It seems strange to many of us that anyone would refuse to repent, knowing that it would mean destruction in the lake of fire. Yet this is what the Scriptures indicate. God, of course, doesn't do things without a reason, including having a lake of fire. For those of us who respond to God and His instructions, repentance is our obvious choice when we learn we have sinned. Not everyone, however, thinks like this. God gives everyone free moral agency—the opportunity to choose whether to respond to Him or not—and because of this freedom to choose, some will choose to disobey. The story of Satan himself helps us understand this concept.

In the beginning Satan was created a perfect spirit being with free moral agency. He could choose to obey or disobey God. Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 indicate that he became filled with pride and tried to overthrow God. He led a third of the angels in rebellion against God (Revelation 12:4). The Bible reveals no apology or repentance by Satan or the rebelling angels for this act. They would not and apparently, eventually, could not admit that they were at fault. How did they reach this condition?

Romans 1 explains that people who repeatedly reject God, as Satan and his demons did, eventually come to have warped minds incapable of sound judgment. Verse 21 explains that when people aren't thankful and don't honor God, their thinking process becomes unsound. Verse 28 adds that because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." If people don't respect God, He doesn't force them to obey. In the process, however, these people's minds become warped.

The obvious lesson for us is that we must be careful to respond to our consciences when we realize we have done something wrong. We must be thankful and honor God so we don't become like Satan and his demons. If we are responsive to God, He will reward us with the opportunity to live forever in His coming Kingdom.