Revelation 12:10 2 Kings 18:1-7 2 Kings 18: : :19-22, : : Kings 19: Kings 19:15-19 Acts 17:30-31

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1 THE ACCUSER OF THE SAINTS Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 2 Kings 18:1-7 On Hezekiah: v.3 Only two other kings are described in this fashion: Asa (1 Kings 15:11) and Josiah (22:2). All three are sons of wicked fathers. Hezekiah is in good company. V.4 - Removes the idol worship places in Judah. v.5 - He trusts in God I. Sennacherib the Accuser A. He is confident about taking Jerusalem Kings 18: Israel recently enslaved, and the Assyrians think to do the same with the southern kingdom : What s up with Hezekiah? Moment of weakness in groveling before Sennacherib. 18:19-22, Bold statements! Casting doubt and aspersion toward God. Trying to warp their thinking concerning Him. B. He tempts the people with false promises : Promising military force and protection, while claiming that Hezekiah will not be able to protect them : A possibility given for the people to take. C. He is ultimately wrong, and suffers for it Kings 19: Sennacherib never sets foot in Jerusalem, and perishes at the hands of his sons in Nineveh. 2. Consider the power of prayer here! God defends His people! 3. 2 Kings 19: The power of this prayer brings about victory for the kingdom of Judah! II. Satan the Accuser A. Before Jesus died on the cross, he had reason to accuse the saints. 1. Satan had a place in heaven before the cross for the purpose of God defending His faithful. 2. Before the Cross, there was no solution for sin, so here were dead faithful (Noah, Moses, David, etc.) who had committed sin, yet were in paradise! 3. God s love: He tolerated Satan accusing His children day and night until Jesus died on the cross. 4. Acts 17:30-31 B. He tempts everyone with false promises. 1. Genesis 3:4-5 God knows..." 2. 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 22:31 - Satan tries to warp our minds in the way we think about God. He deceives us into thinking that God is far different from what the Bible tells us. 3. In a fashion similar to Sennacherib, satan will say, what s

2 so special about you or the church you belong to? What makes YOU right and everyone else wrong? 4. We all face moments where we question the purpose of our walk in Christ. We may indeed question whether it is worth it. 5. These are the times when we must get back and review the basics about what we believe, and re-test them! 6. 1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. C. He is ultimately wrong, and suffers for it. 1. Revelation 12: Behold what God has done for us! 2. He has put satan in chains, so that he can no longer accuse God s children! God has paid the price for our sin. 3. Romans 3: God in His justice has given us forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. 4. Remember, we can still be tempted and led astray by satan. 5. Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. III. Jesus the Redeemer A. When we sin, we stand accused. 1. Not by satan, but by God! 2. James 1:13-15, 2:10 - sin when full grown brings death - separation from God John 3:4-9 - PRACTICING righteousness vs. PRACTICING lawlessness. 4. We are not saying that one stumble means we are forever condemned. 5. Sin full grown (accomplished, entirely completed, or consummated) means that we have sin in our lives and we are doing nothing about it! B. To clear our accusation, we must embrace who God is Chronicles 32:7-8 - Hezekiah is reminding the people of their God! 2. Matthew 11: We need to understand who God is - learn of Him! C. Dying with Jesus provides a blameless life. 1. The solution to the accusations of others, and satan: be BLAMELESS! 2. Thayer s: deserving no censure 3. 1 John 1:7; Colossians 1: The Blood of Christ makes us blameless. Our mindset should be serving God faithfully. Habakkuk 2:4 Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

3 The Chaldeans who accused Daniel and others Dan 3:8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

4 Dan 6:24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. Jesus Accusers Mat 27:12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Mar 15:3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Luk 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. Paul s Accusers Act 22:30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Act 23:28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. Act 23:29 I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. Act 25:16 To them I answered, It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.' Act 26:2 I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, Act 26:7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

5 Tools specific to Zec 3:2 Zec 3:2 And the LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Job - BLAMELESS. Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? Job 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause. Job 8:20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers. Job 9:20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. Job 9:21 I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life. Gen 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. Deu 18:13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. Psa 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

6 Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Psa 37:37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. Psa 64:4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. Psa 119:80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed. Pro 11:20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their ways are His delight. Pro 13:6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner. Pro 28:10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good. Pro 29:10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, But the upright seek his well-being. Mat 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Luk 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Phl 3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 1Th 3:13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 1Ti 3:10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 1Ti 5:7 And these things command, that they may be blameless. 1Ti 6:14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, Tit 1:6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; How to be blameless? Be faithful! Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Rom 3:26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Gal 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.

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