Austin Bible Church
The volition in mankind is tested under two different types of circumstances. At the beginning of man’s time on the earth, Adam and Eve were tested in the Garden under innocence and in perfect environment. He was the First Adam. They expressed negative volition by partaking of the forbidden tree. At the end of man’s time on earth, mankind will be tested in the Millennium also in perfect environment.
Under both sets of circumstances you have perfect environment. Negative volition is expressed by unbelievers who reject even the very clearest presentation of the Gospel. When Satan is loosed at the end of the Millennium, unbelievers will revolt with Satan against Jesus Christ.
So perfect environment was the first test of man and you have the First Adam failing the test through negative volition. But the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, was tested by the tree also, the Cross, and He passed with positive volition.
The test of mankind’s positive volition toward God is also two-fold. The first test is the unbeliever’s response to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross – it can only be rejection or acceptance. Grace is offered. Positive volition expresses itself by faith in Jesus Christ.
If only one person in all human history expressed positive faith belief in the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for their sins, then the God's sentence pronounced on Satan and fallen angels is justified and will be executed. In every generation of human history, many have personally believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Therefore, God's sentence pronounced on Satan and fallen angels is fair, justified and will be executed.
The second test of positive volition is whether the believer will grow spiritually by availing themselves of the teaching of Bible doctrine provided and whether they will use the grace resources provided by God to carry out what God intended for their lives on earth.
Spiritual maturity has great impact in the Angelic Conflict. If even one believer reaches spiritual maturity, they demonstrate that God's perfect fairness and grace provision is sufficient even in the sinful imperfect environment found on earth. This glorifies God to the maximum.
Man’s faith in Jesus Christ (positive volition) resolves the Angelic Conflict. The great issue of the Angelic Conflict is will man, an inferior creature to angels and equipped with the identical free will, choose for or against the plan of God? One unbeliever accepting Jesus Christ as Savior proves to Satan the folly of his objection. If an inferior creation responds to Jesus Christ, a superior creation is certainly under indictment and judgment. Hebrews 1 and 2.
Good angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents. Why? Every time someone accepts Jesus Christ, it resolves the Angelic Conflict.
When the Body of Christ (the Church) reaches the number of believers that fulfills God's perfect plan, this will trigger the Rapture of the Church. When the Church comes back with Jesus Christ, He will establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years.
Prior to the start of the Millennium, Satan and all fallen angels will be bound in the bottomless pit. The presence of Jesus Christ on earth, the removal of all Church Age and Tribulational unbelievers, and the removal of Satan and all fallen angels will result in the perfect environment of the Millennium.