CLOSING EVENTS STUDY No. 33 – GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
Elder Gordon Collier (pp. 50-58 excerpts)
Rev. 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
SATAN’S CLAIM – CHRIST’S COUNTER CLAIM
Satan represents God’s Law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. . . . Jesus was to unveil this deception. - DA 24.
Christ came to the world to counteract Satan’s falsehood that God had made a law that men could not keep . . . He showed that it is possible for man perfectly to obey the Law. – FILB 114.
He [Christ] came to this world to live the law in humanity, that Satan’s charge that man cannot keep the Law might be demonstrated as false. He came to reveal to the heavenly universe, to the worlds unfallen, and to sinful men, that every provision has been made by God in behalf of humanity, and that through the imputed righteousness of Christ, all who receive Him by faith, can show their loyalty be keeping the Law. – ST April 7, 1898.
WHAT CHRIST’S SINLESS LIFE PROVED
Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He proved that humanity and DIVINITY combined can obey every one of God’s precepts. – COL. 314
By His (sinless) life and His death, Christ proved that . . . the Law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan’s charges were refuted. – DA 762.
Satan declared that human beings could not keep the Law. Christ proved this statement false. – RH Sept. 24, 1901.
The Saviour’s life of obedience maintained the claims of the Law: It proved that the Law could be kept in humanity, and showed the excellence of character that obedience would develop. – DA 309.
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WHAT CHRIST’S DEATH PROVED
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. – ST April 7, 1898.
Christ took upon Himself the nature of man, and by a perfect life demonstrated the falsity of the claims of him who constantly accuses those who are trying to obey GOD’S LAW. And the blood of Christ shed on the cross is the everlasting, uncontrovertible testimony that God’s Law is as immutable as His character. – ST July 23, 1902.
Calvary is the unanswerable ARGUMENT FOR THE IMMUTABILITY OF THE LAW OF GOD; for could one of its precepts have been altered to meet man in his fallen condition, the Son of God need not have suffered death for a guilty race. – RH Oct. 8, 1925.
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SATAN EXPOSED
The death of Jesus on the cross revealed to the universe that Satan was a murderer at heart.
“The battle has been won, His right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him the victory. As a Conqueror He planted His banner on the eternal heights. . . . Not until the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds. – DA 758.
WHICH WILL YOU BELIEVE?
“Satan declared that human beings could not keep the Law. Christ has proved this statement false.” – RH Sept. 24, 1901.
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GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE
Christ came to Earth as God’s representative to demonstrate to men and angels that human nature may perfectly obey God’s Law.
“Christ was a Representative before men and before angels, of the character of the God of heaven. He demonstrated the fact that when humanity depends wholly upon God, men may keep God’s commandments and live, and His law be as the apple of the eye.” – STM No, 3, page 59.
“In His life and character He not only reveals the character of God, but the possibility of man. He was the Representative of God and the Exemplar of Humanity. He presented to the world what humanity might become when united by faith with Divinity.” – ST June 5, 1893.
“. . . He has given to the world a representation of of the character of God and the character of a perfect man. He shows us what God is, and what man may become – Godlike in character.” – GCB vol. 3, p. 2.
“Christ’s life represents a perfect manhood, just that which you may be, He was in human nature.” – MS W-106, 1896.
These words are to be taken literally! This is true in the fullest sense of the term.
CHRIST PROVES HIS POINT
Christ took upon Himself humanity for us; He clothed His divinity with humanity, and with divinity and humanity combined, Christ showed that the Law that Satan declared could not be kept, could be kept. Christ took humanity to stand here in our world. To show that Satan had lied, He took humanity upon Him, that with divinity and humanity combined, man could keep the law of Jehovah. – MS I, pp. 9, 10, 1889.
He [Christ] lived the Law of God, and honoured it in a world of transgression, revealing to 1) the heavenly universe, 2) to Satan, and 3) to all the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, that through His grace, Humanity can keep the Law of God. – YI June 2, 1898.
God will test all, even as He tested [the angels in heaven and as He tested] Adam and Eve, to see whether they will be obedient. Our loyalty or disloyalty will decide our destiny. Since the fall of Adam, men in every age have excused themselves of sinning, charging God with their sin, saying that they could not keep His commandments. This is the insinuation Satan cast at God in heaven. But the plea, ‘I cannot keep the commandments,’ need never be presented to God; for before Him stands the Saviour, the marks of crucifixion upon His body, a Living Witness that the Law can be kept. It is not the man cannot keep the Law, but that they will not. . . . In His human nature Christ rendered perfect obedience to the Law of God, thus proving to all that this Law can be kept. – RH May 28, 1901. (See also RH May 7, 1901 – entire article).
