'Appreciating God's Love'
A) Rebellion of Lucifer
Isaiah 14:12-14 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations. For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Satan (Lucifer then) wanted to exalt himself above all the other angels (stars). He wanted to sit on the mount before the congregation of all the heavenly hosts and be the Most High. So he rebelled against the Almighty God. Surprisingly, a third of these powerful and intelligent angels followed him in the rebellion.
Deception of Satan
2 Thess 2:3-5 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
Since Satan was unsuccessful in his rebellion against the Almighty God in the heavenly realm, he then set his target on man created in God's image.
He wants to humiliate God by deceiving man (sons of God) the beloved of God, to obey and worship him instead of the Almighty God.
B) Predestined to be Sons of God
Rom 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
After the fall of Lucifer and his fallen angels, God had predestined even before the foundation of the world to create the weak and fragile human beings to become the sons of God to replace these fallen angels.
As a just and fair God, only those who loved Him will be called to His purpose of finally becoming the sons of God.
John 14:15, 23a "If you love Me, keep My commandments.. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word..."
False Christs are Satan's Men
2 Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Satan, even recruits carnal and depraved Christians to be his ministers. These wolves in sheepskin will parade like the angel of light and they will try to deceive God's children into damnation.
C) Greatest Love of God
Rev 3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
Not only were man destined to be sons of God but also to sit on the throne of Jesus, sharing the oneness and love with Him, provided that we can overcome all the deceptions, temptations and wiles of Satan.
This was the same throne that Lucifer was trying to covet. His failure of usurping God's kingdom led him to eventually be cast into the Lake of fire.
Oneness with Him
God created men in His own image and gave them their free will. Men failed miserably when tempted by the Devil. Since then man worshiped idols and commit all types of abominations. Even the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham under Mosiac Covenant, with GOD displaying His presence, miracles, blessings, signs and wonders, were not able to help them from rebelling against Him. Eventually, the Word was made flesh and Jesus' death on the cross, redeems us from damnation and then exalts us to be His bride (sons of God) so that we too can be one with Him.
John 17:20-22 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
