God created a perfect universe, based on the law of love. All beings were designed to love and be loved, uplifting one other and living in peace and harmony. However, love cannot exist without freedom to choose not to love. You see, sin is simply choosing to be selfish over being selfless. Test it out! Think of any of the ten commandments. Think of any crime. The root of all evil is selfishness! Within that perfect universe, the opportunity to choose selfishness was always a possibility. God had warned that deviation from the law, would result in death, but sadly, the only way for His beings to comprehend it, was to see it play out and witness the results for themselves.
Lucifer held the highest position of all created beings in Heaven. He was one of two covering cherubs standing in God's presence. Ezekiel 28:12. Unfortunately, Lucifer began to entertain pride in his heart as his beauty, wisdom and position became an object of his own worship. He began to desire more power and glory for himself. God could have easily done away with Satan, but this runs against His character of love. Sin would not have been revealed as the cause of death. God would have been feared as a cruel, exacting God using force and demanding obedience. God would use love and mercy to reveal truth and provide a remedy to defeat sin.
As God created the earth and planted the Garden of Eden, He provided every opportunity for Adam and Eve, though He knew they would choose selfishness. God gave them incredible, almost limitless choice, but had to allow freedom to choose. So He provided one tree amidst the thousands of others and warned them of the dangers.
God warned them about the dangers of sin. He told Adam and Eve that dying they would die. You see, when you are infected with a disease, you begin to die and eventually, if there is no intervention or remedy, you will die.
When Eve found herself in front of the tree, she had already made a choice to ignore God's warning. God had told her about Satan and the danger of listening to him. Satan had been restricted to the tree to minimize his influence. But knowing about sin and it's harmful affects, is not the same as experiencing it.
Satan knew that he had to be subtle. He couldn't make outright allegations against God. He had to sew the seeds of mistrust as he did in Heaven, turning 1/3 of the angels against God. The accusations are not immediately clear. Genesis 3:14.
Accusation 1
Did God really say, 'don't eat of every tree in the garden?'
God doesn't give you freedom to do what you want.
Eve replied, We can eat the fruit of all the trees except this one. We can't eat it or touch it or we will die.
Accusation 2
You won't die!
God is a liar! He wants to make you fear Him!
Accusation 3
God knows that if you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you'll be like God and will know good and evil.
You can't trust God! He wants all the power for Himself!
Today, we are faced with the same decisions Adam and Eve were faced with. Do we believe the lies? Our beliefs about God, greatly impact our relationship with Him. All three lies resulted in selfishness and self preservation! When God came to the garden for a visit, Adam and Eve ran and hid in fear. When God asked them what had happened, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed God for making the snake. Did God Change? No! Did Adam and Eve change? Yes! If you believe the lies, it breaks the circle of love and trust! For God to defeat sin, He would need to restore love and trust in the universe and reveal the truth about His character of love.
In every superhero movie, what does the hero or heroine have to do to win against evil? Usually, the good guy resorts to using power, force or manipulation in some way. This is known as redemptive violence. The good guys are justified because the result is good. However, the story of Jesus, doesn't follow this line of reasoning. Instead, He chooses to allow Himself to be tortured and sacrificed to provide a contrast between selfishness and selflessness. Instead of saving Himself, He used all of His power to stay on the cross demonstrating the height and depth of His other-centered love. You see, He could have come down off of that cross at any time. He didn't!
If He had, mankind would have ceased to exist. It would have been over and there would have been no way for us to ever see the truth and choose selflessness. You see, WE needed to experience that, so we could understand WHO He is. In fact, the whole universe was changed in that moment. Satan's lies were fully exposed and his vile character was revealed. Selfishness was seen to be the cause of pain, suffering and death.
We need to look on that moment and become so enraptured by His all encompassing, extravagant love for us that we choose to surrender and have that same other-centered love coursing through our veins. This is what it means to really see God for who He is and be transformed into the likeness of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Just as we have borne the likeness of the man who was made from dust, we will also bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:49 ESV
God's ultimate plan is to eradicate sin and restore love and trust throughout the universe. The law of love will be written on our hearts as intended from the beginning. Unfortunately, there will be those who will hang onto selfishness. God offers opportunities to change, but He does not use force. Everyone has the freedom of choice and some willfully choose to cause suffering and pain. As sin cannot survive in God's presence, they will be consumed together. Death is the natural consequence of sin and will be rightly understood as a warning from a loving God, not the imposition of an angry vengeful god. In the end, the confusion will fall and truth will be restored. God's unfailing, unerring, unfathomable love will be revealed before all of the universe and we will live together in perfect, other-centered love.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?” He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil. Isaiah 33:14-15 Berean
Hello Susan. you are a good writer and fair with each topic. I have a similar blog site that might inspire you to write on other related Biblical themes. It is www.answersfromscriptureonline.com.
Blessings! Eddie (armstrong.eddie1@gmail.com)