But why does God put up with Satan's continuing evil influences on
mankind? By allowing evil to exist, God isn't merely trying to prove
something to mankind, but also to all the created intelligences of the
universe (the 1/3 of the Angels that went with the devil). Since
people, or even the angels, won't necessarily take God's word for it on
faith that there are some other ways of life besides His works, He has
allowed people to live and experience other ways of life. Here, this
becomes a type of self-inflicted misery, but then people feel like
blaming God for the evils their free choices brought upon them.
For example, God says not to have sex before or outside of marriage
relationship. But if people insist on doing so, and suffer consequences
such as unwanted pregnancies, abortions, diseases, emotional upset and
torment, unpleasant memories, etc., from committing adultery,
fornication, etc., then whose fault is it? If God denied us freedom to
sin, people would complain about not having the freedom to find out if
some other way besides God's way would work.
God may also be allowing Satan to operate in order to help us develop
holy righteous character more quickly, since Christians have to learn
to resist against Satan's influence. Here the analogy would be with
weight-training and the concept of resistance, only there's a spiritual
principle being applied here: We develop the habits of obeying by our
own free choice more solidly and permanently if we have to resist more
in order to develop them.
God could have done away with not only Satan, but Adam and Eve also
after they sinned. But He decided in advance that if they (the humans)
did sin, He would pay the price personally for their sin. Jesus Christ
redeemed us from these effects of the fall through his incarnation,
crucifixion and resurrection.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
God in the Person of Jesus chose to suffer like humans from the
consequences of sin and living in a world cut off from God. He didn't
live an easy, sheltered life in the lap of luxury. Instead, He chose to
die a horribly painful and humiliating death for people (in most cases)
who didn't know what He did or who actively consented to His death.
Therefore, we should have faith in God that He knows what He is doing
when He allows sin temporarily to exist in the universe as a temporary,
unwelcome visitor.
God is in the process of making beings like Himself that have 100% free
will (like He does) yet will also obey His holy righteous law of love
100% of the time (like He does also).
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
Basically, we're always faced with the bottom-line of the principle as found in Isaiah 55:7-11
“Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him
turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he
will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than
your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do
not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and
flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the
eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return
to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:7-11
The incarnation was necessary for God to save His own people for the following reasons:
(a) For God to justify sinners the penalty of their sins must be paid in full and a perfect righteousness offered to them.
(b) God cannot simply overlook sin and forgive it in a random manner
because of His own nature and character. God is righteous, holy, hates
sin, and cannot have fellowship with anyone guilty of sin.
The glory of Christ is seen in his absolute right and power to
annihilate or incapacitate Satan and all demons. But the reason he
refrains from destroying and disabling them altogether is His will that
humans renounce the promises of Satan and take pleasure in the greater
glory of Christ.
If you read the story of Job you will see that at one point he
questioned God’s actions too. But what God told Job and is telling us
too, is that we are not in a position to judge His actions. We don't
know enough nor do we have His power. So let's be humble, and
faithfully and patiently wait the day He'll abolish all sin and Satan
himself and we will live in Heaven where there will be no more tears or
pain!
The day will come when…
“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the
devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the
earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:9
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