Many see the work of evil, with its woe and desolation, and question how this can exist under the sovereignty of One who is infinite in wisdom, power and love. Those who are disposed to doubt the seize upon this as an excuse for rejecting the words of Holy Writ. Tradition and misinterpretation have insured the teaching of the Bible concerning the character of God, the nature of His government, and the principles of His dealing with sin.
It is impossible to explained the origin sin so as to give a reason for its existence. Yet enough may be understood corning the origin and final disposition of sin to make fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God. God was in no wise responsible for sin; there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for rebellion. Sin is an intruder for whose presence no reason can be given. To excuse it is defend it. Could excuse for it be found , it would cease to be sin. Sin is the outworking of a principles at with the law of love, which is the foundation of the divine government.
Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. Love for God was supreme. Love for one another impartial. Christ the Only Begotten of God was one with the eternal Father in nature, and purpose of God. “By him were all things created, that are in heaven,…..whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities, or power.” [ Colossians 1:16]. The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all created beings depended on their accord with its principles of righteousness. God takes no pleasure in forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.
But there was one that chose pervert this freedom. Sin originated with him, who , next to Christ, had been most honoured by God. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. “ Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 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. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.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. [Ezekiel 28:6-17, Isaiah14:13-14]
Coveting the honour which the Father had bestowed upon His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power which it was the prerogative of Christ alone to weild. A note of discovered now marred the celestial harmonies. The exaltation of self awakened forebonding of evil in minds to whom God’s glory was supreme. The heavenly councils pleaded with Luficer. The Son of God presented before him the goodness and justice of the creator and the sacred nature of His law. In departing from it , Luficer would dishonour his Maker and bring ruin on himself. But the warning only aroused resistance. Luficer allowed jealousy of Christ to prevail.
Pride nourished the desire for supremacy. The high honours conferred on Luficer called forth no gratitude to the Creator. He aspired to be equal with God. Yet the Son of God was the acknowledged Sovereign of heaven , one in power and authority with the Father. In all the counsels of God, Christ was a participant , but Luficer was not permitted to enter into the divine purpose. “Why,” questioned this mighty angel, “should Christ have the supremacy? Why is He thus honoured above Lucifer?”
Leaving his place in the presence of God, Luficer went forth to diffuse discontent among the angels. With mysterious secrecy concealing his purpose under an appearance of reverence for God, he endeavoured to excite dissatisfaction concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that they imposed unnecessary restraint. Since their nature were holy he argued that angels should obey the dictates of their own will. God had dealt unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honour upon Christ. He claimed he was not aiming at self-exaltation but was seeking to secure liberty for all the inhabitants of heaven, that they might attain a higher existence.
