Archives for 2018

John 8:55 “Yet you do not know him or recognise Him, and are not acquainted  with Him, but I know him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and keep His word [obey His teachings, am faithful to His message].

keep His word   This is the secret of doing His will OBEYING HIM

What is Obedience to God?

To obey God means to willingly respond to His wishes and demands.

God’s claims on our lives are born out of His Fatherly love and wisdom.

So true obedience is the intelligent choice to comply with God’s loving intentions.

Obedience to God is never negotiable! 

Obedience is closely interrelated with:

The fear of God

Deuteronomy 6:1-2 NLT These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.”

Deuteronomy 8:6 NLT “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”

1 Samuel 12:14 NLT “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognise the Lord as your God.”

Salvation

Matthew 7:21 NLT “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”

Hebrews 5:8-9 NLT “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.”

John 3:36 NLT “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Faith

Romans 1:5 NLT “Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.”

Romans 16:26 NLT “But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.”

Love

1 John 2:5 NLT “But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.”

1 John 5:3 NLT “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”

2 John 1:6 NLT “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”

Humility

Philippians 2:5-8 NLT “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Answered prayer

1 John 3:22 AMP “And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him.”

Obedience is a key to spiritual usefulness

It qualifies us to co-operate with God according to His desire and plans:

1 Peter 1:14-15 AMP“It is conducive to sanctification: “[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.”

1 Peter 1:22 AMP  “Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [ Holy ] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.”

It is pre-conditional to receiving the Holy Spirit:  

Acts 5:32 AMP “And we are witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit is also, Whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.”

It is essential for exercising spiritual authority: 

Joshua 1:1-9 NLT “After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.

I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.

For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually.

Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Cornerstones for true Obedience

God’s work on the heart: 

Deuteronomy 30:6-10 NLT “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!

7 The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you.

8 Then you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands that I am giving you today.

9 “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors.

10 The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.”

Ezekiel 36:27 NLT “And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT “Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”

Responding out of love

John 14:15 NLT “If you love me, obey my commandments.”

John 14:23 NLT “Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

John 14:31 NLT “but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.”

Submission

James 4:7 NLT  “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Hebrews 13:17 NLT “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”

Titus 3:1 NLT “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.”

There are distinguished portraits of obedience in the Scriptures

• Ex. Noah (Genesis 6:13-22; 7:5, 9, 16)
• Ex. Abraham (Hebrews 11:8, Genesis 22:15-18)
• Ex. Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:1-19)

Our best example of obedience is Jesus

He sought God’s will above His own 

John 5:30 AMP “I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord–but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.”

John 6:38 AMP “For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me.”

He learned to obey

Hebrews 5:8 NLT “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.”

He obeyed joyfully

Psalms 40:7-8 KJV “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

John 4:34 NLT  “Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

He obeyed absolutely

John 8:29 NLT “And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”

He obey unto death

Philippians 2:8 NLT “he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

We reap what we sow

Fruits of obedience:

God’s rich blessings (read for yourself Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

Exodus 20:6 NLT “But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

Security

Leviticus 25:18-19 NLT “If you want to live securely in the land, follow my decrees and obey my regulations. 19 Then the land will yield large crops, and you will eat your fill and live securely in it.”

Isaiah 48:18 NLT “Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”

Success

Joshua 1:7-8 NLT “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

1 Kings 2:3 NLT “Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.” (Have you ever wondered why Jews are so successful in spite of all they have gone through?”

Fruits of disobedience 

God’s wrath

2 Chronicles 34:21 NLT “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.”

John 3:36 NLT “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Misery

Jeremiah 29:17-19 NLT  “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.

18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 

19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.”

Bondage

2 Kings 18:11-12 NLT “At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and placed them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 12 For they refused to listen to the Lord their God and obey him. Instead, they violated his covenant—all the laws that Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded them to obey.”

Romans 6:16-23 NLT “Don’t you realise that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 

17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.

18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.

21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.

22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Scripture that has geared me to this message!

