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Why Was Sin Permitted?
“God is love.” His nature, His law, is love. It always has been,
and it always will be. Every use of creative power is an expression of
infinite love. The history of the great conflict between good and evil
from the time it first began in heaven also reveals God’s unchanging
love.
The King of the universe was not alone in His work of doing
good. He had an associate who could appreciate His purpose and
share His joy in giving happiness to created beings (see
John 1:1, 2
).
Christ the Word was one with the eternal Father, one in nature,
in character, in purpose. “His name will be called Wonderful, Coun-
selor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (
Isaiah 9:6
).
His “goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (
Micah 5:2
).
The Father worked by His Son in the creation of all heavenly
beings. “By Him all things were created ..., whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers” (
Colossians 1:16
). Angels
are God’s ministers, speeding to carry out His will. But the Son,
the “express image of His person,” “the brightness of His glory,”
“upholding all things by the word of His power,” holds supremacy
over them all (see
Hebrews 1:3, 8
).
God wants the service of love from all His creatures—service
that springs from an appreciation of His character. He has no plea-
sure in forced obedience. He grants freedom of will to everyone,
that they may freely give Him service. So long as all created beings
were loyal through love, there was perfect harmony throughout the
universe of God. There was no note of discord to mar heaven’s
harmonies.
But a change came over this happy situation. There was one
who wrongly used the freedom that God had given to His creatures.
Sin began with him who, after Christ, had been the most honored
of God and was highest among all those in heaven. Lucifer, “son
of the morning,” (
Isaiah 14:12
) was holy and undefiled. “Thus says
the Lord God: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and
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