Pride and selfishness are the roots of all sin. In the beginning, Lucifer, the highest ranking angel in heaven, decided to unseat God. He said, “For thou hast said in thine heart, … I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: … I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13, 14). These evil sins caused his fall.
Also see, “What are the Seven Deadly Sins?“
Table of Contents
Origin
God created humans perfect and in His image with the capacity of free choice (Genesis 1:26, 27). Sadly, our parents (Adam and Eve) chose to disobey God. Thus, they allowed the sins of pride and selfishness to take root in their hearts as well (Genesis 3:6). God did His best to warn them of the danger (Genesis 2:16), but He could not intervene by stopping them or else He would have gone against the way He created them, with a free will. If God has stopped Adam and Eve, then humans would be mere robots.
Free Will
God didn’t want to create robots or creatures without free choice (Joshua 24:15). God who is love (1 John 4:8) understood that only creatures with total freedom of choice could have a loving relationship with Him because there is no forcing in love.
Only Love would give free will to His creatures and run the risk of receiving the suffering that sin has brought to the Godhead. Only Love would be interested in gaining the cheerful voluntary service of those who were free to go their own way. And when sin came, only Love could have the patience and the will to devise a plan that would enable the universe to come to a full understanding of the basic facts in the great controversy between good and evil, and thus ensure against any further uprising of pride and selfishness.
God’s Love
Only Love could inspire the plan that would permit Christ to redeem the human race from the guilt and power of sin by His earthly life, death, and resurrection. By His very nature God was impelled to devise and carry out this amazing plan. “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God Himself paid the heavy price of our redemption. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
