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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Daryl]
#103383
10/03/08 11:48 PM
10/03/08 11:48 PM
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At any rate, my main point was that this statement: Quote: God's natural hatred for sin made necessary the role of a Mediator.
is false.
???? Even setting aside the additional element which exists in our perspective of the atonement and considering just your perspective, this statement is true. God's hatred for sin is His glory which consumes sin. Man is separated from God because if He approaches God he will be consumed by His glory. Therefore, in order to communicate with man His glory had to be veiled - and that's why a Mediator became necessary. Isn't this what you believe, too? I pointed the following out to Arnold: If one's hatred for sin makes a Mediator necessary, then Christ's hatred for sin would require the role of Mediator between Him and us. To which he, displaying great wisdom, replied, "That makes sense." If hatred for sin necessitates a mediator, it doesn't matter whose hatred for sin it is. The principle would apply for God the Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, angels, or Enoch or Elijah, assuming they have a perfect hatred of sin. And if we became like Christ, so that our hatred for sin was like His, then other human beings would need a mediator to be around us. God's hatred for sin is His glory which consumes sin. From DA 108: The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked. Note that the same thing that gives life to the righteous is what slays the wicked. Does God's hatred of sin give life to the righteous? That doesn't really make sense, does it? Given that "light" is "revelation" and "glory" is "character" ("God's glory is His character ST 9/3/02) this translates to the revelation of the character of God. The context bears this out: In the time of John the Baptist, Christ was about to appear as the revealer of the character of God. His very presence would make manifest to men their sin. Only as they were willing to be purged from sin could they enter into fellowship with Him. Only the pure in heart could abide in His presence.(ibid) Therefore, in order to communicate with man His glory had to be veiled - and that's why a Mediator became necessary. Isn't this what you believe, too? Yes, I agree with this, but it's man's sin that necessitates the Mediator, not God's hatred of it. Also, the concept of a Mediation encompasses more than what is commonly thought, as explained by Waggoner. That's a wonderful explanation by Waggoner. One would profit much be giving it careful study.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." 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.
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Daryl]
#103384
10/03/08 11:56 PM
10/03/08 11:56 PM
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God could not come down in all His glory amoung us sinners, we would all be destroyed, so Christ had to come down. Sin is the anti-matter to Gods matter, they cannot coexist, Christ became flesh so He could reach man with shielded divinity. Christ was no less fully God dwelling in human flesh than He was in all His glory in heaven. If God and sin cannot coexist, then anytime anyone came in contact with Christ, they would have been annihilated, because Christ was 100% God. Becoming human didn't make Him any less God. Sin caused a change in man so that man could not bear to be face to face with God, unless God veiled His glory. Satan had deceived man, so that man did not understand what God is really like. In order to love God, we must know Him as He is, but if He draws near, we can't stand it. So what was God to do? He became one of us, so that we could learn the truth about Him, and be drawn to Him, and be reconciled to Him. Once we learn the truth about Him, communication is restored: At that day ye shall ask in my name; and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you. (John 16:27)
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." 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.
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Daryl]
#103385
10/03/08 11:59 PM
10/03/08 11:59 PM
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Tom's quote in post #103359 is only a part of the following from Wednesday's section: Of course it was only a part. You didn't think what I quoted was the whole thing, did you? What you quoted was only a part from Wednesday's section too!
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." 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.
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Daryl]
#103387
10/04/08 01:26 AM
10/04/08 01:26 AM
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I agree, Daryl, that this may be the case; context is often important. But in this situation, the author said: God's natural hatred for sin made necessary the role of a Mediator. How did the rest of the paragraph help understand this? This sentence seems to me to stand on its own.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." 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.
