The Philadelphia Church of God has an article up about escaping the sins of the fathers. Satan figures predominantly in the article, especially considering it is the most powerful entity in Armstrongism.
Apparently, Satan sits at its computer daily to look back at least 5 generations to find out what stupidity your ancestor got into and then gleefully punishes you for their foibles. Jesus, as impotent as ever, is apparently unable to stop Satan from being such a big old meanie.
Satan is capable and determined in tempting us to sin. He knows and misapplies Scripture. He knows God’s law and how to seduce us away from it. And he definitely knows our personal history and will always try to tempt us in ways that have been historically successful for him.
My father taught me early in life to be wary of Satan’s tactics. He taught me how Satan has a perfect memory and remembers all our sins. He can even look through history, at our great-great-grandparents’ fifth cousin’s weaknesses, to find ways to cause us to sin. Many times, he doesn’t have to go back that far.
All-powerful Satan remembers sins, but contrasts that with how Jesus/God remembers sins:
Hebrews 8:12
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 10:17
17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
All-powerful Satan keeps himself busy digging up all the dirt it can on you.
Satan makes a point of getting to know us. He is diligent about examining us. He is thorough about discovering our sins, our weaknesses and our struggles in order to exploit them.
Yet, Jesus says:
John 15:3. NIV
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
John 15:3. The Message
The Vine and the Branches
15 1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
In Armstrongism, we are at that time of year when the faithful start examining themselves to see if they are worthy to take the Passover. It is a time to beat themselves up as the unworthy worms they are and unclean dogs unfit to clean the crumbs from under the table. (Both of these things I have heard ministers say to the congregation at Passover time.)
Isaac should have learned from his father. We too should learn from our fathers, both their mistakes and their successes. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
To achieve true depth in self-examination, we must honestly and earnestly go to God and ask Him to reveal all of our sins to us. We must reckon with the reality of our own human nature, aware that we are as vulnerable to the sins that overtook our fathers as they were.
But we can also rejoice in the Passover. Jesus Christ died for our sins, and when we examine ourselves, we know more fully our need for that sacrifice. We can fully focus on that awesome sacrifice, and then live knowing that Christ lives in us and we never need fall prey to Satan’s devices.
The Passover in Armstrongism is the yearly opportunity to break the bones of Jesus, with microphones next to the breaking bread, amplifying the cracking of the matzo as loud as they could, to make the unclean worms in attendance know that they are such filthy sinners that they have crucified Christ all over. Once again, He has to pay the price for all of their sins from the previous year.
In Armstrongism, Jesus paid the price, but Satan remembers everything.
