The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-W, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 25."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1983. All Rights Reserved.

Questioner

Since our whole faith is predicated on the fact that we are sinners, and that we need a Savior, and we were born into sin, then what really baffles me is that God has all this foreknowledge of looking down through the ages, and knowing this,  what baffles me is, why would He ever create Satan, knowing that he’s going to fall, and make him so beautiful, knowing he’s going to have all this pride problem, and knowing through the ages, people are going through all this suffering. Why would He ever create Satan, knowing that all of this is going to happen?

John MacArthur's Answer

Let me ask you a question? Do you understand eternity? Something always was and always will be?

Questioner

Well, I don’t really.

John MacArthur's Answer

I don’t understand that, either. I don’t understand that, either. I don’t understand eternity. Something always was, something always will be. God never didn’t exist, and always will exist. I don’t understand that. And, another thing I don’t understand is why God created Satan?

You know what I’ve been able to do through the years of studying the Bible? I’ve just been able to reduce the number of things I don’t understand. There’s still some. And, that’s one. I don’t know that. Because God didn’t tell us that. But, I’ll tell you one thing, God doesn’t make mistakes. He’s too loving to be unkind. He’s too wise to make a mistake. He’s too powerful to be a victim of anything. So, I don’t know the answer to your question. And, you can’t understand it, and I can’t either, and don’t try. Just accept it. Satan is, and that’s all you need to know. You start asking why questions, you’ll find yourself under the bed saying the Greek alphabet.  There’s no answer. He did, and that’s the way it is, and I don’t know the answer to that, but I know that someday, I’m going to know, and I’m going to say, “Oh! It was so simple!” But we have this little small brain that can’t absorb all of that.

But, don’t worry about the things, like Mark Twain once said, and it was great wisdom, and he said, “It isn’t things I don’t understand that bother me. It’s the things I do understand.” And, if we’ll major on the things we do understand, then we’ll have enough to keep us busy ‘till we do understand what we don’t understand.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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