God's Salvation: An Answer to a Probing Question

God's Salvation: An Answer to a Probing Question
Orion - the seat of God unsplash.com - Samuel PASTEUR-FOSSE

Why has this world of sin and suffering groaned on for almost two thousand years since Jesus died? By Dave Fiedler

Reading time: 20 minutes

The desire for salvation is a basic longing of every human being. While we're rarely direct enough to say, "I told you so!", we naturally feel a certain satisfaction when others see that our point of view was correct. That's not necessarily wrong either. Pride, however, tends to inspire a desire to devalue others or exalt oneself. Nevertheless, the wish is legitimate that others recognize as true and correct what is also true and correct.

Like the people he created, the Creator also looks forward to the day of his salvation. For several thousand years he has patiently pursued the costly course of showing the goodness and necessity of his principles of government. Throughout the history of our fellowship we encounter this recurring theme, the unique Adventist insight: the character of believers will fully reflect the image of Jesus in the last generation. They will live without sin in the time of trouble, thus rehabilitating God's character, justifying it, saving his glory. There are a few aspects to this scenario that deserve our attention.

  • Why would God pursue such a course at all?
  • Why doesn't he just proclaim that he's right?
  • Why is he taking a chance at a demonstration?
  • Why is he taking the time to do this?
  • Why should he wait for the "last generation" to fulfill an unprecedented challenge?

Denn time is expensive – not so much in human currency as in a more expensive currency: suffering. With each new day, a terrible toll is taken on the millions who inhabit this sinful planet. God himself suffers more than they do, so much more that we cannot comprehend and seldom consider.

“Most of the times when people think about what would happen if they slowed or sped up the gospel preaching, they think about the world and about themselves. Few think about God or about the pain that sin causes our Creator. All of heaven suffered Jesus' agony, but his suffering did not begin and end with his revelation as a human. The cross reveals to our dull senses the pain that sin has caused God's heart from the very beginning. Every deviation from the law, every cruel deed, every failure of mankind to stray from the course set by God causes him great sorrow." (Educations, 263; cf. education, 217)

suffering matters. It wastes time. If there were no suffering, we might think that God would have no incentive to deal with the problem of sin now, but only a few million years from now. If there was no suffering, why should he hurry?

But suffering is a double-edged sword. While it assures us that God has reason enough to seek a solution to "the great controversy," it also raises a question: why does he allow suffering to drag on?

Why does God not put an end to suffering?

Perhaps we cannot grasp everything related to this problem. But we must concede that God's present relationship to the continuing existence of sin must fall into one of four categories:

  • He cannot abolish sin.
  • He can abolish sin, but he doesn't want to.
  • He can abolish sin, but it is not important enough for him.
  • He can abolish sin, but he has sufficiently important reasons to justify allowing sin for a period of time.

Even without theological training, we see that the first three possibilities hopelessly contradict the testimony of inspiration. If sin does not cause suffering, one might think there would be little or no need to remove it from the universe. If sin causes suffering only to sinful creatures, one might suspect that God lacks the compassion needed to remove sin from the universe. But since both the Creator Himself and His creatures suffer from sin, it stands to reason that there must be a valid reason delaying the removal of sin. The question arises, "What reason could delay the removal of sin?" Fortunately, there are answers to this question:

'Why was the great struggle allowed to last through ages? Why wasn't Satan wiped out when he started his rebellion? - So that the universe may be convinced of God's righteous treatment of evil, and sin receive eternal damnation. There are ups and downs in the plan of salvation that even in eternity our spirits will never fully comprehend—wonders that the angels are eager to comprehend.” (Educations, 308; see. Education, 252)

“God in His wisdom did not use coercion to quell Satan's rebellion. Such measures would have aroused sympathy for Satan and increased his rebellion rather than weakened his power. Had God punished Satan's rebellion in the first place, many more beings would have seen Satan wronged and followed his example. It was necessary that he be given the time and opportunity to develop his false principles.« (Signs of the Times, July 23, 1902)

