Jon Webb

Anonymous asked: Why has Satan chosen evil? How can anyone chose evil having experienced God's presence?

While the Bible tells us a lot about Satan’s attributes and behavior, it does not reveal in detail the specifics of his rebellion. You pose an interesting question. Wouldn’t the fear and awe inspired by the presence of God Himself prevent any thought of rebellion from entering the mind?

The Bible does not go into great detail about Satan’s rebellion. We do know, however a few key facts about Satan and his angels. First of all, we know that Satan is a created being. Colossians 1:16 tells us that by Jesus Christ “all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.” This obviously includes angelic beings such as Satan. Also, Satan must be a creation because he can not be eternal. God alone is eternal, and for Satan to share in this eternality would introduce a duality to Christianity that is incompatible with the Bible.

We also know that Satan, must have rebelled against God at some point between his creation and his tempting of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Since God declared all things He had created “very good,” Satan, a created thing, must have also been “very good” at this point.

There is much debate on passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 that are traditionally understood as referring to the fall of Satan. While these passages prophesy the downfall of earthly kings, many believe that there they may also refer to Satan’s rebellion. It is not unusual for prophetic passages to refer to two events, separated by a great length of time. This is true of many passages that refer both to King David and to Jesus Christ.

If these passages do refer to Satan, we learn a bit more about his character and history. Firstly, we learn that Satan was an unparalleled creation: incredibly wise, and highly privileged. Donald Barnhouse imagined the Satan’s position in heaven like this:

He awoke in the first moment of his existence in the full-orbed beauty and power of his exalted position; surrounded by all the magnificence which God gave him. He saw himself as above all the hosts in power, wisdom, and beauty. Only at the throne of God itself did he see more than he himself possessed, and it is possible that even that was in some sense not fully visible to the eyes of the creature.… Before his fall he may be said to have occupied the role of prime minister for God, ruling possibly over the universe but certainly over this world” 

Secondly we learn the nature of his fall. According to Ezekiel 28:15-17, “sin was discovered” in Satan. He became proud because of his high position and beauty. In his incredibly foolish ambition, he wished to displace God Himself, claiming that he would “make himself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-17). As a result he was cast out of heaven.

The covers what we know of the history of Satan’s rebellion. It does not, however, answer your question. Why did such a privileged being, so intimately acquainted with the glory of God, ever choose to rebel against him?

I have only one thought. God’s majesty probably motivated Satan’s sin in the first place. He was jealous of God, jealous of his position, his perfection, and his glory. He lusted after it. He sinned, in the presence of a perfectly holy God. Do I understand it? No. I can say this: God knew that Satan was going to rebel. He knew that Satan was going to tempt mankind. He knew that mankind would rebel just like Satan did. But before He ever created Satan He had a plan, one in which Satan played an important role.

Satan’s rebellion against God truly is foolish, isn’t it? He can’t win. There is no possible outcome where Satan wins. This was as true before Satan was ever created as it is now. And yet he still persists in his rebellion, and he always will.

classyliving asked: This is a random note... but I saw you had a post on fundamentalism and evangelicalism. I'd say the divide, for some time, was quite fuzzy, but in recent years I'd say most in the fundamentalist camp have jumped into Evangelicalism, which can be said about the SBC, and the divide has grown very wide where they do not look similar at all... or there are churches that would affirm they are both. I say this not to criticize what you wrote but just some thoughts I had.

I think that would be quite accurate. Let’s remember that at first, fundamentalism and evangelicalism were barely distinguishable. It wasn’t until several decades ago that fundamentalism and evangelicalism were seen as distinct and opposing movements.

This split was largely a result of the different ways the two groups applied the fundamentals of the faith to their interactions with culture. So while almost all evangelicals are fundamentalists in the sense that they adhere to the fundamentals, fundamentalism now has extra baggage, an attitude toward the culture and toward other churches. It’s much more than it was back in the 30’s and 40’s.

There is a lot of diversity within both fundamentalism, and evangelicalism. There are evangelicals who avoid fundamentalism like the plague. There are evangelicals who consider themselves to be fundamentalists. There are fundamentalists who like to be called evangelicals. And there are fundamentalists who denounce evangelicals. It’s basically like a Venn Diagram.

