The Original Sin, Part 3 & 4

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also 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. (Isaiah 14:13,14)

"I will ascend; I will exalt; I will sit; I will ascend; I will be like the most High."

As we have stated, the most difficult aspect of our salvation is the losing of our independence of thought and action in order that we may become one with God and His will.

This does not mean we lose our uniqueness or our will is weakened. Rather it is true that we are joined into oneness with the Father and the Son and our will is always set on doing God's will.

All of Heaven had been filled with Divine Light. The rulers and authorities who today are occupying the thrones in the air that govern the earth were at one time part of the Divine Glory. It prevents us from understanding what actually took place in the heavenlies if we picture the fallen lords as having been created in wickedness.

Insisting on our own will is sufficient to change us from a child of God filled with Divine Light and Life into a horrible monster of darkness and depravity.

The magnificent Satan, the covering cherub, chose to exert his will independently of the Father. Some of the rulers of the spirit realm followed him.

From the original problem of self-will have evolved the various aspects of covetousness, immorality, violence, drunkenness, and sorcery that are filling the earth today.

But the Word, the eternal Life that was with the Father from the beginning and by whom all creatures and things were created, chose to do the will of the Father.

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalms 40:8)

Because the Word elected to do the will of the Father rather than to assert Himself, God made many important pronouncements concerning Him—particularly in the Book of Psalms:

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalms 2:6-8)

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:6,7)

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (Psalms 110:1,2)

We can be sure these promises, as well as all the other promises of the Scriptures (for they all are directed primarily to Christ), were emphasized by the Spirit of God to the boy of Nazareth as He pondered the holy scrolls and asked questions of the doctors of the Law.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (II Timothy 3:2)

In the beginning all was Divine Light. But then Satan and other distinguished personages decided they had a right to "be themselves" just as people of today decide to nourish their "rights," their self-will, self-love, self-righteousness, self-centeredness, self-importance, self-joy, self-fulfillment, self-ambition—self! self! self! People are lovers of themselves.

Christian people run here and there exclaiming, "I am not having my needs met. I am not being fulfilled!"

One wonders if the Christians who were being burned at the stake ever questioned if they were having their needs met or if they were being fulfilled!

What about God's needs? What about Christ's needs? Do we ever think about anything except ourselves?

This is the image of Satan in the earth.

Therefore God divided the Word, the eternal Life, and the elect angels from the darkness of self-will. The darkness of self-will never again shall be able to comprehend or associate with the Divine Light—no, not for the eternal ages upon ages. The darkness of self-will, self-centeredness, is doomed to remain bound forever in the joyless, loveless, restless realms of spiritual darkness.

God has wrought a new creation. The new creation springs from the obedient One, Christ. There shall come forth from the body and blood of Christ a company of totally obedient sons—sons who have loved not their lives to the point of death while the poison of self-will was being drawn from them.

They have denied their self, taken up their cross, and followed the Lord Jesus wherever He has led them.

"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done," they cry. "As in Heaven, so in earth." This in place of "I am not having my needs met."

The fallen lords occupy the thrones in the air above the earth. At the appearing of the Lord the victorious saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air. There they will be placed on the governing thrones, the thrones previously occupied by the rebels from Heaven. This is the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

Because the spirits who have been seated on the ruling thrones are saints who have been called, chosen, and then proven faithful through countless temptations and tests, they are personages of the utmost integrity and obedience to the Father. Also, the love of Christ for all of God's creatures is in them.

These are God's judges, the new lords of the creation. The spiritual environment of the earth will change from that of rebellion and lust to the righteousness, love, joy, and peace that have been created in the sons of God as they patiently have endured tribulation. God's Presence and Glory will fill the whole earth because of the new rulers in the heavenlies.

The nations of saved peoples of the earth, the nations that assisted the Lord's brothers in their hour of testing, will reflect the new spiritual atmosphere.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

Robert Thompson