1。還原神絕對的聖潔:人只要自問:「邪靈從哪裡來?」就將警覺到絕對不能聖靈和邪靈同置於一源!至善之聖靈絕對突變不出至惡的邪靈,撒但的出現也絕對不可能和神有絲毫的關連。然而依照傳統「撒但來源」的看法,萬物僅有的唯一源頭就是造物的真神!也就是說全然聖潔的真神竟然也是邪靈,撒但和謊言等等一切萬物、萬靈最起初的本源!與「在神裡面毫無黑暗」(約壹 1. 5)相抵觸。唯一的解決方案就是將撒但的存在置於神的創造之外,絕對的與神分隔。
我們開始質詢若接受神是惡的源頭,因在衪裹面亳無黑暗 (約壹一5) ,這是有違神的本性。顯然的,神是人類的源頭,不論是好人或惡人。因此,說因為神是惡人的源頭就有違神的本性,因為沒有惡在神裹面,這是錯誤的。理由是我們不能因此說:惡人不可能是衪所造的。
我們相信萬物都是神所造的。根據(約一3):「萬物是藉著祂造的: 凡被造的,沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。」讓我們舉實例來分辨何謂:「源頭」和「創造者」。考慮這句話: 「若一個破瓦罐不是自有的, 則它的來源必出自瓦匠」。 又說:「所有的瓦器都是由瓦匠所造」。 我們能因此用邏輯推理說:「所有破碎的瓦罐, 都是瓦匠所為」的嗎?當然不是!瓦匠製造瓦器(是所有瓦器的創作者)。瓦匠或可說是所有破瓦器的源頭,但不是他令所有瓦器破碎的。同理,從第一個陳述及 (約 一3),邏輯上確定的是,神創造了靈, 但並沒有創造邪靈。
因此,若說神是惡靈的源頭,是違背神本性的,這種暗示是錯誤的。因為人要臆測神從起初就造了惡靈。這個惡靈從被造之日到如今都是悖逆神,未曾改變過。但這並非我們所信的。我們相信:神起初造的靈,原是好的,但撤旦卻偏要選擇悖逆作惡(所以說是從起初就犯罪)。 這就沒有違背神的本性:「因在衪裹面亳無黑暗。」(約壹一5)這教訓是聖經邏輯的依循(約一3)。
2。還原神對兒女絕對的大愛:主說:「他們無故的恨我」,「恨我的也恨我的父」,「恨我以先,已經恨了我」,「世界恨你們,只因你們不屬世界,乃是我從世界中揀選你們」(約 15. 18-25)所以撒但對神兒女的恨是出於撒但自己,聖徒遇上撒但的攻擊,是必然的(因為不再屬撒但),聖徒與撒但之間的遭遇是「爭戰」(撒但主動),而不是「神去『藉著』連『神自己都被恨』的撒但來熬煉聖徒」(撒但被動)。試想,撒但連父神都恨了,怎還會聽祂的話?聖經明明記載撒但是神的仇敵,神怎會去找祂的同樣一個仇敵來熬煉祂千辛萬苦才從牠手下以寶血贖回來的兒女?至善的神絕對不會「藉」仇敵,恨祂且是至惡的撒但來完成祂對兒女的大愛!相反的,父神必定傾其生命,為要將兒女從撒但的權下拯救出來,並且以寶血披護他們使其不受惡者的毒害!
我們不相信神是利用撤旦來訓練衪的百姓,就像是邀請衪的朋友來幫衪做成一件工作。我們教會從不認為神需用魔鬼來達到衪的目的。反而是當魔鬼想來毀壞神的工作,神的旨意反更得彰顯。例如:撤旦企圖將耶穌釘十字架來消減衪,但經由衪的死,藉着衪的复活,神成就了衪自已救贖的大工。
「聖徒們的信心要經過撤旦的試驗」是一個需要再加以說明解釋的表示,意圖將撤旦說成是神的工具,其間的關係有如士兵與指揮官一般。而其工作就是:使聖徒的信心變的完全。此看法,似是天真地想破壞我們所共信的:「神能利用環境來成事」。且以約伯記為例:神藉着魔鬼想毀滅約伯之事,使衪僕人的靈性得到提升進步。
神的旨意永遠超過天上,地上或今生,來世的所有一切。凡衪所定意的必定成就(賽十四27;四十三13;四十五23;四十八3;五十五11)。 雖然,有時在世上一時之間神的旨意似乎被一些不幸發生的事故,人的罪或軟弱所阻撓,但至終神的旨意仍將成就(詩卅三9-11;伯廿三13-14;但四35)。 約瑟就是一例(詩一零五17)。這件事也證明了神與亞伯拉罕所立的約永不廢棄(詩一零五8-12)。無人能抗拒衪的旨意,當然撤旦更不能夠(伯九12;羅九19)。有時人或許會見不到神的旨意成就或是得勝;但當你想到神旨意會有不同的層面時,心中就會得到莫大的安慰。
每當人離開或者犯罪得罪神,他就給魔鬼留下作工的餘地(創四7;約壹三21)。 因為全世界都在魔鬼的腳下(約壹五19)。 約翰長老說魔鬼是個控告者,它在神面前畫夜地控告神的選民(啟十二10)。但今天因為主耶穌赦罪的寶血潔淨了我們(啟十二11),令魔鬼無法這麼做。在正常的情況下,惡者不能害我們(約壹五18)。 但如果我們活在罪中,神就將我們交回在惡者手中。神對我們的保護及對魔鬼的禁制都去除了。撤旦才因此能殘害我們的靈命(林前五5;提前一20)。 猶大,亞拿尼亞和撒非喇夫婦都是這一類的例子。
在天上神與魔鬼各自如何行事,有時不是我們知曉的。約伯的故事就是一個好例子,關於約伯:神與撤旦彼此之間曾多次地交手。
對於神的智慧,我們所能瞭解的非常有限(賽四十28; 詩一四七5)。我們只能講論“聖經”所說的,例如:聖經說撒旦從起初就犯罪,因為它驕傲。這話是可信的。但有些事,“聖經”並沒有說,那我們就沒必要去假設它,例如:神創造了宇宙為了要打敗撒旦。這種說法是超越“聖經”的。
3。還原神永恆的獨一和無窮無盡的全知、全能:撒但的自存並不代表牠與神並列(二元論),也不代表牠能夠永存!人若以「神在創世以前必定知道今晚這個燈泡會壞」之類的問題來定義神的全知、全能,無疑的是將神瑣碎化,毫無意義!神無窮無盡的全知、全能乃在屬靈之層面:甚至連自存的撒但祂都能夠將之消滅(一元半論),丟入火湖裡!試想:如果造物主「只是」得勝犯罪的被造之物,何須「全知、全能」?三歲的小孩也能易如反掌的將他的被造物給毀了,不是嗎?試比較「神得勝了犯罪的天使(或犯罪的被造物)」以及「神得勝了自存的撒但」那個更能顯出神絕對的全知、全能?至於神無與倫比的永恆獨一性,則在「創造」和「滅掉仇敵」的過程中,全然顯明(cf.賽 41. 25-26;46. 9-11;林前 15. 24-26;啟 20. 10-15)。
撤旦如果自存,則「撤旦與神不是同等」的說法就站不住腳。首先,撤旦若能自存,它就跟全能的神一樣,彼此同等了。但再往下推論錯誤和困難就出現了,因為這能自存的撤旦,最後竟被同是自存的主神所打敗催毀。因為一個能自存的靈體是不應該會被催毀的。而且兩個各自獨立無關的自存體,也沒有理由非要爭鬥到你死我活的地步。畢竟他們二者之間彼此絕無相同之處。
聖經告訴我們,神數點星宿的數目(詩一四七4;賽四十26),連我們的頭髮也都被數過(太十30;路十二7)。豈有任何微不足道的事是神不知道的嗎?我們不但被告知:神關愛衪所創造的一切,更知衪是無所不知的神。若單問說: 「在創造之前,神知道今天這個電燈泡會燒掉嗎?」那是大大淡化了「神事先就已知道衪所創造的人將會犯罪」的事實!