“The great god could have thrown that arch-con artist out of heaven in an instant. But it was not his intention... If God had exercised his power to punish this arch-rebel, the disaffected angels would not have come out. So God took a different path. He wanted all the heavenly host to understand clearly his justice and judgment.« (The Spirit of Prophecy 1, 21)

“The all-wise God allowed Satan to continue his work until the spirit of discontent matured into open rebellion. His plans had to fully develop so that all could see their true nature and purpose. Lucifer held an exceedingly high position as the anointed cherub; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings and had a great influence on them... He had presented his position with great skill and pursued his intentions with quibbles and deceit. His power of deception was very great. Under the cloak of untruth, he gained a head start. Even the faithful angels could not fully see through his character or see where his work was leading.« (The Great Controversy, 497; see. The big fight, 499)

The difficulty with these answers remains the time factor. Each of these points explains why Satan was not destroyed when he fell. But what about now? Hasn't enough time passed for everyone to see through his intentions?

Wasn't the battle already won on Calvary?

At this point, the testimonials get a little more complex. Certain statements from the Spirit of Prophecy give the impression that the issues at the cross were finally settled. Other statements clearly state that they are still open. For example:

“Jesus' life was a most complete and thorough rehabilitation (salvation of honor) of his Father's law. His death certified the immutability of the law. « (This Day With God, 246)

»The plan of salvation had an even broader, deeper meaning than the salvation of man. Jesus came to earth not only to let the inhabitants of our little world keep His law as it should be, but to redeem God's character before the universe... Jesus' act of dying to save mankind didn't just make made heaven accessible to man, but rehabilitated before the whole universe the way God and his Son met Satan's rebellion. He ensured the enduring validity of God's law and revealed the nature and consequences of sin.« (Patriarchs and Prophets, 68-69; see. patriarchs and prophets, 46)

“It was not until Jesus' death that the true character of Satan became clear to the angels and the unfallen worlds. Only then did they see the evasions and accusations of the once-exalted angel in their proper light. Now it was seen that his supposedly flawless character was deceptive. His profound plan to set himself up for sole rule was seen through. His untruths were visible to all. God's authority has been established forever. The truth triumphed over untruth.« (Signs of the Times, August 27, 1902)

As compelling as such statements may sound on their own, there is another lead. While some will be tempted to see a "contradiction" in this, it is clear that Ellen White herself saw no such thing. Speaking of the effects of Jesus' sacrifice, she noted the following:

»Satan realized that his mask had been torn off. His course of action was revealed before the unfallen angels and all heaven. He had exposed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he deprived himself of all sympathy from heavenly beings. From then on his work was limited. Whatever attitude he took, he could no longer wait for the angels, when they came from the heavenly courts, to accuse Jesus' brothers of wearing unclean, sin-stained robes before them. The last bond of affection between heaven and Satan was broken.
However, Satan was not destroyed then. Even now the angels did not understand all that the great struggle involved. The principles at stake had yet to be fully revealed, and for the sake of man Satan must continue to exist. Humans, like angels, must recognize the great contrast between the prince of light and the prince of darkness and decide whom to serve.« (The Desire of Ages, 761; see. The One - Jesus Christ, 762-763)

Why 4000 and then again 2000 years?

Why did it take four thousand years for unfallen beings to see Satan in his true light? "He had identified himself as a murderer." Wasn't that clear from the time of Cain? How many millions of murderers had there been? Weren't they counted?

No – at least not as convincing evidence. Nothing in the pent-up pain of four thousand years was as telling as crucifixion. For one simple reason: all who died before had been sinners. Satan had the perfect excuse. It was God's law, not his, that said sinners must die. Only at the death of Christ was it revealed that Satan would kill an innocent being.

Even more astonishing, however, is that after the cross, additional proof is said to be necessary. What could that be? Isn't Jesus' death enough to expose the devilish nature of Satan and sin?

