God's character

This flyer is dealing with the character of God and how Stan is trying to misrepresent His character.

Creation – God as a loving father

The Bible describes in Genesis 1 how God created the heavens and the earth, how he created plant, animal and human life on it in 6 literal days. The Bible goes on to highlight that God rested on the 7th day, after He had finished His creation. This rest, or Sabbath, was not because He was exhausted from the creation process, but because everything was «very good», needed no further work and God wanted to live together with His creation. This Sabbath is of great importance.

Already in Genesis, it becomes clear, that the reason for God’s creation was not for Him to have people to rule over but for Him to share His character and His creation with them. He created out of love in order to live together with His creation.

The Sabbath – God’s desire for His creation to rest in Him

The Sabbath, or day of rest, is an important sign between God and His people. God introduced the Sabbath during creation. In fact, it is of such importance, that it is part of the 10 commandments: »Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: Buth 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, not 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). In the new testament, Jesus Christ, during His life on earth (Matthew 12: 3-8),  during His death (Mark 16:9), as well as the early church, kept the Sabbath (Acts 13:42, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4).

It is of great importance to know that the Sabbath is to be kept on the 7th day, as commanded by God. This 7th day is called Saturday by us. Sunday, according to the Bible, is the 1st day of the week and does therefore not conform with God’s commandment.

The great controversy – Satan’s attack on God’s character

Satan used to be (one of) the highest angels that was in God’s presence in heaven. He was a covering cherub (Ezekiel 28:13) and his name at this time was Lucifer. However, iniquity was found in Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:15). Lucifer’s pride led him to question God’s character and authority, leading to a revolution in heaven between Lucifer and the angels that believed him and God and the angels that believed Him. The reason for this revolution was the creation of humanity. God had announced that He was planning to show His glory, love and character in a creation (humans). Lucifer’s pride led him to believe that it should be him that deserves this honour to represent God’s glory. Out of this, the great controversy was born where Satan is trying to separate God from His beloved creation. Satan is doing this by implanting a wrong image about God’s character in the minds of people through deception and lies. In fact, Satan succeeded to separate God from His creation by deceiving Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. As part of the great controversy, Satan is trying to keep humanity separated from God through sin whereas God is offering salvation (to be reunited with Him) and for humanity to see His true character as a loving father.

Salvation - God’s plan to reunite with His creation

In Genesis 3, the Bible describes the fall of man (humanity) through the deception of the serpent (Satan). God’s command: ”Of every tree of the garden you 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 2:17), was broken due to the deception of Satan. As a result, humanity sinned and had to be separated from the presence of God. (The Bible describes sin as the transgression of the law (1John 2:4). During the time of Adam and Eve, the 10 commandments (the law) did not yet exist, but the express commandment of God to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was transgressed. The Bible states that the consequence of the transgression of the law is death  (Ezekiel 18:20).) Sin and God are like darkness and light, they cannot coexist. It was thanks to this separation of God from His creation, that Adam and Eve did not die immediately, like God had announced before. This separation, however, is against the purpose of creation, which was for God to share His love by living in the midst of it. As such, God has a plan to reunite with His creation, which is called the plan of salvation. God’s plan of salvation was introduced to humanity in the old testament through animal sacrifices. However, these sacrifices were merely a symbol for the perfect and only sacrifice which is Jesus Christ through which humanity can be washed clean from its sins (Matthew 26:28). In the new testament, it is explained that these animal sacrifices which were a shadow of things to come, met the substance behind these traditions (Hebrews 9:12). Jesus Christ as the lamb of God gave His life on our behalf, for our sins, in order to become the bridge builder, the mediator between fallen humanity and God. It is only through the blood of Christ that humanity can be reunited with God.

The importance of Jesus Christ for the plan of salvation – Mercy and Justice reconciled

God’s character is being described as all merciful (Psalm 37:26), but also as absolute just (Revelation 19:2). Before God’s eyes we are all guilty of sin by transgressing His law (Romans 3:23). Sin is defined as the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) and the consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This death is not because God’s will is to kill us, but because God and sin can not coexist. Therefore, God has to separate Himself from those that are with sin. In consequence, a separation from God who is the source (Genesis 2:7) and upholder of all life (Psalm 54:4), is resulting in everlasting death. As such, absolute justice would mean that the law (10 commandments) and the consequences of transgressing them (death) will have to be satisfied. If only this justice would prevail, this would be the ultimate end for all of us. However, God is also all merciful and wants to forgive us our sins which separate us from Him. Just forgiving sin, without satisfying the law and the consequences for its transgression would, however, violate God’s absolute justice. How can these two characteristics be reconciled for God to be able to save us through His mercy an at the same time upholding absolute justice? The answer lies in Jesus Christ, who, living a perfect life (no transgression of the law) was not under the condemnation of the law and therefore did not have to suffer the consequences of transgressing the law. It is for this reason, that He could offer Himself as a sacrifice, taking all of the world’s sin upon Himself and suffering the consequences for our sins. He died on the cross for our sins, in an act of absolute mercy.

At the same time, the consequences of the transgression of the law (Death) was satisfied, thus reconciling God’s absolute mercy with his absolute justice in Jesus Christ. This mercy is only more evident when considering who Jesus Christ really is. He is not “merely” the Son of God but Jesus is God Himself (John 10:30), showing that God sacrificed Himself, was willing to die, in order to be reconciled with His creation.

Even though Jesus Christ died for all of the world’s sins, we have to accept this sacrifice. We have to turn to God, repent of our old ways, our old life which we lived in transgression of His law, ask God for forgiveness and open ourselves to Him to let Him change us. Little by little, God will work in us, as long as we are willing and truly want to forsake your old, sinful ways. He will be the guide and a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105) to guide us towards a life that will hate sin and love righteousness.

God’s character – Heavenly father, Saviour and Judge

God, an almighty, everlasting and all-knowing being, could give the impression of using these attributes to rule with an iron fist like a tyrant above his subjects. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is called a father and that is exactly how He is behaving towards His creation. Like a loving father that looks at His children, does God look at us, wanting to re-unite with us after the fall of humanity in Genesis 3. God’s attributes are described in the Bible as loving, long suffering, merciful, graceful, just and above all else holy. His love is not love as we experience it, but a complete, perfect love that has no room for pride or selfishness. An unconditional love that led God the Father to give His one and only son to reunite with his creation: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 3:16). Why then, does this loving and just God, not stop all the injustice, suffering and innocent death in this world?

When we look at the evil in this world, we often forget to consider the great controversy. God has an adversary that tries everything in his power to separate and destroy God’s creation. God had created a perfect world, without suffering, death and injustice. It was only through the fall (the intervention of Satan) that this changed. God is promising that after Satan is destroyed, that His people will come back into this perfect relationship with Him, where no pain, suffering and death exists. It is, therefore, clear that all evil in this world has been introduced and is upheld by Satan. Why does God not put an end to it now, or stop Satan from doing evil? Because God’s, as well as Satan’s characters have to be made manifest to God’s creation in order for everyone to chose, what side they want to be on. God has given free will, which means that we have to chose sides ourselves. God will not force any one to come to Him and will not save anyone against their will. It is only once every human has decided (actively, or through ignorance) which side they are on that God will put an end to evil and destroy Satan and his followers. During all this time of suffering, God has not stayed distant from His creation but suffered with and for it! Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but the Word of God the Father, the perfect and complete expression of His character. In his gospel, John clearly states that God the Father created everything there is through His Word, Jesus Christ. In John 1:1, it says: »In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. « and John 1:3 « All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.» This shows that God, the creator is the same God that also suffered and died on the cross for our sins.

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