Eternal Verities 7A

Continuing the study on Eternal Verities (Eternal Truths) -

I'm going to copy parts of a thought paper about the Godhead and eternal truths. I'll interject it with my own thoughts and probably end up breaking it up into digestable pieces, meaning give it bit by bit so it's not overwhelming and gives us time to think about what's being presented. If you're reading this you'll have access to the internet and as such it's easy to check various facts such as the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. Don't hesitate to take time to check things for yourself. We are accountable for what we can do and that means seeking the knowledge where we can. In our time we live in something called the 'Information Age' and it is. Information is right at our fingertips and we have to avail ourselves of it.


Because the thought paper I'm taking this from is written by a former Seventh-day Adventist there will be many indications of this throughout the paper. I urge you to read through it all and take from it what you believe God would have you take from it. I'm not advocating Seventh-day Adventism as it is today in any way shape or form, they've gone far away from the original truths given to them.


May God bless us as we seek to understand more fully His will, His way, the truths that we need to know and believe as this world becomes more and more deceptive.

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Scripture reveals that Satan, as Lucifer before his fall, was one of "the anointed cherub(s) that covereth," and was so set by God (Eze. 28:14). Sanctuary symbolism reveals that there were two cherubs that stood in the presence of God. At this point, we must introduce a suggestive thought which cannot be documented. Michael was the other covering cherub as His first step of condescension, made mandatory because of His exercise of the Divine prerogative and power to create. From what is revealed, this condescension was not of the magnitude of what would be the ultimate. "God is spirit" (John 4:24). [ No article in the Greek text ] The angels are defined as "ministering spirits" (Heb. 1:14).


**Eze 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.**
**Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?**


The Great Controversy Motif -- Perhaps one of the greatest contributions, if not the greatest, to Adventist thinking, which God introduced through His "messenger," was the concept of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Through the Writings we learn that the plan and purpose of God for the creation of man was the spark that ignited a rebellion which had been long - we do not know how long - simmering in the heart of one of the highest of the angelic orders - Lucifer.


In one of the earliest of the recorded visions on the great controversy motif, Ellen White wrote: The Lord has shown me that Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Jesus Christ ... And I saw that when God said to his Son, Let us make man in our image, Satan was jealous of Jesus ... He wished to be the highest in heaven, next to God, and receive the highest honors. Until this time all heaven was in order, harmony and perfect subjection to the government of God. (Spiritual Gifts, Vol.1, p.17)


It is also reasonable to assume that Lucifer was party to the conversation between God and the Logos (John 1:1). The plan of the Elohim was to create a "new order" of beings. The exact language used by the Lord's messenger is thought provoking; "Human beings were a new and distinct order." (R&H, Feb.11, 1902) "God created man a superior being; he alone is formed in the image of God, ..." (R&H, April 21, 1885) Then in 1895, Ellen White wrote - "Man is the crowning act of the creation of God, made in the image of God, and designed to be a counterpart of God; ..." (R&H, June 18) Yet man was created flesh, not spirit. The difference between "flesh" and "spirit" is spelled out in Scripture. Jesus said - "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:39) Yet God who is "spirit" has a form which has been reflected in the image of man (Phil. 2:6). Further, the resurrected body of Jesus, while no longer limited as in the incarnate state, is referred to as a "glorious body," into which likeness all the saved will be imaged (Phil. 3:21).


**Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.**
**Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God**
**Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.**


At this point some interesting questions can arise, the answers to which we do not have. Did Lucifer question the feasibility of creating a being of flesh rather than one of spirit? What was the purpose of creating a being of flesh and one of that flesh becoming "a counterpart of God"? How far into eternity was God planning and thinking? When man sinned, was one basic element in the accusation, the suggestion that God did not create one capable of withstanding the power of a "spirit" being? It needs to be kept in mind that the incarnation is described as "a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh." (YI, Dec. 20,1900) In this encounter the fallen flesh withstood the most fierce assault of a fallen spirit.


It is at this point that a problem behind the incarnation comes into focus. Adam was created a mature being, not a baby, and did not have a childhood, nor an adolescence. It was with this mature being of flesh with which Satan contended and won. All that the Logos needed to demonstrate was that in the flesh in which Adam was created, He could conquer. However, the Logos did more than that. He took the flesh of fallen man and conquered, and then even submitted to death itself as a ransom for many.


At this point another question arises. How could the Logos get to the mature state of Adam, so that the contest could be unquestioned? If God created another body of flesh, it would not be of the line of Adam, and perhaps on the second try, He could do a better job, or at least it could so be alleged. So He came taking our flesh and blood, which meant He would begin the contest handicapped from where the first Adam stood. So coming as a baby, how could He be preserved, till as an accountable being He could make His own decisions?


Various theories and assumptions have been made to circumvent the reality of the condescension. The Roman dogma of the Immaculate Conception is the basic concept from which all other concepts are but variation in degree. The evangelical position is that only a part of the womb of Mary was sanctified from which Jesus was conceived. Certain "historic" Adventist voices are speaking of Jesus coming as a born again, converted person. Let us let that which is hidden remain hidden, from the developing fetus through the babyhood of Jesus. Jesus did make a decision when at twelve years of age, and that is recorded. He declared to His mother, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49) The same Father whose business He perceived, kept Him till His hour was come.


