The Accuser Has Been Thrown Down

Text: Revelation 12:7-12

Introduction:

When you have an evil, guilty conscience, you think God is your enemy. You think that His justice is against you, and that He will condemn you forever because of your sins. When you think this way, sin and satan actually have greater power over you. An evil conscience will move your soul away from godliness. It can even make you hate God, and wish there were no God, no heaven, and no hell- just so you can escape the punishment you deserve. An evil conscience can so turn people off to God that they cannot even endure to think, speak, or hear of Him and His law. Instead, they try to put Him out of their minds by sinful pleasures and other worldly activities. This process alienates them from true spirituality. It leads them into all kinds of strange religious performance, false religion, idolatry, and inhuman superstitions.

 I am convinced that this is what happened to the first Adam. When he fell into sin, he fell under the wrath of God, and he of course received an evil guilty conscience. His guilty conscience told him that God was now against him, and that he was under God’s curse for that one sin. This was enough to turn his love wholly away from God and toward creatures, and to desire to be completely hidden from the presence of God. Hence, the image of God’s holiness in him was ruined. This is the origin of all sin against God and his holiness: malice, hatred, and anger flow from people whose conscience tells them that they have been alienated from God. Therefore, if you are going to serve God from a pure heart, you must be reconciled to God, and your conscience must be cleansed (Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, pp. 32-33).

Genesis 3:15

Zechariah 3:1-5

Lesson:

Main point: The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down by virtue of Christ's birth, death and ascension.

Reflection:

60. Q. How are you righteous before God?

 A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God, without any merit of my own, out of mere grace, imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ. He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me, if only I accept this gift with a believing heart"" (Heidelberg Catechism).

© John Fonville

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