無所不知又無所不能是神內在的本質。「神事先就已知道衪所創造的將會犯罪」這件事絲毫無損衪的無限權能。反而更顯出衪是獨一的自有永有的神,完全符合聖經的教導(賽四十五5-6)。
4。說明神創造的經綸:神在創世之前就預備了基督,為要滅掉撒但的作為(約壹 3. 8)。可見撒但的作為在創世之前就已經存在。既然撒但的存在先於神的創造,牠的存在就與任何被神創造的萬物都無關,只能是自存。又,萬物因主、為主而被造,所以創造和滅掉撒但有絕對的關連。當神「從黑暗中叫出光來」的剎那,神已經得勝了管轄黑暗的撒但!等撒但被丟到火湖之後,起初的創造完成了她的任務,過去了,於是不再有死亡(撒但作為)的新天新地就從天降臨!
現在來談:基督藉從死裏復活來催毀魔鬼的工作(約壹三8)。近來對這節經文的解釋, 似乎成了一種新信仰的主要政綱。第一: 此一新信仰是基於「撤旦的存在與神亳無關係」的教導。但此新信仰有其內部的矛盾存在。如果此二自存者彼此毫無關係,那麼為何互相為敵,爭鬥不己呢?如果他們在永恒的過去就己並存著,又何以要彼此想除掉對方?更重要的是: 聖經是這樣教導我們的嗎?
讓我們細看約翰的說法。說到人的存在,人與神的關係,最重要就是神要將罪除掉。也提到撤旦的下場,提醒我們勿落入罪惡中,有如魔鬼的結局: 「凡犯罪的,就是違背律法; 違背律法就是罪。你們知道主曾顯現,是要除掉人的罪,在衪並沒有罪。凡住在衪裹面的, 就不犯罪;凡犯罪的,是未曾看見衪,也未曾親認識衪。小子們哪,不要被人誘惑; 行義的才是義人,正如主是義的一樣。犯罪的是屬魔鬼,因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。神的兒子顯現出來,為要除滅魔鬼的作為。凡從神生的,就不犯罪,因神的道存在他心裹;他也不能犯罪,因為他是由神生的」(約壹三4-9)。
約翰談及兩種不同的存在。一種是屬神的;另一種是屬魔鬼的。約翰主要是教導:不順服神(例如:神的律法)就是罪。而撤旦的工作,從伊甸園開始,就是去引誘人犯罪。但有人把約翰所說的,做了一個空蕩的想像;根據「因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪」這句話,就認定神和魔鬼是處於同一個平等存在的地位。所以撤旦才能和神作對,反抗神。但神的兒子「基督」顯現,不單记载在約翰壹書三章八節,也出現在第五節之中。無疑這是引誘人犯罪的魔鬼最不願看到的。神從死裹復活,為要除掉人的罪(魔鬼的作為)。若基督不來,世人就沒有救恩可得了。
約翰的忠告是:我們可以勝過罪惡。只要我們住在耶穌基督裹,信服遵守祂的話語,教訓(約壹三9)。真的,袛要我們實行公義就能夠和撤旦有不同的結局。約翰說:「魔鬼從起初就犯罪」;意思是說在廣袤的開始,這意味著在某一點上(創一1),魔鬼選擇離棄了神為靈界裡頭,所設定之公義路徑。撤旦是第一個敵檔神的。
出於驕傲,魔鬼總認定自已可以比神更好。它非常邪惡而且自欺。而第一個欺騙的對象就是它自己:以為能比神更好:「你們是出於你們的父魔鬼,你們父的私慾,你們偏要行。 他從起初是殺人的,不守真理,因他心裹沒有真理。他說謊是出於自已,因他本來是說謊的,也是說謊之人的父」(約八44)。此處,約翰不單是對固執悖逆的猶太人說話,更重要的是他要暴露魔鬼用謊言欺騙人,叫人遠離神,不聽祂說的話(約八45-47)。對於人類, 這正是撤旦自從伊甸園被造至今所做的事。主耶穌的言談中從未暗示過撤旦是自有自存的。
5。釐清信仰的觀念:既然主教導我們禱告要祈求「願神的旨意行在地上如同行在天上」,人就不能說「世上所發生的任何事都有神的旨意」。因為如果「無論善惡的發生都是神的旨意」,我們就不用再懇求神的旨意在地如在天了!再者,既然說「最後」,神得勝了撒但,人就不能說「現在」,撒但已經完全被神掌控,因為對一個已經完全被掌控的撒但,神還需要爭戰、滅掉麼?
令人迷惘之處是:這些經文竟被用為反對傳統聖經的教導。其實,這經文是耶穌教導門徒對禱告應有的認識。這節裡頭所談到的責任,不應該放在神的身上。人應禱告祈求,讓神的旨意能成就在自已身上,更要能成全在教會裹。關鍵不在於:是否神的旨意能成就在地上。而在乎:人對神有責任--明白神的旨意。思想主耶穌在被釘十字架之前的禱告,說「父啊! 你若願意,就把這杯撤去;然而,不要成就我的意思,只要成就你的意思」(路廿二42)。 耶穌在禱告中學會順服神的旨意,就成為凡信從神的人得救的泉源(希五7,9)。
一個神所悅納的禱告,乃是每位信徒並教會均會致力去實現神旨意的禱告。藉著這種努力叫神的旨意成就,神的國度就因此被建立。這也是主的禱告中最重要的部份。要做到這一點,在生活中有三方面是我們該注意的:第一點:人不能因著需要日用的飲食,就放弃了我們親近神的努力。主耶穌說:「你們要先求衪的國與衪的義,這些東西都要加給你們了」(太六33)。其次,是我們與他人的關係中,饒恕最為重要,就如主饒恕我們一般。 第三,人需要對世界的引誘時常保持警醒,以免被惡者所擄。
為何要將如此美好的教導,跟撤旦是自存的主張連在一起呢?
6。劃清神與撒但、聖潔與污穢的界線:神從創世以前就定意滅掉撒但(約壹 3. 8)。然而依一般基督傳統的思路,神好像和撒但合作無間,常常需要「藉著」撒但去完成這聖工(救贖大恩),去成全那聖工(熬煉信徒)。並且神對撒但的請求幾乎沒有不答應的:試看世人日日所行、所想的盡都是惡,如果以「若非神允許,則撒但什麼也不能做」的標準來計算,神一天至少要允許撒但「億萬次」以上,允許牠去誘惑全世界的人去行惡、思惡!大大違反了「義和不義有甚麼相交呢.光明和黑暗有甚麼相通呢.基督和彼列〔彼列就是撒但的別名〕有甚麼相和呢」的真理!
