Let us consider such concepts as darkness, cold, and evil. In essence, they do not exist; rather, there is the natural state of the world, matter, and the mind in the absence of a source of light, heat, and morality.
The presence of light and its source destroys darkness. But if the light goes out or is switched off, darkness comes. And this does not even require proof.
−273°C is absolute zero, the state in which matter exists without a source of heat. If the Sun were suddenly to go out, our world would cool very quickly and reach this temperature. The concept of cold exists only where a source of heat is present.
No human behavior or state of the soul can be bad in itself if there are no statutes and moral standards in society. Evil is defined only by the existence of the highest legislative authority, which is the Godhead, and God Himself establishes the concept of good, while evil comes from violating God’s law. Without God, all goodness and all morality lose their meaning; everything descends into spiritual chaos, in which everyone does what he considers right. And where there is no God, there is no evil; there is nothing there—only emptiness, darkness, and the absence of life.
For the entire Universe, our world is the arena in which the events of the great controversy between good and evil are unfolding. All intelligent living beings are involved in the present conflict. And in this struggle there are only two sides, and every participant in the confrontation chooses on which side he will fight. If I believe in nothing, if I reject the existence of God the Creator, if I do not care what is happening, then through this ignorance, without realizing or understanding it, I take the side of the forces of evil and become their instrument for accomplishing their plans and purposes.
If there is no God in my life and no knowledge of His will, then I cannot be good, for goodness consists in knowing God personally, being acquainted with His law, and having this law in my heart to guide my mind.
God is Love, and love is the freedom to choose between good and evil. God did not create evil, but He created free beings who could think, analyze, and choose.
And then, at some point in time, one of the highest angels, the anointed cherub, became proud because of his beauty and wisdom. He envied God and decided to become like the Most High—not in love, but in power and greatness. The name of this angel was Light-bearer, which is rendered as Lucifer.
As a result, in the Heavenly dwellings, in the place of God’s presence, a spirit of discontent arose, which influenced intelligent beings and led them into open opposition.
The Bible briefly tells us about the conflict that occurred, in which satan did not prevail and was cast out of the place of God’s presence. We are not told where God’s adversary and his angels were before Adam’s fall. But in some way he had access to the Earth and could display his charms and power near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God’s character in Heaven was stained by satan’s lies and slander, and only a judgment concerning God could vindicate the Ruler of the Universe or bring a charge against Him. Therefore, God allowed His creation to examine God’s character and His principles from every side and render a verdict. Satan was the chief accuser in this process.
When creating our planet, God did not create it for satan, but He gave the first people freedom of choice, and they had to make a decision.
Unfortunately, the enemy succeeded in deceiving the woman and, through her, the man. As a result, God’s adversary, the devil, gained power over the minds of people and became the prince of this world. The universal struggle and confrontation moved to the Earth.
Satan and his angels established themselves on our planet and began their destructive activity.
God used the situation that had arisen with humanity to show the entire visible and invisible world His love, its power, its authority, and its influence through their example. But this required time, which God appointed in order to allow good and evil to manifest themselves fully.
Satan was permitted to have power over those who consciously or through deception heeded his temptations, but God promised thinking and seeking people that He would give them inner strength to resist evil and live righteously. The Creator granted fallen people His grace so that through this power they could withstand evil and preserve their faithfulness to God and His law.
The world was promised a Savior, Who would be God the Son Himself, Who would give His life and shed His blood for the redemption of repentant sinners. According to their faith, He would grant them life and strength to fight against sin.
And so that people would always remember this promise, they were commanded to make offerings from among clean animals, which were a type and pointed to the true Sacrifice. In time, this law of sacrifices was put in order and retained its meaning and influence until the crucifixion of the Son of God. The type met the reality. From that moment, all rites and ceremonial laws lost their force, for they were fulfilled in Christ.
The first world rebelled against God and His love and was destroyed by the waters of the Flood, from which only eight people were saved. They became the ancestors of everyone living today. After the Flood, people once again united against God and began building the Tower of Babel, but God confused their languages and scattered all people throughout the Earth.
God was always looking for those who would accept Him as their Savior and Friend and through whom He could reveal His love and the beauty of His character to this world. And His choice fell upon Abram, who believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. The Lord tested Abram’s faithfulness and gave him the name Abraham. God promised to bring forth a nation from this man, and He fulfilled this promise. And within this covenant, all believing people are considered Abraham’s descendants by faith.
At the time appointed by God, the Son of God was born into the world. By becoming the Son of Man, He showed all people the beauty of God’s character and revealed to them and to the entire Universe the Father’s love and care for humanity. But fallen people did not accept this testimony and delivered Christ to death, which had also been foretold and to which all the sacrifices pointed. Jesus died, having loved our world unto the end. Through Him, the way to salvation and justification was opened. God’s enemy suffered final defeat. The entire Universe saw satan’s true plans and the purpose of his rebellion. All the accusations of the wicked one were removed, God was vindicated in the eyes of Heaven, and satan was sentenced to death and destruction. But people were still living on the Earth, and God’s plan needed to be revealed to them, the beauty of God’s love needed to be shown to them, and the image and likeness of the Most High needed to be restored in them. And for the sake of these people, time was granted for the accomplishment of these tasks.
The struggle is not yet over. In our days it has reached its climax, and the long-awaited outcome is drawing near. The clash between the forces of good and evil is inevitable, and we are all involved in this conflict against our will, with no possibility of remaining neutral. We need to choose on whose side we will fight. There are only two camps—the victors, led by Christ and moved by the Holy Spirit of love, or the defeated, possessed by the unclean spirit of lies, sin, and death. I need to make this choice myself. If I do not make it, satan will make it for me, and I will join his ranks. Accidental salvation is impossible. I choose God.
Homework 168
Please read Genesis 3; 6–8; Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:12–18; Romans 1:19–32; 3:4; 5:12–21; 8:19–22; 1 Corinthians 4:9; Ephesians 6:11–18; Hebrews 1:14; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 3:6; Revelation 12:4–9 in the light of our lesson. Did you learn anything new from this lesson? What was revealed to you? Do you believe that in the world invisible to us, a struggle is taking place between God and satan for our souls and for possession of our minds? Why did God not immediately destroy satan and his supporters? Why is there no neutrality in this great controversy? Do you believe that ignorance in the spiritual life will lead the soul to destruction? How can I understand whose side I am on? How will this universal conflict end?