Who is "the Word"?

The Word is the sin-destroyer.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son. {8T 286.1}

We have only one perfect photograph of God, and this is Jesus Christ. In entering into any line of service we need to ask, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee; O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” {Ms70-1899}

Christ came to represent the Father. We behold in him the image of the invisible God. He clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to the world that the erroneous ideas Satan had been the means of creating in the minds of men, in regard to the character of God, might be removed. We could not behold the glory of God unveiled in Christ and live; but as he came in the garb of humanity, we may draw nigh to our Redeemer. We are called upon to behold the Lord our Father in the person of his Son. Christ came in the robe of the flesh, with his glory subdued in humanity, that lost man might communicate with him and live. Through Christ we may comprehend something of him who is glorious in holiness. Jesus is the mystic ladder by which we may mount to behold the glory of the infinite God. By faith we behold Christ standing between humanity and divinity, connecting God and man, and earth and heaven. {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 5}

Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer. {MH 113.1}

In the words, "They shall be all taught of God," Jesus referred to the prophecy of Isaiah: "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." Isaiah 54:13. This scripture the Jews appropriated to themselves. It was their boast that God was their teacher. But Jesus showed how vain is this claim; for He said, "Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me." Only through Christ could they receive a knowledge of the Father. Humanity could not endure the vision of His glory. Those who had learned of God had been listening to the voice of His Son, and in Jesus of Nazareth they would recognize Him who through nature and revelation has declared the Father. {DA 387.5}

"I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." Jesus came by the authority of God, bearing His image, fulfilling His word, and seeking His glory; yet He was not accepted by the leaders in Israel; but when others should come, assuming the character of Christ, but actuated by their own will and seeking their own glory, they would be received. And why? Because he who is seeking his own glory appeals to the desire for self-exaltation in others. To such appeals the Jews could respond. They would receive the false teacher because he flattered their pride by sanctioning their cherished opinions and traditions. But the teaching of Christ did not coincide with their ideas. It was spiritual, and demanded the sacrifice of self; therefore they would not receive it. They were not acquainted with God, and to them His voice through Christ was the voice of a stranger. {DA 212.4}

Jesus came to this earth to represent the character of the Father to the world. He said, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." Satan had misrepresented the character of God, and placed him in a false light. But Jesus came to reveal the Father's love and compassion toward the fallen children of men. When those who profess to be the servants of God draw down their countenances in gloom, and are ever complaining, they misrepresent their heavenly Father. They are confirming the impression that Satan has made concerning his character. They say to the world, "The service of God is a hard service. It is bondage to keep the law of God." This is all false. What is it that puts the shackles on men's wrists? Is it obedience to law? No, indeed. Those who keep the laws walk at liberty. It is the transgressor that is in bondage. The curse of the law is not upon those who are striving to fulfill God's holy precepts through faith in the Redeemer. They are covered with his righteousness. They are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 7}

We don't have to repeat Israel's failure to understand the character of God.

Sin kills, not God. God is not the executioner. Repeat (change your mind) and believe the Good News. (Mark 1)

PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS THREAD INTO A DIFFERENT TOPIC

The topic is a BIBLICAL discussion on the lessons of the "Lost Sanctuary Bible Study Guide.

OFF TOPIC

Lesson two, The War on Earth, the Fall of Man

What were the issues of the rebellion? What is sin?

Why didn't Satan reap the results of sin right away?
Can you give Biblical reasons?

Why did God continue to give Lucifer and his fallen angels life and even allow him access to the tree of good and evil, so he could deceive the human race?
Why was the tree put in the garden in the first place?

What does this have to do WITH THE SANCTUARY
and the truths we believe in-- the sanctuary doctrine?

Why introduce a carrier of a "deadly disease" (to use APL's interpretation) into the garden to infect a newly created race?

Or maybe it he wasn't "carrying a disease" but was waging a battle for the MIND and allegiance and worship?

These are questions that bother a lot of people.


As we've seen --
some simply deny the fact that there was a Lucifer,
or that there was a rebellion PRIOR to the six days of creation -- or even after creation --

That's what the lessons are trying to address ---


Can you give some BIBLICAL answers.
That's what the lessons are trying to do.


And yes, embedded in the last posts are some answers, but they are kind of buried in "an agenda?" Let's try not to turn this into the agenda that has dominated so many threads in the past.

