collier2

C.E. (Closing Events) Studies Contents List.

Title: "THE BIBLE ANTICHRIST" (No CE series number)

NO List of Contents, (only headings throughout book, and they are difficult to recognise as chapter titles!)[New Edn.]

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Title: "THE APOCRYPHA" CE 18 [Old Edn.]

Headings throughout booklet: No contents list on page 1.

Pages 1-3 Fourteen Facts Concerning the Apocrypha and The Bible.

Pages 4-14 Thirteen Reasons Why the Apocrypha is Rejected by Protestants.

Page 15 Summary..... What the Apocrypha teaches.

1. Bewitching Art

2. The giving of alms cleanses from sin.

3. That sins are pardoned by prayer.

4. That we should pray for the dead.

5. That the dead can pray.

6. That we should give alms for the sins of the dead.

7. That the wicked have a second chance to be saved.

8. That there is such a place as purgatory.

9. That an angel of God told a falsehood.

10. That a woman fasted all the days of her life except once a week and a few other days in the year.

11. That God gave Simeon the sword to execute vengeance against the men of Shechem.

12. The Immaculate Conception.

13. That we should treat sinners with selfishness and cruelty.

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Title: Waymarks To The Eternal City, vol 3 [No CE number] (98 pages)

Contents:

1. Modern Israel (The Remnant Church) PP.1-24

Comprising.....

A. God's Ideal For His Children. PP.1-6

B. Satan's Plans For The Remnant Church. PP.7-14

C. Satan's Present Work, Warning and Appeal. PP.15-24

2. Deceptions and Delusions of Satan. PP.25-35

3. Satan - Deceiver and Destroyer. PP.36-94

Waymarks - Volumes 1 & 2

Vol 1.

The Miracle of Miracles (Righteousness by Faith)

The Holy Spirit

The Voice of the Holy Spirit (The Testimonies)

Self

Vol 2.

Lost (How People Are Lost)

Sound An Alarm

Saved (How To Be Saved)

Tests of Conversion

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Title: Catholicism Part 2 (Total, 3 Parts) [CE No. 3 of old series. 42 pages]

Part 2 Contents

Roman Catholicism and U.S. Labour Unions

R.C. and U.S. Public School System

R.C. and Public Tax funds for Parochial Schools

R.C. and The U.S. Press, Radio, TV, and Motion Pictures

Roman Catholicism and U.S. Protestantism

Roman Catholicism and The Bible and Tradition

R.C. and The Ten Commandments

R.C. and The Sabbath

Roman Catholicism and Seventh-day Adventists

Roman Catholicism and The Pope

R.C. and The Roman Catholic Priesthood

Roman Catholicism and Mary

R.C. and Spain

R.C. and Colombia

Roman Catholicism and Communism

Roman Catholicism and President Kennedy

R.C. Church and Change: Has She Changed? Is She Changing?

Roman Catholicism and YOU

Title: Catholicism Part 3 (Total, 3 Parts) [CE No. 3 of old series. 39 pages]

Part 3

Contents:

The Rise and Progress of The RC Church Since 1798

The RC Church and The Three-fold Union

The RC Church and The Legal Enforcement of Sunday Observance.

The Roman Catholic Church and Her Fruits.

The Roman Catholic Church and Her Boasts.

Can You Read The Handwriting on the Wall?

Conclusion and Appeal

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Title: The Three-Fold Union - Protestantism.

CE No.4 [Old Edn. 45 pages]

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. The Impending Conflict

3. Bible References Concerning U.S. Protestantism

4. Spirit of Prophecy References Concerning Protestantism.

5. The Decay and Decline of Protestantism - Both Doctrinally and Spiritually.

6. Protestant Aspirations and Efforts Toward Union With Protestants.

7. Protestant Aspirations and Efforts Toward Union With The Roman Catholic Church.

8. The Cohesive Element -- Sunday Observance, Protestant and Catholic Agitation for Sunday Legislation

9. "Ichabod" -- The Glory of The Lord is Departed From Thee."

The Three-Fold Union - Protestantism. CE No.4

[New Edn. 123 pages]

Same contents [except point 8] plus:-

NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW, Present Day Agitation.....

NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW,

The Event and Results (No. 6 of old series)

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Title: The National Sunday Law: Event and Results of...

CE Series, [Old Edn. No. 6, 19 pages]

Contents:

35 Results of the National Sunday Law .....

The Final Crisis.

The True Issue Clarified.

It Brings persecution.

It Mightily shakes and sifts God's people.

It purifies the church.

By it, Protestants join hands with the Papacy.

It culminates the 3-fold union & completes the Fall of Babylon.

Image of the Beast is formed.

The Papacy is worshiped.

It marks the beginning of the Time of Trouble (little Time of Trouble).

The Latter Rain received in greatest abundance.

The Loud Cry given most powerfully.

Earth's greatest revival begins.

It reveals that Satan's counterfeit revival has commenced.

The sign that time of Satan's marvellous working has come.

It is the sign to Sabbath-keepers to leave the large cities

By it U.S. repudiates its constitution

By it U.S. disconnects fully from righteousness

By it U.S. completely fills cup of iniquity

National apostasy complete

National ruin follows

Sunday law becomes universal - international

By it, earth's nations fill cup of iniquity

Those who honour Sunday receive Mark of the Beast

Seal of God received by God's followers

The sign of probation about to close

7 last plagues about to fall (See C.E.Study 14)

Sunday more strictly enforced

Sabbath-keepers misjudged, falsely accused

Sabbath-keepers blamed for calamities

The decree to disregard Sabbath

Death-decree follows

Death-decree is sign to God's people to leave cities & villages.

Death-decree marks beginning of Time of Jacob's Trouble

Some of wicked anticipate death-decree

The saints are delivered (See C.E. Study 14)

The National Sunday Law is a sign (The 35 points listed in brief)

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C.E. Study No. 7, The Loud Cry [Old Edn. 26 Pages]

Contents: (10 points)

The Message of L.C.

The Time of L.C.

The Power of "

The Spirit of "

The Purpose of "

The Results of...

The Reaction to...

The Recipients of...

The Glory of the Loud Cry

The Preparation for the L.C.

.......................................................

C.E. Study No. 7, The Loud Cry [New Edn. 33 pages]

Contents:

Continuing.....

C.E. Study No. 7, The Loud Cry [New Edn. 33 pages]

Contents:

1. THE MESSAGE OF THE LOUD CRY

A. The 3rd Angel's Message

B. God's Love in Jesus Christ

C. Righteousness by Faith

D. A Revelation of God's Character of Love

E. The Entire Message

2. THE TIME OF THE LOUD CRY

A. It has already begun

B.It will reach its zenith after the National Sunday Law

3. THE POWER OF THE LOUD CRY

A. "Another Angel" - The Fourth Angel

B. "The power of the Holy Spirit"

4. THE SPIRIT OF THE LOUD CRY

A. The spirit of love

B. The spirit of friendliness

C. The spirit of agreeableness

D. The spirit of understanding

5. THE PURPOSE OF THE LOUD CRY

A. To clearly and forcefully set forth the true issue

B. To give the whole world a tremendous revelation of the Character of God in His true followers.

C. To bring everyone to a definite, clear-cut decision

D. To call out of Babylon and save as many as possible

E. To prepare God's true followers for the close of probation, the 7 Last Plagues, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, and the Coming of Christ

F. To give the world one last chance

G. To completely vindicate God's Character

H. To completely reveal Satan's exceedingly wicked character.

I. To completely condemn unrepentant sinners--to leave them without the slightest excuse

6. THE RESULTS OF THE LOUD CRY

A. the results to the world

1. The whole world will be lightened with The Glory of God.

2. Many marvellous miracles will be performed

B. The results to those who give it

1. It will seal them into the message

2. It will prepare them for the Time of Trouble

3. Many will be persecuted to death

4. Persecution unites God's true followers

C. The results to those who receive it

1. There will be a mighty ingathering of souls

2. Many leave the fallen churches and take their stand with God's people.

3. Many are hurried out of the doomed churches as Lot was hurried out of Sodom.

4. Family, Church, and public opinion loses its power. Large numbers will take their stand with God's Commandment-keeping people.

5. All fear of man vanishes. Great boldness takes possession of the honest in heart.

6. The saints are prepared to stand during the 7 Last Plagues.

D. The results to those who refuse it

1. They are enraged

2. They fight against it, persecuting those who are giving it.

3. They reveal clearly their ultimate decision and character.

7. THE REACTION TO THE LOUD CRY

A. In the Church

1. Some will receive and give it

2. Some will reject and resist it

B. In Babylon -- in the world

1. Some will receive and give it

2. Some will reject and resist it

8. THE RECIPIENTS OF THE LOUD CRY. WHO WILL RECEIVE IT?

A. Those who are genuinely converted

B. Those who forsake all evil

C. Those who gain the victory over every besetting sin

D. Those who have a living connection with God

E. Those who have a burden to win souls

F. Those who forsake all criticism and dissension

G. Those who receive the Early Rain

H. Those who are constantly growing in grace

I. Those who come up to every point and stand every test and overcome, be the price what it may.

9. THE GLORY OF THE LOUD CRY

A. The Loud Cry is more that a message

B. The Loud Cry is a Revelation -- a Demonstration

10. THE PREPARATION FOR THE LOUD CRY

1. One must first receive the Early Rain

2. One must also receive the Latter Rain

CONCLUSION

LET US CLAIM THIS GLORIOUS PROMISE

Luke 11: 9-13

LIVING THE VICTORIOUS LIFE

Rev. 21: 7; John 5: 30; John 15: 5

22 Further Scripture Promises

END

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C.E. No. 13 - The 144,000 - [Old Edn. 18 pages]

Contents:

CHARACTER QUALIFICATIONS OF THE 144,000

1. THE IDENTITY OF THE 144,000

2. THE TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 144,000

They have a special experience

They gain the victory over (Beast - Image - Mark)

They stand without an intercessor

They see: Famine - Pestilence - Scorching of Sun

They pass through Great Time of Trouble

They endure Time of Jacob's Trouble

They witness resurrection of friends

They are translated from among the living

They are a definite numerical number

They are the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb

THE CHARACTER OF THE 144,000

They "sigh and cry" over the condition of the church

They receive the seal of God

They have a pure religion

They obtain full victory over their words

They are without fault before God

They would rather die than worship the beast or his image

THE TRIAL OF THE 144,000 (GC 649)

THE TRIUMPH OF THE 144,000 (EW 15, 37; GC 648-649)

THE REWARD OF THE 144,000

They stand next to Christ

Only they can sing the Song of Moses and The Lamb

They stand in a perfect square on sea of glass - God's special... exhibit... before entire universe

Only they can enter temple in Heaven

Their names engraved in gold letters on stone in temple of Heaven

They visit other worlds

They follow The Lamb wherever He goes throughout the Universe

SUMMARY (See above reward points)

APPEAL:

OH TO BE AMONG 144,000

Think of what it would be to be among the 144,000!

God is going to use the 144,000, more than any other group, to vindicate His Character before the entire onlooking Universe.

See: 7BC 970

THINK of what it will be! (7 points)

SPIRIT OF PROPHECY REFERENCES TO THE 144,000

MS 26, 1901; 1SM 174; GC 648-649; Rev. 7: 14-17

EW 15; EW 16; EW 19; EW 37; EW 40; 2SM 262; LS 110;

3T 266; R&H March 9, 1905; 7BC 978

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C.E. No. 14, (old edn. 18 pages)

THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES AND THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

Contents:

INTRODUCTION

A. A Great Time of Trouble

B. The Close of Probation

C. Who is Responsible for the 7 Last Plagues

D. The Three Great Clashes in the 7 Last Plagues

1. THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES

2. Plagues 1 to 4 are NOT UNIVERSAL

3. Plagues 5 and 6 ARE UNIVERSAL

4. The Plagues are SUCCESSIVE

5. The Plagues are CUMULATIVE

6. The PERIOD of the Plagues

7. The Purpose of the third plague

8. THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE

9. SATAN'S CROWNING, ALMOST OVERMASTERING DECEPTION.

10. SATAN UNITES ALL OF THE NATIONS OF EARTH UNDER ONE HEAD.

11.THE SEVEN PURPOSES OF GOD for the 7 Last Plagues

12. All of the world is divided into just TWO GROUPS

13. GOD'S PART in the battle of Armageddon

14. GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED at midnight

15. THE REDEEMED OF ALL AGES JOIN IN A TRIUMPHANT HYMN OF PRAISE.

CLOSING EVENTS STUDY

No. 33

Message Given by Elder Collier at the 1970 General Conference

What caused the sufferings and Death of Jesus?

