We believe that God created an innumerable company of sinless, spiritual beings, known as angels; that one--"Lucifer, son of the morning"--the highest in rank, sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan; that a great company of the angels followed him in his moral fall, some of whom became demons and are active as his agents and associates in the prosecution of his unholy purposes, while others who fell are "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."
Ezekiel 28:11-19,
Isaiah 14:12-17,
I Timothy 3:6,
II Peter. 2:4,
Jude 1:6
We believe that Satan is the originator of sin, and that, under the permission of God, he, through subtlety, led our first parents into transgression, thereby accomplishing their moral fall and subjecting them and their posterity to his own power; that he is the enemy of God, the people of God, opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; and that he who in the beginning said, "I will be like the most High," in his warfare appears as an angel of light, even counterfeiting the works of God by fostering religious movements and systems of doctrine, which systems in every case are characterized by a denial of the efficacy of the blood of Christ and of salvation by grace alone.
Genesis 3:1-19,
Romans 5:12-14,
II Corinthians 11:13-15,
I Timothy 4:1-3,
II Corinthians 4:3-4,
II Thessalonians 2:4,
Ephesians 6:10-12
We believe that Satan was judged at the cross, though not then executed, and that he, a usurper, now rules as the "god of this world;" that at the second coming of Christ, Satan will be found and cast into the abyss for a thousand years, and after the thousand years he will be loosed for a little season and then "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone," where he shall be "tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Colossians 2:15
Revelation 20:1-3,10
We believe that a great company of angels kept their holy estate and are before the throne of God, from whence they are sent forth as ministering spirits to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.
Luke 15:10,
Revelation 7:12,
Hebrews 1:14,
Ephesians 1:21
We believe that man was made lower than the angels; and that, in His incarnation, Christ took, "for a little" time, this lower place, that He might lift the believer to His own sphere above the angels.
Hebrews 2:6-10
Layman's Terms
Angels, demons, and Satan were originally one group of exalted beings created to fufill God's purposes. Lucifer, which means "light bringer" in Latin or "dawn bringer" in Greek was the most beautiful and glorious of the created beings. He fell in love with his own glory and sought to exalt himeself above the creator. This is the first sin, both in magnitude and occurence. It is also the sin that Satan used to corrput Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3:5 He told them that they would become "like God." In essence, exalting themselves to God's level. Making themselves God. Because of this desire to put himself "on the throne" Satan and his followers lost their position and were condemned to live on the earth.
There is an eventual judgement coming for all of creation, both humans and angels. Those fallen angels already have their sentence. They have been sentences to a pit of fire where they will spend eternity separated from the presence of God. It was prepared for them as fitting of their sin. It is also, unfortunately, the eventual destination for those who follow in their footsteps. There is only one escapre from that eventual fate. (see SALVATION:JESUS),
Not all the angels fell. Not even a majority. Many of the angels still serve the purposes God originally created them for. To be spirits that ministered to the saved, and carried out God's directions. They are beings at a higher level than we are. One day we will be exalted. One day our eyes will be opened. Then we will see the glorious relm in which they reside, exalting the Godhead.
Digression
I digressed quite a bit above. Bottom line, There are bad angels. There are good angels. All were created by God with specific purposes. We also, created by God were given specific purposes. Without
Memory Verse
Romans 5:12-14
|
