VICTORY IN CHRISTIAN WARFARE
(Second Edition)
CHAPTER 4 The Rise of the Great Controversy
Today, God’s law of love does not prevail on earth and one might reasonably ask, “Why is this so?” God says that “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19), “this present evil world.” Galatians 1:4. Is God responsible for all the anarchy, chaos, evil, and wickedness that exists in the world? Did God create faulty human beings?
In order to answer these questions, we will begin by looking at the origin of evil in the universe. God’s response to the existence of evil is a revelation of God’s love for all His created beings, for “God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Lucifer Exalts Himself
There came a time when the harmony in the universe was broken, not by God, but by one of His angels, named “Lucifer.” Isaiah 14:12. Who was Lucifer? God said of Lucifer, “Thus saith the Lord God; Thou [Lucifer] sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty…Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God;…thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity [wickedness] was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:12-15.
A cherub is a kind of angel and as a “cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14), Lucifer could say of himself in truth, “I…stand in the presence of God.” Luke 1:19. This angel, Lucifer, is commonly believed to have been first in rank of the two covering cherubs who stood in the presence of God. Thus, Lucifer would have been of the highest rank of all the angels, and next in rank to Christ, the Son of God who is also known as “Michael the archangel.” Jude 1:9. As high in rank as Lucifer was in heaven, he was nevertheless subject to God’s authority.
However, Lucifer desired to be first in rank in the universe. In effect, Lucifer fell in love with himself and he began to cherish a spirit of pride and self-exaltation. But God says, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 16:5.
His character became one of selfishness which is the opposite of love.“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour” (Romans 13:10) and, hence, love is the principle of doing good, and only good, to others at all times. Selfishness is “covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5.
Now, while on the errands of God, Lucifer, a prince of the angels, sought to secure the service and loyalty of all created beings to himself. To this object Lucifer now bent the energies of that master mind, which, next to Christ’s, was first among all the angels, the heavenly hosts of God.
Lucifer’s idolatry of self, manifested as his self-love, self-worship, and self-exaltation, was such then that he coveted the homage, the worship, that is due to God alone as the Creator. Lucifer then became God’s rival.
Lucifer’s Enmity Against God’s Law
God questions Lucifer, whom God now calls “the Devil, and Satan” (Revelation 12:9), upon Lucifer’s rebellion against God. He asks Lucifer, “Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?” Job 34:17. Lucifer, a created being, condemned God who is “most just” (Job 34:17) as wicked. A “controversy” (Deuteronomy 25:1) therefore arose between Lucifer and God.
God is “a God of truth and without iniquity [wickedness], just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4) because of His character of love which is expressed in God’s law of love. What we will call the great controversy concerned the law of God, for God said that Lucifer “hateth right.” Job 34:17. Lucifer sought to overthrow God’s law of love and replace it with something else.
The great controversy between God and Satan is, in effect, over whose law, whose words, will prevail among God’s created intelligences. God’s desire is that His law of love will prevail. So, God says, “let every…[one] be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5) and say, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89.
God says, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8. In accordance with God’s word, all created intelligences worshipped God, but Lucifer now desired to receive the worship that is due to God alone.
Lucifer Causes Disaffection Among the Angels
God describes the character of Lucifer, whom God now calls “the Devil, and Satan.” Revelation 12:9. God says, “The devil…was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44. Lucifer corrupted himself with evil.
Lucifer, now called Satan, in his disaffection, began to spread lies among the angels. Speaking lies, which is speaking falsehood, is contrary to the character of “God, that cannot lie.” Titus 1:2. It is contrary to God’s law of love, for it is God’s character which defines love. Speaking lies is evil and God calls this “sin.” Genesis 4:7.
God says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth [breaks] also the law: for sin is the transgression [the breaking] of the law.” 1 John 3:4. Every sin is the breaking of God’s law of love and so God says that Lucifer broke God’s law of love. (In the Bible, the words “iniquity” (Genesis 15:16), “transgression” (Exodus 34:7), and “sin” (Genesis 4:7) are used interchangeably.) God says of Lucifer, “Iniquity [wickedness] was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:15. In all of this, we can say that sin is wickedness, evil, and wrongdoing.
God says, “The devil…was a murderer from the beginning.” John 8:44. Why did God say that Satan was a murderer? The answer is that Satan was “he that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander” (Proverbs 10:18) about God. “With flattering lips and with a double heart [did he]…speak” (Psalm 12:2) to God.