What a wonderful revelation and demonstration Christ gave to prove that man, converted, Spirit-filled, transformed, and sanctified wholly, can live without ever sinning! What a glorious truth and prospect!
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CHRIST’S SINLESS LIFE – A REVELATION AND A LIVING DEMONSTRATION OF THE GREAT TRUTH
Christ came in human form to show to the unfallen worlds and of the fallen world that ample provision has been made to enable human beings to live in loyalty (obedience) to their Creator. – ST Aug. 2, 1905.
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Christ unites in His person the fullness of the Godhead and the fullness and perfection of sinless humanity. . . . Christ’s life is a revelation of what fallen human beings may become through and fellowship with the divine nature. . . . The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. – FILB 219.
In His life and character He not only reveals the character of God, but the possibility of man. He was the representative of God and the Exemplar of humanity. He [Christ] presented to the world what humanity might become when united by faith with divinity. – ST June 5, 1893.
“He has given to the world a representation of the character of God and the character of a perfect man. He shows us what God is, and what man may become – Godlike in character.” – GCB vol. 3, p. 2.
“His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the Law of God.” – DA 24.
“He showed that it is possible for man perfectly to obey the Law of God.” – FILB 114.
“His life declares that humanity combined with divinity, does not commit sin.” – MH 180.
“. . . whosoever would accept Him might have power to live His sinless life.” – RH Jan. 28, 1909.
“His life and character were the unfolding or representation of the perfection of character that man may attain by becoming a partaker of the divine nature, and overcoming the world through daily conflicts.” – FILB 114.
“In His Son, God has placed before man the life he is to live.” – ST July 22, 1897.
“His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.” – DA 664.
As with Christ, so with us, perfect surrender is the secret of victory.
“Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.” – ST June 17, 1897. (See also 7BC 929).
Many Christians believe that Jesus could live without sinning because He was divine, but that we cannot live without sinning because we are human. They erroneously conclude that He used His own inherent divine nature in overcoming Satan’s temptations and in living without sinning. “Of course He could live without sinning!” they exclaim, “Look who He was!” But is this true?
Was the obedience of Jesus the obedience of a God or of a man?
Did He use His divine nature to overcome sin?
Did He have any help or power we may not freely have?
May we do what He did in living without sinning?
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THE OBEDIENCE OF A MAN
“Christ’s overcoming and obedience is that of a true human being. In our conclusions, we make many mistakes because of our erroneous views of the human nature of our Lord. When we give to His human nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, we destroy the completeness of His humanity. His imputed grace and power He gives to all who receive Him by faith.
“The obedience of Christ to His Father was the same obedience that is required of man. Man cannot overcome Satan’s temptations without divine power to combine with his instrumentality. So with Jesus Christ; He could lay hold of divine power. He came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser God to a greater, but as a man to obey God’s holy law, and in this way He is our example. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God’s power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset.
“The Lord now demands that every son and daughter of Adam, through faith in Jesus Christ, serve Him in human nature which we now have. The Lord Jesus has bridged the gulf that sin has made. He has connected Earth with heaven, and finite man with the infinite God. Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, could only keep the commandments in the same way that humanity can keep them.” – 7BC 929.
WAS IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CHRIST TO SIN?
“Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by temptation. Then He could not have been placed in Adam’s position; He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we had in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear that He has not endured.” – DA 117.
AN ASTOUNDING REVELATION
“Jesus revealed no qualities and exercised no powers that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.” – DA 664.
DOES YOUR FAITH GRASP IT?
The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ. – 7T 143.
“The Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. He expects from us the perfection which Christ revealed in His humanity.” – CG 477.
“What Christ was in His perfect humanity, we must be; for we must form characters for eternity.” – TM 173.
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From the above inspired statements we learn that:
Christ took our HUMAN NATURE upon Himself.
He lived without sinning.
In overcoming sin, He did nothing that we may not do. (All that He did we may do).
He had no help that we may not have. (All the help He had, we may have).
He overcame through FAITH and SURRENDER.
We may overcome in the same way He overcame.
Therefore, we too may live without sinning!
(See Closing Events Study No. 22 and No. 8)
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CHRIST’S SPECIAL THREE-FOLD MISSION
“In becoming man’s substitute, in bearing the curse that should fall upon man, Christ has pledged Himself in behalf of the race 1) to maintain the sacred and exalted honor of His Father’s Law. 2) He came to convince men of sin, which is the transgression of the Law, and 3) through divine mediation, bring him back to obedience to God’s commandments.” – ST April 30, 1940.
