Note Satan's arguement to God: "You made Adam a test ground. He is the head of this new race. As long as he serves you, he is Your property, Your subject. You can do with him as You want. But now that he has chosen me, he does not belong to You anymore. You've made Your point about justice, but You can't apply it to man. He is not Yours."
Consider Satan's motives: "If You destroy me, You've got to wipe out man. We are both sinners." But God won't do that. "All right, if you take man, if You save him, You've got to accept me, too. We're all in the same boat, all part of the same kingdom. To be human is to be a sinner, and every man has testified to that." His claims were false to the core, but it did not appear that way, and God must answer things not just as they are, but as they seem to be.. Even though Satan had no authority to make such claims, Christ must establish His right to possess the human race - to show that to be human is not to be automatically a sinner, that the human race has not completely abdicated to Satan, and that even humans can serve God with love.
Thus we find Christ taking the role as representative of the human race. The Creator of Adam, the only one who could assume responsibility, now steps in in his behalf. We see the exhibition of a perfect life. "He came as a representative of the human family before heaven and earth. He was to stand as man's substitute and surety. He was to live the life of humanity in such a way as to contradict the assertion that Satan had made that humanity was his everlasting possession, and that God Himself could not take man out of his adversary's hands" (ST July 30,1896). "Christ has come to disprove Satan's claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that his claim for the world was false. All who desire deliverance from his power would be set free. The dominion that Adam had lost through sin would be recovered" (DA 115).
So we view Christ dying not only as a sinner, but Himself sinless, and through His sacrifice we find the destruction of Satan's claim. "The death of Christ was an arguement in man's behalf that could not be overthrown" (GC 502). It vindicated God's claims. "The world does not acknowledge that, at infinite cost, Christ has purchased the human race. They do not acknowlegde that by creation and redemption He holds a just claim to every human being. But as the Redeemer of the fallen human race, He has been given the deed of possession, which entitles Him to claim them as His property" (Letter 136, 1902). "Jesus paid an infinite price to redeem the world, and the race was given into His hands; they become His property" (3T 372).
By dying as sinner, Christ established justice. And by dying sinless he secured the right to exercise mercy. "The death of Christ was expedient in order that mercy might reach us with it's full pardoning power, and at the same time that justice might be satisfied in the righteous substitute" (ST, May 30,1895). "Justice and Mercy stood apart, in opposition to each other, separated by a wide gulf. The Lord our Redeemer clothed His divinity with humanity, and wrought out in behalf of man a character that was without spot or blemish. He planted His cross midway between heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy acrossed the gulf. Justice moved from it's exalted thrown, and with all the armies of heaven approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With pefect satisfaction Justice bowed with reverence at the cross, saying, 'It is enough'"(General Conference Bulletin, 4th quarter, 1899, Vol.3,p.102). This we read in the words of the psalmist, "Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10).
The life and death of Christ represent the supreme revelation of God's character. We witness God vindicated in the reconciliation of justice and mercy, because at the base of the whole controversy rests the problem. "What is the universe going to think of God?" Life will never be secure until the universe thoroughly understands God's character.
"Oh," but you say, "certainly it is a beautiful picture of the love of God, but how does it relate to our security?" Here is the point; Salvation was an issue with God that He secured completely apart from any human activity. It was guaranteed by God for God's sake before we ever came on the scene of action. While it involves us, it is much deeper than that. It was part of God's self-revelation and vindication before the universe. Thus salvation stands independent of anything we do in response to it - it is established in the nature of God.
But you insist, "What is so significant about that?" Namely that our deeds - good deeds, misdeeds - are not directly related to salvation. Let me say it more strogly. We are not given salvation because of our good deeds, nor are we deprived of it because of our misdeeds. Here is the root of the problem of security. Most will agree that we do not gain salvation by our good deeds, but few of us will affirm that our misdeeds will not deprive us of it. But one is just as true ass the other.
Several years ago the following article appeared in a Southern California newspaper. "A young man who lived in the western states has never done anything (criminally) wrong. But one day while playing a game of cards he lost his temper. Picking up a revolver, he shot and killed his opponent. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to hang.
"Because of the wonderful life he had previously lived, his relatives and friends got up a petition for him. It seemed as though everyone wanted to sign it. Before long other towns and villages had heard about it, and people all over the state eagerly signed.
"At last it was taken to the governor, who happened to be a christian, and tears came to his eyes as he looked at the large baskets filled with petitions. He decided to pardon the young man; so, writing out a pradon, he put it in his pocket, then, dressed in the garb of a clergyman, he made his way to the prison.
"As the governor approached the death cell the young man sprang to the bars; 'Get out of here,' he cried. 'I don't want to see you. I have had enough religion at home. Seven of your kind have visited me already.'
" 'But,' interrupted the governor, 'wait a moment, young man; I have something for you. Let me talk to you.'
" 'Listen,' exclaimed the young man in anger. 'If you don't get out of here at once I'll call the guard and have you put out.'
" 'But young man,' continued the governor, 'I have good news for you - the very best. Won't you let me tell you about it?'
" 'You heard what I said,' replied the young man, 'and if you don't leave immediately, I'll call the warden.'
" 'Very well,' replied the governor, and with a sad heart he turned and left.
"In a few moments the warden approached. 'Well, young man,' he said, 'I see you had a visit from the governor.'
" 'What!' cried the young man. 'Was that man dressed in the garb of a clergyman the governor?'
" 'He was,' replied the warden, 'and he had a pardon in his pocket for you, but you would not listen to him.'
" 'Get me pen, ink, and paper,' urged the young man. And sitting down he wrote, "Dear Governor: I owe you an apology. I am sorry for the way I treated you....'
"The governor received the letter, turned it over, and wrote on the back, 'No longer inteseted in this case.'
"The day came for the young man to die. 'Is there anything you want to say before you die?' he was asked.
" 'Yes,' he answered, 'tell the young men of America that I am not dying for my crime - I am not dying because I am a murderer. The governor pardoned me. I could have lived. Tell them,' he continued, 'that I am dying because I did not accept the governor's pardon' " (The Arlington Times, August 26, 1954).