The response is that Jesus then had an advantage over us. Yes and No. Let us consider the "No" first. When I, a sinner, accept "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24), I stand before God as if I had never sinned. What advantage then did Jesus have in this respect? While you may reluctantly answer, None, you will be quick to let me know there are other "respects." This is true. He had a tremendous advantage over us. He was "God manifest in the flesh" (I Tim. 3:16; KJV). He was "the Word made flesh" (John 1:14). We are not. Even partaking of the"divine nature" does not make us God in the flesh. But the same "messenger" who introduced us to the great controversy motif, has also emphasized Jesus Christ as Substitute and Surety. While the emphasis on "substitution" may make one wince a bit, and draw back in fear that "cheap grace" is being suggested, perhaps the approach through "surety" would be more helpful in understanding the depth of "the redemption in Christ Jesus."


Furthermore, while Jesus emptied Himself at the incarnation, laying aside the "form" of God, would it be too much to suggest that at His baptism, He laid aside the use of His powers as God manifest in the flesh, and accepted what we each have to accept when we are placed on vantage ground - the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To perceive of the incarnation and its objective outside of the motif of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, is to fail to take in the whole of God's plan and purpose in the original creation of man. Further, this failure has blurred our perception of what the judgment scene in Daniel is telling us.


A Footnote -- This issue of WWN begins our 31st year of publication. The original idea and objective in publishing was to produce a monthly "thought paper," with articles to stimulate thinking - articles which might on occasion raise some questions and challenges. Over the years, the issues of WWN have tended to report events within the community of Adventism of a questionable nature and comments on these events. We plan to veer the issues of 1998 toward the original objective, and make secondary the reporting of events within the community of Adventism which are of a questionable nature. The above article on the great controversy motif is an example of the "thought paper" type of articles we have in mind. We do not expect the readers to agree with every thought expressed, but we would hope that all who read would do some thinking. We will preface each such article with the intent of its being written, or will make a notation even as we are doing now.

As we have written on other occasions, not only are the youth in their studies to be trained to be thinkers, but adults as well need to come to grips with concepts which require more than surface thinking. Traditionalism under the guise of "historic" Adventism, only keeps us Laodicean bound. One may break away from the corporate structure, but still not open the door for Jesus to come in and "sup" with him. --- (1998 Jan) ---


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My thoughts-

There is so much in this bit of the thought paper that gives pause to make us really think and yet at the same time it is admitted that there ARE things we can't know. Some people use what they cannot figure out to keep them from God. They hold up their inability to comprehend the things of God fully as an excuse to disobey Him and deny Him. They let the mystery, the murky glass we see through destroy their hope, their beliefs. Satan would have us all get to that point. Satan would have us all question God, isn't that was He did Himself? He loves when we follow in His footsteps and will do all He can to hurry us onto His path. Being able to admit that there are things we don't fully understand about God is only admitting that He is greater than us, He is our God, He is our Creator and we have to bow down to His superiority. People don't like the idea of being made to bow down before anyone, why? Because they believe that they are too good to bow down, because bowing down shows subservience and being subservient is something we abhor. People would put themselves in the place of God, to be worshipped, to be catered to, to be served and bowed down to. People love having others consider them special and deserving of their awe. So to tell people that God wills for us to serve Him, that we should bow down before God and honor Him as being far above us in all ways, this will cause some people to give pause and others to out right reject the notion of serving God. God won't force any of His creatures to worship Him. There is NO forcing involved whatsoever. Some might argue there is bribing. He bribes us with eternal life- do this and get that. If that's how it is perceived then that person or persons do not know what God is all about at all whatsoever and is putting the sin of mankind upon God. God is revealed in the facts. He created us to be special to Him, to give us a life that we can scarcely imagine any more. When we chose to disobey Him, like any child choosing to disobey the order of a parent, the consequences are suffered. Obeying for our own good, not to deprive us of something wonderful, but obeying for our own protection, our own welfare, this is what God wanted, a trust in Him to know that He as our Creator would only ever want what was best for us. When we chose to disobeyed we revealed a lack of trust. We stopped believing that God was protecting us out of love. The first earthly sin came about and has been perpetuated endlessly throughout time- disobeying God, believing that God doesn't really love us and is acting out of love with His commands for us. So out of love God has created a way for us to return to Him and the end result of that way is eternal life, but it's not the objective. The objective is to return to the love of God, the acceptance of God as creator, redeemer, of the fact God is love. So admitting that there are things we don't understand isn't something to allow to overwhelm us, but it gives us an opportunity to trust that God knows what is best for us and will reveal all we need to know to love Him.


The questions above, the suppositions formed, the idea of how things possibly were are all food for thought as the paper intended. There is no concrete proof and therefore for the most part I'm going to just leave everyone to think on this themselves and form their own opinion of what might have been, and what is.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, by the will of the Heavenly Father, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit into all things may we live and seek to understand, accepting the Love of God as paramount in our lives.


In Christ's everlasting all merciful love and forgiveness, in His righteousness now and forever.


Amen.