The Heart of the Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan

The Central Issue of the Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan

The Underlying Motives which led Jesus to Die

An About-Face

Truth is Progressive

Personal Study Encouraged

Conversion – Gradual or Progressive?

Freewill

Satan Strictly Limited

One Hundred Percent

The Omnipotent Human Will

“Perfect” of Matthew 5:48 = Sinless

Eternal Progress

Christian Perfection

Grace

“SINLESS”

Enoch – A Type

PERFECT, Righteous, Holy

In This Life!

Queen Esther (A Parody)

Abbreviations for recent new Spirit of Prophecy Morning Watch books are:

OHC – Our High Calling

IHP – In Heavenly Places

FILB – Faith I Live By

SD – Sons and Daughters

ML – My Life Today

KH – That I May Know Him

------------------------------

GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

ELDER GORDON COLLIER

CLOSING EVENTS STUDY No. 33 - cont.

[ EXCERPTS ]

[ THE GREAT ADVENT MOVEMENT IN BIBLE PROPHECY ]

THE ESSENCE OF LUCIFER’S REBELLION

Lucifer’s rebellion was not merely against God’s Law. It was a rebellion against God Himself.

Satan’s attack upon God’s law was really a camouflaged attack upon God’s person and character because God’s Law is a transcript of His character.

GOD’S LAW – THE TRANSCRIPT OF HIS CHARACTER

God is Love (1 John 4:8); His Law is Love (Rom. 13:10)

God is Holy (Ps. 145:17); His Law is Holy (Rom. 7:12)

God is Righteous (Ps. 145:17); His Law is righteous (Ps. 119:172)

God is Perfect (Mt. 5:48); His Law is Perfect (Ps. 19:7)

God is Spiritual (John 4:24); His Law is Spiritual (Rom. 7:14)

God is Everlasting (Gen. 21:33); His Law is Everlasting (Ps. 111:7, 8)

God is Truth (Deut. 32:4); His Law is Truth (Ps. 119:142)

God is Light (1 John 1:5); His Law is Light (Prov. 6:23)

God is Good (Ps. 25:8); His Law is Good (Rom. 7:12)

God is Just (Deut. 32:4); His Law is Just (Rom. 7:12)

Thus, it may be seen that God’s Law and God’s character are inseparable! And since God and His Law are inseparable, to honor one is to honor the other. To dishonor one is to dishonor the other. The oneness of God and His law must be reinforced and emphasized.

And since God’s law is a transcript of His character, it is as everlasting, as immutable, and unchangeable as God Himself.

Since God’s law is a transcript of the eternal, unchangeable character of God, how can it ever be abolished or changed?

Why should anyone wish to change something that is love, holy, righteous, perfect, spiritual, everlasting, truth, light, good, and just? It is this kind of a law and this kind of a God against which Lucifer rebelled, and against which he continues, even today, to lead others to rebel!

SINCE GOD’S LAW IS:

The transcript of His character,
The Foundation of His throne,
The Expression of His will,
The Definition of Right and Wrong,
The Revelation of our Duty,
The Test of our Character,
The Standard of God’s Judgem
ent of His creatures,

Satan struck at the very heart of God!

“The law of God existed before the creation of man. . . . the angels were governed by it [the law]. Satan fell because he transgressed the principles of God’s government.” – FILB 80.

GOD’S BEAUTIFUL LAW

GOD’S WONDERFUL LAW CONSISTS OF ten great, universal, eternal, principles of LOVE and life:

Worship God supremely,

Worship God directly,

Worship god sincerely,

Worship God as Creator,

Hallow his day – His Memorial of Creation.

Be Respectful,

Be Kind,

Be Pure,

Be Honest,

Be Truthful,

Be Content.

Oh, What a wonderful and beautiful law!

“O How I love Thy Law!” – Ps. 119:97.

The Law is a transcript of the character of God. Jesus is the Law (character) of God Incarnate (in the flesh)! He is the very embodiment of the Law of God.

[See Exodus 20 for the Ten Commandments]

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything else that is thy neighbour’s.

Thus, it will be seen that Jesus is the law personified.

WHAT IS LOVE? HOW IS IT EXPRESSED?

That God’s Law is a law of love may be seen by the following Bible verses:

Love is the fulfilling of the Law. – Rom. 13:10
This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments – 1 John 5:3
This is love, that we walk after His commandments – 2 John 6.
“For all the Law is fulfilled in one word . . . Thou shalt LOVE . . .” – Gal. 5:14
By this we know we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. –1 john 5:2.
Jesus said, “If ye love Me, keep my commandments.” - John 14:15
Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” – John 14:21.
Jesus said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” – John 15:10.

“LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW.” – Rom. 13:10.

The first four commandments reveal our relationship to God. The last six commandments reveal our relationship to our fellow-man.

What does it mean to love God with all our heart? What does it mean to love our neighbour as ourselves?

If we love God with all our heart, we will keep the first four.

If we love our neighbour as ourselves, we will keep the last six.

That is what love is. This is what it means to love God. This is what it means to love our neighbour. This is the way we reveal that we truly love God and our neighbour.

THE LAW OF GOD IS LIKE:

A Teacher – it instructs us in righteousness – it reveals what God requires of us.

A Mother – it examines our motives.

A mirror – it reveals our faults and our failings.

An alarm clock! – it awakens conscience!

A policeman – it arraigns us before God’s bar of justice.

A Prosecuting attorney – it accuses us of disobeying God’s will.

A Judge – it condemns us nd pronounces the death sentence upon us.

WHAT IS SIN?

Satan had declared that disobedience was not sin, that sin didn’t matter, that sin was a mere trifle, that sin did not result in death. He had declared that the transgression of God’s Law did not result in destruction, but in a higher form of life. “Ye shall not surely die.” “Ye shall be as gods.” “Ye shall enter upon a higher state of existence!” (Gen. 3:4, 5)

SIN IS:

“THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW,” – 1 John 3:4.
Lawlessness, Disobedience, Rebellion,
Insisting on one’s own way contrary to God’s way,
Autonomy from God – Independence from God,
Disbelief in God – Lack of Faith,
SELFISHNESS, SELF-LOVE, SELF IDOLATRY, and
Lack of love for God and others.

NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS

That it is God’s will that Christians under grace live in harmony with His perfect Law of love and liberty (the ten commandments) is shown by the following New Testament verses:

James 2:10-12 These verses mention two of the ten commandments (the 6^th and 7^th) and declare that in the Judgement, God is going to judge us by that law.
1 Matt. 5:17-19
Matt. 22:36-40.
Matt. 19:17-19
John 14:15, 21, 23
1 Cor. 7:19
Rev. 12:17
Rev. 14:12
Rev. 22:14
Eph. 6:2
Rom. 3:20, 31
Rom. 7:7, 12, 14, 16, 22
Rom. 6:14, 15
Rom. 8:4, 7
Acts 5:32
Heb. 5:9
Rom. 1:5; 16:26
Eph. 2:8, 9
1 John 2:4

If the Ten Commandment Moral Law of God was abolished as a standard at the cross, then their is no sin, for the New Testament says, “Where no law is, there is no sin.” – Rom. 5:13; Rom. 4:15; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 7:7, 8, 13. The fact that it is a sin to steal, kill, commit adultery, etc., is proof that the Law remains as a standard!

THE INEVITABLE RESULTS OF SIN

p. 33

When Lucifer sinned in heaven, he brought the following upon himself and upon all others who have sinned and who are finally lost:

Separation from God

Deception

Debasement, Degradation

Hatred, Conflict, War

Sickness, Disease

Suffering, Unhappiness, and

Death – Rom 6:23.

One purpose for the death of Jesus on the cross was to reveal to the universe the true nature and inevitable results of sin.

Christ’s death reveals the exceeding sinfulness of sin – what it will do – take the kindest, purest, most loving, most unselfish, most righteous person who ever lived on the earth, and kill Him!

Christ showed that sin is terrible, that it results in death by taking the judgement of sin upon Himself and suffering its ultimate consequences – Death!

“The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man . . . . would reveal the nature and the results of sin.” – PP 69.

In addition, Satan and sin have brought great sorrow and suffering to God, to the angels, and to innocent human beings. Sin is sin because it hurts and destroys. The greater the capacity to hurt, the greater the sin.

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin

“The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross.” – SC 31.

Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.” – SC 23.

“The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify to the terrible enormity of sin, . . . ” – SC 32.

Sin must be exceedingly sinful to require such a sacrifice to atone for it and to reconcile us to God.

“Calvary stands as a memorial of the sacrifice required to atone for the transgression of the divine Law. Let us not regard sin as a trivial thing.” – SC 33.

“It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin.” – SC 36.

It is the love of God that leads us to repentance, not fear of hell fire or selfish desire for heaven.

“As you see the enormity of sin . . . do not give up in despair!” – SC 35.

JESUS THE GREAT INTERCESSOR

From the beginning of Lucifer’s rebellion Michael (Christ) sought to reconcile him to the Father. Christ became the go-between between God and Lucifer. When some of the angels sided with Lucifer, Michael became the Father’s representative to them.

Since this earth was created, the Second Person of the Godhead became to this world:

The Mediator between Man and God

The Revelation of God’s character, will, and Law

The Moral standard of the universe

The Sacrifice for sin

The Judge of sinners

The Redeemer of repentant sinners, and

The Reconciler of the universe!

What a glorious God-man! What a wonderful Saviour!

The whole life of Jesus was a living manifestation of the Law (character) of God. He came to reveal God to the world. His life was a living representation of God’s standard of righteousness – the Law of God. The life of Jesus was the Law personified. We see mirrored in our Saviour’s life the true meaning of keeping the commandments of God.

Thus, God through Christ would conquer and put down sin and rebellion in the universe by a mighty, incredible, appalling revelation of God’s intrinsic righteous nature, but not after seven mighty battles with Lucifer!

When Adam and Eve failed, God desired, by means of the Atonement – the plan of salvation – to restore them, and later their descendents, to the perfection in which they were originally created, and thus, even after their fall, demonstrate the fact that human beings, united to divinity, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, may, in this life on earth, PERFECTLY OBEY HIS LAW – may live without committing acts of sin. (Please see Closing Events Study No. 22 for a thorough presentation of this subject. Very important!)

Satan had declared that angels (who had holy, righteous, unfallen natures) could not perfectly obey God’s law. God designed to more than disprove Satan’s false charges by showing the entire universe that fallen human beings, with weakened, degraded, sinful natures, when restored through the plan of Salvation, can perfectly obey His law.

p. 35

THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE BIBLE

1) The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole Book clusters is the Redemption plan, the Restoration in the human soul of the image of God. . . . The burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme, - Man’s Uplifting, - The Power of God, ‘which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ He who grasps this though has before him an infinite field of study. He has the key that will unlock to him the whole treasure house of God’s Word. The science of Redemption is the Science of all sciences!

P. 37

GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE CREATION OF OUR WORLD AND THE HUMAN RACE

DIVINITY NEEDS HUMANITY

As His representative among men, Christ does not choose angels who have never fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with those they seek to save. Christ took upon Himself humanity, that He might reach humanity.

DIVINITY NEEDED HUMANITY, for it required both the divine and the human to bring salvation to the world.

DIVINITY NEEDED HUMANITY, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man. So with the servants and messengers of Christ. Man needs a power outside of and beyond himself, to restore him to the likeness of God, and enable him to do the work of God; but this does not make the human agency unessential.

