Men search for truth not knowing that Truth has already been revealed.

"[God] has spoken to us in His Son...through Whom He made the world..." (Heb. 1:2)

Oh! What did he have to say?

"...truth [was] realized through Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17),
"I am the truth" (not a truth) (Jn. 14:60).

Truth is a Person. Because we know Him, let's consider some truth He has revealed to us:

Did God know that Lucifer would rebel when He created him?

Yes, God is omniscient (knows all things).

Then was Lucifer predestined to rebel? Did he have no choice?

No, because God is omniscient; He had foreknowledge that he would rebel (all of the angels were created with such ability). Lucifer, along with 1/3 of the angels, chose to rebel.

Why did God cast Lucifer and his angels [present day demons] onto the earth where they could cause trouble? Why not destroy them?

Because they have a role in accomplishing His Divine plan. It works this way: God created the angels with the ability to rebel. Lucifer was the most beautiful angel and it went to his head (See Ezek. 28:12-15). He persuaded 1/3 of the angels that he was more worthy of being God than God was.

God exiled them all onto the earth, following which He created man with the ability but not the bent to rebel. Lucifer deceived man into rebellion; thus all of us were subsequently born with the bent to resist God's right to be our God (Rom. 5:12), We were born condemned (Rom. 5:16).

This set the stage for Jesus' gracious rescue mission which demonstrates God's unfathomable worthiness. (See Eph. 2:7 and 3:10-11).

Since God knew that Adam would rebel and that as a result all men would be born spiritually dead, why did He create man? Wasn't He dooming man?

Far from exploiting or dooming man, God's grace (unmerited favor) always accrues to the best good for all who respond to God's love call. Every man has the opportunity to prove God's worthiness by submitting to His love song; every man is accountable if he fails to respond whether he hears about Jesus or not (See Rom 1:18-32). Men do not reject Jesus because they have an intellectual problem with Him, but due to a moral problem. They would refuse His authority over them even if He could be proven (Jn. 3:19 their eyes are blind (Rom.1) because they have no desire to "see" (repent).

Men love to be their own god, to be in control of their own lives. It's their choice; they refuse to surrender this "right" to Jesus. The sad statement in Paradise Lost pretty well sums it up, "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven."

Is God's major purpose in creating man to save a minority from hell so we can go to heaven?

Although this is a marvelous part of God's plan, His ultimate purpose is not to move man from one environment to another. Such thinking is a limited view of His glorious plan.

Then God's major purpose in sending Jesus to die for us is not so we can relax in an eternal lazyboy?

Correct. He stooped to conquer that you might experience an intimate one-to-one relationship with Him (not with stained glass windows--they can't talk back). We have the glorious privilege of being the benefactors of his agape love so as to demonstrate His worthiness to rule the universe. As He pours out His grace upon us, all men will one day marvel, as indeed the remaining 2/3 of the angels now marvel at His incredible worthiness (Eph. 2:7, 3:10-11).

If He is worthy, then why does He allow suffering?

Suffering is the result of the fall. Man, seeking control, continually usurps God's role and pays the consequences. God's job description is He runs things; He's in control. There is one God, but every man has challenged His right to be God!

But God is able to turn even our sufferings into blessings. We are called to the "fellowship of [Christ's] sufferings." We can only know God by experiencing suffering as it is--a spiritual "Strip-eeze" on the coats of veneer which insulate our flesh. However, in addition exposing such negatives through suffering so He can deal with them, it is also necessary for the emerging of the positives of Christlike character (compassion, sympathy, tenderness, etc.).

God needs us to help Him with His work on earth, doesn't He?

God is well able to carry out His own work without our help. He depends on no man (Ps. 50:12). His plans will neither be foiled nor will they succeed because of man. He did just fine before we showed up and He'll do just as well after our earthsuits die.

God leaves us here to mature us, fellowship with Him and to bring honor to His Name. The Word says that when the O.T. Temple was under construction, "...[it] was built of stone finished (Lit.) at the quarry, and there was [no]...iron tool heard in the house while it was being built" (1 Kings 6:7). The stones were finished at the quarry, not at the temple site.

Earth is a quarry, a "finishing school," and the circumstances on earth chisel away the flesh to conform you to the image of Christ. Just as the stones for Solomon's Temple were finished at the quarry and transported to the Temple site where they were fitted into their appointed place, your refining process will also be finished before you get to heaven. "You also, as living stones, allow yourselves to be built up (alternate rendering) as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood..." (1 Pet. 2:5). "...And His bride has made herself ready. And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Rev. 19:8-9). (This is accomplished via letting Christ live through us.) The Believer who is simply auditing the courses on the development of Christian character instead of taking them for credit is sadly misinformed about eternity.

Why did God plan for you to have a role to play in your own maturation process? Why didn't He just zap you with instant maturity?

A rich man can never know whether a person loves him or simply hangs around him for what he hopes to gain. Since God is the "richest man in town," this leaves you with a problem. Do you seek God for what you hope to gain (get your needs met/go to heaven) or do you seek Him because you love Him and want to serve Him? Being conformed to the image of Christ is a process through which we increasingly choose to love and serve. The major characteristic of Christ is agape. Agape is choice, not an emotion, which Christ always makes. It is impossible to manifest agape apart from the will so we must be involved in the conformation process.

Are you implying that God doesn't know whether or not I love Him for Him, not what I can get from Him?

Oh, He knows; the problem is that we don't know...and the only way I can find out is by suffering. Suffering causes those who pursue God's favor and not God alone to become disenchanted and withdraw from intimacy with Him while it causes the seeker to desire more of Him.

Since God could eliminate Satan and his hordes in the twinkling of an eye, why does He take all the harassment from them?

He endures it to demonstrate His worthiness through patiently giving each man ample opportunity to choose between God and His enemy.

If God seeks to demonstrate His worthiness, why doesn't He feed the hungry, stop disease, crime, war, terrorism, etc.?

Such things are the result of man's rebelling against God's control and seeking to establish his own. He will stop all of these but only when His plan is completed.

Speaking of the future, the Bible says that we will reign with Christ. Since God is going to destroy the earth, over what/whom will we reign?

The development of Christian character is transferable to heaven. You can take it with you (Matt. 25:21). This is why it is imperative that we allow Him to mature us. We will not be seated in eternal lazyboys! The Word teaches that God will create a new earth (Rev. 21:1). Why? Well, if we are to reign one day, we must have something/someone over which/whom to reign. It would seem that God will establish a newly created culture on the new earth over which Jesus and His bride will reign with Christ-like agape. We're in training for reigning. How exciting! The "last days" are not the last days; we're living in the first days! We are being prepared for an exciting future! Are you ready for finals week? It could be very close.