To explore these questions further, let us reflect on the meaning and nature of God's efforts to save His glory. First of all, it is important that honor salvation is not just a display of greater power or wisdom. Honor salvation includes the refutation of specific charges. Satan's immediate annihilation would silence him, but not dismiss his accusations. This clearly shows the original decision of the Deity: Lucifer's governmental principles were given time to develop. Also note that honor salvation requires clear evidence. Whatever both parties claim, the problem remains unresolved until objective, demonstrative evidence establishes who is right.

This consideration may be immediately obvious, but its implications are profound in the context of the plan of salvation. If the issues of the great fight are decided by a practical demonstration, it is likely that the spectators will be able to draw their own conclusions. This is easy for the unfallen beings to believe. But consider that mankind must also decide, each person for himself personally.

A very practical difficulty arises here from human weakness. Satan's deceptions are so clever that it took four thousand years to banish all affection for him from angelic hearts. How then can a man be expected to decide in only about seventy years? – he is far less intelligent and sees far less of the available evidence. On first thought, this question may seem frivolous, but the simple answer we provide triggers a whole new chain of questions.

There is probably only one answer: everyone is only tested on what they can evaluate themselves. Because the limits of human mortality do not allow the luxury of several thousand years for a decision. We often say: One is only responsible for the light one receives. Another aspect of the same problem is the promise of the Lord: "God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond your strength." (1 Corinthians 10,23:XNUMX)

So that means that mankind has been protected to some degree from the deceptions of the devil. However, this does not mean that we see through them faster than the unfallen worlds, but that we have not encountered them all. Put simply, God prevented the devil from presenting his most convincing arguments to us because we just wouldn't be able to handle them.

That may sound fair and just to us; but let's think for a moment how the devil sees it. Let's put ourselves in his place. Would that convince us? Would we consider that fair? And what do the unfallen angels think about it? If salvation is to take place on the scene of conscious decision and intelligent evaluation of conflicting claims, then such censorship of hostile arguments gravely jeopardizes any evidence of human loyalty.

The problem only gets worse when you include the case of those who are long dead. If the Lord proposes bringing into God's family numerous resurrected ones who have never heard Satan's "best" arguments, is it not to be expected that the unfallen angels will feel a good deal of discomfort? Consider this: only a few thousand years ago Lucifer's like-minded people were her friends and companions. If angels could fall that far, what guarantee is there for these untested, sinful people?

In order to allay the concerns of fallen and unfallen angels, the Lord must do two things. He must show that mankind can face and conquer the full breadth of deceptions of sin. He must also show that there is a recognizable factor that is always associated with this victory. In other words, all who overcome sin need a common characteristic. This trait must not be possessed by anyone who continues to sin despite the chance of acquiring it. There must be a certain distinguishing feature that always leads to utter victory.

Once these two facts are proved, one can logically conclude that those who died who had this particular mark would have rejected the devil's deceptions had they had the time and opportunity. Because of this one attribute, then, they are safe to receive into the fellowship of heaven.

Righteousness really comes by faith

All of this may sound new, but we are totally back on well-known theological paths. The vital characteristic, the inescapable difference between the just and the wicked, is none other than "faith."

Perhaps we now better understand that additional evidence is needed after Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Two issues are seen - one from the devil and the other from the unfallen denizens of the universe. They are still waiting for a solution. Since both points have to do with the tangible choices of individual, fallen, sinful man, it should come as no surprise that Jesus' sacrifice could not provide the necessary evidence directly. But beware of the short-circuit that man is the source of his own salvation or the salvation of the LORD. Even if humanity plays a role, it is still an eternal truth that all good things come from God. If any man, anywhere, at any time, lives a life of obedience to God's law, he owes it to Jesus' power.

In essence, the human factor in saving God's honor has been little more than a delaying factor. The cross disproved many of Satan's accusations, and mankind aside, it seems the universe has already reached its verdict: God is "innocent" on all counts.

