Originally posted by DeepThought
Blaming it all on Satan doesn't get you out of the problem of evil, which isn't what we are talking about, but hey:
Some responsibility goes to Adam for joining Satan.
The innocent and neutral man was placed before two sources.
One - Satan represented by
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
It was a thrust for independence from God, following Satan, It result
death
The other - God represented by
"the tree of life . It was the to join the neutral and innocent man to God as life with all His nature - and eternal life.
1) God created Lucifer.
That is right.
2) God is perfect.
Praise God.
3) Lucifer was perfect at the time of his creation.
Of all creatures, I think he was the highest. How long he remained in this state we do not know. But his downfall began when he became obsessed with his own beauty.
He could not be above God. He could try to be
"like the Most High". And this led to him being everything the opposite of God.
If God is light Satan would be darkness.
If God is truth Satan would be the lie and the liar.
If God is life Satan would be the death.
If God is righteous, holy, pure Satan would be unrighteous, unholy, impure.
Whatever God is he set out to be the other way, the opposing way.
4) Lucifer became Satan.
Lucifer is Latin for
Daystar. The
Daystar the
'Anointed Cherub became Satan the Devil. One third of the angels of God were deceived by him and joined him. Creatures of a previous world before Adam joined him. Adam joined him.
Christ defeats Him and rescues the saved from this deceiver, slanderer, Adversary with the power of death. Jesus defeated him as a Man.
Now that victory can be transmitted to the saved man.
5) God is omniscient.
God knows. God knew. He must know all things throughout all eternity.
If God is omniscient then God created Lucifer knowing he would turn into Satan,
I believe that you are correct here. God allowed there to be ONE grand repository into which ALL the rebellion of all creatures who want nothing to do with God, may be all subsumed under one leader.
In His foreknowledge God must know that some of His creatures, out of their free will, will choose not to want to have anything to do with their Creator. There is one grand repository into which ALL such creatures are collected that they may all be under one leader forever - Satan.
I think reality is more fascinating than fiction.
but this implies that he knew he was creating something that would bring evil into the world.
I would have to agree with you. God knew. He also knew that He had a wonderful plan of eternal salvation.
This kind of love and foreknowledge of God we really can make work on our behalf if we have a heart to.
There is a best of all possible worlds available that would be an improvement (no evil)
Such a universe is what we see in the completion of God's eternal purpose in
Revelation 21 and 22. Unquestionably that is where the universe is headed.
This is headed up by God mingled and united with man, the Head of that eternal new heaven and new earth is Jesus Christ.
The promise of God is that He causes ALL things to work togther for good to those called according to His purpose.
" And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom He predestinated, these He also called, and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30)
God's eternal purpose is to mass produce His Son Jesus in many sons. Christ is the standard Model. These men will have something the highest angel
Daystar never had. They will have God living IN them, united to them, incorporated in them, blended, interwoven with God Himself.
This something the highest creature the Daystar never had. And all his foreknown rebellion just seems to go to aid God to fulfill His plan.
Maybe Satan rebelled because he knew that this was God's plan and he ran ahead to attempt to derail it. But this I do not know for sure. I know that Jesus is Lord. And God builds Himself into man and builds man into Himself for an eternal union and mingling in which we are Christ's Body and Christ retains the Headship.
so God is either not precognitively omniscient or is capable of creating imperfect things, if the latter your argument collapses and we have arbitrary morals. I'm not sure a perfect being should make such a mistake.
A world in which creatures are free to choose or reject God - I don't know why you would consider that flawed. Perhaps it is not flawed at all. It is the free choice of other than God which is the flawed decision necessarily stemming from free will.
But the objection is an old, old one. I have learned to live with these kinds of speculative grumblings of men. In the meantime the enjoyment of the Triune God as eternal life and purpose is too glorious.
Some are angry that God did not create robots. He could just press a button and they all would love God. It seems that this perfect world according to God, includes creatures with the freedom to choose or reject their Creator.
It seems He arranged so that ALL those who would reject fall into one grand repository following one leader who was the highest of all beings.
Afterwards in eternity future, there appears there will never be another Rebel to lead a grand revolt against God.