This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Our most basic mental concepts have been corrupted. And we decide what is worth listening to from that warped perspective…
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The third temptation of Christ according to Matthew (Luke’s second temptation):
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain,
— KJV, Matt 4:8-10
and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him,
All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him,
Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Questions arising:
- What exactly is Lucifer offering?
- Can Lucifer actually give Christ “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them”?
- How does Lucifer exert control over the kingdoms of the world?
As we have seen, the common theme in the temptations is Lucifer trying to exploit Christ’s great love for humanity. His temptations are presented as “good ideas” that will facilitate the success of Christ’s Mission.
Can Lucifer Give What He Does Not Have?
The kingdoms of the world denotes earthly power and success. Lucifer is saying: I can give you temporal (political, religious, economic) power, so that you can impress mankind. Then they will be eager to listen to you and will follow your Word.
In other words, Christ should present Himself and The Word in a manner adapted to mankind’s materialistic nature.
Christ did not reply: “That makes no sense. You do not own the world, so you cannot give it to me“. His response lends credence to the idea that Lucifer holds the world in his power. But how?
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said,
Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman,
Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
— Genesis 3:3-5
Lucifer encourages us to disregard God’s Will and assures us that there will be no adverse consequences (“ye shall surely not die“). So we follow our own will, and this is how Lucifer cultivates self-interest and vanity (“ye shall be as gods”).
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That the fruit of the tree of knowledge must not be touched without the Creator’s permission means that any so-called knowledge disconnected from Eternal Truth is misdirected.
Cleverness vs Knowledge
The human intellect is man’s most important material tool. It cannot work in the way willed by the Creator unless it is controlled by a spirit that aligns with His Will.
For example, many scientists fail to connect their observations with the spiritual laws from which these material realities originate. This has led to a spiritually superficial understanding of the world and misapplication of scientific discoveries.
The form of cleverness on which our civilisation has been built is Luciferian. It is divorced from knowledge of the Laws of Creation, formed out of purely material observations, rooted in self interest, and used in service of vanity.
Truly deep thinkers have intuited this, e.g. Albert Einstein:
“And certainly we should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality. It cannot lead, it can only serve…”
The vanity within this earthbound cleverness impedes spiritual comprehension:
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein
— Mark 10:15
The Word Is Unchangeable. Man Must Adapt To It.
Earthbound cleverness is impressed by earthly things. In falling down to Lucifer, in attracting man through earthly power and appeal, Christ would have failed to fundamentally change man’s nature.
Truth will not adapt by “one jot or tittle” to man’s materialistic nature. It is man that must completely transform himself.
Christ’s transcendent responses to the calculating questions thrown at him by clever men demonstrated how markedly superior spiritual knowledge is to earthly cleverness.
His Word provides the key to transforming ourselves, reorienting our brains (ref “What Is Spiritual Knowledge?“), and freeing ourselves from Lucifer’s chains.
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall work and pray towards our spiritual liberation through the continuous application of The Word in a spirit of loving faith.
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