Friday: Further Thought – The Cosmic Conflict
Daily Lesson for Friday 28th of February 2025
Read Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy — Ellen G. White Writings
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. . . . Had he [Satan] been immediately blotted from existence, they [the inhabitants of heaven and of other worlds] would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all question.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, Pages 492, 493, 499.
Discussion Questions
|
(0)
If you are the sort of person who likes catechistic answers to all our deep spiritual questions you should never read Scott Adam's little book, "God's Debris: A thought Experiment". It is wildly challenging and raises many more questions than answers. It is a very complex book but one of it's core themes is that God blew himself up and what we see and experience is God trying to put himself back together.
Now, I don't believe that - and Scott Adams comments that any resemblance in the book to his own beliefs is an accident. However, when I encountered this idea it rattled by brain enough to think more deeply about the battle between Good and Evil
A "What If ..."
What if God created a beautiful and well-ordered universe and Lucifer blew it up. And what if what we see now is the aftermath of the battle. I mean not just here on earth, but the whole visible universe. Satan spoiled the whole lot! Galaxies crashing into one another; stars turning into supernova; asteroids coming close to earth; barren uninhabitable planets. It gives a sense of how big the sin/rebellion problem is.
Revelation 21 suggests that the sin problem is that big.
Why make a new heaven? Is it because Satan has left his stain there too? God promises to make everything new.
There are two major themes in the Bible.
We may not know the extent of the battle but we can be sure of our participation in the restoration if we put our trust in Jesus.
The origin of Lucifer’s sin is mysterious because it arose in a perfect being who had no external cause to rebel. Sin, by nature, is irrational and unjustifiable—explaining its emergence does not mean excusing it. Lucifer’s pride and self-exaltation led to his fall, but God allowed his rebellion to mature rather than eradicating him instantly. This was necessary for the universe to fully grasp the nature of evil and contrast it with God’s love and justice.
The great controversy is not a battle of power but of character. If it were only about might, God could have destroyed Satan immediately. However, the conflict is about trust, love, and truth versus deception and selfishness. God seeks willing obedience, not forced submission. By permitting evil to unfold, He ensures that all intelligent beings see its true consequences and make an informed choice to follow Him.
In our own lives, we face echoes of this cosmic battle—temptations to pride, self-centeredness, and rebellion against God’s will. Every decision reflects whose side we stand on. By choosing humility, faithfulness, and love, we testify to God’s righteousness and resist the deception that led to Lucifer’s downfall. Our response to daily moral choices shows whether we align with God's kingdom or the rebellion of the adversary.