When is Love Over

Genesis Chapter One (New King James Version)

[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

[2] The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

[3] Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

[4] And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

There are a couple of things which come to my mind every time I read these verses. The first goes back to the first time I read them, as a child. Read the first two sentences again. Does anything strike you as strange?

Well, maybe strange is the wrong word. But think about this. When you create something, whether of clay, machinery, Lego Blocks, or whatever, do you create it without form and void? Who does that?

And when you read the third sentence another thing becomes obvious: before God created light, the earth existed. So did water. And darkness.

These things have mattered to me since I was a child. The most likely answer has been one that a lot of Christians are loth to accept: God did not create the earth in seven days. He fixed it in seven days.

The earth was here, but destroyed, when God said, "Let there be light." He had created the earth, and all of the universe around it. Then, something happened. "The earth was without form, and void." The most likely cause of this destruction was the fall of Lucifer from grace. When he turned to evil he destroyed everything around himself, including the earth, which apparently had been his place. Then, like a good mechanic and auto body specialist, God took the damaged remains and rebuilt the earth, filling it again with life, but this time adding new elements, such as grass, and human beings. He also seems to have given it a timetable to a predetermined end, after which he will take it all apart and rebuild it from scratch.

A few years ago I discovered a website devoted to this concept. It is here, if you wish to check it out for yourself.

But what about Lucifer? We call him Satan. The Devil. He has a host of other unpleasant names, all of which he has earned. But what about him? What is God's attitude toward him?

I will give you my belief up front, and then present a few reasons why I believe it. Whether you accept my thinking as rationale, stupid, or heresy, I'll leave to you.

I think God loves him. I really do.

Why? How?

Well, first off, is not God love? Certainly, what come from God is love.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version

Another point, and this comes from Genesis 1:4, where God looks at the light he has just created and sees it as "good". God did not create anything, or anyone, "evil", or "bad". Why would he? Consider these verses, written by the Prophet Ezekiel. They are agreed to be written about Lucifer himself.

..You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty...You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. (see Ezekiel 28:12-19)

Satan was not created evil. He became evil. So, if he was not created evil, is it not reasonable to believe God loved him? Why would he not love someone who was so perfect? He loves us, and we're far from perfect.

But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 New King James Version

So God must have loved Lucifer. Now, let's read what God says about love.

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 (New King James Version)

[4] Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

[5] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

[6] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

[7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

[8] Love never fails.

If God ever loved Lucifer, and love never fails, then God still has to love him. That just makes sense.

So why bring this up?

Because of something someone once said to me. She could not accept that God would ever send anyone to hell. It was beyond her to comprehend how a loving God could condemn someone to hell, despite what the Holy Scriptures say.

Well, do we not all agree that the Lake of Fire is exactly where Satan and the demons are going? And is it not true that Satan is Lucifer, turned to evil? And is it not true that Lucifer was once perfect and holy before God? And did not God love him? And does not love continue forever? And is not God sending a being (and others) into hell who he loves?

So why not us?

It's a matter of progressive logic, people. But the people, demons, and whatever who wind up in the Lake of Fire wind up there because they have rejected the true God of the universe.

Romans Chapter One (New King James Version)

[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

[19] because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

[20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

[21] because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

[22] Professing to be wise, they became fools,

[23] and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

[24] Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

[25] who exchanged the truth of God for hte lie, and worshiped and served the creatrue rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

It doesn't have to be that way. We just need to seek the real God the God of the universe.

Matthew Seven (New King James Version)

[7] Ask, and it will be given t oyou; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

[8] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

[9] Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

[10] Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

[11] if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things t othose who ask Him!

[12] Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

In the Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 New King James Version

I started with the first first in my Bible on purpose. It symbolically represents the beginning of this blog. I guess it's my way of asking for God's favor.

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 New King James Version

Isn't that the way of it? God creates something. Then it is damaged, ultimately losing its form.

I expect I was a beautiful baby. All the others I've seen are, so why not? As a very young person it must have been wonderful to look into innocent eyes which could not comprehend wrongdoing. Then I aged. I learned wrongdoing. I learned violence. I learned how to do harm.

All of these things I learned damaged me. They hurt others, but they damaged me. No longer was I innocent. No longer was my spirit beautiful to behold. I had become without form, and void.

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Genesis 1:3 New King James Version

On the morning of my 19th birthday, 4:00 a.m. to be precise, God put light in my heart and began the process of recreation. Unfortunately, while he was able to accomplish the same task with the world in seven days (six - the seventh day he rested), it has taken much longer with me. And God doesn't get much rest in the process. In August of this year it will be 34 years since that fateful morning when I began to cease to be void and take on new form. The new form will ultimately be the same form as Christ himself. But it's taking a long time.

I would like to believe that there has been much progress over the past few years. Tragedy and distress have finally got my attention enough for me to pay attention and learn something. What I have learned best is the simplicity of God's gospel. His gospel is one of love and forgiveness. Not condemnation and hatred. So that is what I focus on.

Forgiveness is a major theme with God. The Old Testement, created by Jewish writers, reveals it over and over and over again. It's the entire New Testament gospel.

I have been reading the Quran. It is from this website. The Translator is Dr. Rashad Khalifa. I began reading it last Sunday and continued this morning. Here is some of what I read today. It is from a portion titled, 2-The Heifer (Al-Baqarah).

[2:30] Recall that your Lord said to the angels, "I am placing a representative (a temporary god) on Earth." They said, "Will You place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing Your praises, glorify You, and uphold Your absolute authority?" He said, "I know what you do not know."

[2:31] He taught Adam all the names then presented them to the angels, saying, "Give me the names of these, if you are right."

[2:32] They said, "Be You glorified, we have no knowledge, except that which You have taught us. You are the Omniscient, Most Wise."

[2:33] He said, "O Adam, tell them their names." When he told them their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth? I know what you declare, and what you conceal."

[2:34] When we said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fell prostrate, except Satan; he refused, was too arrogant, and a disbeliever.

[2:35] We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eat therefrom generously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin."

[2:36] But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile."

[2:37] Then, Adam received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.

Of course, I am ignorant, on my own, but this is what I read from this short passage. "He redeemed him." That's forgiveness. To me, it appears the Quran begins speaking of God's forgiveness very early. If I am correct in my understanding, then the Quran is also telling us forgiveness is an important attribute of God.

Forgiveness bespeaks love. Without any love there can be no forgiveness. The greater the presence of love the greater the capacity to forgive. This is important to remember. For me, anyway.

To be loved by anyone is to be loved by God. To be forgiven by anyone is to be forgiven by God. Where God does not forgive, there is no forgiveness. Where God does not love, there is no love.

This is what I believe.