Soul Physicians: Chapter Six Review
The False Seducer’s Story
The False Seducer’s Story
Note: This is a guest blog by Pastor Mark Kelly who is working his way through Soul Physicians section by section and blogging along the journey. Thanks Pastor Mark! Visit Mark’s excellent, informative blog at: http://gracedependent.com/. Posted on August 31.
This is a review of chapter 6 of Dr. Bob Kellemen’s Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.
Look in anyone’s photo album of their wedding day. There is no hint of upcoming disaster, affairs or illicit relationships. Rather there are broad smiles, couples enthralled with the beauty of their spouse…stars in their eyes, oblivious to those gathered to celebrate with them. What happens? Why is it that divorce rates are so high? Where did the commitment go? “How is anyone first lured into an affair?” (p.97)
How do we move from being captivated by the wonder of God to losing our love for Him?
In chapter 6, Dr. Kellemen describes the one that would seduce us and draw us away from our Worthy Groom. It is Satan, the once beautiful, glorious cherub, now accuser of man and destroyer of all that is good. It is in this chapter that Dr. K reveals the personality of our chief enemy:
*Diabolos is a Relational Being: The false seducer who allures others to divorce the Worthy Groom
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we turn our backs on God, whenever we turn to anyone but God for ultimate satisfaction, whenever we worship anyone but God, whenever we choose to be self-sufficient, whenever we refuse to be needy” (p.98)
2. These are tough words to hear. They are even tougher to communicate in a loving way to those with whom we counsel. God will not give His glory to another. We are created to worship Him and bring Him glory.
*Diabolos is a Rational Being: The great deciever who blinds others to the Worthy Groom’s beauty and majesty
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we choose to leave God out of the picture, whenever we choose to look at life with eyeballs only instead of looking at life with spiritual eyes – from God’s perspective. The essence of our rational sin is our refusal to maintain a biblical image of God” (p.98)
2. How easy it is to fall for Satan’s deceptions! We are constantly bombarded with the fact that we can’t trust God, that He does not have our best interest in mind – to believe that God’s glory is a myth.
*Diabolos is a Volitional Being: The man slayer who condemns to death the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we bite and devour one another (Gal.5:15). We bear his image whenever our tongues bitterly attack others (James 3). Who are we destroying with our bitterness? Who are we condemning and shaming with our judgmental accusations?” (p.99)
2. Satan not only seeks to destroy us individually, but to use us in the destruction of others. He is labeled biblically as a lion, a dragon and an accuser of the brothers. How often we resemble him more than Christ!
*Diabolos is an Emotional Being: The desperate hater who despises others
1. “We bear Satan’s fallen image whenever we search for satisfaction in the temporal and the sensual. When we do, we enslave ourselves to constant addictive dissatisfaction that leads to a continual lust for more – endless cravings to grasp, take, hoard, and clutch. However, the more we grasp, the more we shrink”. (p.100)
2. Why do we settle for so much less than what God has for us? Where are we seeking satisfaction? Satan would have us seek gratification in the temporal, God would have us seek gratification in the eternal.
This chapter was a difficult one to review. I would much rather read of the glorious nature of God than to be reminded of the evil that seeks to destroy me…or face areas of life where I bear Satan’s image more than the image of Christ. We must remind one another of the Truth that is our defense, the Light that dispels darkness and the Grace which restores when we fail.
Preview Soul Physicians here: http://bit.ly/7vaE
This is a review of chapter 6 of Dr. Bob Kellemen’s Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.
Look in anyone’s photo album of their wedding day. There is no hint of upcoming disaster, affairs or illicit relationships. Rather there are broad smiles, couples enthralled with the beauty of their spouse…stars in their eyes, oblivious to those gathered to celebrate with them. What happens? Why is it that divorce rates are so high? Where did the commitment go? “How is anyone first lured into an affair?” (p.97)
How do we move from being captivated by the wonder of God to losing our love for Him?
In chapter 6, Dr. Kellemen describes the one that would seduce us and draw us away from our Worthy Groom. It is Satan, the once beautiful, glorious cherub, now accuser of man and destroyer of all that is good. It is in this chapter that Dr. K reveals the personality of our chief enemy:
*Diabolos is a Relational Being: The false seducer who allures others to divorce the Worthy Groom
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we turn our backs on God, whenever we turn to anyone but God for ultimate satisfaction, whenever we worship anyone but God, whenever we choose to be self-sufficient, whenever we refuse to be needy” (p.98)
2. These are tough words to hear. They are even tougher to communicate in a loving way to those with whom we counsel. God will not give His glory to another. We are created to worship Him and bring Him glory.
*Diabolos is a Rational Being: The great deciever who blinds others to the Worthy Groom’s beauty and majesty
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we choose to leave God out of the picture, whenever we choose to look at life with eyeballs only instead of looking at life with spiritual eyes – from God’s perspective. The essence of our rational sin is our refusal to maintain a biblical image of God” (p.98)
2. How easy it is to fall for Satan’s deceptions! We are constantly bombarded with the fact that we can’t trust God, that He does not have our best interest in mind – to believe that God’s glory is a myth.
*Diabolos is a Volitional Being: The man slayer who condemns to death the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve
1. “In our fallenness, we bear Satan’s image whenever we bite and devour one another (Gal.5:15). We bear his image whenever our tongues bitterly attack others (James 3). Who are we destroying with our bitterness? Who are we condemning and shaming with our judgmental accusations?” (p.99)
2. Satan not only seeks to destroy us individually, but to use us in the destruction of others. He is labeled biblically as a lion, a dragon and an accuser of the brothers. How often we resemble him more than Christ!
*Diabolos is an Emotional Being: The desperate hater who despises others
1. “We bear Satan’s fallen image whenever we search for satisfaction in the temporal and the sensual. When we do, we enslave ourselves to constant addictive dissatisfaction that leads to a continual lust for more – endless cravings to grasp, take, hoard, and clutch. However, the more we grasp, the more we shrink”. (p.100)
2. Why do we settle for so much less than what God has for us? Where are we seeking satisfaction? Satan would have us seek gratification in the temporal, God would have us seek gratification in the eternal.
This chapter was a difficult one to review. I would much rather read of the glorious nature of God than to be reminded of the evil that seeks to destroy me…or face areas of life where I bear Satan’s image more than the image of Christ. We must remind one another of the Truth that is our defense, the Light that dispels darkness and the Grace which restores when we fail.
Preview Soul Physicians here: http://bit.ly/7vaE
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