Satan cannot create; he can only pervert what God has created.
Let’s get down to business: We are fallen. Until we embrace that painful truth in the fullness of what it means and how far it goes, we cannot hope to grasp reality. It matters not one whit how or why, but we do know the Devil is the one who directed us on a path to the Fall. The ultimate Lord of Perverts has perverted each one of us. Look in the mirror — what kind of pervert are you?
Don’t minimize or paint it with pretty colors. You are a pervert of some kind. So am I. We all have an appetite for things that would harm Creation and cause a grave insult to our Creator. We all want things contrary to God’s revealed reality. The mercy of the Law is first awakening our awareness of that perversion, so that we’ll know we need redemption.
A critical element of that redemption is embracing the revealed Laws of God. Surely you realize it’s not so much the letter of the Law Covenants, but the moral imperatives revealed within a specific context. You aren’t learning abstract principles, but a Person. The Laws are a manifestation of God’s character, a revelation of the fabric of Creation. One of the most consistent characterizations we can make of those Laws is in the Hebrew term shalom. In our context today, I feel safe suggesting it could be summarized as social stability, particularly the stability that comes from seeking God’s favor. When you strive to conform yourself to His character as best you can discern it, Creation itself is programmed to respond by providing some measure of things God promised His people under the Law of Moses. But then God steps up and adds to it in various ways, typically with a timing that is meant to trigger your gratitude and a constant emphasis on penitence. These things are what make for social stability.
That you may sometimes still see social turmoil is not a failure of the Laws, but of society itself. God holds each of us accountable for finding His path for us whereby we manage to balance between some abstract vision of perfect conduct and something that doesn’t stir up unnecessary strife. I can’t tell you where that balance point is for you, but I can tell you where mine is. I can also tell you something about the scars of my failure. More importantly, I can tell you about all the times I failed and God granted me His mercy and blessings. Things work out for me that way.
A critical manifestation of your unique calling from the Lord is your sense of humor. I’ve said quite often that a proper biblical rule for humor is that you don’t apologize for what makes you laugh. Our society despises that rule, so sometimes I don’t laugh out loud. That’s a way of balancing things. But I still find things funny that others do not, and the difference can be quite traumatic for some. The practical answer is that you have to earn the right to know what amuses me. If my sense of humor in small things upsets you, find someone else to hang out with, because I’m not changing on your personal whim. If you can tolerate my whimsy, then you will likely be there when the privacy guard comes down. I have to drop my guard once in awhile or I can’t dress the small wounds of this life. If you convince me I can trust you, you’ll get to see the “real me” that’s under the armor, including my peculiar sense of humor.
Indeed, there is an element of perversion in my sense of humor. You’ve got some, too. Don’t trust me to see until I’ve proven myself. Online, the rules are different, of course. What works in meat space won’t fit in the virtual, and vice versa. Still, the fundamental necessity of promoting social stability is the basis for your choices either way. But as soon as you forget that some parts of your human nature are perverted, you will surely make mistakes you could easily avoid.
Those are the mistakes that can grant Satan access to your life and to steal away your blessings.