傳統的信仰中,從未提說神與撤旦密切地合作 一起工作。作出這樣的假設是企圖減少聖經教導的可信度。我們相信神有時會利用一時的環境和情況來勝過魔鬼的工作,彰顯出祂更高的旨意。就如:約瑟,耶穌,示每拿教會的例子。
世界上的人都在罪惡之中,在惡者的控制之下(弗二1-3)。 這是人在罪中的必然結果。他們將自己交給惡者,且心急火燎地去做惡。因此這些人與神無份。相反,凡住在神裹面的,撤旦是無法觸碰他們的(約壹五18)。
問題的發生不在於我們原來所信的信仰,而在於倡導「撤旦自存」的說法。明顯地令不少人生出各種疑惑來,這都是因為這個理論偏離了正道。
1. To re-establish God’s absolute holiness: So that when people ask themselves: “Where do evil spirits come from?” they will be alerted to the fact that the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit should never be said to come from the same source! The Holy Spirit, who is absolutely good, cannot produce an evil spirit, which is wholly wicked; neither is it possible that the appearance of Satan has anything to do with God. However, according to the traditional view of the origin of Satan, all things have only one source, namely, the Creator and True God. In other words, the most Holy True God is also the initial source of all things, including evil spirits, Satan and lies! This is contrary to the statement “in [God] is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). The only way to resolve this issue is to exclude Satan’s existence from God’s creation, thus completely separating him from God.
We begin by questioning the assertion that to accept that 'God has to be the evil spirit's source is to go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him’ (1 Jn. 1:5). Clearly, God is the source of man, evil or good. Thus, is it not true that acknowledging God as being the source of an evil man is to go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him?
We believe that God is the maker of all things on the basis of John 1:3: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made". Now, we distinguish between source and maker with the following example. Consider the statement: 'If the broken pot is not self-existent, then the potter has to be its source’. If we take similarly as self-evident the statement: 'All pots were made by the potter', can we logically deduce then that the potter made a broken pot? Certainly not! No, the logical certainties are that the potter made the pot, and the potter is the source of the broken pot, but the potter did not make a broken pot. In the same way, the logical certainties from the first statement and John 1:3 are that God made the spirit but did NOT make the evil spirit.
Thus, to say that 'God has to be the evil spirit's source’ implies that it goes against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him (1 Jn. 1:5)' is wrong because one would then have to assume that God made the spirit evil in the first place. To allow for the supposed logical deduction, one must assume that the evil spirit in question has not changed in his existence in rebellion from its time of creation to its current state. That exactly is not what we have preached all along. This is what we have preached: God made the spirit. He made him good. However, he chose wickedness (He sinned from the beginning). This teaching does not go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him (1 Jn. 1:5)'. This teaching follows logically from John 1:3.
2. To re-establish God’s absolute love for His children: The Lord said: “They hated Me without a cause”, “He who hates Me hates My Father also”, “It hated Me before it hated you”, “Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn 15:18-25). Therefore, Satan’s hatred towards God’s children derives from Satan himself. It is inevitable that the saints meet with Satan’s attacks (for they are no longer of Satan). The encounters between the saints and Satan are “wars” (initiated by Satan); it is erroneous to say that God tries the saints through Satan (who hates even God) (Satan is passive in this case). If we think about it, Satan hates God the Father; why would he then listen to God? The Bible clearly records that Satan is God’s enemy, so why would God use His enemy to try His own children, whom He has purchased with His precious blood through much suffering? Our compassionate God would never use His enemy, Satan, who hates Him and is absolutely evil, to fulfill His great love for His children! On the contrary, our Father has sacrificed His life to deliver His children from the dominion of Satan, and has protected them from the corrupting power of the evil one with His precious blood!
We do not believe that God makes use of Satan to train up His people in a way that a person would invite his friend to help accomplish a task for him. For a start, it has never been the view of the church that God uses Satan to achieve His purpose. Rather, when Satan tries to disrupt the work of God, His will triumphs on an elevated level. For example, the intention of Satan to crucify Jesus was to destroy Him, but through His death God's plan to save was achieved at His resurrection.
'Trying the faith of the saints by Satan' is an incomplete notion that lacks elaboration and clarification. It purports to portray Satan as being a tool of God existing in a regimental relationship between a soldier and his commander, with a task to perfect the faith of the saints. This alternative view struggles in its naiveté to make a dent in the common understanding that God can make use of situations, such as the one in Job, to advance His purpose on His servant at the cost of Satan's scheme to destroy him.
God's will is always higher than that of any other who exists or that has existed, be it earthly or heavenly. Whatever He sets out to do, He would bring it to pass (Isa 14:27; 43:13; 45:23; 48:3; 55:11). Though, on the earthly plane, at times, it may appear that His will is thwarted by some unfortunate events, human weaknesses and sins, yet He would still accomplish it (Ps 33:9-11; Jb. 23:13-14; Dan 4:35). One example is Joseph (Ps 105:17). This fact also proves that His covenant with Abraham would never fail (Ps 105:8-12). No one can resist His will, not even Satan (Jb. 9:12; Rm. 9:19). When one fails to see how God's purpose can triumph, one can take consolation in the knowledge that there are always different dimensions to the will of God.
Whenever man strays away from, or sins against God, he gives ground to Satan to work (Gen 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:21). For this reason, this world of sin is under the sway of Satan (1 Jn. 5:19). Elder John states that Satan is an accuser who accuses us before God day and night (Rev 12:10). Today, he can no longer do so because of the atoning blood of Jesus, through which we are cleansed (Rev 12:11). In a normal circumstance, the evil one could not touch us (1 Jn. 5:18). However, if we live in sin, God will return us to the devices of the evil one. Restraint on Satan or protection on us is thus removed. In this way, Satan could bring harm to our spiritual lives (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim 1:20). Judas and the couple Ananias and Sapphire are such examples.
The heavenly rules governing the operation between God and Satan are sometimes beyond our comprehension. The story of Job is a good example. The Lord Himself prompted the exchanges with Satan regarding Job.
There is a limit to our understanding of God's wisdom (Isa 40:28; Ps 147:5). We speak what the Bible teaches. For example, Satan sinned from the beginning, for he was proud. This is a truthful statement. However, there are things the Bible does not talk about. For example, God created the universe to defeat Satan. This claim is unbiblical.
3. To re-establish the everlasting sovereignty of God and His boundless omniscience and omnipotence: The self-existence of Satan does not put him on an equal footing with God (Dualism), neither does it mean that he is able to exist forever! To define God’s omniscience and omnipotence by such statements as: “Before the creation, God must have known that this light bulb would blow tonight” is to trivialize God and is utterly meaningless! The boundless omniscience and omnipotence of God concerns the spiritual realm: He can destroy even Satan who is self-existent (1.5 monism) and cast him into the fiery lake! Imagine, if the Creator “only” has to overcome created beings who have sinned, why would He need to be “omniscient” and “omnipotent”? Even a three-year-old child can easily destroy the things he has created, can he not? Compare the two statements: “God overcame the angel who sinned (or the created being who sinned)” and “God overcame Satan, who was self-existent”. Which statement manifests better the absolute omniscience and omnipotence of God? As for God’s incomparable and eternal sovereignty, that has been completely revealed through the process of creation and the destruction of His enemies (cf. Is 41:25-26; 46:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:24-26; Rev 20:10-15).