In the presence of God, to God’s face Satan was reverent, loyal and obedient, but away from God’s presence his hatred of God led him to utter slander, false and malicious statements, about God. “Whosoever hateth his brother”(1 John 3:15), his fellow being, “is a murderer: and…no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15. Satan’s hatred of God made him a murderer in God’s eyes.
We can say of God, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” Habakkuk 1:13. “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.” Psalm 5:4. “The wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God].” Romans 6:23. Speaking of the wicked, God says, “God shall…destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living.” Psalm 52:5. Those who persist in sin and who refuse to turn away from it, God will annihilate.
Satan’s lies about God were not without effect. Many angels believed his lies and joined him in rebellion against God. God says of Satan and each of his angels that he is “him that without cause is mine enemy.” Psalm 7:4. “They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.” Psalm 109:3. “They dealt perversely with me without a cause.” Psalm 119:78. They had become the enemies of God.
War in Heaven
Speaking of Satan, God says, “Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I [Satan] am clean in thine [God’s] eyes.” Job 11:2-4.
“And there was war in heaven: Michael” (Revelation 12:7), who is also known as Christ, “and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan…he was cast out…and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9. God says of Lucifer, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…how art thou cut down to the ground!” Isaiah 14:12.
The disaffection of Satan and the angels who had taken Satan’s side of the great controversy eventually ripened into open revolt against God. As a result, God cast Satan and his angels out of heaven. They had reached a point of no return in that their character had become fixed in doing evil.
Why was Satan and his angels not immediately destroyed? God has allowed them to continue to live for a time until His objective is met in unmasking Satan as a wicked deceiver before the whole universe. Then Satan and his evil angels will be destroyed.
This then is the backstory of the rise of the great controversy in the universe. It is the story of the origin of evil in the universe and God’s response to the evil which He hates.
God Creates the Human Race and the Earth
God says “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” Isaiah 45:12. I am “the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it.” Isaiah 45:18.
“God the LORD, he…created the heavens, and stretched them out; he…spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he…giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit [mind] to them that walk therein.” Isaiah 42:5.
Humanity Belongs to God
“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1. “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…for we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:28.
“If he gather unto himself his…breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.” Job 34:14, 15. God sustains all that He has created and mankind is dependent upon God for every breath, every heartbeat. We are not our own, we belong to God.
The Sinlessness of Adam and Eve
“God hath made man upright.” Ecclesiastes 7:29. He made the first human pair, Adam and Eve, perfect in character and “holy and without blame before him in love.” Ephesians 1:4. They were created perfect in holiness, sinless, with the God’s law of love written in their minds. Their character which was in harmony with, and they were obedient to God’s law of love. In the beginning, Adam and Eve loved God and delighted in Him, and they loved each other.
A Small Test
“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8, 9.
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17.
God gave Adam and Eve everything which they could ever need or desire in the garden of Eden. There were two special trees in the garden. To eat from the “tree of life” (Genesis 2:9) was to be made immortal. The “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) in the garden was God’s own special possession and God forbade them to eat from this tree.
The forbidden tree which belonged to God was a small test of the love, loyalty, and obedience of Adam and Eve. To eat from “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) was to disobey God and to steal from God.
The Temptation and the Fall
Having been cast out of heaven, Satan went throughout the universe seeking those among the sinless worlds who would take his side of the controversy with God. God says of Satan, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.” Ezekiel 28:13. Satan came to earth, to the garden of Eden which was the home of Adam and Eve, the first human pair as “the tempter.” Matthew 4:3.
Satan, having lost heaven, was angry and envious of the happiness of Adam and Eve and the paradise that God had prepared for them. He determined to cause the holy, sinless pair to join him in his rebellion against God that they too might be found to be disobedient to God.
Satan hid himself from Eve’s sight and spoke to her, as if through a serpent, for it is evident that serpents cannot speak. He succeeded in causing Eve to enter into a conversation with what she thought was a serpent. Satan deceived her by his actual statements and by what his statements implied. Suddenly, Eve felt that the restriction God had placed on the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) was burdensome and unreasonable.
God had said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17.
When Satan “said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) if she ate from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) she believed his lie. Satan also said that the reason why God withheld the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) from them was because, “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. This was especially convincing to Eve for Satan represented God as having a deceitful motive for God’s restriction.
“The woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14) for she believed that “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) was a liar as was implied by what Satan said.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6. Thus, Adam and Eve, the first human pair, fell into sin because they ate from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9) and thereby disobeyed God and also stole from God.
Consequences of the Fall
When Adam and Eve sinned, they joined Satan in his rebellion against God by giving their allegiance to Satan instead of to God. Adam and Eve took Satan’s side in the great controversy and, thereby, the great controversy was extended to the inhabitants of the earth.
