Michael
the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of
Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord
rebuke thee.”
(Jude 1:9)
Satan yet wages the battle for the body of Moses and the
Church (being the Body of Christ). It is a struggle as old as the Church in the
Wilderness: This is that Moses, which
said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up
unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that
was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the
mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto
us: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their
hearts turned back again into Egypt. (Acts 7:37-39)
The Ark of Noah was an impenetrable ocean fortress which
held the fullness of God’s new Creation in twelve souls. All others had
rejected the preaching of Noah over a span of 100 years. They were deaf to
truth and keen to wickedness. But those eight souls were in the place of
security, because it was the place of God. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and
all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this
generation. (Gen
7:1) We are not
told of the righteousness of Noah’s family, and it does not matter, for the
plan of God was an act of grace and not of meritorious living. And because
salvation is an act of God’s grace – ALWAYS – it is not in the discretion of
man to close the door on that salvation to others. That remains the sole
prerogative of God. It is for this reason that God shut the door of the Ark –
and not Noah, as depicted in movies with Noah pulling up the moat bridge of the
Ark in movies. Only God can close the door to salvation on the soul of man.
In Trinity College at Cambridge, there is a bust of George
Gordon, Lord Byron. Viewing the bust of the head from one side, one will see a
handsome and kind face that is expressive of the best qualities of character
and service; however, viewing the bust image from the opposite side, one will
see a face of nearly same likeness, but with an uncanny essence of evil
emerging to the viewer. That bust of Byron can represent each of us. Left to
our own devices, we cannot help but be evil and deranged in temperament; but
owing to the emending graces of God’s love, we can go forth with the same
countenance exuding the love and righteousness of God our Master Sculptor.
Without God, the world of humanity are vampires! Without the efficacious
calling of God’s grace through the agency of the Holy Ghost, we shall all remain
vampires. Salvation, from beginning to end, is an act of God’s grace and no
result of any goodness in our minds or hearts.
Satan is like the desperate murderer, slanderer, and thief
that he is. He is a convicted criminal and can never settle down. All of his
dark joy must come from extending those crimes and running from place to place.
He has been cast out from the presence of God and the Holy Angels – never to
return. He is forlorn of hope, and has nothing more to lose in propagating evil
from one side of the globe to another. But the justice of God is on his heels,
and his days are number. And he KNOWS it. So he spoils all that he is able to
do out of rage, envy, and uncontrolled hate. But Satan is no fool. He is a very
intelligent being whose powers far exceed the mortal man. He cannot work
miracles, but he can imitate miracles to a seduced sinner. He watches from the
hidden doors of his cave to see what makes each of us vulnerable – he then acts
on the knowledge to tempt us to sin and to destruction. Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour. (1
Peter 5:8)
Just as God has His Elect to perform the acts of mercy,
kindness, and teaching; so does Satan have his own minions who are enslaved to
their master by their free self-wills and the lust for sin. They move among us,
often even in the churches and the pulpits, seeking to carry out the will of
their evil master. Long ago, it was discovered that a frontal assault on the church
could not succeed, so Satan has conceived a process of infiltrating his own
into the church under the guise as pastors, deacons, choristers, and corrupted
Bibles.
Perhaps you doubt even the existence of the soul after
death? Here follows a great witness from the field of geophysical science: “Dr.
Wernher von Braun, well known for his part in the U.S. space program, says he
has “essentially scientific” reasons for believing in life after death. He
explained, “Science has found that nothing can disappear without a trace.
Nature does not know extinction. All it knows is transformation. If God applies
the fundamental principle to the most minute and insignificant parts of the
universe, doesn’t it make sense to assume that He applies it to the masterpiece
of His Creation – the human soul? I think it does.”
The soul of man is precious, indeed. It knows no term limits
for it is immortal. It is the full measure of a man’s life on this terrestrial
ball, but much further than that into the interminable eons of Eternity future.
So to discount for cheap sin the value of a soul is preposterous and senseless.
God created the soul as an eternal, living essence of every man. Even the
angels who rebelled with Lucifer own eternal life albeit in the fires of hell.
If we had any inkling as to the full values of our souls, I
believe we would nurture, safe-guard, and value them more highly. We would
build up hedges about the gardens of our souls to keep out the pests of sin and
temptation. We would weed diseased weed from the often, and be sure to water
them daily with the Water of Life (God’s Word). But we would also open our
gardens to the stranger who chances by to smell the sweet spices of
righteous-living and good conduct. 15 A fountain of gardens, a
well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come,
thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my
beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. (Song 4:15-16) Christ is the Owner and
Gardener of our Souls and is entitled to expect the increase of fruits
therefrom.
If we own such a precious possession as our soul – worth more than all of the
world’s riches – should we no place that soul on secure deposit in such a bank
where thieves, robbers and vandals cannot access it? Is there such a place? If
there is such a place, it must have strong, high walls. The
LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in
whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved
from mine enemies. (Psalm 18:2-3)
It must have a watchman on the walls. Except the LORD build the house, they
labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain. (Psalm
127:1)
Your soul has infinite value. Satan covets your soul to destroy. He will offer
in payment for your soul, empty and dark promises. The world desires your soul.
It will offer the faded opulence of cosmetic gems that sparkle only for a
moment and are then discolored. Christ is the Maker of your soul, and it
belongs to Him. But the ownership was lost at Eden. Listen in a still, quiet
place to see if the Lord of Life is your soul back to the Ark of Christ. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt
16:26)