‘Satan does not have an equal footing with God’ is inherently flawed if Satan is self-existent. First, being able to self-derive existence like God puts Satan to be on par with the infinity of God. The erroneousness of the theory further complicates itself when it is suggested that Satan being a self-existent being has been destroyed or defeated by an another self-existent being, namely, the Lord God. The reason is that a self-existent being cannot be destroyed. Also, there is no reason for two unrelated or independent self-existent beings to fight against one another to a bitter end. After all, there is nothing common between them.
The Bible teaches that God has counted all the stars (Ps. 147:4; Isa. 40:26) and has also numbered our hair (Mt.10:30; Lk. 12:7). Are these too trivial a thing for God to know? Not only it tells us that He is very mindful of His creation, but also, He is omniscient. To use “before the creation, God must have known that this light bulb would blow tonight” is to blur the point of God knowing beforehand that His creation would sin.
Omniscience and omnipotence are the intrinsic nature of the Lord. For God to know that His creatures would sin, does not in any way reduce His infinity. It all the more shows that He is the only self-existent God, which is in line with the teaching of the Bible (Isa. 45:5-6).
4. To explain God’s plan of creation: God had prepared Christ even before the creation of the world, for the purpose of destroying the works of Satan (1 Jn. 3:8). This shows that Satan’s works were already in existence before God’s creation. Since this was so, his existence was unrelated to any of the things created by God; he can only have been self-existent. Furthermore, all things were created through Him and for Him; therefore, there is a definite relationship between God’s creation and the destruction of Satan. The moment God called forth light from the darkness, He overcame Satan, the ruler of darkness! When Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, the first creation will have completed her task and will pass away. A new heaven and a new earth, where death is no more, will then come down from heaven.
We now turn to explain the incarnation of Christ to destroy the works of Satan (1 Jn 3:8), as the recent interpretation of this phrase seems to be a key plank in the new belief. First, the claim to back up this new teaching is that the existence of Satan has nothing to do with God. There is an underlying internal contradiction in this belief. If there is nothing between the two self-existing beings, then why should there be an ongoing war between them. If they had co-existed in the eternal past, then is there a need to get rid of one another? More seriously, is that what the Bible teaches?
Looking at the statement of John carefully, we see that he has not written of things or works beyond the scope of human existence. The focus of the passage is the need to be rid of sin in man's relationship with God, with a reference to what had happened to Satan serving as a warning to us not to tread on his path: 'Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God' (1 Jn. 3:4-9).
Here, John is talking about two modes of existence. One is of God and the other Satan. He teaches that to sin is to be disobedient to God (i.e. God's law), which is one key message of the passage. In this context, the works of Satan are those that cause humankind to sin, works beginning with the Tragic Event in the Garden of Eden. It takes a wild stretch of the imagination to read that John was writing about the works of Satan against God on the same footing of existence by linking with the phrase 'the devil has sinned from the beginning'. The idea of Christ having manifested does not occur in verse 8 alone. It is first stated in verse 5, which qualifies and sets the perimeter for the explaining of verse 8. Undoubtedly, the works are concerned with those that trap us to sin, and these are what Satan has devised. God's incarnation is intended to take away sin (works of Satan). If Christ had not come, then there would not have been salvation for us.
The advice John gives is that we can be victors over sins. He is saying that we can do it, for we are given the capacity to remain good in Jesus Christ, if we submissively allow His seed (word) to remain in us (1 Jn. 3:9). Truly, unlike Satan, with the practice of righteousness, we can make a gaping difference. John says Satan sinned from the beginning, meaning at one point in the expanse of the beginning (Gen. 1:1), he chose to deviate from the path of righteousness, the order that God had set for all in the realm of the Spirit. Satan was the first one to go against God.
In his pride, Satan overestimates himself and always thinks that he can get the better of God. Satan is utterly wicked and self-deceived. The first lie he told was to himself - that he was better than God: 'You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own resources for he is a liar, and the father of it' (Jn. 8:44). Here, John not only speaks of the stubborn rebellion of the Jews, he also most crucially exposes the works of Satan to deceive human beings with lies, which have drawn them away from listening to God (Jn. 8:45-47). With regard to human beings, this is what Satan has been doing since the creation of the Garden of Eden. Jesus does not in any sense imply Satan is self-existent.
5. To clarify concepts within the faith: Since the Lord has taught us to pray that “[His] will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, we cannot say that all things that happen on earth are in accordance with the will of God. Because if everything, whether good or bad, takes place according to the will of God, there would be no need for us to ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Moreover, since it is said that God claims victory over Satan “in the end”; we cannot claim that Satan is completely controlled by God “now”, for why would God need to battle against Satan and destroy him if he were already under God’s control?
The confusion here is that this part of the Scripture is for man to abide to. That is why Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. This should not be placed upon the shoulder of God. Man should learn to pray in such a way that His way is to be fulfilled in life, more so in His church. It is not about if His will can come to pass or not on earth. It is about the duty of man toward God, i.e., to realise His will. Ponder over the prayer of Jesus before His crucifixion, "Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours to be done" (Lk 22:42). Jesus learned to be obedient in His prayer to God's will, to become the author of salvation to those who believe (Heb. 5:7f). Why confuse such a wonderful piece of teaching, and tie it into the self-existence of Satan.
A prayer that reaches God is one that focuses on fulfilling His will on the part of every single believer and the church. Upon doing His will, His Kingdom will surely be established. This is the crux of the Lord's Prayer. To do that, one must be concerned over three aspects of life. First, the issue of daily bread must not become one that prevents one from drawing close to God. For that purpose, Jesus says, 'Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, and the rest shall be added unto us' (Mt 6:33). Second, it is about our dealings with others. Forgiveness must become the forefront of our relationship with one another, just as Christ has also forgiven us. Third, one must be aware of the snare of temptation, not to be captured by the evil one.
6. To distinguish clearly between God and Satan, holiness and wickedness: God had purposed to destroy the works of Satan even before the creation (1 Jn 3:8). However, going by the traditional ideas of Christianity, it appears that God works closely with Satan and often needs Satan to accomplish His divine work (the testing and salvation of the believers). It also seems as though God never rejects any of Satan’s requests. Just look at the people of the world - all they do and think about daily is evil. Now if this were to be measured according to the criterion that ‘unless God is willing, Satan will accomplish nothing’, then God must give Satan permission over a hundred million times a day to go ahead and entice the whole world into thinking and acting evil! This strongly contradicts the truth: “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness; what communion has light with darkness; and what accord has Christ with Belial (another name for Satan)?”
The traditional belief does not advocate that God works closely with Satan. This is an assumption intended to downgrade the reliability of the teaching of the church. We believe that, sometimes, God can make use of situations in which Satan works to triumph over him and to reveal the higher purpose of God. Cases include Joseph, Jesus and the Smyrna Church.
The people of the world are in sin. They are under the control of the evil one. (Eph. 2:1-3). This is a natural consequence of being in sin. They give themselves over to the wicked one to work feverishly in their hearts. This has nothing to do with God. On the contrary, those who are in God, Satan does not touch them (1 Jn. 5:18).
