When Satan wants to gain influence in our lives, he does it through our minds. One way he influences our thoughts is through the corrupt desires we inherited from Adam and Eve. But Satan understands that he cannot rely on our sin nature alone to influence our lives. So, second, Satan influences us through other mediums. Genesis 3 is a great illustration of that. Before Adam and Eve fell into sin, Eve did not have a sin nature. If Satan could not rely on her corrupt desires, how was he going to influence her life? He used a neutral creation, the serpent, to communicate to Eve. Through the serpent, Satan asked her, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” (v. 1). Today he might use the alluring talking box that is at the center of every family’s home. Am I saying television is evil? No, not at all. Television is a neutral medium, but Satan can use it to voice his enticements to us–just like he can use internet sites, books, and other media to speak his messages to us.
from “Winning The Mind Games” by Dr. Robert Jeffress
I understand how popular the religious tradition of this world is, of
choosing the "words" of all the "other voices", and there are "many",
who profess to know God" which exist in the world God placed us in. And then to "Live By" them. God knows I have lived by this very tradition for much of my life.
But the undeniable truth of the Holy Scriptures is that those who chose to have Faith in God, didn't walk in this tradition. Abel, Noah, Abraham, in fact every example of Faith given in Scriptures, at some point in their life "Yielded themselves" to God's Word, and no longer walked in this very popular religious tradition of choosing to live by the many differing religious voices in this world, "who profess to know God". And certainly John the Baptist and the Jesus of the Bible, although surrounded by this world's religious voices who professed to know God, did not Live by or learn from their teaching, rather, they Lived by the Word's of God written for their admonition. Paul was taught about God from the greatest and most popular theological minds of his time, Gamaliel. And yet by living in the popular philosophies promoted by the religious system of the world in Paul's time, Paul became a children of the devil. These things are simply undeniable biblical Truth.
So because Jesus and the Law and Prophets warned over and over and over and over and over, about the dangers of listening to this world's voices, "specifically" those who "come in Christ's Name", it seems only prudent to test the spirits, as also instructed.
There are a lot of things that Dr. Jeffress said here that contradict the Word's that the Jesus "of the bible" said to live by. Sure, on the surface his words "may sound
pleasant to the ears, and a teaching to be desired to make one wise".
I won't detail all of the issues, although they are many, because you can't have fresh water and salt water coming out of the same spring at the same time. But I will point the issues with the first part of his teaching.
When Satan wants to gain influence in our lives, he does it through our minds. One way he influences our thoughts is through the corrupt desires "we inherited" from Adam and Eve. But Satan understands that he cannot rely on "our sin nature" alone to influence our lives.
Before Adam and Eve fell into sin, Eve "did not" have a sin nature.
How is it that we "inherited" Adam and Eve's "corrupt desires",
"Because" we have a sin nature. But Adam and Eve had corrupt desires, but didn't have a "sin nature". Where did her "corrupt desires" come from? Where did Adam's "corrupt desires" come from?
Jesus said a man is defiled from those things "within" a man, not those things from without. Evil thoughts come from within, at least according to Him.
How is it Adam and Eve were corrupted by the words of a random voice, no different than a voice from the TV, having
"No Sin Nature", but we are corrupted by a random voice on TV,
"Because" God created us with a Sin nature?
And what random voice did satan/Lucifer/ King of Tyrus/great dragon, what ever name you chose, listen to in the first place that caused him to sin? Was he not created perfect, with free will, just like Adam and Eve, according to the Word of God? Was he not in God's Kingdom, with righteous angels, "With God", where no evil exits?? Where did satans "corrupt desires" come from? Is Dr. Jeffress implying that Adam and Eve "inherited" satans corrupt desires? His entire sermon is founded on this nonsensical foolishness.
What if Mr. Jeffress is the random voice on your TV? With his degrees from all the prestigious theology schools of this world, and his mega church, like the mainstream preachers of Jesus' time. It's fascinating really. the doctor is accepted and rewarded by this world with untold wealth, and has created an empire and even allowed on TV. Whereas Jesus, and those who promoted HIM, were despised, persecuted and murdered by the exact same world.
