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A Doctrine of Demons.
A.--I have been given to understand that sin has an essential, though transient part in
God's purpose. The following reasons have been advanced:--
(1). God's love can be displayed only where sin has sown the seeds of hate.
(2). We, His creatures, would never have had imparted to us the delicious sense of God's
Fatherly affection apart from sin.
(3). Sin will eventually change the universe from cold, independent creatures, into a
loving family.
(4). Satan did exactly what God had planned he should do.
(5). It is only by acknowledging that He created Satan to sin that we can possibly clear
Him of its stain.
B.--Will you allow me to place side by side an extract from the writings of one exponent
of such beliefs and those of a spiritist?
Universalist.
Spiritist.
"Since sin must enter this scene and play its part,
"A lie . . . . . holds a lawful
since it is essential to God's purpose, and absolutely
place in creation; it is a
under His control; since it will eventually change
necessity.
Christ and the
the universe from cold, independent creatures into a
Devil are both alike."
loving family . . . . . Satan did exactly what God had
planned he should do. It is only by acknowledging
"For not a path on earth is
that He created Satan to sin that we can possibly
trod that does not lead the
clear Him from its stain."
soul to God."
"The only Scriptural, the only rational, the only
true solution lies in the acceptance of God's grand
"No matter how bad that
dictum that all is out of Him, and through Him and
path may be, whether it be
for Him."
the path of the liar or the
murderer, it is the path of
"Eventually sin is justified or vindicated. Every
Divine ordination and Divine
sin is transmuted by the sin of sins into an act of
destiny."
essential to God's highest glory, and the creatures'
greatest good."
In a future talk together I propose to discuss the teaching that emanated from the same
source as that we are now examining, which stated that Christ as A God, but not THE
God. The next stage in the teaching appears to be that when He offered Himself without
spot to God, that sacrifice must be called "the sin of sins", and in the third place, instead
of using the consistent condemnatory language of Scripture concerning sin, the utmost
glories of Divine love and redeeming grace are to be traced, finally, to that sin which is
said to be essential to the purpose of God, Satan is exonerated, and is shown to be a much
maligned creature whose work is really a blessing in disguise. Can you find anywhere a
more damning epitome of anti-Christian doctrine? It comes with all the appearance of
veneration for the inspired Word. It looks "like a Lamb", but speaks "like a dragon".
You say that God created Satan as such. What Scripture do you advance in proof of
this?
A.--We have the plain declaration that "all things are of God" (Rom. 11: 36).