Would God forgive Lucifer if he asked for it?

[Mammoths]

Edit: I just saw that you label yourself Atheist, so I’ll add that I’m providing the Catholic position.

The key word is if, but it’s kind of like asking if 2+2=5… It’s a bit of a nonsense hypothetical. The angels are beings of pure intellect and will, and they made their choice, and that choice is irrevocable. It’s not just that they couldn’t if they wanted to, as if they are being externally forced into keeping their choice, it’s just by virtue of what they are. They are not beings capable of changing their minds as we can.

So Satan will never repent. There is no possibility for a real “if” to squeeze in. But if I were to assume a “fake” if? God would forgive any being that repents.

I beg to differ on only one point, although I agree that God is merciful. IFF it were possible for the devil aka lucifer to change his mind or desire repentance, we have no indication from scripture and likely not tradition either that God would offer him forgiveness. Mankind is the only creature God has offered forgiveness to, and at the cost of Jesus incarnation, life, and death. Given the mystery of the eternal Godhead I am loath to speculate what He wouldn’t do, but it does appear that God has favored mankind above the angels, creating us in His likeness and giving us an opportunity for redemption unlike any other in all creation. At the Birth of Jesus the angels in fact worship God referring to mankind as God’s “highly favored.” So from an angels perspective, it is mankind that is highly favored and angels get what’s coming to them. Also Hebrews 1 contrasts God’s affection for the angels with that of the messiah who was sacrificed to make our repentance and regeneration possible. If God sacrificed one so much Higher than the angels on our behalf, it seems unlikely we could infer that his affection for mankind implies the same level of grace to fallen angels such as Lucifer.

All this to answer the question about the possibility of Lucifer repenting and receiving forgiveness from God. It is my opinion this is not possible for him. As far as how it would affect man, the revelation of John tells us that the devil will be imprisoned for 1000 years and the earth will be restored to an edenic state. At the end of 1000 years, the devil is paroled for a short time and makes havoc of mankind leading to rebellion of many. It is unclear to me whether this is an actual event or is merely an apocalyptic description of the state of man. In either case, the habit of the devil is to persecute God by deceiving and bullying mankind. If he were to repent the devil would no longer be an ongoing source of suffering in the world. But mankind would still suffer the affects of the long history of evil and evils from other sources such as corrupt people, natural disease and other devils.

 

[BornInMarch]

So their rejection is final? once rejected always rejected? No free will after that choice.

No, not that. The door to repentance is still open even for them, but they just won’t ever go for it.

In layman’s terms, demons and angels are both really stubborn.

 

[thistle]

No, not that. The door to repentance is still open even for them, but they just won’t ever go for it.

In layman’s terms, demons and angels are both really stubborn.

A point of information. Demons ARE angels so it is more accurate to talk about fallen angels vs angels.

 

[Xystus]

Mark 3:29 “But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”

I’m not sure if this verse applies here but it seems to me that if anybody has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit it was Lucifer. It would then follow that he will never have forgiveness.

 

[ThundersnowIV]

Mark 3:29 “But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”

I’m not sure if this verse applies here but it seems to me that if anybody has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit it was Lucifer. It would then follow that he will never have forgiveness.

To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to refuse forgiveness.

 

[Dorothy]

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned in this thread about the difference between the test of the angels, and the test of our first parents in Paradise.

When the angels were given their test, because they are pure spirit God enabled them to see at a glance what the outcome would be, and they chose it anyway.

We are humans, part spirit and part material unlike the angels, and even though we know what the commandments are we can fall easily if we are not on guard, and we can get up again and ask for forgiveness.

That is the clarity taught us by St. Thomas Acquinas.

 

[Nelka]

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned in this thread about the difference between the test of the angels, and the test of our first parents in Paradise.

When the angels were given their test, because they are pure spirit God enabled them to see at a glance what the outcome would be, and they chose it anyway.

We are humans, part spirit and part material unlike the angels, and even though we know what the commandments are we can fall easily if we are not on guard, and we can get up again and ask for forgiveness.

That is the clarity taught us by St. Thomas Acquinas.