 |
In the primordial past the eternal God chose to create beings who were
truly free in order that they might experience the joy of genuine love.
One of those beings, a perfect angel named Lucifer,
abused his freedom, indulging in the sin of pride and self-worship, converting
himself into Satan. He aspired to
usurp God's position, even if it meant destroying God to do so. Satan
could not win a direct battle with God. So in the "war in heaven"
Satan didn't attack God with Luke-Skywalker-and-Darth-Vadar-style laser
weapons, but with ideas and words, as he sought to discredit God through
lies, deception and delusion. "Satan" literally means "accuser".
But God overcame him and Satan was "cast to the earth". Revelation 12:8,9
Why didn't God destroy Satan on the spot and save us this terrible
ordeal of human suffering?
- If God had obliterated
Satan at the beginning of the rebellion, it would have given apparent
credibility to Satan's lies and charges against God. The universe
would have then related to God out of suspicion and fear, rather than in
love. God chose to allow Satan to play out his hand in the affairs
of this earth, to demonstrate what Satan would do with ultimate power if
he had it. God allowed sin to hoist its true and deadly colors.
Our first parents bought into Satan's
lies about God, plunging every child ever born to their lineage into the
crossfire of the ultimate star wars. That's why this subject transcends
a mere academic interest for us–We suffer... We want to know why... We
want to know if there is any meaning to our suffering... We want to know
if there is any hope.
- Instead of killing
Satan outright, God chose to come
to earth Himself, to be afflicted with our afflictions and woo us back
to Him. That's the true story of the
babe of Christmas. He was "God
with us." He who allowed Satan to inflict the enormous suffering
experienced in our world refused to isolate Himself from our sufferings.
He suffered with us. But God did not come to earth simply to share
in our sufferings, He came to forever put an end to human suffering.
Like the story of Maximilian, the
prisoner priest at Auschwitz, in a stunning portrayal of love, God Himself
came down to suffer and die at Calvary, and then to rise again, to secure
the ultimate redemption of those who will respond to His love. That's
the story of Good Friday and Easter–the story of hope that springs eternal.
Many people are blaming God for their suffering, using their suffering
as an argument against God's very existence, running
from God who alone can save them. It is Satan, not God who inflicts
suffering. As testified to in cell
number 1632 at Auschwitz, God is right there beside you so that no
one need suffer alone and without hope.
Would you like to respond to God right
now?
Home | Real Audio | Real Video | PDF Outline | Contact | Prayer
|
|  |
The galactic battle between the forces of good and evil portrayed in
George Lucas's