The minds of Adam and Eve became carnal, which is to say, their minds became evil and depraved, just like that of Satan and his host of “evil angels.” Psalm 78:49.”For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7), “because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7.
Adam and Eve’s original sinless perfection with which they were created by God was corrupted by sin. Originally, their thoughts were pure, and their aims holy, but through their disobedience selfishness took the place of love.
While they were in their sinless state, Adam and Eve held joyful communion with God. But after their sin, they could no longer find joy in holiness, and they, therefore, sought to hide themselves from the presence of God.
“Wherefore, as by one man” (Romans 5:12), Adam, “sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. By the great law of heredity, all of Adam and Eve’s descendants have inherited their sinful nature and so all of mankind became the enemies of God.
Speaking of all humanity, God says, “They know not to do right, saith the LORD.” Amos 3:10. “And they bend their tongues…for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:3. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Ecclesiastes 8:11.
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ecclesiastes 7:20. All of humanity follow Satan’s ways. Satan, God’s rival, has the love, affections, and allegiance of all mankind.
The Promise Made
When during a discussion within the Godhead regarding the what the Bible calls the gospel, the Father said “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”, it was Christ, the Son, who said, “Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8. Christ volunteered to die “for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. So, the gospel, God’s plan of redemption, called for the sacrifice of God Himself.
“The counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Zechariah 6:13. In accordance with the counsel within the Godhead, the Father has made a promise, a covenant, with Christ to save all mankind from eternal death “through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” Hebrews 13:20.
It was God’s plan that Christ should be “our Saviour Jesus Christ, who…abolished death, and…brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:10. In accordance with the gospel, Christ would “abolish death” (2 Timothy 1:10) for the human race by Himself dying “for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2.
Christ covenanted with the Father that as the man named “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21), who would be the Representative of the human race, He would be obedient to all the specifications of God’s law of love as given in the ten commandments and would die for all of humanity’s sins.
The question that arises is, “How can the everlasting covenant cause humanity to overcome all sin and, hence, keep God’s law of love?” Specifically, how could Christ, coming to the earth in human flesh, that is, becoming incarnate, help humanity to be saved from “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), from eternal death?
Would He not also be born with a sinful nature like all of mankind and come under the condemnation of God’s law of love? The answer is not immediately evident in what has been said so far about the everlasting covenant. In order to understand the answer to this question, we must look into many things which we will do in subsequent chapters of this book.
First of all, let us understand the goal of the everlasting covenant. It is this: “He [God] also did predestinate [predestined mankind] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Romans 8:29. God predestined sinful mankind to have a character of love identical to Christ’s holy character. By this means, humanity could also keep God’s law of love.
All humanity then must have a change of character, a change of heart. How can this come about? As was said before, we will now look into many things, into some of the intricacies of the gospel, in order to understand how a change of character, a change of heart from selfishness to love, on the part of all mankind can come about.
As we will see, the key to the necessary change of heart on the part of humanity lies in the nature of Christ and the manner in which Christ met temptations to sin.
The Law and the Gospel
From the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned, in the garden of Eden, God gave the first human pair the promise of Christ as a “Saviour” (2 Samuel 22:3), the One who saves from sin. At that time, God gave the “ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28) to Adam and Eve as ten brief, comprehensive commandments describing His law of love from which they had deviated.
It was given to meet them in their fallen condition as a standard of character which they should meet. If they met the standard, then they would have kept God’s law of love. They would “be holy and without blame before him in love.” Ephesians 1:4.
God once again gave the ten commandments to humanity when “he [God] gave…two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18. God said, “I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written.” Exodus 24:12. These ten commandments given on “two tables of testimony” (Exodus 31:18) were “God’s law [of love].” Nehemiah 10:29.
This second giving of the law occurred after many generations of humanity had lived on earth, at a time when God Himself spoke the ten commandments audibly to some people and wrote them Himself on two tables of stone.
The two tables of stone on which God Himself wrote the ten commandments were also called the “two tables of the covenant.” Deuteronomy 9:15. The ten commandments then represented the terms of the “everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20) between Christ and the Father.
The ten commandments were a prophecy of the testimony that would be given by “the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. He would be “the faithful and true witness” (Revelation 3:14) who would testify that His life demonstrated that “God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Thus, the law, which is a revelation of God’s heart of love, gave rise to the gospel whereby Christ would be One who “keepeth the law.” Proverbs 29:18. Christ would “be holy and without blame before him,” (Ephesians 1:4), God, “in love.” Ephesians 1:4. Christ’s obedience to the law would ensure that mankind too could “be holy and without blame before him,” (Ephesians 1:4), God, “in love.” Ephesians 1:4.
