Origin of Evil
- “themselves and to seek sympathy of others in their course of sin . Instead of correcting their errors , they excite indignation against the reprover , as he were the sole cause of difficulty . From the days of righteous Abel to our own time such is the spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin . By the same misrepresentation of the character of God as he had practiced in heaven , causing Him to be regarded as severe and tyrannical , Satan induced man to sin . And having succeeded thus far , he declared that God's unjust restrictions had led to man's fall , as they had led to his own rebellion . But the Eternal One Himself proclaims His character :“ The Lord God , merciful and gracious , long - suffering , and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin , and that will by no means clear the guilty . ”
In the banishment of Satan from heaven , God declared HIS justice and maintained the honor of HIS THRONE . But when man had sinned through yielding to the deceptions of this apostate spirit , God gave an evidence of His love by yielding up His only - begotten Son to die for the fallen race . - In the atonement the character of God is revealed . The mighty argument of the cross demonstrates to the whole universe that the course of sin which Lucifer had chosen was in no wise chargeable upon the government of God . In the contest between Christ and Satan , during the Saviour's earthly ministry , the character of the great deceiver was unmasked . Nothing could so effectually have uprooted Satan from the affections of the heavenly angels and the whole loyal universe as did his cruel warfare upon the world's Redeemer . The daring blasphemy of his demand that Christ should pay him homage , his presumptious boldness in bearing Him to the mountain summit and the pinnacle of the temple , the malicious intent betrayed in urging Him to cast Himself down from the dizzy height , the unsleeping malice that hunted Him from place to place , inspiring the hearts of priests and people to reject His love , and at the last to cry , “ Crucify Him ! crucify Him ! - all this excited the amazement and indignation of the universe . It was Satan that prompted the world's rejection of Christ . The prince of evil exerted all his power and cunning to destroy Jesus ; for he saw that the Saviour's mercy and love , His compassion and pitying tenderness , were representing to the world the character of God .
- Satan contested every claim put forth by the Son of God and employed men as his agents to fill the Saviour's life with suffering and sorrow . The sophistry and falsehood by which he had sought to hinder the work of Jesus, the hatred manifested through the children of disobedience, his cruel accusations against Him whose life was one of unexampled goodness, all sprang from deep - seated revenge . The pen - up fires of envy and malice, hatred and revenge, burst forth on Calvary against the Son of God, while all heaven gazed upon the scene in silent horror. When the great sacrifice had been consumated, Christ ascended on high, refusing the adoration of angels until He had presented the request : “ I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am . ”
Then with inexpressible love and power came forth the answer from the Father's throne : “ Let all the angels of God worship him . ” Not a stain rested upon Jesus . His humiliation ended, His sacrifice completed, there was given unto Him a name that is above every name .
- Now the guilt of Satan stood forth without excuse . He had revealed his true character as a liar and a murderer . It was seen that the very same spirit with which he ruled the children of men , who were under his power , he would have manifested had he been permitted to control the inhabitants of heaven . He had claimed that the transgression of God's law would bring liberty and exaltation ; but it was seen to result in bondage and degradation . Satan's lying charges against the divine character and government appeared in their true light . He had accused God of seeking merely the exaltation of Himself in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures , and had declared that , while the Creator exacted self - denial from all others , He Himself practiced no self - denial and made no sacrifice . Now it was seen that for the salvation of a fallen race , the Ruler of the universe had made the greatest sacrifice which love could make ; for “ God was in Christ , reconciling the world unto himself . ” It was seen also , that while Lucifer had opened the door for the entrance of sin by his desire for honor and supremacy ,