I would say that the Southern Baptist Convention has been moving steadily toward that blend between fundamentalism and evangelicalism. So a lot of their churches are very evangelical.

With the Southern Baptists making up so much of fundamentalism, what we have left is basically the Bob Jones crowd and then more militant right wing fundamentalists.

So yes, you can definitely be a fundamentalist and an evangelical at the same time. I would go further than that and say that most fundamentalists are also evangelicals.

The Power of the Resurrection

Most of us are content to say that Christ was resurrected. We say with the congregation, “He is risen indeed.” But it is more than this.

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” - John 11:25

Christ is not just risen, Christ is the resurrection. It is true that he was “powerfully raised from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.” But he is become the means of resurrection for all mankind. It is as if all the saints, past, present, and future, were resurrected with Christ on that morning, just as they died with him on the fateful Friday before. We died with him, we are raised with him, and we live with him.

Paul says in Philippians 3 that we wishes to be in Christ, not his own works, so that he may experience firsthand the power of his resurrection. What is this power? It is the power to raise the dead, the greatest and most glorious act of an perfectly loving Father. In Christ, that power can be ours.

In a way, believers walk about with a little slice of the resurrection inside of them.

“He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again….Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” - 2 Corinthians 5:15,17

Our lives are now to be representations: we are living sermons of the resurrection. Indeed, the resurrection is the cornerstone of our salvation. As Paul said,

“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

For if Christ is not raised, neither shall we be, we are in our sins, and moreover we are wretched.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Trinitarian Universalism

While I haven’t posted much recently, I have been reading everything in my stream, and there’s one thing that has caught my attention: the amount of universalism I am seeing. I am going to summarize Christian Universalism, then at the end I will give my opinion. Remember, it’s just that, an opinion. I’m not trying to judge anyone or make anyone feel guilty.

Universalism began to take root in America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One important founder of Universalist thought in the United States was George de Benneville. He translated the first German Bible in America. What made his version unique was that all verses supporting universalist doctrines were bolded so that they would stand out!

Trinitarian or evangelical universalism is the type I will discuss. Unlike other forms of universalism, trinitarian universalism holds to Jesus Christ being the Savior of mankind. They are conservative and reformed in most of their beliefs, except in their understanding of hell. Instead of eternal punishment, trinitarian universalists believe in eventual universal reconciliation with God. According to trinitarian universalists, all mankind will be glorified and reunited with God at the end of time.

Now, I realize that there is an incredible amount of variation within the evangelical/trinitarian universalist camp. I would say that there is greater difference of opinion within trinitarian universalism than there is within conservative reformed/fundamental theology, with their five hundred year old (but still unresolved) debates concerning election, limited atonement, millennialism, and covenant versus dispensational theology. I am not intending to misrepresent universalism. I am intending to summarize some of their core beliefs, beliefs that are common to most universalists.

At the core of trinitarian universalism are beliefs that conservative Christians find familiar and fundamental.

• They believe that God is a trinity.
• They believe that God is love. They also believe that His holiness is an aspect of His love, one could call it “holylovingkindness”. This comes into play a little later.
• They believe that mankind is reconciled through Christ.

Well, that wasn’t so bad! These are all doctrines that conservative Christians affirm and rejoice in! But hang on, we aren’t through yet. Many beliefs of universalists contradict highly valued teachings of conservative Christians. Many Christians react violently when these doctrines are denied. So take a deep breath as we venture deeper into the mind of a universalist.

• Universal atonement of sins.

This statement elicits two distinct reactions from Christians at first glance. Calvinists balk, because it contradicts their belief in limited atonement, that Christ died for the sins of only the elect. Those who believe in free will smile, because they believe Christ died to give all the opportunity to be reconciled to Him.

But that’s not the universalist’s idea of universal atonement. Take the universal nature of the non-calvinist’s atonement, and splice it onto the Calvinist’s election. The result: an atonement that is, well, really universal. As in, you can’t escape from it. All mankind is atoned, all mankind is forgiven, and all mankind is saved. A truly lovingkind God cannot allow His creation to be separated from Him.

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