Satan knows what the world does not know–that God’s Very Elect will one day be gods. Lucifer lusted for God status but failed to attain it. It rankles the Lord’s enemy that the saints of the Almighty will be awarded the status he so diligently sought as the reward for obedience to the Holy Bible during their earthly lives. The promise of god status is stated in Romans 8:17 where the Apostle Paul calls those who believe and obey their Master “heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” Having become a man, Jesus, through obedience to God, inherited the status He had been before coming to earth–He was one of two Gods in the Godhead (Jn. 1:1-4,14). Christ’s spiritual brethren will become gods (be born again and receive salvation) IF they walk in righteousness until the end (Mat. 10:20). They, like their elder Brother, will become god-men–men who have become gods–exactly as Jesus did upon His resurrection  from the dead.

Several passages of Scripture bring out the fact that the resurrected Jesus was, during the time of Paul’s ministry, both a God and a man. Today He is still the God Who was made a man, Who was then made a God-man Who sits at the Father’s right hand. Scriptural proof of this Truth is found in 1 Timothy 2:5 where Paul tells the young evangelist (and us) that is it the “MAN Jesus ” Who now serves as the mediator between God and man. Notice that Paul calls the Messiah by His human name–“JESUS.” Note also that while lying on the road to Damascus Paul asked who it was that had knocked him off his horse. The answer, “I am JESUS, Whom you persecute” (Acts 9:5). Jesus the God-man goes out of His way to stress His man status. Upon His rebirth and ascent into heaven to join His Father Jesus changed from being totally human to being a human who had attained God status. This is the One Whom Paul identifies as both MAN” (1 Tim. 2:5) and “LORD”  (Master) in Acts 9:5,6.

In that God’s Very Elect, who are at present joint heirs (having the promise) with Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:17), and in that they will one day be joint inheritors (having received the promise) with Him, and in that Jesus inherited God status upon being born again (1 Tim. 2:5), and in that He was “the first born (again) of many brethren (Rom. 8:29), and in that the saints will be like Him when He appears (1 Jn. 3:2), the Very Elect must be awarded the same status as Jesus upon being born again (changed from flesh to spirit) following His return to earth. Upon His resurrection and rebirth Jesus received His inheritance. As joint heirs with Him, His obedient brethren “will be like Him” (1 Jn. 3:2) in every way. God’s true saints–the Very Elect–will be joint gods with Him, though under Him, in the next life. This leads us to the most important reason Satan hates the Lord’s tiny remnant. L.J.