Why Sin Is Allowed

   Why is Satan allowed to exist, causing pain, suffering and death throughout the world? I hear questions like this from those who have little knowledge or interest in the Bible or God, but also some Christians ask this same question. The lack of understanding of the answer has lost many from reaching out to Christ and embracing Christianity. There is a good reason why God allows Satan to continue with his infective influence. First, let us remember that Satan once was the highest-ranking angel in Heaven, however he became dissatisfied with his honored angelic position and desired to be equal or above God (read Isaiah 14:12-20). The Father, Jehovah and His Son have a special communication, both being divine and certainly above all created being, Lucifer became jealous because he was not included in their higher-level communions. Lucifer's (later named Satan and the Devil) jealousy started a conspiracy against God’s government and the outcome of this discontent and deviation from heaven's perfect environment, resulted in Satan, and the angels that were fooled by him, were thrown out of their Heavenly home to the earth "And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent being called Devil, and Satan, he deceiving the whole inhabitable world, was cast out onto the earth and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9). Satan shared sin with humanity in the garden, but instead of God sentencing immediate justice on Satan, he was given rein over earth for a time. Eve allowed Satan to fool her, and because Adam chose to sin and disregard God's one garden command, he was entitled to the consequence of that sin, and Adam's off-springs were also subject to the consequences of their own sins. Satan was given to rule the world for a time so humanity would better understand the results of choosing anything outside God's perfect, totally just and balanced government. If we give Satan the same permission Adam gave him, to influence or rule over our decisions, then we will be destroyed along with the Devil, and the false prophets, "And if anyone was not found having been written in the Scroll of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire." (Revelation 20:15) occurring at the end of the 1000 year earthly rest, spoken of in Revelation, "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended..." (Revelation 20:5), excluding the ones found in the Book of Life, "...And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6). After earth's 1000-year rest, we look forward to the new heavens and the new earth, in a glory we can’t possible imagine, but this certainly shouldn't be miss. Satan’s remaining time is on God’s schedule, as everything is; under the ultimate control of the Creator, and this is certainly for our benefit. Satan's time is short and he knows this, but his fury has not yet peaked and our only defense is the information given to us in God's word and from God's protection. Jehovah knows our weaknesses and knows that in our short sightedness, we cannot just hear about the results of sin (any departure from God’s perfect system), we need to experience the short and long term effect of any transgression of God’s government, which are the commandments and laws that He gave to us for our good fortune and our comfortable co-existence with man and with God. Our new existence with those listed in the Book of Life, in God's kingdom will occur after Satan and death are destroyed forever. Again, why is sin allowed? So we can taste the bitter and destructive fruits of Satan’s government, him being the originator of sin. Satan's time of rule is so we can learn that God's way is just and perfect, as man personally witnesses and experiencing the effects and the sure results of our sins and the sins of the other co-inhabitants of earth.  

   It is up to each one of us to determine for ourselves what is best for us. We need to know the two options, God’s government or Satan’s way. This doesn’t seem like a difficult decision but surprisingly, most are choosing Satan’s deceptions, which are, of course, not labeled as such, but marketed to men as pleasures and the only way to wisely recognize his deceptions is to know God's way, given to us in God's only book, the Bible. Man's view is of the physical world, but the unseen world foretold in God’s Book will be a challenge to our faith, and we can never understand what is available to us unless we search the scriptures, to equate God’s character and the coming His Kingdom, in order to compare the differences. We should understand righteousness and unrighteousness by the actions of other men displaying either side of God's perfect law. An extensive description of sin and a list of examples and consequences are within the pages of the Old Testament. The entire walk of the Hebrew nation is a constant display of breaking God’s covenant and later seeking His mercy, which He always responded by sending a deliverer for their rescue. However, after the stoning of Stephen, (New Testament) the Gospel was extended to all other nations. The world has been in the process of proving that they no more have the strength to resist Satan then the Israelites, as we also transgress God’s laws and precepts. The experience of seeing others receiving the results and consequences of their sins, and seeing our own sins levied on innocent victims should impress everyone that the transgression of God’s perfect laws should be avoided, because Jehovah's just laws are perfect, as the writer of Psalm 119 states, "O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all day." (Psalm 119:97), "I hate the half-hearted; but I love Your law." (Psalm 119:113) and, "great peace is to those who love Your law, and there is no stumbling-block to them." (Psalm 119:165). The law’s of Jehovah should be reviews, honored, cherished and kept. We can achieve righteousness by knowing and understanding God's perfectly pure government, but only by studying God's word, resulting in loving His way, His character and His just laws, which then result in our desiring to keep His compassionate perfect system, and thankfully, with the strength and needed help of God's Son, Jesus, the Christ  (Messiah), keeping His law can be accomplished, "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30).

   Maybe part of our problem is that it’s not well spelled out in the Bible? But it certainly is, we just don’t take or make the time to read where it’s clearly written and extensively demonstrated in the Old Testament. This is part of the reason Jehovah sanctified a full 24-hour seventh day rest from earthly activities so we have time to study His word and instructions and reflect on His blessings. God wants us to choose to follow our Savior (the One who has established Jehovah's salvation for us), Jesus, for the wise reasons, which are as much a blessing for the others around us, in addition to ourselves, not just the reward of eternal life but for the rewards received from loving, helping and caring for others.  For the law is based on coexistence, a love-driven society, allowing us to co-mingle with everyone including God and the heavenly hosts. Our decisions, hopefully will occur much before that dreadful day when God's court ends and the books are closed, for then Christ comes again and His rewards will be with Him because the decisions concerning us will have already been made, “And behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each as his work is.” (Revelation 22:12). Judgment day is now, every act and every decision we make stands before God and they are indefensible. By knowing and following His way, we are preparing ourselves for the home He is preparing for us, those choosing Christ as their Shepherd, the saints of God, those who keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). And the "faith of Jesus" is His faith in Jehovah.

    After Christ second coming, we are to live throughout eternity and benefit from the many wonders and rewards that He is preparing for us. The people, who take the time now to learn about God and His Son, while still on this earth, will be rightly preparing themselves for an eternity in God’s Kingdom. The things that we can now touch will soon be lost by natural decay or destruction at the end of the age, when time come to a close. We can and should, right now be investing our time and efforts toward the future, a life beyond this one, or we can waste our time chasing the dreams of earthly things, which will eventually bring us disappointment. God is certainly aware of how we spend our time and our money; it shows Him and others, where our heart is and where we are directing ourselves, and our concern for our future.

    God promises even more in this next Eden, for I believe He feels sorry for what we now have to endure because we were born into sin, and we certainly have added to the first sin of Adam with our own collection, but this was necessary for us to, first understand, and next, make a decision to love our God. We need to know that anyone holding onto a sin cannot enter His kingdom; we need to learn while we still have the opportunity to separate ourselves from this world of sin and secure an eternal future. Christ has called all to repentance “…For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13). If you read the Bible with purpose and commitment, you just can’t miss this point, that the Old Testament is scattered with predictions of the entrance of the Savior, sent by God Jehovah to bring the chosen ones (the saints) home, the home that is being prepared for those chosen and will it will be our reward, those who shed every sin through the guiding and helping hand of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, He is our shepherd, Savior and our strength. Praise our God Jehovah and the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.