HOW ACCOMPLISHED?
Consequently, the complete restoration of man, in this life, to perfect obedience to God’s Law, is the precise way Christ will honor, vindicate, and establish God’s Law in the universe. This is the purpose of the Third Angel’s message – TO PERFECT A PEOPLE WHO WILL VINDICATE GOD!
These three reasons, it must be emphasized, are only three objectives of Christ’s mission to this earth. (Please see the next chapter for 20 reasons or purposes God had for Christ coming to this earth).
A SUBLIME FINAL DEMONSTRATION!
In the great controversy, Christ will prove that God’s Law can be obeyed, 1) by keeping it Himself in our human nature and in the same way we may keep it, 2) by enabling such men as Enoch in every age of earth’s history to keep it, and finally, 3) by raising up a community of saints, all over the world, in Earth’s last generation, after nearly 6000 years of sin and hereditary degeneration, who perfectly obey it in the darkest, most wicked, most difficult age of Earth’s history. What a sublime demonstration!
This is the very heart of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. When this great truth is comprehended, you will hear the bell of eternity ringing in the depths of your soul!
ON WHICH SIDE ARE YOU?
On which side is the person who says that it is impossible for man, by the grace of God, to live without sinning? To say that we cannot live without committing acts of sin is 1) to limit the power of God and to say that 2) the Grace of God is not sufficient!
TWO FALSEHOODS!
1 To say that the standard for the Christian is PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS, but that we cannot, by the grace of God, reach it and live without sinning, IS TO TURN POPE AND TO GRANT AN INDULGENCE FOR SIN! If we cannot reach it, how much sin will God permit in our lives and still save us? The absurdity of the claim is obvious!
Unfortunately, the Christian who believes that he cannot live without sinning, unconsciously concludes, I can’t live without sinning, so why try? This results in a lower aim – the lowering of the guard, neglect in abiding in Christ, a slackening off of purpose, effort, and perseverance. The final result of such an attitude is defeat, defeat, defeat!
2 To say that the standard is less than perfect righteousness – Perfect Obedience – is to take the part of sin and Satan against God! It is to lower the standard to suit our carnal natures!
Once we lower the standard, how low shall we lower it? How much can a person sin and still be saved?
OUR BATTLE
“Those who live the life of a Christian are battling against the Devil’s Lie that man cannot keep God’s Law.” – ST July 10, 1901.
THOSE WHO SUSTAIN SATAN’S LIE
“. . . all who break God’s commandments are sustaining Satan’s claim that the Law is unjust, and cannot be obeyed.” – DA 309.
THOSE WHO CHARGE GOD WITH FALSEHOOD
“. . . EXACT OBEDIENCE is required, and those who say that it is not possible to live a PERFECT LIFE, throw upon God the imputation of injustice and untruth.” – RH Feb. 7, 1957.
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THE CROSS IS A REVELATION OF ANOTHER GREAT TRUTH CONCERNING THE LAW
Satan has also declared that God’s Law has either been changed or abolished. One reason Jesus died was to prove that the Law is eternal and unchangeable. For if the Law could have been abolished or changed, God would have changed it and Jesus would not have had to die. Jesus’ death on the cross is the strongest possible proof that the Law could not be changed or abolished.
“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. It is demonstrated that the wages of sin is death. When Christ died, the destruction of Satan was made certain.
“But if the Law was abolished at the cross, as many claim, then the agony and death of God’s dear Son were endured only to give Satan just what he asked; then the Prince of evil triumphed, his charges against the divine government were sustained.
“The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of man’s transgression, is a mighty argument to all created intelligences, that the Law is changeless; that God is righteous, merciful, and self-denying; and that infinite justice and mercy unite in the administration of His government.” – PP 70. (See 86 to 90 for more Spirit of Prophecy quotations on this point).
Those today who refuse to obey the Law of God (even one commandment) and who fight against it, are doing exactly what Lucifer did in heaven! They may camouflage their motives, but it amounts to precisely the same thing – Lack of love for God, lack of confidence in God, hostility toward God, His person, His authority and His government!
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 that 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 proved by the following 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; Mar. 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 to testify to its immutability. And this was forever to 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 His supreme test in Gethsemane, by being victorious, would vindicate God’s Law and prove that it can be perfectly obeyed.
“Now the time has 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.
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6. 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 (538 AD 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 Roman 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 seven, 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.
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GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
C.E. Study 33 – pp. 50-58
Elder Gordon Collier