Marginal Theology

1. Satan was an angel created by Christ (Ezekiel 28:15, compare to John 1:1;  Psalm 148:1-5; Col. 1:16).  
2. Satan was called the “star of the morning” or “light-bearer,” and “son of the dawn” (Isaiah 14:12). 
3. The Latin translation of the term “light-bearer” is “Lucifer,” and is from where this name originates. The name Lucifer is not actually in the Bible.
4. Satan had the “seal of perfection” and was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty,” in “Eden, the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:12-13)
5. Satan was “blameless” when created (Ezekiel 28:15)
6. Satan was “the anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14)
7. Satan has fallen because he wanted to be God (Isaiah 14:12-14), and lives in the spirit realm of this world (See Ephesians 2:1-2)
8. Satan is a title meaning “adversary,” and often refers to him, but can can also refer to any of his legion of fallen angels dwelling the earth as demons (See the story of the Gedarene Demoniac Matthew 8:28-34). Fort this list, “Satan” is used to speak not only of Lucifer, but of all those fallen demons (see also Mark 3:23; 4:15; Luke 13:16; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Jam. 4:7).
9. Satan is real, but not omnipresent, in the manner that God is everywhere at all times. Satan is bound to the earth, and the Scriptures indicate that outcast demons are limited to specific geographic areas (that’s why the Gedarene’s demons asked to be driven into the local pigs, see also Daniel 10:20; 12:1).
10. Satan is also not omniscient (or all knowing). In Job 1:7, Satan said that he had been “roaming about on the earth,” which surely doesn’t sound like omnipresence. Also, in Job 1:6  Satan came before God. In Revelation 12:9 Satan is cast down to earth, out of heaven. Again, this would be impossible if Satan were omnipresent.
11. Satan cannot read minds or discern thoughts the way Jesus can (Matthew 12:25, Mark 2:8).  However, Satan is intelligent (Genesis 3:1).  He is a master deceiver, he knows the scriptures and is an expert on manipulating human nature. The Bible calls him cunning (2 Cor. 11:3).
12. The Christian is to manifest the character and conduct of the Lord Jesus. Likewise, the non-Christian manifests the character and conduct of Satan (see John 8:39-44). A person who is not born again as a spirit child of God through faith in Jesus exists as a fleshly child of the world subject to the temptation and influences of the ruler of this world, Satan (See Romans 6-8).
13. Because Satan is real and exists on this realm, he can hear our spoken words if he is in proximity to us at the time they are spoken. 
14. Satan knows he cannot afflict without God’s permission. He acknowledges that for him to afflict someone is ultimately for God to afflict him (see Job 1:11; 2:5). While Satan is rebellious toward God and an adversary of man, the suffering God imposes upon his children ultimately results in a deepening of faith and brings greater blessings.
15. Satan opposes the Gospel by seeking to keep men from salvation in Jesus Christ (Luke 8:11-12; 2 Cor. 4:3-4).
16. Satan holds men and women captive to accomplish his will, often when they are not even aware of it. (2 Tim. 2:24-26)
17. Satan opposes Christians in disguise, often posing as a true believer and teacher of the truth. (2 Cor. 11:12-15)
18. In opposing the gospel, Satan employs a full range of spiritual weapons and forces, many of which are unseen. (Eph. 6:10-12).  However, regardless of the temptation, God always gives us a way to escape (1 Cor. 10:13)
19. You never need to pray at Satan, but you should understand that your prayers to God are where the battle against Satan is most effectively warred and won. A primary way to prevent Satanic attack is to regularly worship God (See Ps. 95; 73:13; Romans 12:2).
20.  Jesus spoke directly to Satan in his own temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and also in his interaction with Peter (Matthew 16:23). Remember, Jesus could see what you cannot, so we; therefore, exercise great caution before attributing to Satan what really are rebellious actions of the flesh.
21. Paul commented several times about the oppositional efforts of Satan in his personal life and ministry. He never engaged the enemy directly, but always went to the Father through the Son in asking for relief (2 Cor. 2:11) . The result was that this enemy was used in Paul for the glory of God! (2 Cor. 12:7)
22. The Bible declares that Greater is he (Jesus) who is in you, than he (Satan) who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
23. Satan is not God’s opposite. He was created for God’s purpose and his defeat is inevitable. He will not be the lord of hell, but will be bound and tormented in hell forever (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 25:41; Rom. 16:20; Revelation 20:10).
24. Until Satan’s doomsday comes, men may still be delivered from Satan’s power and punishment; they need but trust in Jesus Christ, who died in their place to pay the penalty for their sin and to deliver them from bondage to Satan through sin and death (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9)
25. Doomsday is coming soon for Satan. He and his demonic helpers are aware that their days are numbered. (Matt. 8:29)
26. We are wise to not minimize the destructive will and horrible nature of Satan, but we are also wise not to give him too much credit or fear him too greatly (See 1 Peter 5:8-9). Remember that he is a fallen angel with great power and is a deadly foe, but he himself is subject to the Lord and King (and his creator) Jesus.
27. While we should have an active awareness of Satan and his reality in this world, we are better served to fix our mind upon Christ, his good will, and his perfect plan (Romans 8:28-32; Deut. 11:18-19; Ps. 141:8; 2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 12:2).

