Lucifer was created perfect by God.  What is perfect?  If Lucifer can fall from perfection in the standard that God sets, can God also fall?  Job, another being of perfection, was consumed by the workings of Lucifer, even when he didn’t know about him.

 

Do good and evil exist?  No man is free from sin.  Where do I find answers in the book of tainted writers?

 

Sincerely, A Lot On My Mind

Dear A Lot On My Mind,

Some questions are worded a bit like one giant tangent. We have to break this down into parts to give you a solid answer.

1. The Bible isn’t a book by tainted writers. The Bible is divinely inspired by God Himself (1 Cor 2:12-13). See this post for a detailed answer to that question.
2. Job wasn’t consumed by Satan (I’m assuming you mean Satan because ‘Lucifer’ isn’t a name used in the Bible). Job was tempted by Satan (Job 2:6-7). Job was a godly and righteous man, not sinless, but faithful and upright (Job 2:3).
3. We don’t know Satan’s origins, but it is fair to assume He was created by God because everything was created by God (Col 1:16). Since God only does good and calls christians to imitate Him (3 Jhn 1:11), Satan must have at some point stopped being the good creation that God had intended for him to be. This isn’t too far of a stretch because the Bible talks about how some angels that were created for good, fell away from God (2 Pet 2:4). Apparently the angels have, or had, at some point the ability to choose between being evil and good.
4. “What is perfect?” Perfect means complete or whole. When something is perfect, that means it is as it was intended to be. When God made man, He made us perfect (Gen 1:31), and part of that perfection was the ability to choose between right and wrong. The fact that we often choose to do the wrong thing doesn’t mean we weren’t created the way God intended.
5. God cannot fall or fail. He promises that He will never change from being good (Jas 1:17).
6. Yes, good and evil exist. As we learn from the Scriptures, we get better and better at discerning between good and evil (Heb 5:14).

I have been separated for almost nine years. My husband left me and is in another relationship. Recently, he attacked me in front of our eight year old and fractured my nose. I am filing for divorce now. I met a man in a Christian chat who is also separated, and his wife is seeing another man. He teaches youth in New Zealand as well lecturing in a Christian College there. He visited me once in March while in the USA. He now wants to come back in November to visit again. He plans on divorcing his wife in a little over a year, as their laws require a two year separation prior to divorce. Our relationship seems so godly since we haven't "sinned" - but I know I need counseling. I am seeking advice through you because I haven't told my pastor due to fear of being rejected by the church. Please help.

Sincerely, Seeking To Be Faithful

Dear Seeking To Be Faithful,

Your situation is a unique twist on an old problem, but the answer still remains the same – wait until you are both not married. It sounds like you both have legitimate reasons for seeking divorce from your current spouses. The only reason God ever allows for divorce is when adultery has occurred (Matt 5:32); sadly both of your spouses have done that. However, you are not officially divorced yet. Though it is unlikely that you will reconcile with your current spouses, you are still married. If you begin dating, you will be dating a married man, and he will be dating a married woman. That looks bad to everyone else, thus tainting your relationship in the eyes of others (Rom 12:17). Furthermore, it doesn’t just look bad – it is bad.

Since you have an eight-year-old, as a parent, you understand how quickly time goes by. In a year and a half, both of your lives will have changed dramatically, and you will be in an appropriate situation to decide whether to date each other. Even you admit that you need counseling as you go through a very difficult divorce. Your life and mind are not in a good position to be entering the dating world even if it were appropriate. There is a time for everything under the sun; now is a time to focus on picking up the pieces… not building new relationships (Eccl 3:1-8).

5 minutes a day 5 days a week All the New Testament in a year

5 minutes a day 5 days a week All the New Testament in a year

I am currently engaged to the woman I know I will spend the rest of my life with, but her and I are unaware of the limits we have sexually.  Since we are going to be married and truly have no desire to be with anyone else, is there anything in the Bible that says we shouldn't be able to have sex?

Sincerely, Can’t Wait To Be Married

Dear Can’t Wait To Be Married,

There is a lot in the Bible that says you shouldn’t have sex until you are married. Gen 2:24 shows that marriage is the point where you are allowed to become one flesh. 1 Cor 7:2 points out that it is considered fornication unless you are married. If you sleep together before marriage, it is wrong.

Since you are truly committed to each other, then commit to waiting until you are married. Otherwise, find yourself a Justice of the Peace and get married now. If you have to choose between waiting to marry while being consumed by lust and getting married a little earlier but being legitimate in the eyes of God – get married (1 Cor 7:9).