“Humanity lays hold upon divine power, Christ dwells in the heart by faith; and through cooperation with the divine, the power of man becomes efficient for good.

”He who called the fishermen of Galilee is still calling men to His service. And He is just as willing to manifest His power through us as through the first disciples. However imperfect and sinful we may be, the lord holds out to us the offer of partnership with Himself, of apprenticeship to Christ. He invites us to come under the divine instruction, tht, uniting with Christ, we may work the works of God.” – DA 296, 297.

YOU ARE ESSENTIAL TO GOD!

Because He needed us, God created us. What an eternal calamity should we fail Him!

“God created man for His own glory.” - ST May 29, 1901.

“We were brought into existence because we were needed. How sad the thought that if we standon the wrong side, in the ranks of the enemy, we are lost tp the design of our Creator. We are disappointing our Redeemer; the powers He designed for His service are used to oppose His grace and matchless love.” – ST April 22, 1903.

Just think of it! We are creatures of high destiny!

WHY WERE WE CREATED?

God created man in order to vindicate Himself.

Concerning God’s eternal purpose for creating man, Isaiah declares, “I have created him for My glory, . . . .” – Isaiah 43:7.

Paul declares of God’s purpose for creating man, “. . . we . . . have been destined and appointed to live to the praise of His glory.” – Eph. 1:12 (RSV).

In Eph. 3:11 Paul exclaims, 1) According to his eternal purpose 2) God purposed to reveal His character 3) to the onlooking universe 4) through His church!

And so, according to His eternal purpose, God purposed to defeat Satan and vindicate Himself by means of a revelation of His true character through His church.

p. 37

This World

Yes, we are creatures of high destiny! Our little world, which in God’s providence has become God’s showcase before the universe, will ultimately be exalted above all other worlds. God Himself will dwell with us on the new Earth. (Rev. 21:3).

God has quarantined evil to this planet until the universe is immunized against sin, and made eternally secure. Thus enlightened, tested and made secure against another uprising of sin, our world, with its redeemed citizens will enter upon the eternal glorious destiny its great Creator planned for it before the world was created!

THIS GENERATION

Above all other generations of Earth’s history, this generation will be honoured by the fullest, most complete, most glorious revelation of the character of God in the history of the world. The whole world will be lightened by the glorious revelation. (Rev. 18:1). This demonstration will be universal!

With mighty impact the whole world will be shaken to its very foundations. The great controversy between God and Satan will reach its zenith. Satan does his worst and God does His best. The climax of the struggle is reached and men and angels are ready to give their verdict.

THIS PEOPLE

And above all other peoples upon the face of the whole Earth, this people (Seventh-day Adventists) will be honoured with the special privilege of revealing the character of God to this world and to worlds afar, which revelation will defeat Satan, vindicate God, and secure the universe against sin!

God’s marvellous grace appearing in the transformed lives of His people will appear ‘in full and final display.’ (TM 18). This special people will be especially honoured by God through the eternal ages!

p. 38

THE GREAT ADVENT MOVEMENT IN BIBLE PROPHECY

This is a world of destiny! This is a generation of destiny! This is a Movement of destiny! Truly, to be living on this Earth, in this generation, and to be a part of God’s People is sublime!

THIS HOUR

This is our hour! Let us arise, shine, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon us! Let us advance! Let us go forward! Let us carry the battle to the gates! Let us storm the walls of sin and deception! Let us win for our King a great eternal victory!

To SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Has been Entrusted the Most Important Truth Ever Given to Man!

“The Destiny of the World hangs in the Balance; but this hardly moves even those who claim to believe THE MOST FAR-REACHING TRUTH EVER GIVEN TO MORTALS.”

The Bible foretells that, with the end of the 2,300-year period of Dan. 8:14, in 1844, the Sanctuary would be cleansed, restored, justified, [and] vindicated. God’s Sanctuary also represents God’s government and character.

Thus, in 1844 and onward to the Close of Probation, Satan and Antichrist would be defeated and God would be vindicated through His People on Earth, which vindication would the kingdom away from Satan and Antichrist and enable Christ and His people to possess it forever.

Hence, it may be seen that Dan. 8:14 pictures a prophetic movement in the Last Days which would enable God to deal the crushing blow to Satan, terminate his reign, and establish His own kingdom and rulership over the Earth! What a mighty conflict we are caught up in! Let us be faithful unto death if necessary!

There is something greater than being a Christian! And that which is greater than being a Christian is being a SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN!

It’s the greatest privilege on Earth to be a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian! I’m glad I belong to this people and to this Movement! I love God so much that I want to be a part of His cause, His people, and His Eternal Future!

For those studious Seventh-Day Adventists who would like a complete list of Bible Prophecies, Parables, and Types which picture a special people (Seventh-Day Adventists) in a special time (the Last Days) with a special message (Rev. 14:6-12) for a world which will completely defeat Satan and vindicate God, the following is given:

1) Dan. 8:14 – The Cleansing, Restoration, Justification and Vindication of the Heavenly Sanctuary and the Investigative Judgement. GC 423, 424; 479-491.

2) Dan. 7:9, 10, 13,, 14, 18, 22, 26, 27 - The Investigative judgement – the Triumph of God’s truth and God’s People over Antichrist – Christ and His people possess the kingdom. EW 54-56; GC 479-491; 49-60; 424-432.

3) Mal. 3:1-3 – The coming of Christ to the Temple for the cleansing and perfecting of His people. GC 424, 425; PK 715, 716.

4)Matt. 25:1-13 – The coming of the Bridegroom in the parable of the ten virgins. GC 426-428, 480; 7 BC 872, 875, 985, 986; COL 405-421; EW 280, 55; COL 307. (Please see GC 426 connecting the above four texts with the Investigative Judgement and the Cleansing and perfecting of a People for His kingdom).

5) Heb. 8, 9 and 10:1-3, 14 – The Cleansing of the two Sanctuaries in type and antitype and their significance to God’s people today. GC 417-421.

6) Rev. 14:6-12; 18:1-4 – The Three Angels’ Messages – God’s last warning message for the world. (The purpose of the Great Controversy and the Third Angel’s message is to perfect a people, who, by their perfection, defeat Satan, vindicate God, and secure the universe.)

7) Zech. 3:1-8 – Joshua – the High Priest and the angel – the experience of God’s people during the Investigative Judgement. 6T 296; 5T 467-476; 6T 296; GC 485; 4BC 1178; PK 582-592.

8) Ezek. 9 – The sealing of God’s people – the Investigative Judgement.

9) Lev. 16:30 – The Antitypical Day of Atonement and its type – the Investigative Judgement. PP 357, 358.

10) Rev. 7 and 14:1-5 – The final sealing of God’s people in the Last Days.

11) Acts 3:19 – The sealing of god’s people and the Latter Rain. 6BC 160.

12) Rev. 10:6, 7 and Col. 1:27 – The mystery of God is finished. AA 476.

13) Joel 2:23, 25, 28 – The Latter Rain. AA 54, 55; 7BC 984; EW 71.

14) Isa. 4:2-4 – The Investigative Judgement, the perfecting of God’s people, and the blotting out of sin. GC 485; PK 592; 5T 476.

15) Isa. 58 – God’s great reformatory movement of the Last Days – the Seventh-day Sabbath restored. Ev 695; 6T 126; ML 224; PK 677, 678.

16) Rev. 12:17 – God’s Remnant Church of the Last Days. The age-long conflict between Satan and God’s true church. Identification marks of God’s true church. TM 472; PK 587; 1T 223; 2T 105; GC 592.

17) Rev. 13:12-17 – The United States in Bible Prophecy, the Image to the Beast, and the persecuted Remnant. GC 612, 553, 604, 605, 439-450, 578, 579.

18) Matt. 22:1-14 – The Parable of the man without a weddi8ng garment – the Investigative Judgement. COL 307-319; 5BC 1097; GC 428.

19) THE BOOK OF EXODUS – The Exodus Movement – a type of God’s people in the Last Days – many important parallels.

20) Mal. 4:4-6 – The Elijah message of the Last Days. 4 BC 1134, 1184; PK 716; 3T 62; Te 91.

21) TYPES – ENOCH, NOAH, ELIJAH, JOHN THE BAPTIST were types of God’s special messengers – The Remnant Church in the last days.

All of the above prophecies, parables, types foretell a special message in the Last Days. The time and that movement has come! A truth whose hour has come is the most powerful thing on Earth!

(See Closing Events Study No. 32 for the writer’s series of sermons on the above 20 very important texts concerning the great Advent Movement in Bible prophecy.)

Pp. 39-40

AS A PEOPLE WE NEED TO REAFFIRM OUR IDENTITY WITH THE REMNANT CHURCH OF REVELATION 12:17 and 18:1-4.

God’s People are a called out people!

We are misfits in the world. We have a special life-and-death message for the world.

The destiny of the world hangs on our special message, how we it, and how the world receives it.

Are we giving that message to the world? Is God revealing His character to the world through us?

Are we labouring under a tremendous sense of claim, a tremendous sense of destiny, a tremendous sense of urgency? May God gird us up to do great exploits for Him.

Just as John the Baptist found himself, his message, and his credentials in the Bible, just so do we Seventh-day Adventists find ourselves, our message, and our credentials in the Bible.

We were raised up in fulfilment of Bible Prophecy in order to prepare a people and the world for the second coming of Jesus.

Oh, my dear Brother, Sister in Christ, do we realize the solemnity of the hour in which we live? Do we have that burning conviction deep down in our hearts that we are a part of a great prophetic, worldwide movement of Bible Prophecy? Do we have that all-consuming assurance that we belong to a Movement of Destiny?

This great prophetic movement will not fail, but will soon triumph over all the world in a great burst of glory at the second coming of Christ.

At this special time in Earth’s history, this great special prophetic movement with its special message and revelation, is to gather out a special people from every nation, kindred, tongue and people, and prepare them for the crisis of the ages and the return of Jesus Christ to this Earth! What an honor God has bestowed upon us to put us upon the Earth in this last climactic, sublime hour of Earth’s history, and to call us to vindicate Him before the universe!

May god have mercy upon us and help us to measure up to our glorious eternal destiny!

Behold The Bridegroom Cometh; Go Ye Out To Meet Him!

A PROPHETIC MOVEMENT

Rev. 12:17 and Rev. 14:12 declare that in the last days of Earth’s history, God will have a special people in the world who will love, honor, obey, and reveal His holy law to the world. That special community of saints is the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

WE ARE A PEOPLE OF PROPHECY – A MOVEMENT OF DESTINY!

One church alone is giving this special message to the world; and we are giving it in 192 countries; and in 1000 dialects. God raised up this church for the specific purpose of giving the last warning message – The Three Angels’ Messages (Rev. 14:6-12) – to the world. When this final threefold message is given, Christ will return (verse 14).

The above verses picture a special [people at a special time in the history of the world, with a special message for the world! God has set Seventh-day Adventists in the world to be modern Noahs, modern Elijahs, modern John the Baptists!

It is a thrilling and solemnizing thought that, to Seventh-day Adventists who are in the world in fulfilment of Bible prophecy, have been assigned by heaven the particular responsibility of acting as guardians and revealers of God’s holy law to the world and to the entire universe.

But only a person who has been thoroughly converted and in whose heart (mind) has been written the law (character) of God, can obey and reveal that law to the world. Only a holy people can obey a holy law. Only a people who have the love of God in their hearts can keep or obey His law of love.

A Tremendous Responsibility!

Upon them (God’s People) rets the responsibility of declaring that the law of God is not changed and never will be changed. R. H. Apr. 16, 1901.

How Accomplished?

God’s remnant people will accomplish this, not simply by telling the world that God’s Law of Ten Commandments is eternal and unchangeable and still in effect as a standard of righteousness and binding upon Christians under grace; but by revealing in their lives the righteousness of that Law. Thus they will demonstrate that the Law is (1) still in effect, and (2) that, by the marvellous grace of God, it can be obeyed.