Luke 5:32 KJV “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:32 New Living Translation

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

The seriousness of disobedience

–   It disturbs the order of God’s moral universe

• It hinders the purposes of God

• It promotes the interest of the powers of darkness

• It is viewed by God as abominable as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23 NLT “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”)

• It implies a disrespect for God’s character and His rightful claims

–    It is based on rebellion stemming from pride because of selfishness

The apostle Paul told the mostly Gentile church in Corinth to keep the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread.

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

The Church was founded when the disciples were all celebrating the Day of Pentecost.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).

Jesus Christ celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and Eighth Day even though His life was in danger.

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand… Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught… On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink’“ (John 7:1-2, 14, 37).

These are just a few of the many references to the seven “feasts of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:2) in the New Testament.

In his first inspired sermon after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostle Peter summed up God’s instruction for mankind: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21).

But what are these “times of refreshing” and “times of restoration” of which Peter spoke?

God’s plan for mankind involves restoration.

The Feast of Tabernacles symbolises the restoration process, which will start with the return of Jesus Christ, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, and the banishment of Satan, depicted by the Day of Atonement. Once these events have taken place, as represented by the previous Holy Days, the foundation is in place for the restoration of the creation to peace and harmony with God.

The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, which begins with an annual Holy Day (Leviticus 23:34-35), pictures the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ over the earth after His second coming (see Revelation 20:4). This period is often called the Millennium, which simply means “1,000 years.”

This feast also reflects the “rest” symbolised by the weekly Sabbath (Hebrews 4:1-11) that celebrates the great harvest of humanity when all people then alive will learn God’s ways. Humanity will at last be restored to a right relationship with Him (Isaiah 11:9-10).

In the beginning, God created mankind to cooperate with Him in a beautiful relationship characterised by love, peace and obedience to His laws. At the completion of His creation, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

This time of peace and harmony abruptly ended because of Satan’s deception and man’s disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6).

Disobedience cut mankind off from God’s way (Genesis 3:21-24). The Bible describes the tragic result that later followed: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

This broken relationship between God and man has continued through history to our time. Paul reflected on the human condition: “Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Thankfully, as Paul also knew, the breach created by man’s disobedience is healed through Jesus Christ: “For since by man [Adam] came death, by Man [Christ] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Isaiah prophesied the restoration of the world

God used the prophet Isaiah to reveal parts of His magnificent plan for restoring the world. Written at a time when Israel faced punishment for continued disobedience, the book of Isaiah was inspired by God to give the nation encouragement through the promise of a better world ahead.

After reading in the synagogue one of Isaiah’s prophecies, Jesus acknowledged the special understanding given to the prophet: “These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him” (John 12:41). Isaiah prophesied not only of Christ’s earthly ministry, but also wrote of His return in power and glory (Isaiah 66:15-16).

The basis for the messianic rule of Jesus will be God’s law.

Again, as Isaiah foretold, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.

Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).

A world of peace and abundance

After Jesus Christ’s return, He will bring the creation in its entirety into harmony with God, and peace will no longer be the exception.

King David said, “Great peace have those who love Your law” (Psalms 119:165).

Imagine what the world will be like when everyone knows God’s law and lives by it!

At that time the earth will produce abundant harvests. “Behold, the days are coming,” God says, “when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper …”

Of course, more than just knowledge is needed to bring about this amazing transformation. A spiritual change must take place among people.

God, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, describes how it will happen: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The Spirit of God will influence people to willingly and enthusiastically obey God from their hearts.

People will begin to place the interests of others before their own.

They will start thinking of others as “better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3, KJV).

Instead of exclusive self-concern, their goal will be to help their fellow human beings.

Theft will cease.

Disregard for others’ property and feelings will be eliminated.

With the coming of world peace, countries will “beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3).

During this 1,000-year period, God will change even the nature of wild animals, reflecting the peace that will descend upon society.

Describing this idyllic time, Isaiah 11:7-9 says: “The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain . . .”

Reversing the effects of sin

God also will heal people’s physical infirmities. Isaiah 35:5-6 prophesies of this time during which “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (ESV).

Of even greater importance will be the spiritual healing that will take place.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus Christ will complete the healing He began during His ministry on earth: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion . . .” (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19).

