God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in it. Through Him all things are ordered, assigned purpose and given laws. The adversary (satan) doesn’t have power like our Creator does. As a result, he resorts to manipulating, perverting, and corrupting what the Creator has already made.
THE RAINBOW
God's intention
God created the rainbow as a reminder of His unconditional covenant, to all generations and all living creatures, that He would never flood the earth again. The rainbow reminds us that God is faithful and full of mercy. However, we are also reminded that our God is righteous and will not let sin go unpunished. Only those living in Christ will be saved from the coming wrath of God.
Satan's perversion
Through satan's influence, society manipulated and perverted a symbol of God's promise to humanity into a sign that falsely praises sexual immorality.
PRIDE
God’s law
Pride is the root sin of sexual immorality. When pride and sexual immorality mix, the outcome is: "I deserve my pleasure." Pride ignites lust which creates the deception that people and all creation exist to satisfy one's desires. From pride comes lewdness, envy and jealousy, idolatry and heresy, selfish ambition and revelries, outbursts of wrath and hatred. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins and can only be combated with humility, meekness, and the love of God.
Satan's perversion
Through satan's influence, society no longer sees pride for what it is: an evil and ungodly characteristic that destroys virtue and morality. Instead society glorifies it and idolizes it.
THE RELEVANCE
The Bible tells us that God flooded the earth because
...of the wickedness of man on earth
...every intention of humanity was evil
...the earth was filled with violence
...all flesh had corrupted their ways on the earth
However, only Noah was favored by God. At that time, humanity's depravity and ungodliness angered God so much that He regretted "that He had made man."
THE WARNING
Noah spent years warning his friends of the coming wrath of God but they scoffed at him because they enjoyed their way of life too much.
Today, we see this parallel. Jesus warns us that when He returns the world will be the same as it was in the times of Noah and the times of Sodom and Gomorrah.
WHAT WE CAN DO
Remember the true reason and meaning of God's covenant rainbow
Remember that pride is a dangerous sin. (C.S. Lewis even called it the "great sin")
Share the good news: that salvation and healing can be found in Jesus Christ
"But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:1–4
Dear Lord,
Whoever has ears let them hear what Your Spirit has to say.
Amen.
###
Genesis 6-9
Matthew 24:37-38
Romans 1:24-27
Hebrews 11:7
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Colossians 3:5-8
[Revised!!] Culture has been/is being deceived about the true origins and meanings behind the rainbow and pride.The adversary comes to steal, kill, and destroy—but we come with the truth. The rainbow is God’s creation. The beautiful symbol of the rainbow after a storm is something we rejoice in because its God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace manifested to us. Culture and society’s manipulation and perversion of God’s covenant promise does not diminish its meaning or intention. The evil one has attempted to turn it into something that falsely praises and idolizes sexual immorality because sexuality is something God designed with intricate detail and purpose. Humanity’s pride has attempted to remake it, but has instead tainted it into something immoral. As a result, society is blind to what pride really is: an evil and ungodly characteristic that destroys virtue and morality. Pride is self-worship because it attempts to steal the glory that belongs to God alone. We would never be able to accomplish anything in life if it weren’t for God’s sustenance and mercy. That’s why He deserves all the glory.
コメント