The problem here is not with the traditional belief of the church. Quite clearly, it is the problem with the proponents of the self-existence of Satan. Without a shadow of doubt, the confusion here is the result of wandering away from the right path.
我們開始質詢若接受神是惡的源頭,因在衪裹面亳無黑暗 (約壹一5) ,這是有違神的本性。顯然的,神是人類的源頭,不論是好人或惡人。因此,說因為神是惡人的源頭就有違神的本性,因為沒有惡在神裹面,這是錯誤的。理由是我們不能因此說:惡人不可能是衪所造的。
我們相信萬物都是神所造的。根據(約一3):「萬物是藉著祂造的: 凡被造的,沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。」讓我們舉實例來分辨何謂:「源頭」和「創造者」。考慮這句話: 「若一個破瓦罐不是自有的, 則它的來源必出自瓦匠」。 又說:「所有的瓦器都是由瓦匠所造」。 我們能因此用邏輯推理說:「所有破碎的瓦罐, 都是瓦匠所為」的嗎?當然不是!瓦匠製造瓦器(是所有瓦器的創作者)。瓦匠或可說是所有破瓦器的源頭,但不是他令所有瓦器破碎的。同理,從第一個陳述及 (約 一3),邏輯上確定的是,神創造了靈, 但並沒有創造邪靈。
因此,若說神是惡靈的源頭,是違背神本性的,這種暗示是錯誤的。因為人要臆測神從起初就造了惡靈。這個惡靈從被造之日到如今都是悖逆神,未曾改變過。但這並非我們所信的。我們相信:神起初造的靈,原是好的,但撤旦卻偏要選擇悖逆作惡(所以說是從起初就犯罪)。 這就沒有違背神的本性:「因在衪裹面亳無黑暗。」(約壹一5)這教訓是聖經邏輯的依循(約一3)。
2。還原神對兒女絕對的大愛:主說:「他們無故的恨我」,「恨我的也恨我的父」,「恨我以先,已經恨了我」,「世界恨你們,只因你們不屬世界,乃是我從世界中揀選你們」(約 15. 18-25)所以撒但對神兒女的恨是出於撒但自己,聖徒遇上撒但的攻擊,是必然的(因為不再屬撒但),聖徒與撒但之間的遭遇是「爭戰」(撒但主動),而不是「神去『藉著』連『神自己都被恨』的撒但來熬煉聖徒」(撒但被動)。試想,撒但連父神都恨了,怎還會聽祂的話?聖經明明記載撒但是神的仇敵,神怎會去找祂的同樣一個仇敵來熬煉祂千辛萬苦才從牠手下以寶血贖回來的兒女?至善的神絕對不會「藉」仇敵,恨祂且是至惡的撒但來完成祂對兒女的大愛!相反的,父神必定傾其生命,為要將兒女從撒但的權下拯救出來,並且以寶血披護他們使其不受惡者的毒害!
我們不相信神是利用撤旦來訓練衪的百姓,就像是邀請衪的朋友來幫衪做成一件工作。我們教會從不認為神需用魔鬼來達到衪的目的。反而是當魔鬼想來毀壞神的工作,神的旨意反更得彰顯。例如:撤旦企圖將耶穌釘十字架來消減衪,但經由衪的死,藉着衪的复活,神成就了衪自已救贖的大工。
「聖徒們的信心要經過撤旦的試驗」是一個需要再加以說明解釋的表示,意圖將撤旦說成是神的工具,其間的關係有如士兵與指揮官一般。而其工作就是:使聖徒的信心變的完全。此看法,似是天真地想破壞我們所共信的:「神能利用環境來成事」。且以約伯記為例:神藉着魔鬼想毀滅約伯之事,使衪僕人的靈性得到提升進步。
神的旨意永遠超過天上,地上或今生,來世的所有一切。凡衪所定意的必定成就(賽十四27;四十三13;四十五23;四十八3;五十五11)。 雖然,有時在世上一時之間神的旨意似乎被一些不幸發生的事故,人的罪或軟弱所阻撓,但至終神的旨意仍將成就(詩卅三9-11;伯廿三13-14;但四35)。 約瑟就是一例(詩一零五17)。這件事也證明了神與亞伯拉罕所立的約永不廢棄(詩一零五8-12)。無人能抗拒衪的旨意,當然撤旦更不能夠(伯九12;羅九19)。有時人或許會見不到神的旨意成就或是得勝;但當你想到神旨意會有不同的層面時,心中就會得到莫大的安慰。
每當人離開或者犯罪得罪神,他就給魔鬼留下作工的餘地(創四7;約壹三21)。 因為全世界都在魔鬼的腳下(約壹五19)。 約翰長老說魔鬼是個控告者,它在神面前畫夜地控告神的選民(啟十二10)。但今天因為主耶穌赦罪的寶血潔淨了我們(啟十二11),令魔鬼無法這麼做。在正常的情況下,惡者不能害我們(約壹五18)。 但如果我們活在罪中,神就將我們交回在惡者手中。神對我們的保護及對魔鬼的禁制都去除了。撤旦才因此能殘害我們的靈命(林前五5;提前一20)。 猶大,亞拿尼亞和撒非喇夫婦都是這一類的例子。
在天上神與魔鬼各自如何行事,有時不是我們知曉的。約伯的故事就是一個好例子,關於約伯:神與撤旦彼此之間曾多次地交手。
對於神的智慧,我們所能瞭解的非常有限(賽四十28; 詩一四七5)。我們只能講論“聖經”所說的,例如:聖經說撒旦從起初就犯罪,因為它驕傲。這話是可信的。但有些事,“聖經”並沒有說,那我們就沒必要去假設它,例如:神創造了宇宙為了要打敗撒旦。這種說法是超越“聖經”的。
3。還原神永恆的獨一和無窮無盡的全知、全能:撒但的自存並不代表牠與神並列(二元論),也不代表牠能夠永存!人若以「神在創世以前必定知道今晚這個燈泡會壞」之類的問題來定義神的全知、全能,無疑的是將神瑣碎化,毫無意義!神無窮無盡的全知、全能乃在屬靈之層面:甚至連自存的撒但祂都能夠將之消滅(一元半論),丟入火湖裡!試想:如果造物主「只是」得勝犯罪的被造之物,何須「全知、全能」?三歲的小孩也能易如反掌的將他的被造物給毀了,不是嗎?試比較「神得勝了犯罪的天使(或犯罪的被造物)」以及「神得勝了自存的撒但」那個更能顯出神絕對的全知、全能?至於神無與倫比的永恆獨一性,則在「創造」和「滅掉仇敵」的過程中,全然顯明(cf.賽 41. 25-26;46. 9-11;林前 15. 24-26;啟 20. 10-15)。
撤旦如果自存,則「撤旦與神不是同等」的說法就站不住腳。首先,撤旦若能自存,它就跟全能的神一樣,彼此同等了。但再往下推論錯誤和困難就出現了,因為這能自存的撤旦,最後竟被同是自存的主神所打敗催毀。因為一個能自存的靈體是不應該會被催毀的。而且兩個各自獨立無關的自存體,也沒有理由非要爭鬥到你死我活的地步。畢竟他們二者之間彼此絕無相同之處。
聖經告訴我們,神數點星宿的數目(詩一四七4;賽四十26),連我們的頭髮也都被數過(太十30;路十二7)。豈有任何微不足道的事是神不知道的嗎?我們不但被告知:神關愛衪所創造的一切,更知衪是無所不知的神。若單問說: 「在創造之前,神知道今天這個電燈泡會燒掉嗎?」那是大大淡化了「神事先就已知道衪所創造的人將會犯罪」的事實!