The accumulated results of generations of people following Satan’s sinful ways will begin to be reversed.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16).

This name signified the completion of Israel’s annual harvest.

In this setting, God said, “You shall rejoice before the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 12:12, Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 14:26).

So this feast is a time of celebration for the abundance God has given.

The same bountiful harvest theme continues in the future fulfilment of this festival.

Through Isaiah, God spoke of the desert becoming productive land: “For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah 35:6-7).

At that time the earth will produce abundant harvests. “Behold, the days are coming,” God says, “when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it” (Amos 9:13).

The significance of tabernacles

The name of the Feast of Tabernacles derives from God’s command to ancient Israel to build temporary “tabernacles,” sometimes called “booths,” to live in during the festival.

The Israelites left their houses and built temporary dwelling places (the Hebrew sukkah denoted a “hut of woven boughs”) to live in while rejoicing before God.

These reminded them of their release from slavery and their dwelling in booths when God brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:34, Leviticus 23:41-43).

In stark contrast to the hardship of slavery, this festival emphasises rest, peace and prosperity as it meets the needs of all people, including strangers, widows and the poor.

The Bible emphasises that, as with booths or temporary dwellings, our physical life is transitory.

The apostle Paul’s writings reflect this theme: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2, KJV).

Hebrews 11 recounts the examples of many of God’s faithful servants down through the centuries. It then concludes that “these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

The Feast of Tabernacles is an annual reminder of our temporary state and that we also “seek a homeland” (Hebrews 11:14).

This lesson is reinforced when we travel to a site of the Feast of Tabernacles and stay in temporary dwellings such as hotels and campgrounds.

This festival reminds us that, in spite of our material possessions, we are still physical, mortal human beings in need of a literal transformation so we may possess eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

In the accounts of the vision that has come to be called the “transfiguration,” Jesus gave a glimpse of the Kingdom of God to Peter, James and John. Christ appeared in glory and was talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter’s immediate response was to suggest that they quickly construct three tabernacles. He seemed to understand the important connection between tabernacles and the future age of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 9:27-36).

The role of the resurrected saints in the Millennium

The judgment of the inhabitants of the earth who live during the 1,000 years as pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles (Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 51:4-5) begins in earnest as Christ brings “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10).

These scriptures show that this judgment is a time of universal opportunity for salvation.

For this purpose God has allocated 1,000 years during which the resurrected saints, the first fruits of God’s harvest from this age, will reign with Christ on earth as kings and priests, leading the way for many others to enter God’s Kingdom (Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6).

Jesus promised, “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).

People whom Christ resurrects at His return will experience the unparalleled opportunity to work with Him to help all nations build a right relationship with God.

The foundation for this relationship begins with instruction in God’s law, including the observance of these very festivals we are now studying.

Notice the words of the prophet Zechariah: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

 Other prophets described this future time as an era when God’s law will cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14).

Many will assist Jesus Christ in this universal educational program of helping others understand God’s way.

Speaking of this time, Isaiah says teachers “will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:20-21).

The opportunity to help others understand and be reconciled to God is a wonderful calling.

Each who serves in this way will be called “the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In” (Isaiah 58:12).

God calls people out of the world at this time to become His chosen people, sanctified and redeemed by Him (2 Corinthians 6:16-18, 2 Corinthians 7:1).

They are to live exemplary lives as God prepares them for service during Christ’s millennial reign and beyond.

“Beloved,” the apostle Peter wrote, “I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honourable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

One final conflict

All through God’s plan for saving humanity, He never forces anyone to obey Him. Every person is free to choose what he or she will do and whether to accept or reject God’s way of life.

After the 1,000 years, God will allow Satan to test the spiritual convictions of the earth’s inhabitants.

Revelation 20:7-10 describes this time. God will release the devil from his place of restraint and allow him to deceive those who are not convicted of the perfect righteousness of God’s way.

God will destroy by fire those who follow Satan in this rebellion.

The devil’s futile efforts will be thwarted.

This final, tragic rebellion against God will come to nothing, and Satan’s destructive, deceitful influence over humanity will finally draw to a close.