HIGH OPINION OF THE SELF
“YOU WERE BLAMELESS IN ALL YOU DID from the day you were created
UNTIL THE DAY EVIL WAS FOUND IN YOU."
Ezekiel 28:15 (NLT)
God ordained and anointed the king of Tyre, the mighty guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:14).
Lucifer was put in an exalted position, who was referred to as the king of Tyre in the Bible passage, the text of this teaching (Ezekiel 28:11-19).
This king of Tyre who is acknowledgedly known—generally recognized, accepted, or admitted—as satan; is also known as Lucifer, the anointed cherub.
A number of things that should be noted about the king of Tyre, the mighty angelic being:
• He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty (Ezekiel 28:12).
• His clothing was adorned with every precious stone (Ezekiel 28:13).
• He was blameless in all he did until the day that evil was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15).
• His great wealth led him to violence, and he sinned against God (Ezekiel 28:16).
• His heart was filled with pride because of his beauty. He also corrupted his wisdom by the love of splendour (Ezekiel 28:17).
• He was cast to the ground and banished from the presence of God because of pride (Ezekiel 28:16,17).
Pride can rob you of your relationship and fellowship with God. Pride is one of the most obnoxious sins in the sight of God (Psalm 138:6; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
Pride is one of the fastest ways to be demoted, pride leads to a fall (Proverbs 16:18). In other words, It can cause you to be removed from whatever exalted position you are, in God's Kingdom (Ezekiel 28:17; James 4:6).
What you have can make you proud.
Lucifer was proud because of his wisdom and beauty, his abundance of trade, that is, rich commerce (Ezekiel 28:17).
But, God opposes the proud but favours the humble—gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
Humility is the key to a lifting or greatness in God's Kingdom: "THEREFORE HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME" (1 Peter 5:6).
You should not allow whatever you have to make you proud: beauty, wealth, abundance of material things or whatever.
When you get yourself involved in sin and dishonest business, any shady deal, such would cut you off from God and His programme for your life (Ezekiel 28:16-18).
The undoing of the king of Tyre is pride and corruption:
16 YOUR HEART WAS LIFTED UP [pride] BECAUSE OF YOUR BEAUTY; YOU corrupted YOUR WISDOM FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SPLENDOUR . . . . 17 YOU DEFILED YOUR SANCTUARIES BY THE MULTITUDE OF YOUR INIQUITIES, BY THE INIQUITY OF YOUR TRADING . . ." (Ezekiel 28:17,18).
God is the reason why things are working: "FOR WHO MAKES YOU DIFFER FROM ANOTHER? And what do you have that you did not receive? NOW IF YOU DID INDEED RECEIVE IT, WHY DO YOU BOAST AS IF YOU HAD NOT RECEIVED IT?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)
"JOHN ANSWERED AND SAID A MAN [woman] CAN RECEIVE NOTHING UNLESS IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM [her] FROM HEAVEN."
John 3:27 (NKJV)
When you think that what you are having is gotten by your strength, or by your own ability; you are heading towards failure and falling (Proverbs 16:18; Ezekiel 28:17).
God wants to receive the glory of whatever He did in your life: "GIVE [ascribe] UNTO THE LORD THE GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME; WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY [majesty] OF HOLINESS" (Psalm 29:2).
No matter your attainment, your level of greatness or lifting, remain small in your own eyes: "DON'T THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOU REALLY ARE. BE HONEST IN YOUR EVALUATION OF YOURSELVES, MEASURING YOURSELVES BY THE FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN US [you]" (Romans 12:3).
Note:
• God wants to lead and direct you, regulate things in your life, and control what He gifted you (John 15:4-6).
• He also does not want you to mismanage what He has given you—blessed you with.
• The blessing which God has given you that makes you proud can become a snare, If you did not acknowledge the Giver, God. He wants acknowledgement: "IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM [God], AND HE SHALL DIRECT [make straight or prosper] YOUR PATHS" (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV).
Are you defiling your body that is known as the sanctuary or temple of God? (1 Corinthians 6:15,18-20).
If you are giving your body which is the temple of God to sin, you are defiling the sanctuary of God—a consecrated place for God or a place that is considered sacred (1 Corinthians 3:17).
You should not use your beauty to promote sin. Lucifer became proud because of his beauty. There are many so-called believing women who are doing that today (Ezekiel 28:17).
Your body is the temple of God, if you are born-again, and God wants you to honour Him with your body (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).
19 OR DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS IN YOU, WHOM YOU HAVE FROM GOD, AND YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN?
20 FOR YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE; THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD'S."
1 Corinthians 6:19,20 (NKJV)
"IF ANYONE DEFILES THE TEMPLE OF GOD, GOD WILL DESTROY HIM. For the temple of God is holy, WHICH TEMPLE YOU ARE."
1 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV)
Lucifer became obnoxious because of sin.
• Sin will make you stink, thus, avoid it (2 Corinthians 6:17,18).
• Do not trade your body for money or material things, the consequences are grievous (Isaiah 3:16-24).
• Keep yourself from every abominable act, money is not everything: "FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, FOR WHICH SOME HAVE STRAYED FROM THE FAITH IN THEIR GREEDINESS, AND PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS" (1 Timothy 6:10).
• If there is any pressure on you to yield to sin and compromise your stance because of peers; you may need to cut your relationship with any friend who will not help you in your walk with God: "DO NOT BE DECEIVED: "EVIL COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD HABITS" (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Remember, God is able to meet every of your need, if the reason for defiling your body is money. You do not need to soil your garment of glory to get your needs met:
"HE WHO DID NOT SPARE HIS SON, BUT DELIVERED HIM FOR US ALL, HOW SHALL HE NOT WITH HIM ALSO GIVE US ALL THINGS?"
Romans 8:32 (NKJV)
You will not fail in Jesus' name. Peace!