Why was Sin Permitted?
21
The high honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated as God’s
special gift, and therefore, called forth no gratitude to his Creator. He
gloried in his brightness and exaltation and aspired to be equal with
God. He was beloved and reverenced by the heavenly host, angels
delighted to execute his commands, and he was clothed with wisdom
and glory above them all. Yet the Son of God was exalted above
him, as one in power and authority with the Father. He shared the
Father’s counsels, while Lucifer did not thus enter into the purposes
of God. “Why,” questioned this mighty angel, “should Christ have the
supremacy? Why is He honored above Lucifer?”
Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer
went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He
worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real
purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. He began to
insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings,
intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of
the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for
their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that
could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no
more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of
the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice
to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and
honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to his true, exalted
position, great good would accrue to the entire host of heaven; for
it was his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the liberty
which they had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler
had been appointed them, and to His authority all must pay homage.
Such were the subtle deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were
fast obtaining in the heavenly courts.
[38]
There had been no change in the position or authority of Christ.
Lucifer’s envy and misrepresentation and his claims to equality with
Christ had made necessary a statement of the true position of the Son
of God; but this had been the same from the beginning. Many of the
angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer’s deceptions.
Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by
the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into
their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not
discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light—