Appendix A
An Explosion of Wills
One Will Unchallenged
As far as the Bible is concerned, you can’t go back any further on the origin of sin than Ezekiel 28:12-19. Anything beyond this is philosophy, not revelation. God created one being, Lucifer, more intelligent and more beautiful than all the rest of the created beings to rule on behalf of Him. God wanted Lucifer to volitionally respond in a positive way.
God could have arranged His universe differently, but He chose otherwise. God desires a positive volitional response to His will. This opens the risk of a challenge. It also makes our willing affirmation of God’s will more meaningful than if we had no other choice. This use of volition, positive or negative, towards another person is a powerful dynamic in all relationships.
God responds to Satan’s challenge in two ways. First, in Matthew 25:41 where we are told God created the lake of fire for Satan and his angels. Second, before they are sent to their eternal destiny, they are allowed to go out and do their work on the Earth. The testing ground for their rebellion played out in the Garden of Eden and continues to play out on Earth.
Second Will as a Challenge
The nature of the sin is recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14 where there is a series of “I will”s that are in contradiction to God’s will. Here Lucifer registers the first “I will” in the universe that is contrary to God’s will.
Conflict of Two Wills Moves to Earth
The testing ground moves to the Garden of Eden where man is created and given duty under God’s will. Man is then approached by Satan who challenges Adam and Eve to disobey God’s will. (Genesis 3)
This Conflict Extends to Today
God set up the universe with the ability for humanity to challenge His will. This emphasizes God’s desire to have a personal relationship with each one of us. When God gives us commands, it is an expression of His desire for our personal, positive response to Him. God wants us to reaffirm His will.
Think about what this says about God. He could lord His sovereignty, power, and infinite superiority over us. Instead, He wants us to freely use our volition to affirm that His will is best for us. When we obey Him, we acknowledge His goodness. He gives us the opportunity to acknowledge that His perfect love, care, and provision are the ultimate good for each one of us. God is not distant. He is intimate and personally involved with each one of us.
Consider I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all of your cares on Him, because He cares for you.” Or Philippians 4:6, which says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
God’s desire for us to respond positively toward Him makes us the perfect target for Satan. His attack is on our positive volition towards God. When Satan targets our volition, he influences us to reject God’s will and break our relationship with Him. Thus, Satan achieves his desire to be worshipped over God.