無所不知又無所不能是神內在的本質。「神事先就已知道衪所創造的將會犯罪」這件事絲毫無損衪的無限權能。反而更顯出衪是獨一的自有永有的神,完全符合聖經的教導(賽四十五5-6)。
4。說明神創造的經綸:神在創世之前就預備了基督,為要滅掉撒但的作為(約壹 3. 8)。可見撒但的作為在創世之前就已經存在。既然撒但的存在先於神的創造,牠的存在就與任何被神創造的萬物都無關,只能是自存。又,萬物因主、為主而被造,所以創造和滅掉撒但有絕對的關連。當神「從黑暗中叫出光來」的剎那,神已經得勝了管轄黑暗的撒但!等撒但被丟到火湖之後,起初的創造完成了她的任務,過去了,於是不再有死亡(撒但作為)的新天新地就從天降臨!
現在來談:基督藉從死裏復活來催毀魔鬼的工作(約壹三8)。近來對這節經文的解釋, 似乎成了一種新信仰的主要政綱。第一: 此一新信仰是基於「撤旦的存在與神亳無關係」的教導。但此新信仰有其內部的矛盾存在。如果此二自存者彼此毫無關係,那麼為何互相為敵,爭鬥不己呢?如果他們在永恒的過去就己並存著,又何以要彼此想除掉對方?更重要的是: 聖經是這樣教導我們的嗎?
讓我們細看約翰的說法。說到人的存在,人與神的關係,最重要就是神要將罪除掉。也提到撤旦的下場,提醒我們勿落入罪惡中,有如魔鬼的結局: 「凡犯罪的,就是違背律法; 違背律法就是罪。你們知道主曾顯現,是要除掉人的罪,在衪並沒有罪。凡住在衪裹面的, 就不犯罪;凡犯罪的,是未曾看見衪,也未曾親認識衪。小子們哪,不要被人誘惑; 行義的才是義人,正如主是義的一樣。犯罪的是屬魔鬼,因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。神的兒子顯現出來,為要除滅魔鬼的作為。凡從神生的,就不犯罪,因神的道存在他心裹;他也不能犯罪,因為他是由神生的」(約壹三4-9)。
約翰談及兩種不同的存在。一種是屬神的;另一種是屬魔鬼的。約翰主要是教導:不順服神(例如:神的律法)就是罪。而撤旦的工作,從伊甸園開始,就是去引誘人犯罪。但有人把約翰所說的,做了一個空蕩的想像;根據「因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪」這句話,就認定神和魔鬼是處於同一個平等存在的地位。所以撤旦才能和神作對,反抗神。但神的兒子「基督」顯現,不單记载在約翰壹書三章八節,也出現在第五節之中。無疑這是引誘人犯罪的魔鬼最不願看到的。神從死裹復活,為要除掉人的罪(魔鬼的作為)。若基督不來,世人就沒有救恩可得了。
約翰的忠告是:我們可以勝過罪惡。只要我們住在耶穌基督裹,信服遵守祂的話語,教訓(約壹三9)。真的,袛要我們實行公義就能夠和撤旦有不同的結局。約翰說:「魔鬼從起初就犯罪」;意思是說在廣袤的開始,這意味著在某一點上(創一1),魔鬼選擇離棄了神為靈界裡頭,所設定之公義路徑。撤旦是第一個敵檔神的。
出於驕傲,魔鬼總認定自已可以比神更好。它非常邪惡而且自欺。而第一個欺騙的對象就是它自己:以為能比神更好:「你們是出於你們的父魔鬼,你們父的私慾,你們偏要行。 他從起初是殺人的,不守真理,因他心裹沒有真理。他說謊是出於自已,因他本來是說謊的,也是說謊之人的父」(約八44)。此處,約翰不單是對固執悖逆的猶太人說話,更重要的是他要暴露魔鬼用謊言欺騙人,叫人遠離神,不聽祂說的話(約八45-47)。對於人類, 這正是撤旦自從伊甸園被造至今所做的事。主耶穌的言談中從未暗示過撤旦是自有自存的。
5。釐清信仰的觀念:既然主教導我們禱告要祈求「願神的旨意行在地上如同行在天上」,人就不能說「世上所發生的任何事都有神的旨意」。因為如果「無論善惡的發生都是神的旨意」,我們就不用再懇求神的旨意在地如在天了!再者,既然說「最後」,神得勝了撒但,人就不能說「現在」,撒但已經完全被神掌控,因為對一個已經完全被掌控的撒但,神還需要爭戰、滅掉麼?
令人迷惘之處是:這些經文竟被用為反對傳統聖經的教導。其實,這經文是耶穌教導門徒對禱告應有的認識。這節裡頭所談到的責任,不應該放在神的身上。人應禱告祈求,讓神的旨意能成就在自已身上,更要能成全在教會裹。關鍵不在於:是否神的旨意能成就在地上。而在乎:人對神有責任--明白神的旨意。思想主耶穌在被釘十字架之前的禱告,說「父啊! 你若願意,就把這杯撤去;然而,不要成就我的意思,只要成就你的意思」(路廿二42)。 耶穌在禱告中學會順服神的旨意,就成為凡信從神的人得救的泉源(希五7,9)。
一個神所悅納的禱告,乃是每位信徒並教會均會致力去實現神旨意的禱告。藉著這種努力叫神的旨意成就,神的國度就因此被建立。這也是主的禱告中最重要的部份。要做到這一點,在生活中有三方面是我們該注意的:第一點:人不能因著需要日用的飲食,就放弃了我們親近神的努力。主耶穌說:「你們要先求衪的國與衪的義,這些東西都要加給你們了」(太六33)。其次,是我們與他人的關係中,饒恕最為重要,就如主饒恕我們一般。 第三,人需要對世界的引誘時常保持警醒,以免被惡者所擄。
為何要將如此美好的教導,跟撤旦是自存的主張連在一起呢?
6。劃清神與撒但、聖潔與污穢的界線:神從創世以前就定意滅掉撒但(約壹 3. 8)。然而依一般基督傳統的思路,神好像和撒但合作無間,常常需要「藉著」撒但去完成這聖工(救贖大恩),去成全那聖工(熬煉信徒)。並且神對撒但的請求幾乎沒有不答應的:試看世人日日所行、所想的盡都是惡,如果以「若非神允許,則撒但什麼也不能做」的標準來計算,神一天至少要允許撒但「億萬次」以上,允許牠去誘惑全世界的人去行惡、思惡!大大違反了「義和不義有甚麼相交呢.光明和黑暗有甚麼相通呢.基督和彼列〔彼列就是撒但的別名〕有甚麼相和呢」的真理!