Thus the world will learn that grace is he method of salvation in no wise abolishes the law as he standard of salvation!

God’s Special purpose For His People

It is the purpose of God to Glorify Himself In His People Before the World. 9T 21.

Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple . . . . In every one Christ’s long-suffering love, His holiness, meekness, mercy, and truth are to be manifested to the world. DA 827.

God’s Last Message To The World

The world today is in crying need of a Revelation of Jesus Christ in the person of His saints. RH March 31, 1909.

In Gethsemane the great burden weighing on the heart of Christ is expressed in His prayer “ . . . . that they may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; . . . . that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in One; . . . . “

Wonderful statement! The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purposed, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are One. 8T 269.

This is truly a wonderful statement and a wonderful truth! Oh, the glory of Oneness with God!

“The last rays of merciful light, the Last Message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.

The Children of God are to manifest His Glory (Character) COL. 415, 416.

In the preceding inspired statements, it will be seen that God’s special task for his people in Earth’s final generation, is to reveal in their lives the righteous character of God to the World.

As in the days of the Apostles, God wants the world to take notice of His people that “they have been with Jesus” and have learned of Him. (Acts 4:13).

THE CENTRAL ISSUE IN THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

That THE LAW OF GOD is (1) the central issue in the great controversy and that one of the great reasons which led to Christ’s coming to this Earth the first time was 2) to demonstrate that God’s Law can be perfectly obeyed and 3) to inspire and to enable us to keep it, may be further proved by the inspired statements below:

“Christ laid aside His royal robes, and came to this earth, bringing with Him a power sufficient to overcome sin. He came to live the Law of God in humanity, that by partaking of his divine nature, we also might live that Law.” – ST Jan. 9, 1912; March 4, 1897.

“The Son of God came to our world in human form to show that divinity and humanity combined can obtain the victory over sin.” – ST Feb. 1, 1899.

“In surrendering His spotless soul a living sacrifice, Jesus was bearing the sin of the world; He was enduring the curse of the Law; He was vindicating the justice of God. Separation from His Father, the punishment for transgression, was to fall upon Him, in order to magnify God’s law and testify to its immutability. And this was to forever settle the controversy between Satan and the Prince of heaven in regard to the changeless character of that Law.” – ST Dec. 9, 1897.

Christ, facing the supreme test in Gethsemane, by being victorious, would vindicate God’s Lawand prove that it can be perfectly obeyed.

“Now the time had come when all the types and symbols pointing to his suffering and death were to be fulfilled. . . . Shall it be demonstrated that obedience to the Law is possible.” – ST June 3, 1897.

“Christ overcame the temptations as a man, relying solely upon the Word of God, and every man may overcome as Christ overcame.” – ST April 10, 1893.

“The great design of god in giving Christ to the world was 1) to inspire fallen men with hope, and 2) to enable him to remedy the defects occasioned by self-indulgence and sin.” – ST Aug. 11, 1909.

Thus it may be seen that the Law was the central issue in the great controversy.

p. 57

FROM CHRIST’S DAY TO THIS, THE ISSUE HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED:

WHETHER OR NOT THE LAW OF GOD CAN BE OBEYED

Daniel (7:25) warned that the Antichrist (538AD to 1798 AD) would make war against the Law of God.

“There is one pointed out in prophecy as the ‘Man of sin’. He is the representative of Satan. . . . Here is Satan’s right-hand man ready to carry on the work that Satan commenced in heaven; that of trying to amend the Law of God. And the Christian world has sanctioned his efforts by adopting this child of the Papacy – the Sunday institution. They have nourished it and will continue to nourish it, until Protestantism shall give the hand of fellowship to the Romish power.” – RH March 9, 1886.

The Church of Rome, in fulfilment of Bible prophecy (Dan. 7:25), set aside the Law of God. The Dark Ages were the result.

In the Council of Trent (1545-1563) the Roman Catholic Church declared that tradition was above the Law and pointed to their change of the fourth commandment as proof. Matthew 15:3, 6 and 9 apply with equal force to the great apostasy of the Church of Rome and its warfare against God’s holy law.

Daniel, chapter 7, especially verse 25, foretells the great Antichrist power, her change of the Law of God, and her persecution of god’s people who love and obey His Law.

Rev. 12:17 foretells Satan’s hatred of God’s law and his warfare against God’s true church in the last days who love and obey His holy law.

Roman Catholicism claims to have changed God’s Law. Protestantism claims that it has been nailed to the cross.

The general teaching of Roman Catholics and Protestants alike is that “We cannot perfectly keep the commandments anyway, so why quibble over the fourth?”

Roman Catholic and Protestant theology teach that we are saved IN sin. Seventh-day Adventist theology teaches that we are saved FROM sin.

Thus we see that the central issue in these last days is the Law of God – whether or not it is still binding upon Christians and whether or not it can be obeyed.

The whole world will be divided into just two classes: the obedient and the disobedient, the surrendered and the unsurrendered, the loyal and the disloyal, those who receive the seal of God and those who receive the mark of the beast! Rev. 12:17; 14:6-16; 22:14.

p. 59

NOW IN EARTH’S LAST CLIMACTIC GENERATION, THE ISSUE IS STILL THE SAME:

THE LAW OF GOD – WHETHER OR NOT GOD’S LAW IS ETERNAL, UNCHANGEABLE, BINDING UPON CHRISTIANS WHO ARE UNDER GRACE, AND WHETHER ORNOT IT CAN BE PERFECTLY OBEYED!

The Satanic agencies are constantly at work, sowing and watering the seeds of rebellion against the Law of God, and Satan is gathering souls under his black banner of revolt. – 4BC 1141.

SATAN’S SPECIAL TARGET

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p. 82

THE UNDERLYING MOTIVES WHICH LED JESUS TO DIE

What were the Basic, Underlying Motives which Led Jesus to Die?

Introduction

As we have already noticed in chapter 4, God has an infinitely higher
motivation for the salvation of the human race than His own personal
advantage. We must understand also that the salvation of man was alone
the reason for His death. This is certainly one essential purpose for
the Atonement, but not the only one. The atonement affects not only
sinners upon this planet, but every living creature in the universe,
fallen and unfallen.

What then was it that led Jesus to such humiliation, suffering and
death? (The Reader would do well to read again and mark Education, p.
263. See p. 74 of this Study)

"Why should man not study the theme of Redemption? It is the greatest
subject that can engage the human mind. 5BC 1132.

It is very unfortunate hat, while many Seventh-day Adventists rejoice
in the great truth that Jesus died on the Cross in order to save them
from their sins, yet they give no thought to the other facets of His
marvelous sacrifice of Himself.

In fact, it comes to many as a great surprise that He had any other
purpose for dying on the Cross. Thus far, in his research of the Bible
and of the Spirit of Prophecy, the writer has discovered 24 reasons
which led Jesus to come to this earth, to take our human nature upon
His divine nature, and to suffer and die.

This chapter will consider briefly these 24 basic motives which led
Jesus to come to earth and to die. Undoubtedly there are many more
reasons which we will discover as we continue our research here upon
earth, and as we study into the mysteries of redeeming grace
throughout eternity. All of these reasons interlock and overlap.

Let us look now at the 24 following points which answer the question,
Why Did Jesus Die?

1. Jesus Died Because God Is Love

The first, foremost, and greatest reason Jesus died, is because God is
Love, and Love must give. You can give without loving, but you cannot
love without giving. Love must express itself. God loves sinners so
much that He was even willing to die for them.

"Amazing love, how can it be,
That Thou, my God, Hast died for me?" – Selected

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John
3:16

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"Divine love was stirred to its unfathomable depths for the human race."

God willingly gave Heaven's most precious gift for the redemption of
sinners. And Jesus freely gave Himself. Jesus could not consider
heaven a place to be desired while we were lost. He willingly left all
for us. He came all the way down to our level.

He paid the full price. There is absolutely nothing more that God
could wisely do for our salvation. In the gift of Jesus God gave all
heaven. It is impossible that god could wisely give or suffer or
sacrifice more than He has already done and continues to do for us.

2. Jesus Died To Reveal The Character of God

Satan had charged that God was really not a God of love - that god did
not truly love us - but that He was actually harsh, stern, selfish,
and arbitrary. Satan sought to deceive the angels in heaven, beings on
other worlds, and human beings, into believing that God was not love,
but rather that He was unreasonable, unjust, dictatorial, and
tyrannical.

How could God disprove Satan's lie and truly reveal His infinitely
righteous character of love? The first reason in our list for the
death of Jesus is that God is Love.

But this was not sufficient. It was not enough that god loved us; He
wanted us to know that He loved us. He wanted to demonstrate that
love so that we would know what He was like – that He was holy, just and good, kind, loving, unselfish and compassionate – that He did truly love us with an infinite love – with a love which is stronger than death.

It would not do for God to remain in heaven and tell us that He loved us. Sinners would not believe Him. Even though He would speak from heaven, sinners would not believe Him. And so God came to Earth!

Had God sent an angel to die for sinners, Satan would have mocked, “You see! That’s exactly what I’ve been telling you all along! God loves you enough to send someone else to die for you! He doesn’t love you enough to suffer and die for you Himself!”

But no, He did not send someone else; He did not send an angel. He came Himself! God, the Son, came down and took upon Himself our human nature and lived and taught and suffered and died as our sacrifice. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us and to the universe, and by His death revealed Him as a God of infinite love and holiness.

“He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father.” - John 14:9

“Through the Cross we learn that our Heavenly Father loves us with an infinite and everlasting love, and draws us to Him with more than a mother’s yearning sympathy for a wayward child. 5 BC 1133.

In beholding the Cross, the view is extended to God . . . we . . . behold His love for sinners, which is stronger than death. To the world the Cross is the incontrovertible argument that God is truth and light and LOVE. - 5 BC 1133.

The Father gave the Son, not only to come to Earth, but to die! The pale, limp, lifeless form of the Son of God on the Cross was God’s conclusive, incontrovertible, eternal proof that God is LOVE!

Jesus’ death fully revealed the character of God and decisively defeated Satan. Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven.” – Luke 10:18.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins. – 1 John 4:9, 10.

God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Rom. 5:8.

JESUS DIED TO SAVE SINNERS

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. – 1 Tim. 1:15

And as Moses lifted up the [brazen] serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. – John 3:14-17

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. – 1 John 4:9

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life. - 1 John 5:12

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not se life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. – John 3:36

For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost. – Luke 19:10

Christ died to save sinners. – 1 Tim. 1:15

The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. – John 10:11 (15, 18)

Even as the Son came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. - Matt. 20:28.

Could Satan have induced Him [Christ] to commit one sin, the world would have been abandoned to the power of the prince of darkness. ST June 28, 1910.

God knew that the human race was hopelessly lost unless He did something for it. And the only thing that would redeem the sinner was for God to die for him. There was absolutely no other way possible for God to save sinners. This is the Good News of Salvation – Christ died to save sinners! Christ died to save you!

JESUS DIED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR GOD TO FORGIVE SINNERS

“ . . . and without shedding of blood is no remission.” – Heb. 9:22

“ . . . it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” – Lev. 17:11

“And the blood shall be to you for a token. . . ” – Ex. 12:13

“And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” – Ex. 12:13

“ . . . the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7

Since the Fall the lord wrought out His will in the plan of Redemption, a plan by which He is seeking to restore man to his original perfection. Christ’s death on the Cross had made it possible for God to receive and pardon every repentant soul. – ST June 12, 1901; FILB 76.

Hence we conclude that it would have been impossible for God to pardon sinners if Jesus had not come and died for them. If God had pardoned sinners without the death of His Son, the entire universe would have been imperilled, as this chapter will reveal.

JESUS DIED TO JUSTIFY GOD IN JUSTIFYING SINNERS

God is a Governor

He has a government

That Government has a Law

That Law is the Ten Commandments

Transgression of the Ten Commandments is Sin

Sin is the transgression of the Law – 1 John 3:4

. . . where no Law is, there is no transgression – Rom. 415

. . . sin is not to be imputed when there is no law. Rom. 5:13

. . . I had not known sin, but by the Law. – Rom. 7:7

. . . for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. – Rom. 3:20

The wages [punishment] of sin is death. – Rom. 6:23

Justice demands that the sinner be put to death.