My first reply was a direct comment on what you wrote, and Desire of Ages (any many other places in the Conflict of the AGes) specifically address you "why" question. The answer stands. If Satan had been left to the inevitable consequence of his sin, he would have perished, but the on looking universe would not have understood, they would have thought that it was God executing him. That answer still stands, and again a direct reply to what you stated. Perhaps it is Green you are concerned about taking off on a tangent for he sure did with his accusations, which are techniques of the opposition. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel.

Yes, I agree with that part, and the quotes you shared in that first post. By rebelling against God, Satan cut his connection with the Life Giver and would have died. The onlookers would have thought God was vindictive, they didn't know what sin was, or what effect it had (not only that it results in death) but also how it affects life, bringing all manner pain, damage, and trouble.

The problem was, the quotes were prefaced by comments that baited -- and the bait was taken, and we want this thread to try to stay more or less on topic.

Also -- it's easy and comfortable to quote EGW.
But the Christian world in general don't look to her.
We need to have answers from the Bible for the many people who don't see the "great controversy" picture.

Ah - this is and SDA online forum, correct? But then, John 14:9 comes back in frame, as Jesus is the ONLY perfect picture we have of God, not Balaam's donkey.

The lesson itself focuses on judgment.

That subject is very much a part of the sanctuary message.


So, in the above verses we see that --
a decision will be made.
"the Son quickens (gives life) to whom he will."
This decision is based on a judgment
"all judgment is given to the Son (to Christ)
This judgment is based on whether a person "hears and believes on God" they have passed from death onto life.

The passage continues say an hour is coming when the dead shall rise -- some in the resurrection of life to eternal life
-- some to the resurrection of damnation --

So the judgment also has something to do with "doing good" or "doing evil".

The passage takes us back to the judgment every few verses--
Christ was given the power to execute the judgment also, and his judgment is just and in perfect harmony with the Father's will.

Thoughts from "Lesson Two"
You can study the lessons at the links

Satan had been accusing God of being unfair.
His arguments are mirrored in arguments of people since then --
Like Korah telling the God appointed leaders there in the wilderness saying -- we are all holy, you take too much upon yourself telling us what we can and can't do. (See Numbers 16)
Lesson 1 explained Lucifer’s rebellion against God's law of love, for sin is the transgression of God's law, (1 John 3:4) thus his rebellious “sin,” that ultimately led to his downfall was an undermining of God's law. (Ez. 24:15)

In rebelling against the law of love, the result could only lead to hate. Lucifer argued that the government of God needed to be reformed and began a campaign to unseat God.

Lucifer's life was entirely in God's control. God had a choice to make -- continue giving life to this angel, or allow the separation that his rebellion had made to cut the life line. God CHOSE to continue to give life to the rebellious angels.

There is one thing that comes through strongly -- God doesn't ONLY work perfect justice, He wants us to be convinced that everything He does is out of love and justice.

Justice must be recognized as entirely fair. The Bible illustrates this in a vivid way. If a witness came to testify against someone, both the defendant and the accuser had to stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges (Deuteronomy 19:16, 17).
The judges were to make careful inquiry (Deuteronomy 19:18).

In other words, the accused could not sit as judge over the accuser; neither could the accuser sit as judge over the accused. There must be a third party, a jury, to decide the dispute between both parties.

Using this principle, we can see that had God, being the accused, judged and not sustained life in Lucifer, it would have appeared suspect to the other angels. God was being accused by a greatly beloved and dazzling angel. There must be a third party, a jury, bound by the laws of righteousness, to serve in this case. And who would God select to make up that jury? We are told that the “saints will the world” and “will judge angels.
” (1 Corinthians 6:1–3).


And that is an interesting thought --

You are greatly mistaken, not knowing the scriptures nor God.

Jesus said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17. And so in his ministry, He was continually and earnestly tending to the vine of humanity.

He spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" Luke 13:6-9

See? But after that, "cut it down!"

And so we read that at the end of time, Satan will throw himself in the Lake of Fire. Yes, God will try to save him but he would not allow God to save him, but would personally plunge into the Lake to destroy himself forever. Before that however, Satan will take all the people on his side and drive them into the Lake. Yes, and then he would grab Death and Hades by the collar bones and throw them into the fiery furnace. ONLY after he would have made certain that everything evil had been destroyed, would he THEN destroy himself forever by taking the plunge -- and so cleanse the universe of all sin. Far be it from God to lift even a pinky against that serpent! See Rev. 20:15.

Something is wrong with my head. Please, would someone kindly help me? The convolution hurts! Should I praise Satan for the good that he would do at the end of time?

///

What happens to the rebellious angels and their followers at the end of this great controversy, is covered in
Lesson 16
.