傳統的信仰中,從未提說神與撤旦密切地合作 一起工作。作出這樣的假設是企圖減少聖經教導的可信度。我們相信神有時會利用一時的環境和情況來勝過魔鬼的工作,彰顯出祂更高的旨意。就如:約瑟,耶穌,示每拿教會的例子。
世界上的人都在罪惡之中,在惡者的控制之下(弗二1-3)。 這是人在罪中的必然結果。他們將自己交給惡者,且心急火燎地去做惡。因此這些人與神無份。相反,凡住在神裹面的,撤旦是無法觸碰他們的(約壹五18)。
問題的發生不在於我們原來所信的信仰,而在於倡導「撤旦自存」的說法。明顯地令不少人生出各種疑惑來,這都是因為這個理論偏離了正道。
1. To re-establish God’s absolute holiness: So that when people ask themselves: “Where do evil spirits come from?” they will be alerted to the fact that the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit should never be said to come from the same source! The Holy Spirit, who is absolutely good, cannot produce an evil spirit, which is wholly wicked; neither is it possible that the appearance of Satan has anything to do with God. However, according to the traditional view of the origin of Satan, all things have only one source, namely, the Creator and True God. In other words, the most Holy True God is also the initial source of all things, including evil spirits, Satan and lies! This is contrary to the statement “in [God] is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). The only way to resolve this issue is to exclude Satan’s existence from God’s creation, thus completely separating him from God.
We begin by questioning the assertion that to accept that 'God has to be the evil spirit's source is to go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him’ (1 Jn. 1:5). Clearly, God is the source of man, evil or good. Thus, is it not true that acknowledging God as being the source of an evil man is to go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him?
We believe that God is the maker of all things on the basis of John 1:3: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made". Now, we distinguish between source and maker with the following example. Consider the statement: 'If the broken pot is not self-existent, then the potter has to be its source’. If we take similarly as self-evident the statement: 'All pots were made by the potter', can we logically deduce then that the potter made a broken pot? Certainly not! No, the logical certainties are that the potter made the pot, and the potter is the source of the broken pot, but the potter did not make a broken pot. In the same way, the logical certainties from the first statement and John 1:3 are that God made the spirit but did NOT make the evil spirit.
Thus, to say that 'God has to be the evil spirit's source’ implies that it goes against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him (1 Jn. 1:5)' is wrong because one would then have to assume that God made the spirit evil in the first place. To allow for the supposed logical deduction, one must assume that the evil spirit in question has not changed in his existence in rebellion from its time of creation to its current state. That exactly is not what we have preached all along. This is what we have preached: God made the spirit. He made him good. However, he chose wickedness (He sinned from the beginning). This teaching does not go against the nature of God: for there is no evil in Him (1 Jn. 1:5)'. This teaching follows logically from John 1:3.
2. To re-establish God’s absolute love for His children: The Lord said: “They hated Me without a cause”, “He who hates Me hates My Father also”, “It hated Me before it hated you”, “Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn 15:18-25). Therefore, Satan’s hatred towards God’s children derives from Satan himself. It is inevitable that the saints meet with Satan’s attacks (for they are no longer of Satan). The encounters between the saints and Satan are “wars” (initiated by Satan); it is erroneous to say that God tries the saints through Satan (who hates even God) (Satan is passive in this case). If we think about it, Satan hates God the Father; why would he then listen to God? The Bible clearly records that Satan is God’s enemy, so why would God use His enemy to try His own children, whom He has purchased with His precious blood through much suffering? Our compassionate God would never use His enemy, Satan, who hates Him and is absolutely evil, to fulfill His great love for His children! On the contrary, our Father has sacrificed His life to deliver His children from the dominion of Satan, and has protected them from the corrupting power of the evil one with His precious blood!
We do not believe that God makes use of Satan to train up His people in a way that a person would invite his friend to help accomplish a task for him. For a start, it has never been the view of the church that God uses Satan to achieve His purpose. Rather, when Satan tries to disrupt the work of God, His will triumphs on an elevated level. For example, the intention of Satan to crucify Jesus was to destroy Him, but through His death God's plan to save was achieved at His resurrection.
'Trying the faith of the saints by Satan' is an incomplete notion that lacks elaboration and clarification. It purports to portray Satan as being a tool of God existing in a regimental relationship between a soldier and his commander, with a task to perfect the faith of the saints. This alternative view struggles in its naiveté to make a dent in the common understanding that God can make use of situations, such as the one in Job, to advance His purpose on His servant at the cost of Satan's scheme to destroy him.
God's will is always higher than that of any other who exists or that has existed, be it earthly or heavenly. Whatever He sets out to do, He would bring it to pass (Isa 14:27; 43:13; 45:23; 48:3; 55:11). Though, on the earthly plane, at times, it may appear that His will is thwarted by some unfortunate events, human weaknesses and sins, yet He would still accomplish it (Ps 33:9-11; Jb. 23:13-14; Dan 4:35). One example is Joseph (Ps 105:17). This fact also proves that His covenant with Abraham would never fail (Ps 105:8-12). No one can resist His will, not even Satan (Jb. 9:12; Rm. 9:19). When one fails to see how God's purpose can triumph, one can take consolation in the knowledge that there are always different dimensions to the will of God.
Whenever man strays away from, or sins against God, he gives ground to Satan to work (Gen 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:21). For this reason, this world of sin is under the sway of Satan (1 Jn. 5:19). Elder John states that Satan is an accuser who accuses us before God day and night (Rev 12:10). Today, he can no longer do so because of the atoning blood of Jesus, through which we are cleansed (Rev 12:11). In a normal circumstance, the evil one could not touch us (1 Jn. 5:18). However, if we live in sin, God will return us to the devices of the evil one. Restraint on Satan or protection on us is thus removed. In this way, Satan could bring harm to our spiritual lives (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim 1:20). Judas and the couple Ananias and Sapphire are such examples.
The heavenly rules governing the operation between God and Satan are sometimes beyond our comprehension. The story of Job is a good example. The Lord Himself prompted the exchanges with Satan regarding Job.
There is a limit to our understanding of God's wisdom (Isa 40:28; Ps 147:5). We speak what the Bible teaches. For example, Satan sinned from the beginning, for he was proud. This is a truthful statement. However, there are things the Bible does not talk about. For example, God created the universe to defeat Satan. This claim is unbiblical.
3. To re-establish the everlasting sovereignty of God and His boundless omniscience and omnipotence: The self-existence of Satan does not put him on an equal footing with God (Dualism), neither does it mean that he is able to exist forever! To define God’s omniscience and omnipotence by such statements as: “Before the creation, God must have known that this light bulb would blow tonight” is to trivialize God and is utterly meaningless! The boundless omniscience and omnipotence of God concerns the spiritual realm: He can destroy even Satan who is self-existent (1.5 monism) and cast him into the fiery lake! Imagine, if the Creator “only” has to overcome created beings who have sinned, why would He need to be “omniscient” and “omnipotent”? Even a three-year-old child can easily destroy the things he has created, can he not? Compare the two statements: “God overcame the angel who sinned (or the created being who sinned)” and “God overcame Satan, who was self-existent”. Which statement manifests better the absolute omniscience and omnipotence of God? As for God’s incomparable and eternal sovereignty, that has been completely revealed through the process of creation and the destruction of His enemies (cf. Is 41:25-26; 46:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:24-26; Rev 20:10-15).