Yesterday, our pastor taught out from the second chapter of Revelation. It was a special message that reflected on God’s faithfulness over the first fifty years of Scottsdale Bible Church. Something caught my attention amidst his sharing this great message of encouragement to the church…

Christ’s epistles to the seven churches are especially meaningful because they offer a very cool mostly-consistent pattern:

• He offers a self-revelation that qualifies him as a rightful judge of the church
• He offers a commendation
• He offers a criticism or a correction
• He offers an exhortation with a warning
• He gives a promise of reward for obedience (to the individual & the church)

There are a couple exceptions to this pattern (and they are important exceptions), but that’s subject for another conversation.

There are no exceptions to the pattern established in Christ’s epistle to the Ephesian chruch:

• He reveals himself as “him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven lamp stands.” He is the Keeper of the church and the One who assesses it on an ongoing basis.
• He acknowledges the church’s toil and perseverance. He credits their intolerance for wickedness and praises their testing of doctrine.
• He reveals that they have forgotten their first love, and have fallen.
• He warns them to repent (of their offense), lest he remove their lamp stand from its place.
• He promises the over-comers will eat from the Tree of LIfe.

To illustrate the message, Jamie shared some photos from his recent tour of the sites of the seven churches…specifically Ephesus. These aren’t the exact photos he shared, but here’s a couple “representatively similar photos” that I have culled from the Web. See if you notice what caught my attention:

Here’s what I noticed about the streets, the stadium, the open market (agora), and the public toilets of Ephesus….

They’re empty.

Ephesus is in ruins.

The city is long dead.

The Ephesian church has had its lamp stand removed.

God has given a real world, historically undeniable example that He says what He means and means what He says.

I don’t view Christ’s actions as punitive nearly as much as I view them as consequential. At the time of the birth of the church, Ephesus was already a well-established, even ancient city. Population was estimated at 400-500K in 100 AD, making it a megaopolis. Yet, by 263, the city was destroyed by Goths, and it struggled out a shadowy existence of its former self until the city was ultimately abandoned in the 15th century.

Today, the testimony of the Ephesian church to the world is one told in ruins and ashes. There is no modern tales of a Christian witness, no contemporary stories of miracles and spiritual transformation issuing forth from Ephesus. Sadly, it is an empty lamp stand that humbly declares that God’s warnings are not empty words, and that He will do as He says.

There is a consequence for continuing in religion that has abandoned its love for God. Jesus does assess the work of the church…not just the “what” it does, but the “why” it does it, too. He’s under no obligation to continue to “prop up” any church, any congregation, or even any individual that/who has forgotten the primacy of the love of Christ as the cause for its deeds.

I rejoice that I’m part of a church that loves God so much that it keeps finding new ways to share that love with other people. I pray for the church at large and for the Christ followers who are the “living stones” of it…

• That we not forget our first love
• That those congregations and individuals who have forgotten of their first love, that they would repent.

He is a good God who offers the opportunity to His children to change direction and return to the love God offers.