“The law prophesied” (Matthew 11:13) that “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) would keep God’s law of love in all its entirety and would not deviate from the law in any particular. Christ’s character being “faultless” (Jude 1:24), would be identical to God’s character of love. That is, the ten commandments were a prophecy of the character that Christ would have when He would be born into the world as a baby boy named “Jesus.” Matthew 1:21.
What was the purpose of God giving the law to humanity when it was impossible for them in their sinful nature to keep the law? Impossible for mankind as sinful as they were to be “be holy and without blame before him in love.” Ephesians 1:4.
These commandments signified that if Christ, as humanity’s Representative before God, could keep the law then all mankind could also keep the law. Looked at in this way, the ten commandments are seen to be a promise to all humanity that they too could keep God’s law of love. God says, “Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people” (Isaiah 55:4), to all mankind.
God also prophesied of Christ, saying, “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people.” Isaiah 42:6. God says, “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Galatians 3:24) to know and understand the prophecy about Him. Christ then would be humanity’s perfect Example of the human race and one that they must imitate.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19. How can this be? Read on and it will be made clear. To reiterate, the goal of the gospel is to bring fallen mankind up from the depravity of sin to the standard of God’s law of love.
Christ’s Prophesied Conflict With Satan
Christ, according to prophecy, would be the One who would “bruise…[the] head” (Genesis 3:15) of Satan thereby inflicting a “mortal wound” to Satan. In the process, Satan would “bruise…[the] heel” (Genesis 3:5) of Christ, thereby harming him. The “mortal wound” would be that the doom and death of Satan would be made certain by the work of the Christ.
Christ would be a victorious Warrior, a Conqueror, the One who would defeat Satan though sustaining harm in the process.
God’s Plan to Save Humanity: Two of Its Provisions
God has a plan, known as the plan of redemption or the “gospel” (Matthew 4:23) to win the love and affections of the human race and so save them from annihilation which is eternal death. This is God’s remedy for their sinfulness. The plan is comprehensive in its scope and there are two provisions that apply directly to humanity. These provisions were given to Adam and Eve as a promise by God to the human race.
Firstly, every person’s past sins may be forgiven because God would send His Son, Christ, to die “for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. Thus, justice for all the sins committed by humanity would be satisfied by the death of Christ. Secondly, every person may become sinless just as Adam and Eve were when they were created and before they sinned, because Christ will “put enmity” (Genesis 3:15) in their heart for sin and Satan. This is the promise of God to all mankind.
To Adam and Eve, the future work of Christ to save them from eternal death was a star of hope which illuminated the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation which arose because of their sins. God’s heart yearns for the human race because He knows that they may become sinless if they so choose.
Eden Lost to Humanity
“And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest [in order to prevent the possibility that] he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So, he [God] drove out the man [and woman]; and he [God] placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims [angels], and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22 – 24.
So it was that the garden of Eden was lost to humanity and with it all access to “the tree of life.” Genesis 2:9. Therefore, human beings do not live forever, all die at some point.
God and the Sinful Human Race
The Godhead says to all humanity, “O ye…[people], our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged” (2 Corinthians 6:11), which is to say, our hearts are wide open to you. “Ye are not straitened in us” (2 Corinthians 6:12), that is, you are not constrained in our hearts, “but ye are straitened in your own bowels” (2 Corinthians 6:12), in other words, you are cramped in your own affections.
Mankind then, in their sinful state, could no longer find joy in holiness and so they seek to hide themselves from the presence of God. Thus, God is faced with the task of winning the hearts of humanity who find no joy in communion with Him.
God’s strategy ever since the entrance of sin into the world, has been to restrict mankind’s access to God, because God would not communicate with Adam and Eve after they had sinned as He did when they were without sin. Since then until today in our age, God hides His face from mankind because God wishes every person to be attracted to Him, not by His glory, magnificence and might, but by His character of love, truth, righteousness, mercy, kindness, compassion and long-suffering.
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed” (Acts 17:24-26), decreed the set times which He had prearranged, “and the bounds of their habitation.” Acts 17:26.
“That they should seek the Lord, if haply [perhaps] they might feel after [search for] him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being…For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Acts 17:27-29.
God says to all mankind, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. God has loved all mankind and He has drawn us to Himself in that He has sought to win our love and affections. Considering God’s character of love, we can wholeheartedly say that God is worthy of all humanity loving Him in return.