‘Satan does not have an equal footing with God’ is inherently flawed if Satan is self-existent. First, being able to self-derive existence like God puts Satan to be on par with the infinity of God. The erroneousness of the theory further complicates itself when it is suggested that Satan being a self-existent being has been destroyed or defeated by an another self-existent being, namely, the Lord God. The reason is that a self-existent being cannot be destroyed. Also, there is no reason for two unrelated or independent self-existent beings to fight against one another to a bitter end. After all, there is nothing common between them.
The Bible teaches that God has counted all the stars (Ps. 147:4; Isa. 40:26) and has also numbered our hair (Mt.10:30; Lk. 12:7). Are these too trivial a thing for God to know? Not only it tells us that He is very mindful of His creation, but also, He is omniscient. To use “before the creation, God must have known that this light bulb would blow tonight” is to blur the point of God knowing beforehand that His creation would sin.
Omniscience and omnipotence are the intrinsic nature of the Lord. For God to know that His creatures would sin, does not in any way reduce His infinity. It all the more shows that He is the only self-existent God, which is in line with the teaching of the Bible (Isa. 45:5-6).
4. To explain God’s plan of creation: God had prepared Christ even before the creation of the world, for the purpose of destroying the works of Satan (1 Jn. 3:8). This shows that Satan’s works were already in existence before God’s creation. Since this was so, his existence was unrelated to any of the things created by God; he can only have been self-existent. Furthermore, all things were created through Him and for Him; therefore, there is a definite relationship between God’s creation and the destruction of Satan. The moment God called forth light from the darkness, He overcame Satan, the ruler of darkness! When Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, the first creation will have completed her task and will pass away. A new heaven and a new earth, where death is no more, will then come down from heaven.
We now turn to explain the incarnation of Christ to destroy the works of Satan (1 Jn 3:8), as the recent interpretation of this phrase seems to be a key plank in the new belief. First, the claim to back up this new teaching is that the existence of Satan has nothing to do with God. There is an underlying internal contradiction in this belief. If there is nothing between the two self-existing beings, then why should there be an ongoing war between them. If they had co-existed in the eternal past, then is there a need to get rid of one another? More seriously, is that what the Bible teaches?
Looking at the statement of John carefully, we see that he has not written of things or works beyond the scope of human existence. The focus of the passage is the need to be rid of sin in man's relationship with God, with a reference to what had happened to Satan serving as a warning to us not to tread on his path: 'Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God' (1 Jn. 3:4-9).
Here, John is talking about two modes of existence. One is of God and the other Satan. He teaches that to sin is to be disobedient to God (i.e. God's law), which is one key message of the passage. In this context, the works of Satan are those that cause humankind to sin, works beginning with the Tragic Event in the Garden of Eden. It takes a wild stretch of the imagination to read that John was writing about the works of Satan against God on the same footing of existence by linking with the phrase 'the devil has sinned from the beginning'. The idea of Christ having manifested does not occur in verse 8 alone. It is first stated in verse 5, which qualifies and sets the perimeter for the explaining of verse 8. Undoubtedly, the works are concerned with those that trap us to sin, and these are what Satan has devised. God's incarnation is intended to take away sin (works of Satan). If Christ had not come, then there would not have been salvation for us.
The advice John gives is that we can be victors over sins. He is saying that we can do it, for we are given the capacity to remain good in Jesus Christ, if we submissively allow His seed (word) to remain in us (1 Jn. 3:9). Truly, unlike Satan, with the practice of righteousness, we can make a gaping difference. John says Satan sinned from the beginning, meaning at one point in the expanse of the beginning (Gen. 1:1), he chose to deviate from the path of righteousness, the order that God had set for all in the realm of the Spirit. Satan was the first one to go against God.
In his pride, Satan overestimates himself and always thinks that he can get the better of God. Satan is utterly wicked and self-deceived. The first lie he told was to himself - that he was better than God: 'You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own resources for he is a liar, and the father of it' (Jn. 8:44). Here, John not only speaks of the stubborn rebellion of the Jews, he also most crucially exposes the works of Satan to deceive human beings with lies, which have drawn them away from listening to God (Jn. 8:45-47). With regard to human beings, this is what Satan has been doing since the creation of the Garden of Eden. Jesus does not in any sense imply Satan is self-existent.
5. To clarify concepts within the faith: Since the Lord has taught us to pray that “[His] will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, we cannot say that all things that happen on earth are in accordance with the will of God. Because if everything, whether good or bad, takes place according to the will of God, there would be no need for us to ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Moreover, since it is said that God claims victory over Satan “in the end”; we cannot claim that Satan is completely controlled by God “now”, for why would God need to battle against Satan and destroy him if he were already under God’s control?
The confusion here is that this part of the Scripture is for man to abide to. That is why Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. This should not be placed upon the shoulder of God. Man should learn to pray in such a way that His way is to be fulfilled in life, more so in His church. It is not about if His will can come to pass or not on earth. It is about the duty of man toward God, i.e., to realise His will. Ponder over the prayer of Jesus before His crucifixion, "Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours to be done" (Lk 22:42). Jesus learned to be obedient in His prayer to God's will, to become the author of salvation to those who believe (Heb. 5:7f). Why confuse such a wonderful piece of teaching, and tie it into the self-existence of Satan.
A prayer that reaches God is one that focuses on fulfilling His will on the part of every single believer and the church. Upon doing His will, His Kingdom will surely be established. This is the crux of the Lord's Prayer. To do that, one must be concerned over three aspects of life. First, the issue of daily bread must not become one that prevents one from drawing close to God. For that purpose, Jesus says, 'Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, and the rest shall be added unto us' (Mt 6:33). Second, it is about our dealings with others. Forgiveness must become the forefront of our relationship with one another, just as Christ has also forgiven us. Third, one must be aware of the snare of temptation, not to be captured by the evil one.
6. To distinguish clearly between God and Satan, holiness and wickedness: God had purposed to destroy the works of Satan even before the creation (1 Jn 3:8). However, going by the traditional ideas of Christianity, it appears that God works closely with Satan and often needs Satan to accomplish His divine work (the testing and salvation of the believers). It also seems as though God never rejects any of Satan’s requests. Just look at the people of the world - all they do and think about daily is evil. Now if this were to be measured according to the criterion that ‘unless God is willing, Satan will accomplish nothing’, then God must give Satan permission over a hundred million times a day to go ahead and entice the whole world into thinking and acting evil! This strongly contradicts the truth: “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness; what communion has light with darkness; and what accord has Christ with Belial (another name for Satan)?”
The traditional belief does not advocate that God works closely with Satan. This is an assumption intended to downgrade the reliability of the teaching of the church. We believe that, sometimes, God can make use of situations in which Satan works to triumph over him and to reveal the higher purpose of God. Cases include Joseph, Jesus and the Smyrna Church.
The people of the world are in sin. They are under the control of the evil one. (Eph. 2:1-3). This is a natural consequence of being in sin. They give themselves over to the wicked one to work feverishly in their hearts. This has nothing to do with God. On the contrary, those who are in God, Satan does not touch them (1 Jn. 5:18).
The problem here is not with the traditional belief of the church. Quite clearly, it is the problem with the proponents of the self-existence of Satan. Without a shadow of doubt, the confusion here is the result of wandering away from the right path.