Although God is merciful, He cannot exercise mercy at the expense of His Justice. Justice must not be set aside. God, the great Governor of the universe, must act in such a way as to make mercy compatible with justice. In this way only will He be able to win the confidence of every intelligent being in the universe.

Since the justice of God and Public Justice demand the death of the transgressor

– How can God pardon the Law-breaker and still be just?

– How can He pardon the disobedient citizen of His government and satisfy public justice?

The sinner, a citizen of God’s universal moral government, has broken God’s Law and therefore deserves to die. Justice cries out for the life of the law-breaker. God, being a just Governor, must enforce His Law, and inflict the death penalty upon the Law-breaker, but being a merciful Governor, He wants to pardon the law-breaker and let him go free.

How Can This Be Done?

Justice must not be set aside by mercy. If justice were set aside, God’s government would be in peril. That is, it would not be safe to the moral government of god which fills the entire universe, for Him to exercise mercy in forgiving sinners without exercising justice in seeing that the demands of the Law were met, and the sentence against law-breaker executed.

God, at infinite cost and suffering to Himself, devised a way to make mercy compatible with justice – to make it safe for Him to exercise mercy and to pardon transgressors.

Again, justice demands the life of the law-breaker. Since the sinner has broken the Law, he deserves to die. But god loves the sinner and is merciful and forgiving. He wants to forgive him and to save him from the penalty of the Law which he has broken.

But how can God be just and uphold His Law, and, at the same time, be merciful and inflict the penalty of the Law upon the guilty law-breaker? How can God just and justify the sinner ?

Again, how can God, instead of punishing the law-breaker as His justice demands, pardon him and set him free, as His mercy pleads?

How can this be done? Can Mercy be set aside? Can He abolish or change the Law? Can He abolish or change the penalty of His Law? Can He simply pardon the sinner without thought of the consequences?

Can justice be set aside? No! Justice cannot be set aside! The Law cannot be changed or set aside. Justice must be exercised to the utmost! Justice must be satisfied!

How Can This Be Done?

Only by God taking the penalty upon Himself, or the letting the penalty fall upon a suitable substitute.

The Substitute must be suitable or acceptable

- To God

- To Satan and his evil angels

- To the unfallen angels and the sinless beings on other worlds, and

- To human beings, to sinners, and to the Redeemed

That substitute, suitable in all respects to all parties involved, is God’s own Son who is God, and equal to the Law, even above the Law, which has been broken.

Christ’s death on the Cross makes God’s mercy compatible with His justice.

Because of the sacrifice of Christ God can justly exercise mercy in forgiving and saving repentant sinners.

- His justice is satisfied

- His Mercy is satisfied

- His Law is satisfied

- The offense is dealt with satisfactorily

- The penalty of the Law is executed

- All unfallen intelligent creatures in the universe are satisfied

- Even Satan, evil angels, and sinners are satisfied

And so, Jesus died in order to justify God in justifying sinners – repentant sinners. Through Christ’s sacrificial death, both God’s justice and mercy are exercised to the fullest extent.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. – Rom. 3:26.

Through this plan the great, the dreadful God can be just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in Jesus, and who receive Him as their personal Saviour. – 5BC 1133.

The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. – PP 69.

The death of Christ proclaimed the justice of His Father's law in punishing the transgressor, in that He consented to suffer the penalty of the law Himself in order to save fallen man from its curse. – 2T 201.

The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. – 5BC 1132.

Christ came to this earth to make an atonement for transgression. His atonement was complete in every part. As He hung on the cross, He could say, “It is finished.” The demands of justice were satisfied. The way to the throne of grace was opened for every sinner. - ST July 31, 1901

At the Cross, justice and mercy embrace and kiss each other; both are fully satisfied.

Christ’s death completely satisfies the justice of the Law.

His death completely satisfies the justice of God.

His death completely satisfies public justice (the citizens of His government).

In earthly governments, public justice is satisfied only if the one who is guilty is punished, or something else of its equivalent is done.

Public justice will accept the punishment of a Substitute providing the guilty law-breaker fulfils certain conditions:

He must be truly sorry (repentant) for his offence,

He must freely and fully confess his guilt

He must determine and pledge hence forth to honor, respect, uphold, and obey the law which he has broken.

Since God purposed to forgive or pardon the repentant sinner, the penalty must fall upon the Administrator of the moral government of the universe. Otherwise, the citizens of the universe would lose all respect for the justice of its divine Magistrate.

Jesus Christ is God’s substitute for the guilty repentant sinner. All of the loyal citizens of God’s government are satisfied with the transaction of the Cross and the terms upon which God forgives and saves repentant sinners. Public Justice is satisfied.

4. Christ’s death completely satisfies the justice of God’s enemies.

Unrepentant sinners are silenced. They could ask no greater sacrifice. Satan is shocked, utterly amazed, and silenced. He can demand no greater sacrifice.

Satan had also declared that if God forgave and took sinners to heaven, to be fair and consistent and impartial, He would have to take him and his angels back into heaven.

Christ’s death on the Cross defeats Satan and renders utterly speechless.

The time is coming when at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [who is Holy ,just and good]. Phil. 2:5-11.

As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; men could only see the penalty of the Law.

Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. It is the mingling of judgement and mercy that makes a salvation complete. Is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world’s Redeemer, and he Law of Jehovah to exclaim, “Thy gentleness has made me great.” RH Dec 13, 1892; 5 BC 1133.

The plan of salvation (the death of Jesus) manifests and satisfies the justice of God.

1. In standing by His law

2. In forgiving repentant sinners

3. In exercising mercy

4. In condemning sin

5. In destroying unrepentant sinners

6. In destroying Satan and his angels

7. In all of God’s dealings with all of His creatures in all the universe!

This is one of the important steps of God in securing the universe against a second uprising of sin.

Thus it may be clearly seen that Jesus died in order to reveal the justice of God in condemning and destroying unrepentant sinners and in pardoning and saving repentant sinners.

JESUS DIED TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR GODF TO FORGIVE SINNERS

It is the mingling of judgement (justice) and mercy that makes salvation complete. – 5 BC 1133.

In dying for sinners and in the sinner’s place, Jesus makes it not only just for God to exercise mercy toward law-breakers, He also makes it safe. Because of Jesus’ death, God can safely exercise mercy without peril to His government.

The exercise of mercy is a very delicate and perilous thing for the government [of God]. Often law-breakers are emboldened by mercy. Law-breakers are prone to mistake mercy or leniency for license. God is merciful, but He cannot exercise mercy at the expense of His government.

If God were to exercise mercy and forgive the guilty, convicted law-breaker without recognising that the penalty of the law must be inflicted upon a suitable substitute, the Law would be weakened, dishonoured, broken down, and the citizens would be emboldened to break it with a high hand. This is exactly what happened in the United States (1970). Criminals and would-be criminals have lost their respect for the law because its penalty is not enforced.

Therefore, in order to make it safe for Him to exercise mercy, God must cause the penalty of the broken law to fall upon a suitable substitute. Christ’s death in fulfilling the demands of the Law honoured and upheld the Law and enabled God to exercise mercy in pardoning and forgiving sinners without peril to His Government which fills the universe.

Thus, the death of Christ has made it safe for God to exercise mercy in pardoning repentant sinners.

1. God’s Law is honoured and upheld

2. His government is established

3. Sin receives its just deserts,

4. Justice is fully exercised,

5. Mercy is satisfied,

6. God Himself is vindicated,

7. Satan is unmasked and defeated,

8. Repentant sinners are pardoned, transformed, and saved,

9. Unrepentant sinners are condemned,

10. The great Controversy has been won, and

11. The Universe secured

Consequently, when the great controversy is ended, the universe will not only be a good place in which to live, it will also be a safe and secure place.

JESUS DIED TO HONOR AND UPHOLD HIS LAW

From the first the Great controversy has been upon [over] the Law of God. – ST Nov. 25, 1913.

Satan has deceived most of the Christian world into believing that God’s moral law of Ten Commandments has been changed or abolished.

Roman Catholicism claims to have changed it.

Protestantism claims that it has been nailed to the Cross and abolished.

Satan has also charged that God’s Law is unnecessary, faulty, arbitrary, unreasonable, selfish, and dictatorial.

How could God disprove Satan’s false charges? How could He honor, vindicate, and establish His perfect, holy law of love?

Divine Love found a way! A way which has left Satan dumbfounded, speechless, [and] utterly defeated.

Jesus died in order to satisfy, honor, uphold, establish, and vindicate the law of God’s universal moral government.

God’s law is holy, just and good. It has not been changed and never will be changed. It is unchanging and unchangeable! It must be respected and obeyed. God has declared that its penalty is death to all who disobey it. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23); “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4)

But from the beginning, sinners with a high hand, have dishonoured and broken God’s law. God must stand by His law at all costs to Himself. But He loves sinners and wants to forgive them. Satan has charged that God cannot forgive sinners. He has charged that if should forgive sinners, His law would be proven to be defective and faulty and it would not stand. He has charged that if god took sinners o heaven, he would also, to be consistent, and just, have to take him and his angels back into heaven! What would God do? How could He stand by His law and also forgive sinners for breaking that Law?

Only by executing its penalty upon a suitable Substitute – Upon one of the members of the Godhead! And so, Jesus Christ died under the demands of the Law. He died in order to honor,, uphold and vindicate the Law. The Law had been dishonoured by its violation. The offended Law demanded the execution of the death penalty upon the guilty condemned sinner. If the penalty were to be changed or set aside, then the honor and authority of the Law would be completely destroyed. It would lose its terror and authority and no one would have any respect for it; disobedience and anarchy, fear and unhappiness, suffering and death would be the result.

God has suspended the execution of the sentence upon the sinner for a time – a probationary period. But the Law must be honoured. In order to honor the Law which sinners have dishonoured by disobedience, God executed its death penalty upon His only begotten Son. He has in no way revised or abolished His Law or changed its penalty. Rather, He has executed its penalty upon a Substitute acceptable to all concerned parties.

In laying the penalty upon His Son, He has shown the highest respect and honor for the Law and has shown that He would sooner let His well-beloved Son die than to set the Law aside. Jesus died on the Cross in order to prove that the moral Law of God’s government could not be changed or abolished.

If the eternal moral Law of God could have been changed or abolished, Christ need not have died. The death of Christ on Calvary is the strongest proof possible that God could give that His Law is eternal and unchangeable. By Christ’s death in the sinner’s place, God has shown that His Law cannot be broken with impunity.

Thus, the Law must be honoured and upheld at all costs and it has been honoured and upheld at a fearful cost – the cost of the sufferings and death of the Son of God – and the continuous suffering of the Father and the Son ever since sin first entered.

If the Law had been set aside, there would have been 1. No sin; consequently there would have been 2. No need for an atoning sacrifice, and 3. Jesus need not have died.

Therefore, the death of Jesus honoured and upheld the Law and is the strongest proof possible that it is holy, just, good, eternal, unchangeable, and still binding as a standard upon the citizens of God’s moral government.

“The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary . . . . the atonement . . . . was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His Law, and still save the transgressor.” 5BC 1132.

The death of Christ testifies to the heavenly universe, to the worlds unfallen, and to all the sons and daughters of Adam, that the Law is immutable, and that in the judgement, it will condemn everyone who has persisted in transgression.” - 5ST April 7, 1898.

“The transgression of God’s Law made the death of Christ essential to save man and yet maintain the dignity and honor of the Law.” – FILB 104.

“The death of God's beloved Son on the cross shows the immutability of the law of God. His death magnifies the law and makes it honourable.” - 2T 201.

“If the law could be changed, man might have been saved without the sacrifice of Christ; but the fact that it was necessary for Christ to give His life for the fallen race, proves that the law of God will not release the sinner from its claims upon him.” – PP 70.

