In reading a recent number (See article 2 in the Appendix: "A Royal Visitor.") of Present Truth that the beating of the heart is Christ's knocking at the door, this question came to my mind: What is God's object in allowing a person to live, who has sinned against the Holy Ghost, and who therefore has forever refused to allow himself to be influenced by the Spirit of God?
The only way by which we can understand any question concerning the reason why God does certain things, the answer to which is not expressly stated in the Bible, is by remembering that the Judgment, which closes the history of this world, is to be the decision of the universe upon the character and actions of God, and that man's place in it is secondary to God's.
It is primarily God's case that is on trial now, and we stand or fall according as we take sides for or against Him. The matter has often been dealt with in the Present Truth, [The most full presentation about "God's case on trial" is in the series of articles on the book of Isaiah (October 13, 1898 to June 21, 1900), which has been released under the title, The Gospel of Isaiah. See especially chapter 4: "The Great Case at Law," chapter 47: "The Great Case in Court," chapter 48: "The Summons to the Trial," chapter 54: "God's Witnesses," chapter 61: "Object of the Earth's Creation," and chapter 62: "The God That Can Save.] but it touches the very core of the Gospel, and I will briefly set forth some of the facts upon which we build our faith and hope.
When God made man, He made him a partner with himself in His Government. He gave him dominion over this earth and everything that pertained to it. We know that this is in keeping with God's dealing with all His creatures, His plan being to invest each one with responsibility, "to every man according to his several ability." (Matthew 25:15)
We read that "all His saints" have the honor of executing judgment, (Psalm 149:5-9) and of Lucifer (now called Satan) we read that it was his place to affix the seal to the perfect ordinance. So we have it in Ezekiel 28:12, literally rendered, which, as the verses following clearly show, can apply only to the one described in the 14th chapter of Isaiah.
Sin among men is only the ruling in them of the spirit of Satan, (Ephesians 2:2-3) so that in the temptation of Eve we know that we see the very thing that caused him who is now Satan to lose his former place in glory. First there was an insinuation against the kindness and justice of God, and then an appeal to pride and ambition to become like God himself.
The serpent made Eve believe that God had prohibited the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, solely that He might be exalted at their expense, for, said he: "God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5)
So seeing--fancying--that the tree was "to be desired to make one wise," (Genesis 3:6) she ate of it. It is evident that her sole desire was the same as that of Lucifer, when he said: "I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:14)
It was a desire to be able to rule independently of God. Before that time, however, Satan had been cast out of heaven. He had sinned against the greatest light possible, and consequently against the highest manifestation of the love of God, and having deliberately and definitely rejected God's authority, and having fully determined to set up an independent government of his own, his probation was ended. For six thousand years Satan and his angels have had their lives continued, yet with no hope of their ever repenting. They are: "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great day." (Jude 6)
Yet it is only by the life of the Lord that they live, and they have no power at all, except the power that they get from the life of God. Why is this? Why did not God put an end to Satan and his rebellion when He cast him out of heaven? This is the question under consideration.
In the first place we must remember that the coming Judgment is to be final. "Affliction shall not rise up the second time." (Nahum 1:9)
Never more will there be in the whole of God's universal kingdom a sound of anything but love and praise to Him as this supreme Ruler. But all service must be the willing service of love. There must not be any place left in the heart of any created being, for a doubt of God's loving-kindness and justice.
The Judgment must set forth God's righteousness and love so completely that even His enemies will be compelled to acknowledge it, and so that His saints, who hitherto have trusted His love even when they could not comprehend His motives, will have everything made clear.
Everybody must be able clearly to see that all who perish fully merit their fate; and the wicked themselves must be brought to acknowledge this so plainly and emphatically that no one can ever again possibly have room to think that perhaps some have not had a full opportunity for repentance and salvation.
Teaching the World and Angels
Now we know that it is not so at the present time. On every hand we hear doubts expressed as to God's care for His creatures. Thousands of professed Christians are teaching that there must be a probation after death for those who, as they say, "did not have a chance" in this life; and this thought, together with the pagan idea that the dead are really alive and conscious, is the foundation of the Roman Catholic purgatory.
If the Judgment did not reveal God's long-suffering, which is the ground of repentance there would be many saints who would sometimes wonder if such and such a one might not have repented if he had been allowed to live longer.
We know that even the angels do not understand the mystery of the Gospel. "Them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:12)
It is the church's mission to make known even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places ... the manifold wisdom of God." (Ephesians 3:10)
Think then what a shock it would have been to them if Lucifer had been destroyed at the very beginning of his rebellious career. We know that he succeeded in deceiving many, and winning them from their allegiance to God, and so we may be sure that those who remained loyal did so without being able to answer all of Lucifer's artful insinuations against God.
Lucifer set out to establish an independent government. Man has followed in his steps. God, instead of arbitrarily putting an end to it, has allowed them to go on with their experiment; and the Judgment will not come until they have demonstrated what an utter failure any form of Government is in which God is not lovingly and loyally recognized as supreme.
Another thing to be remembered is that God never casts off any creature. He is the one who is rejected. He has taken all the responsibility for all the sins of the world on himself, and has suffered for them, so that no one need be separated from Him. Indeed God is still suffering, as He is being made to serve with the sins of the creatures whom His life sustains. "You have not brought me the small cattle of your burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with an offering, nor wearied you with incense. You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices: but you have made me to serve with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities. I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:23-25)
Every sin that is committed comes upon the life of Him to whom sin is loathsome. So you see that the term "long-suffering," as applied to God, is wonderfully expressive. His goodness and patience are such that He suffers the manners even of those who have fully denied and rejected Him.
Life the Evidence of Acceptance
Now you will say: "What then becomes of the statement that while there's life there's hope, and that life itself is hope? Can we indeed take the fact that we are alive as evidence that God accepts us?"
Yes, we can; the fact that there are living men who have committed the unpardonable sin,--have fully rejected God's goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, and done despite to the Spirit of grace, counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, (Hebrews 10:29)--does not warrant anybody in supposing that he himself is one of the number.
Quite the contrary; for the fact that a person is troubled over sin is proof that he has not committed the unpardonable sin, which is refusal to be forgiven. So long as a person lives, there is hope for him, provided he will. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)
Understand, and never forget, that God never makes it impossible for anybody to repent and find mercy. Men are lost, not because they cannot be saved, but because they will not. It is true that men do become so set in their rebellious ways that they cannot turn, but it is not God who has fixed them in that way. They themselves have forged their own chains of darkness.
The fact that God allows His bitterest enemies to live on for years, and supplies life to those who live only to curse Him, is proof that "His mercy endures for ever." (Psalm 136:1)
What stronger evidence of His desire and willingness to save us can we possibly have than the fact of His kindness to the unthankful and the unholy? (Luke 6:35)
There is another lesson that we should learn, and that is one of forbearance. Since God bears so long with mankind, and even suffers those whom He knows to be incorrigible, how patient we ought to be with all men, of whom we are not justified in regarding one as beyond the hope of salvation. So may the goodness of God not only lead us to repentance, but fill us with the fullness of His love.--Present Truth, January 10, 1901.