The Great Controversy
God never changes. In the unknown past He has designed laws, determined courses, placed within creation its direction. And life unfolds, based on His four dimensional design. At certain points a new thing appears and begins to develop—not because God changed His mind, and not because He “lets” things evolve, but because it was predetermined. The Great Controversy may even figure into this same principle somehow.
The angelic hosts and heavenly beings find such joy in the wonderful order of God’s creation, His laws and government. In perfect submission they find existence to be a school and life under the great Master Teacher full of challenge to the body, intellect, and soul. They are constantly being met with surprises which they answer with holy joy and humility. Its easy for them to be caught off guard by God and to be repeatedly regarding themselves as unlearned students and imperfect sons, because they trust their Master and Father. Forever it has been proven to them that His laws of self-forgetfulness are the basis of all that He does and that can ever endure. And despite their feelings of insufficiency, they are satisfied that God should be glorified and that for self to die is gain.
But Lucifer could not endure correction. The life of an angel is not a meaningless existence floating on clouds, aimlessly strumming harps. Development requires correction and he grew weary of that. Greater honor means greater responsibility and more exacting austerity, but with all that, greater privileges of communion and a greater comprehension of God. But he turned aside from the communion and began to see only the austerity demanded of God. And in a setting similar to the glories of Eden, he decided he had had enough. After all, behold how far he had already advanced! He had endured great affliction to get where he was and it was time to retire from this school and to graduate. Life would be so good without correction.
But how can one escape a universe filled with God’s laws and reminders of His presence? It would take drastic measures and Lucifer, of all people, was up to the task. Or so he thought. But bursting at the seams with desire for antinomian freedom, he bent all his energies to design a new form of government free from God’s restraints and the rebuke which he felt so constantly.
How could one who had stood next to God end up so hateful toward goodness? That’s just the way it goes. We never know what we are capable of until we make that first decision—for good or for bad. Freedom of choice and intelligent existence is so very complicated, and animate creation contains such deep resources, that the possibilities of accomplishment are endless, for good or for evil; so thorough is every one of God’s creations. In every facet of the mind the possibilities are infinite; and there is an infinitude of facets. We can’t foresee where our decisions will lead; so it would behoove us to carefully decide in accordance with God’s Law of righteousness.
So, Lucifer, king of self-righteousness, was reborn by his own decision. He believes what he is doing is right; deep down he knows it’s not true that God is unjust, but he blinds himself through disdain of reproof. And he has company to help reaffirm his rebellion. He reminds them, they remind him…its one tight bunch. But deep down inside every one of them there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. They refuse to have any Man rule over them. In spite of all their effort to forget God, He is still able to remind them of His government. It is inescapable and it is torment to them. On the one hand they are bound by fear of the truth that they are losers in their Great Experiment, and on the other, they are bound by their own proud honor to finish what they started and to attempt to prove that it is best.
“We had to bow down and worship God and His measly Son. But who do They bow down to? They could correct us, but who corrects Them? We served Them. Who do They serve? So we form a government without worship, service, and correction. And we are happy.”
Yet there has been much bloodshed, death, and consternation. The planet of their experiment has been a stain in God’s otherwise beautiful universe. We are subjected to their foul presence. All that surrounds us and even within us are reminders of their effort to improve on what was already made perfect.
They cannot be satisfied to leave God’s creation alone. God’s designs are a perpetual reminder of His character and presence, and the satanic hosts will not stop short of a complete make-over. Through their human agents God’s perfection must be altered somehow, someway; even just a little is a statement of their ownership and rage against their King. Again and again. Deeper and deeper. Adorning, piercing, painting, dying, tattooing. Scientifically improving, fortifying. Cloning, amalgamating, genetically altering, …defacing Christ’s work and effacing the signature of the Creator.
The angelic hosts and heavenly beings find such joy in the wonderful order of God’s creation, His laws and government. In perfect submission they find existence to be a school and life under the great Master Teacher full of challenge to the body, intellect, and soul. They are constantly being met with surprises which they answer with holy joy and humility. Its easy for them to be caught off guard by God and to be repeatedly regarding themselves as unlearned students and imperfect sons, because they trust their Master and Father. Forever it has been proven to them that His laws of self-forgetfulness are the basis of all that He does and that can ever endure. And despite their feelings of insufficiency, they are satisfied that God should be glorified and that for self to die is gain.
But Lucifer could not endure correction. The life of an angel is not a meaningless existence floating on clouds, aimlessly strumming harps. Development requires correction and he grew weary of that. Greater honor means greater responsibility and more exacting austerity, but with all that, greater privileges of communion and a greater comprehension of God. But he turned aside from the communion and began to see only the austerity demanded of God. And in a setting similar to the glories of Eden, he decided he had had enough. After all, behold how far he had already advanced! He had endured great affliction to get where he was and it was time to retire from this school and to graduate. Life would be so good without correction.
But how can one escape a universe filled with God’s laws and reminders of His presence? It would take drastic measures and Lucifer, of all people, was up to the task. Or so he thought. But bursting at the seams with desire for antinomian freedom, he bent all his energies to design a new form of government free from God’s restraints and the rebuke which he felt so constantly.
How could one who had stood next to God end up so hateful toward goodness? That’s just the way it goes. We never know what we are capable of until we make that first decision—for good or for bad. Freedom of choice and intelligent existence is so very complicated, and animate creation contains such deep resources, that the possibilities of accomplishment are endless, for good or for evil; so thorough is every one of God’s creations. In every facet of the mind the possibilities are infinite; and there is an infinitude of facets. We can’t foresee where our decisions will lead; so it would behoove us to carefully decide in accordance with God’s Law of righteousness.
So, Lucifer, king of self-righteousness, was reborn by his own decision. He believes what he is doing is right; deep down he knows it’s not true that God is unjust, but he blinds himself through disdain of reproof. And he has company to help reaffirm his rebellion. He reminds them, they remind him…its one tight bunch. But deep down inside every one of them there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. They refuse to have any Man rule over them. In spite of all their effort to forget God, He is still able to remind them of His government. It is inescapable and it is torment to them. On the one hand they are bound by fear of the truth that they are losers in their Great Experiment, and on the other, they are bound by their own proud honor to finish what they started and to attempt to prove that it is best.
“We had to bow down and worship God and His measly Son. But who do They bow down to? They could correct us, but who corrects Them? We served Them. Who do They serve? So we form a government without worship, service, and correction. And we are happy.”
Yet there has been much bloodshed, death, and consternation. The planet of their experiment has been a stain in God’s otherwise beautiful universe. We are subjected to their foul presence. All that surrounds us and even within us are reminders of their effort to improve on what was already made perfect.
They cannot be satisfied to leave God’s creation alone. God’s designs are a perpetual reminder of His character and presence, and the satanic hosts will not stop short of a complete make-over. Through their human agents God’s perfection must be altered somehow, someway; even just a little is a statement of their ownership and rage against their King. Again and again. Deeper and deeper. Adorning, piercing, painting, dying, tattooing. Scientifically improving, fortifying. Cloning, amalgamating, genetically altering, …defacing Christ’s work and effacing the signature of the Creator.
posted by David | 8:55 AM
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