Jesus Himself declared that He had not come to destroy the Law but to enforce it. (See Goodspeed’s version). Matthew 5:17-19. Please see Chapter 4, Section 1 for many New Testament texts which declare that the great Ten Commandment moral Law of God is still binding upon Christians under grace as a standard of righteousness.

If the law could have been abolished, there would have been no sin, and hence, no need for Christ to die. Therefore, the death of Jesus on the Cross is the strongest possible proof that God’s Law has not been nailed to the Cross, but that it is eternal and unchangeable.

Jesus came “to magnify the Law and make it honourable.” Isa. 42:21.

He loved it. He honoured it. He obeyed it. He amplified, demonstrated, and revealed it in His life on earth. He taught it to others. He enjoined it upon others. He died in our place, bearing its penalty on transgressors.

Thus, Jesus, our example, by His death, honoured and upheld God’s Law and government.

Christ’s death proved God’s administration and government to be without a flaw.

JESUS DIED TO REVEAL THE INTRINSIC NATURE OF SIN

Satan had declared that sin didn’t really matter at all, that disobedience was a mere trifle and that obedience was wholly unnecessary. He sought to convince the angels that God’s law was unnecessary, that it was arbitrary on the part of God to require a strict obedience on the part of the angels in their exalted sphere, and that transgression of God’s Law, instead of resulting in sin, suffering, evil and death, would result in great good! “You will be exalted; you will enter upon a higher sphere; you will be as gods,” Satan declared.

In short, Satan proclaimed that sin (disobedience to God’s Law) was highly beneficial – that it would result in great enlightenment, advancement, exaltation and happiness.

Great was the confusion caused by Lucifer, son of the morning! The deception was subtle, almost overwhelming! How could God reveal to His angels the true essence, nature, and character of disobedience? How could He prove conclusively that disobedience is sin and that sin is the opposite of love – that it is selfishness, evil, deceiving, degrading, destructive of all f good, life and happiness – that its very nature is evil, hateful, and exceedingly damaging to the entire universe?

There was only one way in which God could conclusively and eternally expose Satan’s true character and reveal the true nature of sin and make the universe eternally secure against such a deception ever arising again.

It would be an extremely costly venture to the Godhead. A terrible risk was involved to the members of the Godhead and to the universe itself. But the Godhead would not spare itself; it would stop at no amount of degradation, humiliation and suffering to do the only thing that was required to secure the happiness and well-being of the angels, all created beings, and the universe itself.

Although He was not at all responsible for sin, one of the members of the Godhead took sin upon Himself and suffered the result of sin in the sinner’s place in order to reveal the true nature of sin.

“He was made to be sin for us” Cor. 5:21) and suffered the consequences of sin that all might behold and see the malignity, the evil, the debauching, devastating nature of sin. That is, Christ was treated as though He were a sinner.

It was sin which took the purest, holiest, kindest, most loving, and unselfish Person who ever lived on earth and crucified Him. Yes, more, it was sin that murdered God! Yes, sin will even murder God who is infinite in love and compassion, kindness and unselfishness. Look, sinner, to the cross, and there behold the true nature of sin and what sin will do!

“The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man . . . . would reveal . . . . the nature sin.” – PP 69.

By His death, Jesus exposed sin for what it really is – Selfishness and rebellion.

“All the worlds behold in Him a living testimony to the malignity of sin, for in His divine form he bears the marks of the curse. He is in the midst of the throne as a Lamb that has been slain . . . “ – ST Dec. 30, 1889.

And so, in the death of his Son, God successfully demonstrated and convinced the universe that sin is exceedingly sinful, hateful, degrading, and destructive, both to the sinner and to the universe.

On the Cross Jesus demonstrated the exceeding wickedness of sin.

Sin is voluntary wickedness
Sin is selfishness
Sin is stubborn rebellion against the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
Sin would actually kill God; it did it in the person of Christ
Sin must be exceedingly sinful

Can you look at the Cross and say that sin doesn’t matter; that it is a mere trifle; or hat it is good or beneficial? By suffering the results of sin – in dying – Jesus revealed that sin is exceedingly sinful and destructive.

Oh, you monster, Sin, what hast thou done? Sin answers: I cast a cherub from his holy and exalted position. I planted the seed of rebellion among the angels. I cast a third of the angels out of heaven. I corrupted Adam and Eve and drove them from paradise. I planted horns and thistles, put sweat upon the brow of man, and sowed the seeds of hate in his heart.

Sin would go on to say: I am the author of pride, envy, jealousy, hatred, lies, misery, degradation, woe, disgrace, heart-ache, pain and suffering. I am the cause of all the sickness, suffering and sorrow and misery in the world. I am the originator of death. I put a cemetery in every city, town and village.

I separated Jesus from His Father. I brought Him down from heaven. I drove Him into the Garden of Gethsemane and thrust Him dying to the ground. I lashed him up Calvary’s mountain. I spiked Him to the Cross. I broke His heart and caused Him to cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” I spilled His blood out on the ground. I murdered the pure, holy, spotless Son of god and locked Him in the tomb, and I will do the same to you if I possibly can!

JESUS DIED TO REVEAL THE INEVITABLE RESULTS OF SIN

Satan had declared that sin didn’t really matter, that sin was a mere trifle, and that sin did not result in death. He had declared that the transgression of God’s Law, instead of resulting in death, resulted in a higher form of life; “Ye shall not surely die;” “Ye shall be as gods;” “Ye shall enter upon a higher form of life!” (Gen. 3:4,5). So cunning was Satan that nearly half of the angels were deceived into believing his lies! And most of the people on this earth also believe him.

Angels and sinners must be impressed with the fact that sin ultimately and inevitably results in debasement, unhappiness, and death!

“The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man . . . would reveal the results of sin. “ - PP 69.

“The fact that it was necessary for Christ to give His life for the fallen race, proves that the Law of God will not release the sinner from its claims upon him. It is demonstrated that the wages of sin is death.” – PP 70.

“Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” – James 1:15

Jesus, by dying, revealed the fact that the result, wages, and penalty for sin is death. God has said:

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. – Ezek. 18:4, 20

The wicked shall be turned into hell. - Ps. 9:17

The wages of sin is death. – Rom. 6:23

And Christ’s death proved it!

Thus, Jesus, by dying upon the Cross as one suffering the results of, and paying the penalty for sin, revealed that instead of sin’s resulting in peace, health, happiness, wisdom, advancement, and life, it actually resulted in exactly the opposite – in war, sickness, misery, deception, debasement, and death!

JESUS DIED TO REVEAL GOD’S HATRED FOR SIN

Satan declares that sin – disobedience to God’s law – is good, beneficial, enjoyable, and billions of human beings have been deceived into believing his lie. God must correct this terrible misconception!

How can God meet Satan’s great lie firs perpetrated in heaven, then in the garden of Eden, and now in the world? How can God, once and for all, reveal to the world His evaluation of sin, and convince the world and the entire onlooking universe that sin is something to be hated, avoided, and resisted unto death? Only by his Son’s dying on the cross.

The Cross, then, is God’s public testimony of what He thinks of sin!

“In beholding the Cross the view is extended to God, and His hatred of sin is discerned. But while we behold in the3 cross God’s hatred of sin, we also behold His love for sinners, which is stronger than death.” – 5BC 1133.

And dare you, sinner, go on sinning, sinning as though it doesn’t matter! Is this why Jesus died? Hold your darling sin up before the cross and ask yourself, Is this why Jesus died? Did Jesus die to give me the license to do this great wickedness? Am I to love the sin which destroys me and which God hates and which breaks His heart?

Dear Friend, sin must be exceedingly wicked, vile, sinful, hateful, and damaging:

To incur the wrath of a God of love
To deserve and require the death penalty
To require such a tremendous sacrifice to atone for it
To crucify the pure, holy, spotless Son 0f God
To deserve the life of the sinner
To result in the destruction in the lake of fire of all who cling to it
To be the cause of all the hatred, crime, war, and natural disasters in the world
To have broken the heart of god
To continue to cause the members of the Godhead untold suffering from day to day!

Sin is so wicked and terrible and damaging and hateful that God would rather die than to permit it to continue! And this is exactly what He did in the Person of His Son!

God must, once and for all time, show the world and the universe what He thinks of sin. Christ died as God’s public testimony against sin. Christ died to demonstrate, reveal and express God’s disapproval, abhorrence, hatred and condemnation of sin. Sin is so exceedingly sinful, wicked, malignant, selfish, and deadly in its inherent nature that God must express His hatred and disapproval of it in no uncertain terms! –

- In the strongest possible terms

- In a way that will make a tremendous impression upon the mind and conscience and heart of the sinner

- In a way that will make the ears tingle, and the heart of all who hear to tremble!

The death of Jesus on the Cross shows that God will not, cannot, wink at sin as though it were a mere trifle. By taking the punishment, the wages of sin, which is death, upon Himself, God proved that His judgement upon sin and sinners is just.

Thus, no one, not even Satan, can successfully charge that God’s judgement upon sin and sinners is unfair, unreasonable, or unjust.

And so, the cross reveals the exceeding sinfulness of sin, God’s hatred for sin, and his judgement upon sin! This brings us to our next point.

JESUS DIED TO CONDEMN SIN

Satan sought to justify sin. “It’s too much expect of angels and of human beings – that they never sin. Everybody’s got to sin once in a while!” he declared.

Because of Satan’s subtly, deceptive claims, it became necessary for Jesus to condemn sin – to show that there was absolutely no justification for its existence whatsoever.

In our human nature and by His perfect sinless life, Jesus, who was tempted infinitely more than any angel or human being could ever be tempted, proved conclusively before the entire onlooking universe that:

There was absolutely no excuse for Lucifer to sin
There was absolutely no excuse for the angels to sin
There was absolutely no excuse for Adam and Eve to sin
There was absolutely no excuse for any human being ever to sin

Jesus, by His very own pure, holy, spotless life, demonstrated that sin is not necessary, that it is selfishness and rebellion.

By perfectly obeying God and His Law in every detail – by not once sinning – Jesus condemned sin forever!

“ . . . God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh condemned sin in the flesh.” – Rom. 8:3.

JESUS DIED TO REVEAL GOD’S JUDGEMENT UPON SIN

But to condemn sin was not enough! God must publically refute Satan’s charges and reveal His judgement upon sin. He must show, in no uncertain terms, that sin is exceedingly hateful and damaging, that He has condemned it forever, and that His judgement upon sin is death!

This He has done, once and for all, by executing its penalty upon His own Son!

The Father permitted his own pure, holy, spotless Son to be hung up on the Cross, above the earth where all could see and tremble at His judgement upon sin!

Thus, the death of Jesus on the cross, is God’s ETERNAL REVELATION OF His judgement upon sin and upon all who cling to it!

Consequently, the death of Jesus reveals not only:

The intrinsic nature of sin
The inevitable result of sin, and
God’s hatred for sin, but also that
His judgement upon sin is death!

Since sin is so deceptive, malicious, wicked, and destructive, God would have to do whatever was necessary to eradicate it from the universe forever. This brings us to our next point.

JESUS DIED TO DESTROY SIN FOREVER

Sin is just the opposite of love, unselfi8shness, righteousness, happiness, and life.

As long as sin existed, the universe would be filled with unhappiness and death – there would be a blotch, a mar upon God’s wonderful creative works.

The only way for God could eternally eradicate sin from the universe, would be to 1) assume he nature of a created being, 2) perfectly obey His royal law of love and liberty, and 3) take its penalty upon Himself and die as the atoning reconciling sacrifice for sin.

Thus, Jesus, by taking human nature upon Himself, by living a perfect sinless life of uninterrupted obedience to all of God’s commandments, and by His death (He resisted unto blood, He died rather than to sin) Jesus has made it possible for God to destroy sin and to put it away from the universe forever.

The time is coming when God is going to have a clean universe. Every creature in the universe will be living to the glory of God and will be singing His praises.

The book of Revelation gives us a picture of that glorious day.

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” – Rev. 5:13

Sin and Sinners are no more! The entire universe s clean!