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Tom]
#103389
10/04/08 01:58 AM
10/04/08 01:58 AM
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R: God's hatred for sin is His glory which consumes sin. T: From DA 108: <<The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.>> Note that the same thing that gives life to the righteous is what slays the wicked. Does God's hatred of sin give life to the righteous? That doesn't really make sense, does it? Given that "light" is "revelation" and "glory" is "character" ("God's glory is His character ST 9/3/02) this translates to the revelation of the character of God. ??? One aspect of God's character is His hatred for sin, and the revelation of His character, including His hatred for sin, both gives life to the righteous and slays the wicked. If hatred for sin necessitates a mediator, it doesn't matter whose hatred for sin it is. The principle would apply for God the Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, angels, or Enoch or Elijah, assuming they have a perfect hatred of sin. And if we became like Christ, so that our hatred for sin was like His, then other human beings would need a mediator to be around us. This conclusion is completely unwarranted. The hatred for sin requiring a mediator applies to the relationship between the Creator (the Godhead) and the sinning creature. Period. This has nothing to do with angels, Enoch and Elijah, or us (in the context you pointed out). Yes, I agree with this, but it's man's sin that necessitates the Mediator, not God's hatred of it. The sinner is comfortable in Satan's presence, because they both love sin. If God loved sin, the sinner would be comfortable in His presence, too. What primarily causes the rupture in the communication between the sinner and God, what makes man flee from God's presence (like Adam did) is God's hatred of sin. So, ultimately, it's this that requires the Mediator (in the context of earth, not in the ampler context Waggoner speaks about).
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Tom]
#103390
10/04/08 11:15 AM
10/04/08 11:15 AM
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God could not come down in all His glory amoung us sinners, we would all be destroyed, so Christ had to come down. Sin is the anti-matter to Gods matter, they cannot coexist, Christ became flesh so He could reach man with shielded divinity. Christ was no less fully God dwelling in human flesh than He was in all His glory in heaven. If God and sin cannot coexist, then anytime anyone came in contact with Christ, they would have been annihilated, because Christ was 100% God. Becoming human didn't make Him any less God. Sin caused a change in man so that man could not bear to be face to face with God, unless God veiled His glory. Satan had deceived man, so that man did not understand what God is really like. In order to love God, we must know Him as He is, but if He draws near, we can't stand it. So what was God to do? He became one of us, so that we could learn the truth about Him, and be drawn to Him, and be reconciled to Him. Once we learn the truth about Him, communication is restored: At that day ye shall ask in my name; and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you. (John 16:27) Christ was 100% God but with His Divinity/Glory 'veiled/ shielded' or else like the Roman soldiers everyone would have fallen down at just the sight or Him, the ground He walked on would have become 'Holy' as with Moses, and we would have to make a line around Him that we could not come near. Christ must have been veiled divinity even when He interacted in human form with man before He came as flesh, otherwise Adam and Eve would not have been able to come near after they sinned, Abraham would not have been able to talk or feed the three strangers, or Jacob when he struggled face to face, it could not be God in all His glory as the light would have shown itself and had a affect, so to me it was Christ. Lets take a look at some verses (Isa 46:5, 8-10 KJV) To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? ... {8} Remember this, and show yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. {9} Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,{10} Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Jesus, in the flesh, remained God... Jesus did not "leave his essential nature (His deity) in heaven, when He came to earth" (2 Cor 8:9 KJV) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. He simply disrobed Himself of all the 'glory' or grandeur of deity which He enjoyed in heaven (Phil 2:5-11 KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: {10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In this role, He was submissive to the Father: (Luk 22:41-42 KJV) And He(Jesus) was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (42) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Joh 14:27-28 KJV) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (28) Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Last edited by Richard; 10/04/08 11:50 AM.
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Re: Lesson #1 - God's Nature: The Basis of ATONEMENT
[Re: Rick H]
#103404
10/05/08 03:40 AM
10/05/08 03:40 AM
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But didn't you state this was false, or am I getting confused with somebody else's post? Yes, I stated it was false that God's natural hatred for sin is what requires that man have a Mediator. I pointed out that if this were the case, then Christ's natural hatred for sin would require we have a Mediator too, someone to stand between Christ and us. And so would the natural hatred for sin that the angels have, and so forth. We require a Mediator because sin has so damaged us. The problem is our sin, not God's hatred of it. The reason God hates sin is because of the damage it does against us. Even if God didn't hate sin, we would still need a Mediator. Of course, it's impossible for God not to hate sin, because sin causes death, and God loves us, but it is not God's hatred of sin that is our fundamental problem, but the damage that sin does to us.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." 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.
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