Death, suffering, and anguish mingle with ephemeral human happiness. Trying to find an explanation for pain is like going into an endless labyrinth, rehearsing answers, analyzing possibilities, and finally giving up in discouragement.
The wise thing to do is to consult with the Word of God. In it, with all assurance, we can find not only the answers to our questions but also a satisfaction for our needs.
Human beings live on Planet Earth, the universe’s stage. To understand the drama of cosmic dimensions of which we are a part of, we need to travel to a place in the past, to the “past eternity.”
I. THE THRONE OF GOD
God’s nature. God is a spiritual being (John 4:24), a unity of three co-eternal persons bonded by a mysterious and special relationship. There is no distance between the persons of the Godhead. They’re all divine, and they all share the same qualities and powers. In the Godhead, the final authority rests upon its three members (Matt. 28:19). God is one in purpose, mind, and character (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14).
God’s character. Human beings cannot comprehend God’s nature, but they need to always remember that God is love (1 John 4:8). And precisely because God is love, two qualities are essential in His divine character: His unfailing mercy (Exod. 34:6) and His perfect justice (Isa. 45:22-24).
II. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
The creation of celestial beings. In the Bible, heaven is a place as real as the world around us. Heaven is not like popular theology teaches or like medieval painters portray it. The angels are heaven’ inhabitants, powerful and obedient to God’s precepts and will (Ps. 103:19- 21). They delight in praising and honoring the Creator of heaven and earth (Ps. 148:2, 5). God has commissioned them to assist His children here on earth, while the cosmic conflict unfolds itself (Heb. 1:14; Ps. 34:7).
The creation and fall of Satan. One of the angels, Lucifer, had the privilege of being next to the throne of God (Ezek. 28:14). He was a true example of perfection both in his exterior appearance as well as in his power and wisdom (Ezek. 28:12, 13, 15). But one day he began to admire himself and covet the throne of God (Exod. 28:15-17; Isa. 14:12-15). Heaven was no longer an appropriate place for Lucifer and his followers (Rev. 12:7, 8). A third of the angels decided to follow their new leader (verse 4). The enemy’s methods are still the same—deceit, lies, and the distortion of truth—elements that sprout from the heart of those who are not completely surrendered to God.
"The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart." Ellen White Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, 141
III. THE ATTACK ON GOD’S GOVERNMENT
The origin of sin. How sin originated in the heart of a perfect being created by God continues to be an incomprehensible mystery to our limited human minds (2 Thes. 2:7). It is also hard to understand the steps God has taken to completely eradicate sin and its consequences from the universe (1 Tim. 3:16). Lucifer did not want to be governed by a just, loving, patient, and merciful God.
The consequences of sin. Lucifer’s immediate destruction would confirm the accusations made by him in heaven. Sin changed the universe: along with their leader, a third of the angels were expelled from heaven and cast down to earth. Now rebellion, deceit, lies, arrogance, and pride were included in the angels’ vocabulary.
In the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus explained that the tares appeared in the field because an enemy had planted them, but in the time of harvest, the tares will be gathered and burned. We may apply this teaching to the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The day will come when the consequences of sin will fall upon the one truly responsible for it, and the fire will destroy everything related to evil (Mal. 4:1).
God’s character has not changed. Many things have changed as a consequence of sin, but God’s character remains the same. God does not want those He created to die (Ezek. 33:11). He loves and blesses those who do not love Him (Matt. 5:44, 45). At the cross of Jesus, two focuses of the cosmic conflict stand out: the character of God’s enemy was unmasked (John 12:31) and God’s immense love for His creatures was manifested (John 12:32).
CONCLUSION
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil tried everything he could think of to cause Jesus to doubt (Matt. 4:3). Then he attacked Jesus with presumption (Matt. 4:6). Christ was tempted, but He resisted and was victorious. Nothing could separate Jesus from His Father. But Satan is very successful in tempting the hearts of God’s children.
We also have a part in this great conflict. We cannot escape it, remain neutral, or prevent it from affecting us. The enemy is fighting to conquer our hearts, using the same weapons he used in the past. He wants our veneration, and he wants to be enthroned in our hearts. He will try to persuade us to doubt God’s Word. He will try to convince us to be independent from God, and if he cannot do that, he will pressure us to surrender only part of ourselves to God. The enemy wants to be in control.
Now is the time to surrender our lives and minds completely to Jesus!
Roberto Pinto is the Uruguay Union of Churches Secretary.
