John 8:44
Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.
Satan is a liar and the father or source of all lies.
When we believe the lies, we will live our lives based on them and seek our satisfaction following the lies.
In Romans 1:18-25 Paul goes into great detail on the fact that humanity as a whole has rejected Jesus as Creator and Lord. Humanity has chosen to worship the created things and not the Creator. Because humanity rejected Jesus as Creator and Lord, certain consequences followed.
#1: God’s wrath is being poured out on godlessness and wickedness.
#2: Humanity’s thinking became futile.
#3: Humanity’s hearts became darkened.
#4: Humanity became foolish.
#5: Humanity rejected and lost God’s glory.
#6: Humanity became sinful (full of sin).
#7: Humanity rejected the truth and accepted a lie.
One of the biggest consequences was that humanity worshiped created things instead of the Creator God. That leads us to seek our satisfaction in the created things and not the Creator. That leads to never being satisfied. Created things cannot satisfy us; only the Creator can.
If we are going to find true eternal satisfaction we have to:
Reject the lie
Seek our satisfaction in Jesus
There are some lies that our culture has bought into and is now teaching that hinder us from seeking Jesus and finding satisfaction.
Lie #1: Humans evolved by time and chance.
We as humans are a product of chance coming together of all the necessary ingredients over billions of years. AKA - we are a cosmic accident.
That leads to hopelessness.
Lie #2: There are no absolutes.
Everything is relative. Everything is based on our circumstances. There are no eternal absolute truths.
That leads to confusion.
Lie #3: Humans have no moral obligation.
If there is no Creator, we are who we are by chance. If there is no absolute truth, then we have no moral obligation to do or not do anything.
That leads to immorality.
Lie #4: Human life has the same value as animal and plant life.
If there is no Creator and human life came about in the same way all other animal and plant life did, than humans and animals and plants are all of equal value. That means the life of a puppy or kitten or flower or tree or weed is just as value and sacred as the life of a little boy or girl.
That leads to a lack of sacredness for human life.
Lie #5: Humans exist to serve and satisfy self.
My life is about ME!
You and I exist for our own pleasure and benefit. No one else is as important as me.
That leads to selfishness.
So if we live based on the lies of Satan we will have a culture that is:
Hopeless
Confused
Immoral
Calloused Toward Human Life
Selfish
Guess what? We have a culture that is all those.
But we are not without hope because we have truths that can free and satisfy us.
Truth #1: We are created for God’s purpose.
Ephesians 1:11
In Him we were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.
That leads to meaning for everything we do.
Truth #2: We are wonderfully designed by God.
Psalm 139:13-14
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
That leads to hope.
Truth #3: God is an absolute and His Word gives us absolute truth.
Isaiah 45:5-6
I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God. I strengthen you - though you don’t know Me - so all will know, from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is nothing apart from Me. I am the Lord, there is no other.
James 1:18
God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us His most important creatures.
That leads to direction for our lives.
Truth #4: We are accountable to God.
Job 40:6-7
Then the Lord spoke to Job from the storm: “Be strong, like a man! I will ask you questions, and you must answer Me.”
That leads to accountability and morality.
Truth #5: Human life is sacred
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God Himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred - and you, remember, are the temple.
That leads to a respect and reverence for human life.
Truth #6: We were created to serve God.
Deuteronomy 6:13
Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name.
Matthew 4:10
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
That leads to purpose in our every day living.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is based on truth.
Truth frees us
Truth satisfies us.
We were created BY God.
We were created FOR God.
We were created in God’s IMAGE.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were brought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
Raising the Roof and Removing Walls is about acknowledging and living based on the truth that God owns you. He paid for you with His death on the cross.
We can only find satisfaction in the Father through a relationship with Jesus. That satisfaction comes as you make Jesus everything by surrendering yourself completely to Him.
Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God: I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting my hands to You in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy.
God will satisfy you when you let Him by surrendering everything to Him.
Satisfied in Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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