FOR THOUSANDS,
Years, philosopher and other thinking people have tried to give a satisfactory explanation to the confusing combination of good and evil that is so prevalent in the world. Why, for example do roses exist with rather nasty thorns? Why do animals kill and devour each other? Why do people in some parts of the world have abundant food, when in other parts they are dying from hunger? Why do innocent people die in accidents, while the drunk who caused it, escapes without a scratch?Why is it that cruel people enrich themselves while good people often are buried in poverty?
Philosophers offer a number of answers to these, and other like them, to these puzzling questions. Atheists, who claim that the world and all forms of life within it came into being by chance, suggests that good and evil are "Competing," for the "Survival of the Fittest," Eventually, they say, only the fittest will survive. Others suggest that perhaps "TWO GODS" are in control of the world, one good and the other evil. Nor is there a lack of people who claim that while there is a powerful God, He is not powerful enough to eradicate evil. Therefore good and evil are in a kind of state of equilibrium.
Happily, we find the true explanation in God's Word, but who today reads it?
According to the Bible, thousands of years ago, even before the world was even created, evil originated mysteriously in the heart of Lucifer, the most exalted angel in Heaven. It was he that guarded the Mercy Seat, and was the highest ranked of all God's Holy Angels.
NO! God did NOT CREATE this sin problem, for when He created Lucifer, he was perfect......
Ezekiel 28:14-15 " Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."
However, Lucifer was dissatisfied with his position, that God had given him, He thought he deserved the same honor as God, especially The Son....
Isaiah 14:12-14 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High"
Note: can we say that Lucifer, now known as Satan ( The Apposer) Lucifer had and still does a " I " complex,again so do more than a few of us agree? He obviously allowed envy and jealousy to control his mind!. In due course that became a hatred, towards Christ. WE know this as he deceived men to kill him!
He should have rejected these thoughts. He should have recognized that, as a created being he had not right to the honor that is giving to Deity. But he refused to acknowledge this. Instead, he cherished evil thoughts, and he shared them with other angels. He most likely, didn't come right out and say, "I am Jealous of Christ". Instead, he asked questions that were designed to sow seeds of discontent and alienation; "Doesn't it seem to you that Heaven is ordered far too rigidly"? Why does not God's government need laws?" I see no reason why we holy beings need them, do you?" I do not think that God loves us in ways He tells us.
Lucifer continued with these suggestions and insinuations until 1/3rd of the Holy Angels were fully deceived and on his side. They could all have thought, that they together, could created a better form of government than what God had already in place.
With infinite patience, The Lord tried to explain to Lucifer the true nature of his actions. He tried to persuade him and the angels who sympathized with him, to abandon the disastrous course they were pursuing. He tried to show Lucifer that heaven's laws were based on love and were essential to happiness. But Lucifer and his rebellious companions were absolutely.uncompromising. They refused to accept God's explanation or respond to His pleadings.
LUCIFER'S FALL.
The Bible tells us that the crisis continued until, " there was war in Heaven."
Revelation 12:7-9 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"
God did not immediately destroy Lucifer and his followers though, instead He gave them time and opportunity to demonstrate whether their accusations against Him were justified. God placed Adam and Eve, the first human couple in the garden of Eden and gave them a test of character by which they could demonstrate their loyalty to Him and that His laws were justified He set aside ONE TREE in the Garden, and He told Adam and Eve that they should not eat of it [Genesis 2:16-17] . Disobedience, He warned, would cause them to die. Lucifer, now called Satan--- saw in this warning, an opportunity to tempt the holy pair to join him in his rebellion by eating the fruit that God had forbidden.
Tragically, inexplicably, Adam and Eve yielded to Satan's temptation. In His mercy, God forgave them and gave them an opportunity to repent, Nevertheless, the penalty for breaking His law had to be enforced. that's why God gave His only son to come to this earth and die as the Divine Substitute, taking the place of sinners. God also predicted that the struggle between good and evil would continue throughout earth;'s history. [Genesis 3:15} .
As time went by, the results of sin became more and more obvious, not only in humanity, but within nature itself. Satan's principles, which at first hardly seem threatening, produced a woeful harvest. It's been twenty centuries since Satan inspired humans to kill Jesus. However, that act demonstrated to the entire Universe that God was right and Satan wrong. All understood that God is love and that His laws are just and indispensable. However, in order to give the inhabitants of our planet every opportunity to clearly understand the issues involved i8nm the great controversy and to choose which side to be on, God permitted the dram of sin to continue unfolding for many more centuries.
THE END OF EVIL.
Today, the conflict is nearing fits end. With great urgency, the Holy Spirit and the angels are trying to help human beings to put themselves on God's side. The Bible makes it absolutely clear that in the final end of things God will be completely victorious, and His law and character will be totally vindicated. However, until the day He destroys Satan and his followers and cleanses the earth with fire, {the Lake of Fire} good and evil will continue to coexist, giving ample witness to the fact that the struggle that began thousands of years ago,, is ongoing.
Further Study: Genesis 6:-8 chapters. Romans 1:18-32; 5:12-21; 8: 19-22. 1 Corinthians 4:9. Hebrews 1:4-14. 2 Peter 3:6.
Next: Life, Death, and Resurrection
Thank you for your time
Questions? Comments? John at www.servant@frontier.com
Need More? Visit your Seventh day Adventist Church any Saturday/Sabbath, 9010 AM. Know that Jesus loves you enough to have died just for YOU!
Other sites: www.AFTV.org www.BLBN.org www.amazingdiscoveries.org
John B
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