Maybe a person should listen to the Word of God, which became Flesh. And ponder on what God wants us to know, through HIS Words,
and not the words of men who transform themselves into apostles of Christ.
Here is what I would ask this voice you copied and pasted.
Didn't God give Lucifer and Adam and Eve, "Free will", according to what is written? Didn't this same God also give them limitations to their own free will, because of His Love for them? Isn't it required by ANY being with "free will" to have limitations on that will? Did God Himself not place limitation on HIS Own free will? Is HE not a merciful God? Who made Him this way? Is He not a forgiving God? Who made Him this way? NO One, Yes? HE chose of His Own free will, to limit His own free will, for the benefit of others. This is simply undeniable Biblical Truth, if you can prove otherwise with scripture, please show me.
A being with free will, that has no limitations, will destroy themselves and their kingdom.
"
Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned". (Is. 14)
According to what is written, God gave beings a "free will". And immediately HE gave them LAW. "Thou shall not". Why?
Was it not to save them from destroying themselves by the very free will HE gave them, until they learned how to live with it?
Do we not also do the same for our children? "Don't eat that, it's unclean", don't do that, it's not nice". And what if we didn't? A baby has free will, it will eat a dog turd, if not taught "thou shall not" eat dog turds. The Child needs to learn to submit itself to a higher power, for it's own well being. How was it any different for us, Adam and Eve, or even Lucifer?
And with this Law, did God not create a choice for them, by virtue of their free will? "I give you this day, life and death, therefore "Choose Life", that thou may live." Adam and Eve were given the free will ability to choose to adopt God's Limitations that HE placed on their free will. "Your are free to eat of any tree, BUT, of this tree, you shall not eat, because if you do, you will die."
If a child doesn't have limitations placed on its own free will, it could do something that would kill it, or really hurt it.
Is this not true, not only according to nature itself, but also according to what is written in Scriptures?
By virtue of Adam and Eve's very creation, they also had the free will ability to reject God's Law. How can this not be true, according to Scriptures?
This God given "Ability" to choose, is not Evil as so many imply. A child is not evil because it is attracted to a dog turd. It is Good, Holy and Just to have free will. God doesn't want Robots, otherwise HE would not have created men with the free will to choose the evil or choose the good.
The thought to question God, is not evil. Jesus questioned God. Moses questioned God. Abraham questioned God. An evil thought that comes into a man's mind, does not make them evil. It is when a person is drawn away from Gods Word by the thought, of his own free will, that evil is born. As Jesus teaches.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for "thou savourest" not the things that be "of God", "but" those that be "of men".
And James;
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
How can a man say that this isn't exactly what happened to Eve?
"
And when "the woman saw" that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat."
How is this not her saying in her own heart, "
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Every child has the same desire that Eve had. Lucifer/satan/the devil/ the fallen angel, the dragon that fell from the ski, what ever you call it, had the exact same desire that Eve had. When a child chooses to reject your Law. "No more cookies before bed", by sneaking a cookie, is it not saying within its heart, "
I will ascend into adulthood, I will exalt my throne above the wisdom of my Mom: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, (his own thoughts) in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the depths of my own understanding; I will be like Mom and create my own laws."
Gen. 12:
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh "had corrupted his (own) way" upon the earth.
Duet 32:
5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
Judges 2:
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
Gen. 6:
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Num. 14:
24 But my servant Caleb, because he had "another spirit" with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
Luke 1:
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
I advocate that a man "Yield themselves" servants to obey God and His Word, like all the examples of faith did, not "yield themselves to the the course of this world. That men "Humbles themselves" to God and HIS Word, like Jesus did and like Jesus teaches. Not "Yield themselves" servants to obey the popular religious philosophies of this world God placed us in.
The religious system of this world that "
say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you." (Jer. 23:16-17)