God’s Law: The Ten Commandments
In order to meet them in their fallen condition after they had sinned, God gave Adam and Eve the “ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28), which were ten precepts, ten moral instructions. These commandments are brief, comprehensive, authoritative, and are based on the great fundamental principle of love. They cover mankind’s duty to God and to his fellow human being.
The first four of the ten commandments, which cover mankind’s duty to God, may be summarised by the first great commandment which says, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:5. The last six of the ten commandments may be summarised by the second great commandment which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Leviticus 19:18.
The ten commandments are not a different law from the two great commandments discussed before. They are an expression of God’s law of love and may, therefore, simply be referred to as “God’s law.” Nehemiah 10:29. The ten commandments are as follows—
- “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.
- “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.” Exodus 20:4-6.
- “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.” Exodus 20:7.
- “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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, 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.” Exodus 20:8-11.
- “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12.
- “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13.
- “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14.
- “Thou shalt not steal.” Exodus 20:15.
- “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16.
- “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 any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” Exodus 20:17.
A Comparison of the Law of God With God’s Character
We will now compare God’s law with His character as it is revealed in the Bible.
- God is good. “He [God] is good.” Psalm 106:1. God’s law is good. “The law is good.” 1 Timothy 1:8.
- God is holy. “God…is holy.” Isaiah 5:16. God’s law is holy. “The law is holy.” Romans 7:12.
- God is perfect. “Your Father [God] which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. God’s law is perfect. “The law of the LORD is perfect.” Psalm 19:7.
- God is pure. “He [God] is pure.” 1 John 3:3. God’s law is pure. “The commandment of the LORD is pure.” Psalm 19:8.
- God is just. “A God…without iniquity [wickedness], just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4. God’s law is just. “The law is…just.” Romans 7:12.
- God is true. “God is true.” John 3:33. God’s law is true. “Thy law is the truth.” Psalm 119:142.
- God is spiritual. “That spiritual Rock…that Rock was Christ [God].” 1 Corinthians 10:4. God’s law is spiritual. “The law is spiritual.” Romans 7:14.
- God is righteous. “The LORD is righteous.” Psalm 129:4. God’s law is righteousness. “All thy commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172.
- God is faithful. “God is faithful.” 1 Corinthians 1:9. God’s law is faithful. “All thy commandments are faithful.” Psalm 119:86.
- God is love. “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. God’s law is love. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10.
- God is unchangeable. “For I am the LORD, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. God’s law is unchangeable. “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle [the least specification] of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17.
- God is eternal. “The everlasting God.” Genesis 21:33. “From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2. God’s law is eternal. “All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever.” Psalm 111:7, 8.
As shown by the Bible texts above, God’s law is a transcript of His character, in that, the law accurately describes God’s character. God says, “The law of the LORD is perfect” (Psalm 19:7) and, hence, it cannot be improved upon. Any change in God’s law of love would render the law imperfect and evil and would mean that God’s character is imperfect and evil.
Since, God says, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6) and I am “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), then this means that God’s law of love, which is perfect, and is truth, is also unchangeable and eternal.
God’s Plan to End the Great Controversy
“The LORD trieth [tests] the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.” Psalm 11:5. In the end, God will eradicate sin from the universe by destroying the wicked among mankind who cling to their sins, along with Satan and his evil angels. On the other hand, God will save from eternal death those among humanity who choose to become sinless.
In the interim, Satan employs all his deceptive arts to prevent sinful humanity from turning away from their sins and becoming sinless. Thus, the invisible war in the universe continues to be waged on earth. God’s battle plan for humanity, the Bible, is comprehensive in its scope, and it teaches mankind how to resist Satan and his warfare against humanity.
God says to all mankind, “That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” Proverbs 22:19-21.
God also says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly [fully] furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” Proverbs 4:13.
The Bible is also God’s love letter to mankind in order to save them from eternal death, and instead cause them to gain paradise and immortality by becoming sinless. Each person who understands the truths of God’s word is to share the “words of truth” (Proverbs 22:21) with others so that they too might be saved.
God’s plan will not fail any person if it is followed. They will obtain the bliss that prevailed in the universe before evil entered it and, with joy, will live in God’s presence forever. “The LORD is King for ever and ever.” Psalm 10:16.
God’s Wisdom Demonstrated
“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?…Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in…To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith [God] the Holy One.” Isaiah 40:18-25.
The wisdom of God is infinitely greater than that of any of His creation. As finite human beings, we cannot comprehend everything there is to know about the infinite God and His ways, but in the word of God, the Bible, God gives us an understanding of Himself. True, there are mysteries beyond our comprehension in the Bible, but in its pages, God reveals much about Himself and His dealings with both His earthly and heavenly creation.