“Even if all the inhabitants of this little world should refuse to obey God, he would not remain without honor. He could sweep every mortal off the face of the earth in a single instant and create a new race that would repopulate the world and glorify his name. God's glory does not depend on man.« (Review and Herald, March 1, 1881, cf. The sacred life, 49)

“The work of redemption for men is not all that is accomplished through the cross. God's love is revealed to the whole universe. The prince of this world is cast out, Satan's accusations against God are refuted, and the accusations he hurled against Heaven removed forever." (The Desire of Ages, 625; see. The One - Jesus Christ, 622)

As encouraging as this is, questions remain that affect humanity. Although Jesus really became man, the question of human obedience seems to be somehow unresolved. “Satan declared that it was impossible for the sons and daughters of Adam to keep God's law. So he accused God of lacking wisdom and love. If they couldn't keep the law, then it would be the fault of the legislature.« (Signs of the Times, January 16, 1896)

"The LORD desires to refute Satan's charges through His people by showing the fruits that come from following right principles." (Christ's Object Lessons, 296; see. Christ teaches through parables, 211)

However, as the last generation of God's people perfect their characters and live according to his law, Satan still has another argument:

God's forgiveness under attack

“Satan declared that there is no forgiveness with God, and that if God were to forgive sin, it rendered his law of no effect. He says to the sinner: You are lost.« (Review and Herald, January 19, 1911)

God's people are only confronted with this argument very late – in the time of “the anguish for Jacob” [Jeremiah 30,7:XNUMX]: Satan “knows exactly the sins to which he has tempted them, he paints them before God in the most lurid colors and claims that this people, like him, deserve to be excluded from God's favor. He declares that the Lord cannot by right forgive their sins on the one hand, but destroy him and his angels on the other. He claims them as booty and demands that they be handed over to him for destruction.« (The Great Controversy, 618; see. The big fight, 619)

Even though Satan brings up this issue as the very last argument, we should not dismiss it lightly. We are used to the human legal system, where forgiveness is at will. Therefore, the devil's claim that the judge of the universe cannot forgive our sins makes little impression on us. "Of course he can," we say. »Death on Calvary gives him the right to forgive sins.«

But wouldn't it be ominous if Satan used an argument that should have been disproved for nearly two thousand years. If, as indicated above, Satan has arguments that we have not yet disproved, then the question of whether God has the right to forgive is probably still on his list. But the LORD is never unprepared. Even if Satan still pulls out arguments at this fundamental level, the Lord also seems to have arguments in store that he has saved specifically for this attack. “There is much light yet to shine of God's law and the gospel of righteousness. When this message is understood in its true character and proclaimed in the spirit, it lights up the earth with its glory.« (This Day With God, 314)

The rescue of honor is a long and difficult process. The suffering of millions of men, women and children - the suffering of Godhead - makes them so unimaginably dear. Is all the suffering worth it?

Yes! It's worth it, even if the rescue of honor takes time. Whether this process ends in our lifetime or not, it is worth the wait. Can't we do more than just wait? Can't we make sure that our actions, our decisions, and our lives are a full testimony of Jesus? Can't we work like never before and study like never before? “The LORD desires to answer Satan's accusations through His people.” Can't we replace our concern for our salvation with a greater concern for God's salvation of honor?

The Lord says that His grand plan to secure the best of the universe will eventually be brought to a successful conclusion - with or without us.

“The whole universe has witnessed the nature and consequences of sin. Had he completely eradicated sin at the outset, he would have frightened the angels and dishonored God. But now the annihilation of sin will prove his love and save his honor in the eyes of all creatures of the universe... The tried and tested creation will never again turn from its devotion to him whose nature has been fully revealed to them as a nature of unfathomable love and infinite wisdom.« (The Great Controversy, 504; see. The big fight, 507)

One day the work of saving honor will be accomplished. By God's grace people have the chance to participate in the cause. Is there a stronger motivation for holiness? What better reason to be a Seventh-day Adventist?

From: Dave Fiedler, Hindsight, Seventh-day Adventist History in Essays and Extracts, 1996, Academy Enterprises, Harrah, Oaklahoma, USA, pages 272-278.

Leave a Comment

Your e-mail address will not be published.

I agree to the storage and processing of my data according to EU-DSGVO and accept the data protection conditions.