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The Character of God

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The Spirit of Prophecy

Turning to the Spirit of Prophecy, we find the same conclusive evidence that God is not as Satan has made Him out to be. The beginnings of evil are clearly described as being due to the introduction of a false picture of God. Against this false concept of God's character we are assured three times that the exercise of force is completely contrary to God's government.

The destruction of the wicked is not an arbitrary act on God's part, but the inevitable reaping of the consequences of sin:

The Desire of Ages, 22.

"With his [Satan's] own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the word of God, and to distrust His goodness. Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to look upon Him as severe and unforgiving. Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down upon the world.

"The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan's deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world's dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, 'with healing in His wings.' Malachi 4:2."

The Desire of Ages, 487.

"There can be no more conclusive evidence that we possess the spirit of Satan then the disposition to hurt and destroy those who do not appreciated our work, or who act contrary to our ideas."

The Desire of Ages, 759.

"God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan's government. The Lord's principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God's government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power."

The Desire of Ages, 674.

"This [the destruction of Satan and his followers] is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life."

Next we are assured that all around us destruction is waiting to happen, held back only by the protecting hand of our Lord:

The Great Controversy, 35-36.

"The Jews had forged their own fetters; they had filled for themselves the cup of vengeance. In the utter destruction that befell them as a nation, and in all the woes that followed them in their dispersion, they were but reaping the harvest which their own hands had sown. Says the prophet, 'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;' 'for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.' Hosea 13:9; 14:1. Their sufferings are often represented as a punishment visited upon them by the direct decree of God. It is thus that the great deceiver seeks to conceal his own work. By stubborn rejection of divine love and mercy, the Jews had caused the protection of God to be withdrawn from them, and Satan was permitted to rule them according to his will. The horrible cruelties enacted in the destruction of Jerusalem are the demonstration of Satan's vindictive power over those who yield to his control.

"We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. The disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God's mercy and long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance, that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejecters of His mercy to themselves to reap that which they have sown. Every ray of light rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed sown, which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan."

The Great Controversy, 541.

"The principles of kindness, mercy and love, taught and exemplified by our Saviour, are a transcript of the will and character of God. Christ declared that He taught nothing except that which He had received from His Father. The principles of the divine government are in perfect harmony with the Saviour's precept, 'Love your enemies.' God executed justice upon the wicked, for the good of the universe, and even for the good of those upon whom His judgments are visited. He would make them happy if He could do so in accordance with the laws of His government and the justice of His character." [See pages 534-550 for further insight.]

Then we are told forthrightly that God does not destroy anyone! He never has and He never will. All coercion has been banished from His kingdom:

Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5:120.

"God destroys no one. The sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence."

Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6:388-389.

"Satan is the destroyer. God cannot bless those who refuse to be faithful stewards. All He can do is to permit Satan to accomplish his destroying work."

Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7:141.

"The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it.

Finally, we are told that God's character is the exact opposite of what Satan has made Him out to be:

Fundamentals of Christian Education, 177.

"Through the accumulated misrepresentations of the enemy, many were so deceived that they worshiped a false god, clothed with the attributes of the satanic character.... He [Christ] presented to men that which was exactly contrary to the representations of the enemy in regard to the character of God, and sought to impress upon men the paternal love of the Father, who 'so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'"

Thoughts From The Mount of Blessing, 77.

"God does not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin from the heart. By it He changes pride into humility, and enmity and unbelief into love and faith."

Education, 25-26.

"Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him who is Truth, who alone has understanding. By the mingling of evil with good, his mind had become confused, his mental and spiritual powers benumbed. No longer could he appreciate the good that God had so freely bestowed.

"Adam and Eve had chosen the knowledge of evil, and if they ever regained the position they had lost they must regain it under the unfavorable conditions they had brought upon themselves. No longer were they to dwell in Eden, for in its perfection it could not teach them the lessons which it was now essential for them to learn. In unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful surroundings and went forth to dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin.

"Although the earth was blighted with the curse, nature was still to be man's lesson book. It could not now represent goodness only; for evil was everywhere present, marring earth and sea and air with its defiling touch. Where once was written only the character of God, the knowledge of good, was now written also the character of Satan, the knowledge of evil. From nature, which now revealed the knowledge of good and evil, man was continually to receive warning as to the results of sin."

The reason Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden was because it could no longer teach them the lessons they must learn to re-enter Paradise. They must now see the contrast between the character of God and the character of Satan written on the face of nature.

And the last message that will be taken to the world will be this very truth about God's character:

Christ's Object Lessons, 415.

"The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love."

Christ's Object Lessons, 84.

"God destroys no man."

The Ministry of Healing, 113.

"Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer."

The Acts of the Apostles, 12.

"Earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power; but from Christ's kingdom every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion, is banished."

v v v v v

This following section has been added by the compiler

The false god is called "Baal" (lord or boss) in the Old Testament, and is the god of force. Read the quote below for this to become apparent.

Prophets and Kings, pp. 170, 171.

Lessons From Elijah's Experience

From Elijah's experience during those days of discouragement and apparent defeat, there are many lessons to be drawn,--lessons invaluable to the servants of God in this age, marked as it is by general departure from right.

The apostasy prevailing today is similar to that which in the prophet's day overspread Israel. In the exaltation of the human above the divine, in the praise of popular leaders, in the worship of mammon, and in the placing of the teachings of science above the truths of revelation, multitudes today are following after Baal.

Doubt and unbelief are exercising their baleful influence over mind and heart, and many are substituting for the oracles of God the theories of men. It is publicly taught that we have reached a time when human reason should be exalted above the teachings of the Word.

The law of God, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect. The enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and women to place human institutions where God should be, and to forget that which was ordained for the happiness and salvation of mankind.

Yet this apostasy, widespread as it has come to be, is not universal.

Not all in the world are lawless and sinful; not all have taken sides with the enemy. God has many thousands who have not bowed the knee to Baal, many who long to understand more fully in regard to Christ and the law, many who are hoping against hope that Jesus will come soon to end the reign of sin and death.

And there are many who have been worshiping Baal ignorantly, but with whom the Spirit of God is still striving.

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