God is able to deal with the sin problem! If there were some place in the universe where there billions and billions of fallen angels and sinners suffering in hellfire for all future time, vcursing and swearing and blaspheming God and sinning, Satan would exultantly charge that God was not able to deal with the sin problem.

How wonderful and beautiful and decisive is God’s plan of salvation! By His sinless life and by His death, Jesus has decisively defeated Satan and sin and has assured their eternal eradication from the universe.

One pulse of harmony, love, peace and righteousness beats throughout the vast universe forever more!

JESUS DIED TO REVEAL THE WORTH OF THE SOUL

Satan has succeeded in deceiving the angels into believing that they were of no account to God. He has succeeded in convincing billions of people in the world that a human being is of little worth – in fact, that he is merely an animal.

Communists are convince that a human being is of no value; it’s the state that is important, the machine of the government, that is of value. Communism is willing to sacrifice billions of lives for the conquest of the world.

Jesus died on the Cross in order to refute Satan’s lie and to reveal the exceeding preciousness of the soul – your soul, my soul, any soul! Jesus’ dying on the Cross is God’s revelation to you and me, to the world, and to the universe, of God’s estimate of the inestimable worth, the exceeding great value, the infinite preciousness of the soul. He would have died for only one!

Are you ever discouraged? Do you sometimes question your worth? Do you ever wonder concerning the value of your soul? Do you really want to know what a single soul is worth to God? Come with me to the foot of the Cross and there behold God’s estimate of the worth of a soul! It is so dear, so precious to God, that He gladly volunteered to die rather than to lose it!

“The costly ransom that was provided reveals the value that God has set upon man.” - ST Oct 8, 1894.

“Our heavenly father has valued us at the price of Jesus.” – ST Jan. 16, 1893.

Discouraged sinner, God loves you! Your soul is precious to God! You who have been tempted to think that your life is of no value; you who have been tempted to think that there is no use going on, no use living any longer; you who are tempted to end it all by taking your own life; I bring you good news!

God loves you! You are precious to God! Your soul is of infinite value to your heavenly Father! God loves you with an infinite love and wants to give meaning and beauty, nobility and greatness to your life!

The cords that were broken, He can make to vibrate once more! God still wants to make of your life the beautiful thing He originally intended it should be! He can change your life completely! He can make of you an entirely new person! He can transform you and enoble you and finally glorify you eternally! He can challenge you and inspire you and thrill you through and through with His wonderful love and power and happiness.

Will you let Him? Your Saviour is standing at your heart’s door quietly knocking, patiently waiting, tenderly beseeching, earnestly pleading with you, to open the door of your heart and let the King of Glory come in!

Listen to His earnest appealing call! “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” – Rev. 3:20.

Do you not hear His tender voice calling to you? Will you not listen to the plaintive voice of God on your doorstep?

Will you respond to His loving invitation? Will you arise and open the door? Will you receive the lover of your soul? Will you let the King of glory come in and give you a new heart, a new lif3 altogether?

JESUS DIED TO RECONCILE SINNERS TO GOD

Satan has succeeded in deceiving one third of the angels and most the people of this world into believing that God is a harsh, stern judge and dictator – a tyrant with a big stick (hell-fire) – who is trying to scare people into being good. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Since God is love, He wants love to be the one and only motivation for sinners to obey Him.

And since God is infinite in love, wisdom and kindness, He is not trying to frighten people repentance; nor is He trying to force them, against their own free will, to obey Him.

God doesn’t want anyone to serve Him from the motives of fear or selfishness. He doesn’t want anyone to right for the wrong reason. Doing right for the wrong reason will never result in liberty, transformation, happiness, or salvation.

Our heavenly Father desires only the willing, glad-hearted obedience of faith and love. All other obedience is self-centered, legalistic, hypocritical, deceptive and self-destructive! But since sinners:

Misunderstand and distrust God
Hate God – “They hated me without a cause.” – John 15:25 “ . . . that hate me without a cause.” – Psalms 35:19 and “The haters of the Lord . . . “ – Psalm 81:15
Have hardened their hearts against God
Have alienated themselves from God
Are fighting against God
Love error and evil, and
Hate truth and righteousness

How is God to clear Himself and win the confidence and respect of sinners? How is He to win the heart’s affection and loyalty of His lawless creatures?

How is God to dissolve the resentment, hostility, and hatred in the rebellious sinner’s heart, and reconcile him completely and eternally to Himself?

The sinner’s stubborn, selfish, rebellious heart must be subdued, converted, transformed. How is his to be done? This will be the miracle of miracles.

This can be done only by od dying for the sinner and in the sinner’s place! Nothing else could accomplish this great miraculous eternal transformation!

God desired to give such a tremendous revelation and demonstration of His love for sinners that it would enable Him to do the following for the sinner:

Enlighten his mind

Dissolve his hostility and win his confidence

Beget love and gratitude in his soul for God, truth and righteousness

Break his heart with grief over his sins

Lead him to surrender his will – to repent

Transform his character

Immortalize him forever

And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in Earth, or things in heaven. – Col. 1:20

God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. – 2 Cor. 5:19

By the death of Jesus, God intended to so move the sinner’s heart with sympathy, gratitude and love that the Holy Spirit would be able to lead the awakened sinner to repentance and reconciliation to God.

By this incredible revelation of Himself, God intended to beget in the sinner’s heart a hatred for sin and a love for righteousness, purity, and holiness.

Further, by His incredible love, condescension, and suffering God intended to beget within the responding sinner’s heart a tremendous motivating power and incentive to immediately break with his sins, to cast himself upon the mercy of God for forgiveness for the past and power for the present.

Thus, according to the plan of God, the death of Jesus was intended to have a melting subduing, convicting, converting, transforming influence upon the heart of he alienated sinner.

Hard and calloused indeed is the heart that does not respond to such love. It is the love of God that leads to repentance. It is the love of God that wins our hearts. It is the love of God that breaks sin’s infatuation and power. It is the love of God revealed most fully in the death of Jesus which reconciles us completely to God.

Of Himself, Jesus declared: “And I, if I be lifted up . . . . [crucified] will draw all men unto me. – John 12:32

It was the great Scottish preacher, Chalmers, who called the love of god manifested in Christ, “The expulsive power of a new Affection.”

The new affection for god is so much higher, so much more wonderful and satisfying than the old infatuation for sin, that it expels sin, and holds the repentant sinner a willing captive to the incredible love of God. Only the love of God can completely satisfy those longing hearts of ours!

The Bible states great truth when it declares: “We love Him, because He first loved us – 1 John 4:19

The goodness [love] of God leadeth thee to repentance. – Rom. 2:4

And again: The love of Christ constraineth (motivates, controls) us – 2 Cor. 5:14

It is not fear of hell-fire or selfish desires for heaven which leads to repentance and obedience, it is the love of God!

And so, by the death of Jesus on the cross, God accomplishes the conversion and reconciliation of sinners to Himself. This reconciliation restores sinners to their original perfection and brings them back into harmony, oneness and fellowship with God. Thus, by the death of Jesus, the atonement – the AT-ONE-MENT – is accomplished.

This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection; yea more. It was offered to give him an entire transformation of character, making him more than a conqueror. – SD 242

JESUS DIED TO VINDICATE THE CHARACTER OF GOD

In heaven, Lucifer had misrepresented the character of God. So sly and cunning and subtle was the arch-apostate, that he deceived one-third of the angels into rebelling against their Creator. On Earth, Satan carried forward his deceptive work which he began in heaven. He misrepresented, slandered, falsely accused, and maligned God’s character. Unfortunately, most of the inhabitants of Earth have fallen for Satan’s lie.

So long as this deception continued, the universe could never be a safe and a happy place in which to live. And so, at infinite suffering to the Godhead, one of the members of the godhead came to Earth to 1) Unmask Satan and real his true character, 2) to reveal the character of god, and thereby, 3) defeat Satan, 4) eternally vindicate God, and 5) secure he universe.

One of the purposes of the plan of salvation is the vindication of the character of God before he universe. – 6BC 999.

The universal purpose in redemption includes the vindication of the name and character of God, which have been challenged by Satan and questioned by angels. – 6 BC 1016.

Paul reminds us that the historic Jesus whom they acknowledge as Lord was the Christ of the eternal purpose of God to effect man’s salvation and to vindicate his character. – 6 BC 1016.

But the plan of redemption has yet a broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the Earth; It was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded, but it was to vindicate the character of God before he universe . . . . the act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and his Son in dealing with the rebellion of Satan – PP 68, 69.

JESUS DIED TO EXPOSE, CONDEMN, CONQUER AND DESTORY SATAN

Being evil, for the good of the universe, Satan and his evil angels must be destroyed. God could have destroyed them when they first sinned, but had He done so,

Some angels would question why,

Many angels would serve Him through fear,

The revelation of the character of God which the universe needed to destroy sin and secure it would not have been given,

The universe would not be secure,

Sin would rise up again and again throughout all eternity.

The only way God could unmask, defeat and destroy Satan and his evil angels was to come to and permit Himself to be crucified by the devil. In this way He would reveal his own true character as well as the true character of Satan. This would justify Him in destroying Satan and his evil; angels.

Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. – 1 John 3:8

The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction f him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe. That which alone can effectively restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. – 5 BC 1132.

When Jesus died on the cross, the death-knell of Satan was sounded. Christ’s death assured the destruction of the originator of sin of all his followers.

He [Satan] had dared to hope that Jesus would not take up His life again; but his courage failed him when the Saviour came forth, having paid the full ransom man, thus enabling him to overcome Satan in his own behalf in the name of Christ, the Conqueror. The Archenemy now knew that he must eventually die, and that his kingdom would have an end. – PT Feb. 18, 1886.

JESUS DIED TO FULFILL THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES CONCERNING HIS SACRIFICIAL DEATH

We are born to live; Jesus was born to die. He came into this world and took human nature upon Himself in order that He might die. In His life and death Jesus fulfilled 40 centuries of prophecies concerning Himself. He came and died in direct fulfilment of these Old Testament prophecies. His death was only one of many Old Testament prophecies which He fulfilled.

There are 331 direct, specific prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament. These were all fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth and in no other person.

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. – Luke 24:27

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” – Luke 24:44

But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” – Matt. 26:56

The following is a partial list of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus together with their New Testament fulfilment:

The place of His birth – Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 – Matt. 2:1-6; Jn. 7:42
The manner of His birth – of a virgin – Isa. 7:14 – Matt. 1:22, 23
His human generation (Humanity) – Gen. 3:11; Isa 7:14; Isa. 9:6; - Matt. 1:1; Jn. 1:1-3, 10, 14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Lk. 19:10; Phil. 2:7, 8; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb.
His divine nature (Divinity) – Isa. 7:14 (Immanuel means ‘God with Us’) ; Isa. 9:6 – John 1:3

Five centuries of prophecies fulfilled in one day

p. 105

p. 107

JESUS DIED TO SECURE THE ANGELS AGAINST SIN

So9 subtle and deceptive were the accusations of Lucifer that one third of the angels joined him in his rebellion. The other two thirds were not secure but were also in danger of being deceived into rebelling against God. The only way for them to be secure was for God to expose Satan’s malignant character and reveal His own righteous character, and the only way He could do this was to come to Earth and to die for sinners.

The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they are no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan.

Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God.

It is o marvel to angels that the infinite sacrifice made by the Son of God was ample enough to bring salvation to a fallen race, but that this atoning sacrifice should have been made is a wonder to the universe.

It is a mystery that angels desire to look into. The angels are amazed at the indifference and coldness manifested by those for whom so great a sacrifice has been provided. They look with grief and holy indignation upon those who do not seek to appreciate the unspeakable gift of God. ST Dec 30, 1889. See also 5BC 1132

JESUS DIED TO SECURE THE UNIVERSE AGAINST ANOTHER REBELLION

By Lucifer’s rebellion, the entire universe was made insecure. The whole universe was imperilled. The death of Jesus secure it eternally against another uprising of sin.

