Lentium Scriptoris: The Lens of the Writer

Paradigms. Perspectives. Points of view.

We all have them, and since they’re formed largely in part by who we are, how we’re wired, and how we internalize what happens to us they tend to be deeply personalized and highly subjective.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just an important point of note and something we should keep in mind as we go through this life and interact with the people around us.

Lenses, though, are different.

Figuratively speaking, a lens is something outside of ourselves through which we choose to look (think of a pair of glasses, a telescope, a camera lens, and so on) that clarifies what’s in view regardless of how we personally perceive things based on what we think or feel or have been through.

Unlike our perceptions that are primarily based on individual experiences and personal opinions, lenses are objective.

And the importance of the objectivity external lenses provide cannot be understated, especially when it comes to navigating through life as a Christian in this fallen world.

Hence, the title of this post — and name of t he blog — Lentium Scriptoris: The Lens of the Writer.

The Ruler of this World
A few years ago I had a sort of aha moment that served to provide me with such a lens, and I haven’t stopped looking through it ever since.

Let me explain…

Even though I had been raised in church, for more than five decades I’d missed something that I believe is essential for us Christians to know and understand — despite how much we may not like it or wish things weren’t that way.

One day while reading in the New Testament book of John, the following statement by Jesus jumped off the page at me for the first time:

“I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of the world (Satan) is coming…” — John 1 4:30 (Bold mine.)

Here we have Jesus — THE King of Kings and Lord of Lords — flat out identifying Satan as the ruler of this world (at least for now) and, according to scripture, that wasn’t the only time he was referred to as such.

No idea how I missed that — especially for so long — but what makes it so significant and such a critical point of note is the fact that that very ruler is also our archnemesis:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (Bold mine.)

And we live in his domain.

Although He is sovereign and ultimately orchestrates everything, God has chosen to allow Satan — our adversary the devil — to be the one directly in charge of this realm in which we reside, at least for the time being, and methinks that is some game-changing information.

And until we settle all that in our hearts and minds we’ll forever question why bad things happen to good people, and the rampant evil that surrounds us and continues to increase and intensify will never make any sense.

The Facts
When we consider who Satan is, understand how he operates, and remember why he’s no longer in Heaven it’s not difficult to see why this world is the way it is since he’s the one in charge of it:

He’s butthurt and bitter about getting kicked out of Heaven.
He’s resentful and vengeful of God for doing it.
He despises us Christians because — unlike him — we are loved and accepted.
He knows his fate and is desperate, so he’s taking it out on us.

And, on top of ALL of that, he’s a deceiver who will stop at nothing as he wreaks havoc on anything and everything of God — especially those who seek Him and wish to serve Him.

Here’s Jesus addressing that:

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44 (Bold mine.)

And then again here:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. — John 10:10 (Bold mine.)

Which is why that has become a critical component of the lens through which I view things, and it can be summed up like this:

Whatever God decrees and creates, Satan questions, contradicts, and hates.

And he’ll use whatever means necessary as he relentlessly tries to get us to do the same.

Think about it…

Since that fateful day in the Garden some six millennia ago when he convinced Adam and Eve to doubt God and disobey His instruction by lying through his teeth to them, Satan’s tactics have not changed and still remain the same:

If God designed it, Satan will try to dismantle it and destroy it.
If God defined it, Satan will defy it and attempt to defile it.
If God prohibited it, Satan won’t’ just permit it – he’ll enthusiastically promote it.
If God promotes it, Satan will do whatever he can to pervert it.
If God ordained it, Satan will adamantly oppose it.
And so on, etc.

You get the idea…

And once you start looking at things through that lens as I did — that Satan is the ruler of this world, there is no truth in him, AND he’s after us because he hates us and God so much — things we deal with here begin to make a whole lot more sense.

But then that begs the question: “How exactly do we know what the truth is so we can recognize when we’re being lied to?!”

And the answer to that is precisely why I write.

The Truth
The only way for us Christians to ever know exactly what the truth is about anything — who God is, what He really designed and made, what He thinks and feels, wants and expects, loves and hates, permits and prohibits, and so on — is to know His word and not turn from it to the right or to the left.

And when we do that we can be sure we won’t be mislead:

“All Scripture is God-breathed (given by divine inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for conviction (of sin), for correction (of error and restoration to obedience), for training in righteousness (learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Bold mine.)

So to clarify: When we know God’s word and believe that it can be relied upon and trusted we can be certain of the fact that anything and everything that conflicts with or contradicts it must be rejected and opposed as untrue and a blatant lie.

And it’s no secret from where such blasphemous deception comes.

The Compound Lens
An important point of note about lenses before we close here is the fact they’re totally optional, which is vital for us Christians to understand.

Just as it is with corrective lenses that come in the form of contacts or frames, the use of them is voluntary — which means we must be intentional about using them; if we opt to not use them and refuse to put them in or on we’ll never see things as they truly are.

And with so much at stake, we simply can’t afford to do that.

“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (Bold mine.)

With that, the lens of the writer — the lens through which I view things and would encourage you to do the same — is really more of an ocular device, if you will, with multiple layers of lenses much like the spectacles Ben Gates used to view the hidden map on the back of the Declaration of Independence in National Tr easure:

The main lens is the Bible and the fact it’s the infallible, inerrant, indisputable word of God thus making it reliable and true; this would be the primary lens, and a necessary piece of viewing equipment for every believer.
The secondary lenses are comprised of the facts that Satan is the ruler of this world (which explains why evil is so prevalent), he’s a liar, and he has it out for us Christians; when used in conjunction with the primary lens, together they clearly expose what’s good and should be embraced (held fast to) and what’s evil and should be rejected (abstained from).

Remember: Whatever God decrees and creates, Satan questions, contradicts, and hates.

It really is that simple.

Note:
This is the introductory post in what will be a series of several in which we’ll take a closer look at some of the key areas Satan overtly targets as he attempts to deceive us and issues upon which he has set his sights.