answer intelligently and say no. However, Paul says, “… their god is their stomach…” (Philippians 3:19). Satan is not god, never has been and never will be. Satan does not have the nature or the attributes of God which are Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence. Throughout history man has created and built idols they believed had supernatural powers that would favor them. These idols, as well as Satan, are not gods that help human beings. A quick review of the following passages in Scripture confirms this (Gal. 4:8; Deut. 32:17; Ps. 96:5; Isa. 44:9-20; 1 Cor. 8:4, 10:20). Jesus left us an excellent description of Satan’s true nature, that he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). If a person says he is a Martian it does not make him one, in the same manner, just because Satan projects himself as a god, it does not mean he is one.
Any person who is in rebellion against the true and living God and his moral and ethical plan is automatically affiliated with the author of rebellion which is Satan. Every true Christian should keep in mind that to be a child of God it is not enough to have a mere title or name like the one we were given at birth to identify us in society. More than just a name, a child of God must manifest the qualities given that precisely reflect the divine nature of Father God.
We would do well to pay close attention to the rebuke Jesus gave the Israelites who considered themselves children of God because they had been born in a nation chosen by God. Israel was the only nation that possessed the written revelation of the true God. From childhood they were educated in the Scriptures that revealed the law of God. They knew about the prophets and were well versed in their history as a unique nation among nations. In spite of that truth, Jesus had to put them in their place to unmask the deceit that blinded their eyes when he told them, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Why was Jesus so severe with them by telling them they were children of the devil and not of God? Because they did not believe what had already been established by God and reflected that disobedience in their lives and in their society. They not only rejected Jesus’ message but Him as well (John 8:31-46). Just so there would be no doubt to what he was saying, Jesus also affirmed the following to them, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:47).
A person who has not been regenerated in their heart and mind serves Satan as their god. Many live with the false belief that by rejecting God they become immune and are not subject to the laws of His moral and ethical government. You cannot escape the justice of the true and living God merely by rejecting Him. There is only one absolute truth; any other alternative is a lie. There is only one true God of the universe any other concept that man serves and adores is a false god.
Every true Christian should cease to see Satan as the god of this world and see him for who he is a destroyed being left with only the destructive power of lies at his disposal and he delights immensely in anyone who will believe his lies. We should not give him any credibility or authority over the reality of life and the world. Again, the church must recognize, exalt, and make known that Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth and that authority is delegated to his followers (Matthew 28: 18).
The church has to reconsider its perspective on the “last days” and love the Word of God enough not to question the integrity of its content and its application to bring about the transformation not only of human beings but also of their culture. The warning that Paul wrote to Timothy is valid to our time, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:1-4).
The church of Jesus Christ must take the rightful place that God gave it in order to be salt and light and take dominion of the world and triumph over other religions, philosophies and ideologies. Every true Christian believer should occupy his mind and use his energy and money not in speculations and catastrophic scenarios, out of which he believes he will be rescued. We must endeavor to obey our orders to establish the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven. After all, who are we going to believe, the theologians and a false perspective of the will of God for this earth or are we going to believe the One who established immutable truth? What type of people would best reflect the will of God; those who obey or those who disobey? Who should we believe about the order of life and the world, man or God? What wise business owner or entrepreneur would be pleased with disorder and chaos within his business? What would give greater glory to God; the earth in order or disorder?
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).