The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provided an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. . . . – ST Dec. 30, 1889

The fall of man, with all its consequences was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an after thought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for our blessing, not only of [for] this atom of a world but for the good of all the worlds that God had created. - ST May 16, 1911.

It was therefore necessary to demonstrate to the inhabitants of heaven and all of the worlds, that God’s government is just, His Law is perfect. – PP 42.

When Christ cried out “It is finished” the unfallen worlds were made secure.

For them the battle was fought and the victory won. Henceforth Satan has no place in the affection of the universe. - RH March 12, 1901.

The arm that raised the human family from the ruin which Satan had brought upon the race through the temptations, is the arm which has preserved the inhabitants of the other worlds from sin. Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of the Father and the Son; and this care is constantly exercised for the fallen humanity. – RH Jan. 11, 1861

The work of God’s dear Son in undertaking to link the created with the uncreated, the finite with the Infinite in His own divine Person, is a subject that may well employ our thoughts for a lifetime. This work of Christ was o confirm the beings of other worlds in their innocency and loyalty, as well as to save the lost and perishing of this world. He opened a way for the disobedient to return to their allegiance to God, while by the same act He placed a safeguard around those who were already pure, that they might not become polluted.

The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death., who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God.

That which can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we then not exalt the cross of Christ? – ST Dec. 30, 1889

Through Christ’s redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. Satan’s charges are refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By Love’s self-sacrifice, the inhabitants of earth and heaven are bound to their Creator in bonds of indissoluble union. – DA 26

Then the extermination of sin will vindicate God’s love and establish His honor before a universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His Law.

Well then might the angels rejoice as they looked upon the Saviour’s cross; for though they did not then understand all, they knew that the destruction of sin and Satan was forever made certain, that the redemption of man was assured, and that the universe was made eternally secure. Christ Himself fully comprehended the results of the sacrifice made upon Calvary. – DA 764

What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end [of sin and suffering]; affliction shall not rise up the second time. – Nahum 1:9

JESUS DIED TO GIVE US AN EXAMPLE AND PATTERN TO FOLLOW

He died to make an atonement and to become a pattern for everyone who would be His disciple. – 5BC 1128

Jesus died not only to make an atonement for us, but to be our pattern. – 5T 17

Christ can to Earth , taking humanity and standing as man’s representative, to show in the controversy with Satan that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and the Son, could obey every divine requirement. - ST June 9, 1898

. . . . [Christ] came to this world to live the Law in humanity, that Satan’s charges that man cannot keep the Law might be dem0onstrated false. – ST April 7, 1898

Christ’s own life was a constant expression of the Law of God. – ST Oct 29, 1896

God was not content to command us to keep His law; He came to the earth, and in human flesh kept it Himself in the person of His Son. Thus He gave us an example that we should follow Him.

Jesus said, “I have given you an example . . . “ – John 13:15

. . . . Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps – 1 Peter 2:21.

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked – 1 John 2:6.

In His Son, God has placed before man the life he is to live. – ST July 22, 1897.

For the sake of brevity, further evidence is omitted from this section. Please see chapter 4 for many quotations confirming this point.

JESUS DIED TO PROVE THAT THE LAW OF GOD CAN BE PERFECTLY OBEYED

By His life and death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the Law is righteous and can be perfectly obeyed, Satan’s charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love. – DA 762

JESUS DIED TO SANCTIFY US

Wherefore Jesus, also that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. – Heb. 13:12

We are won, converted, transformed, sanctified by the truth – the truth about God, the truth that God is love and that He died for our sins.

Sanctify them, through thy truth, Thy word is truth. – John 17:17.

Thus, it is the knowledge of God that brings redemption. It is the knowledge of God, His love, His character, His plan of salvation, that transforms us and saves us.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. – John 8:32.

The truth makes us free from 1) the slavery and tyranny of Satan and sin, 2) error, 3) fear, and 4) death.

And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . – Rom. 12:2

Our transformation takes place by the renewing of our minds. And what is it that renews the mind? It is the truth about God, the truth that God is love and that He died to save us from our sins. This is the great knowledge which enlightens, enobles, sanctifies, and save us with a great salvation. What a great and wonderful God! God is so good and so great that we want to be a part of his cause, His people, and His eternal future.

JESUS DIED TO SUFFER WHAT THE LOST SINNER WILL ULTIMATELY SUFFER.

But you say, when Jesus was on Earth, He told the people that He would rise again from the grave. Yes, this is true, but when He finally came to the time in His ministry when the sins of the whole world were rolled upon Him, He felt that sin was so terrible that it was eternally separating Him from His Father.

When he came to that time when He was suffering the wages and penalty and punishment for sin; the bright hope which He previously possessed had been removed; He could not see through the portals of the tomb. He though that He was going down to a death from which there would be no resurrection.

When martyrs die, they have the hope of the resurrection, but when Jesus actually faced death, He did not have this assurance. To all practical purposes, Jesus gave up His eternal life for us. This is what forced the blood through his pores in Gethsemane! This is the thing that flung him dying to the garden sod. This is what wrung from His lips that awful forsaken cry, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” This is what broke His heart on the cross. Yes, this is what took His life.

He paid the full price! He suffered God’s judgement upon sin – eternal rejection, eternal separation, eternal death! It was real! It was terrible! Thank God, the Father did not leave Him in the tomb!

In the book, Desire of Ages, Ellen G White says, “It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones.” – DA 83

Let us contemplate the suffering of Christ in Gethsemane, for it was there that the victory was won and the strength gained, through surrender, through the ordeal of the following eighteen hours which ended with His death.

Let us notice the following heart-breaking descriptions of what He suffered in Gethsemane. (DA 685-694).

In company with His disciples, the Saviour slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane. . . . as He neared Gethsemane, He became strangely silent. He had often visited this spot for meditation and prayer, but never with a heart so full of sorrow as upon this night of His last agony . . . . now He seemed to be shut out from the light of God’s sustaining presence.

Now he was numbered with the transgressors. The guilt of fallen humanity He must bear. Upon him who knew no sin must be laid the iniquity of us all. So dreadful does sin appear to him, so great is the weight of the guilt which He must bear, that He is tempted to fear it will shut him out forever from His Father’s love. Feeling how terrible is the wrath of God against transgression, He exclaims, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”

As they approached the garden, the disciples had marked the change that came over their Master. Never before had they seen Him so utterly [686] sad and silent. As He proceeded, this strange sadness deepened; yet they dared not question Him as to the cause. His form swayed as if He were about to fall. Upon reaching the garden, the disciples looked anxiously for His usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest. Every step that He now took was with labored effort. He groaned aloud, as if suffering under the pressure of a terrible burden. Twice His companions supported Him, or He would have fallen to the earth. – DA 685, 686.

[He] ell prostrate upon the ground. He felt that by sin He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it. This agony He must not exert His divine power to escape. As man He must suffer the consequences of man's sin. As man He must endure the wrath of God against transgression. . . .

As the substitute and surety for sinful man, Christ was suffering under divine justice. He saw what justice meant. Hitherto He had been as an intercessor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for Himself.

As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. In the wilderness of temptation the destiny of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now [687] the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ's ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's; he himself would be overthrown and cast out. But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power. With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ's soul was filled with dread of separation from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan's kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God. – DA 686, 687.

The conflict was terrible. Its measure was the guilt of His nation, of His accusers and betrayer, the guilt of a world lying in wickedness. The sins of men weighed heavily upon Christ, and the sense of God's wrath against sin was crushing out His life. . . . The chilling dew of night falls upon His prostrate form, but He heeds it not.

[He] was now suffering superhuman agony, . . . . wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. – DA 687, 688.

Again the Son of God was seized with superhuman agony, and fainting and exhausted, He staggered back to the place of His former struggle. His suffering was even greater than before. As the agony of soul came upon Him, "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." The cypress and palm trees were the silent witnesses of His anguish. From their leafy branches dropped heavy dew upon His stricken form, as if nature wept over its Author wrestling alone with the powers of darkness. – DA 689.

Now had come the hour of the power of darkness. Now His voice was heard on the still evening air, not in tones of triumph, but full of human anguish. . . .

They saw his face marked with the bloody sweat of agony, and they were filled with fear. His anguish of mind they could not understand. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” – Isa. 52:14

Turning away, Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of a great darkness. The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come—that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance. Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity. – DA 690.

His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to himself. . . . Having made the decision, He fell dying to the ground from which He had partially risen. . . .

There was silence in heaven. No harp was touched. Could mortals have viewed the amazement of the angelic host as in silent grief they watched the Father separating His beams of light, love, and glory from His beloved Son, they would better understand how offensive in His sight is sin. – DA 693.

He had borne that which no human being could ever bear; for He had tasted the sufferings of death for every man. – DA 694

CONCLUSION

In conclusion let us notice the purposes of the death of Jesus in relation to the following: (the numbers at the left indicate the number of the reason or purpose in this chapter)

GOD

Because God is love
To reveal the character of God
To vindicate the character of God

GOD’S GOVERNMENT

To make it possible for God to forgive sinners
To justify God in justifying (forgiving) sinners
To make it safe for God to forgive sinners

GOD’s LAW

To honor and uphold His Law
To prove that the Law can be perfectly obeyed

GOD’S ENEMY

17. To expose, condemn, conquer, and destroy Satan

SIN

To reveal the intrinsic nature of sin
To reveal the inevitable results of sin
To reveal God’s hatred for sin
To condemn sin
To reveal God’s judgement upon sin
To destroy sin forever

SINNERS

3. To save sinners

14. To reveal he worth of the soul

15. To reconcile sinners to God

21. To give us an example and pattern to follow

22. To prove that the Law can be perfectly obeyed

23. To sanctify us

24. To suffer what the lost sinner will ultimately suffer

GOD’S BOOK

18. To fulfil the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah

THE ANGELS

19. To secure the angels against sin

THE UNIVERSE

20. To secure the universe

Thus, God’s eternal purpose in the Great Controversy between himself and Satan (The defeat of Satan, the Vindication of Himself, and the securing of the Universe), is accomplished through the two-fold revelation:

- A Revelation of the character of God through Jesus

- A Revelation of the character of God in His people in every age of the world’s history, and especially in Earth’s last generation.

May you, Dear Reader, have a part in God’s great vindication and share in His eternal triumph!

HOW WONDERFUL THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS

“The mystery of the Cross explains all other mysteries” – GC 652.

The attention of all the inhabitants of all the worlds will be directed to the cross of Christ around which will cluster the exceeding eternal weight of glory. – ST Dec. 30, 1889.

The theme of redemption will be the science and song of the angels and of the redeemed throughout eternity!

p. 114

Be Not Faithless, But Believing!

The glorious object of the death of Jesus on the Cross and His life in us day by day is not only a future salvation in heaven, but a present salvation from sin.

Do not suppose for one moment that the holy God who hates sin in the sinner is willing to tolerate it in the Christian!

The Cross of Jesus vanquishes the love and power of sin from our hearts, and saves unto the uttermost. What a magnificent salvation.

The Bible presents Jesus as a Saviour who desires and is able to save us from both the power and the guilt of sin!

We reject one of the most definite and glorious doctrines of the Bible if we say that it is impossible for God to deliver us from sin.

The best news from heaven is that Jesus saves us, not in, but from sin!

The Most Exalted Position To Which Man Can Attain!

“Kneeling at the foot of the Cross, he [the repentant sinner] has reached he highest place to which man can attain.” - 5BC 1133.

on earth

p. 115

[ CLOSING EVENTS STUDY 33 – EXCERPTS ]

CLOSING EVENTS STUDY NO. 7

THE LOUD CRY

The Message of the Loud Cry
The Time of the Loud Cry
The Power of he Loud Cry
The Spirit of the Loud Cry
The Purpose of the Loud Cry
The Results of the Loud Cry
The Reaction to the Loud Cry
The Recipients of the Loud Cry
The Glory of the Loud Cry
The Preparation for the Loud Cry

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“CLOSING EVENTS”
Study 33 - Excerts

Gordon Collier, God’s Eternal Purpose in the Great Controversy