Just a few thoughts for now.

Paul brings up the common meaning of sacrifice here:

Paul brings up the common meaning of sacrifice here:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

No, Tom, that's not the "common meaning" of sacrifice:

that's the spiritual definition of daily conversion - nothing related to propitiation for sin, which is the heart of this week's lesson.

As for the meaning of sacrifice, substitution has been enunciated by MM's quotes as the replacement of the life of God's Lamb for the life of the sinner. Ezek 18:20a states it plainly: "The soul that sins shall die." This is the negative, justice element of Christ's death for sin. His merits are the positive, righteousness element, gifting eternal life to the world.

Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. (The Message)

Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 2:15)

What do you have to say about any of MM's quotes? Your silence about the issues of justice expose you to a contradiction with Bible & SOP until you speak to the point...(!) When shall we hear from you, eh.

Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,--to set men right through the revelation of God.(ST 1/20/90)

(M)an was deceived; his mind was darkened by Satan's sophistry. The height and depth of the love of God he did not know. For him there was hope in a knowledge of God's love. By beholding His character he might be drawn back to God. (DA 762)

Every point a person makes I respond to, except redundant ones, or points missed inadvertently.

that's the spiritual definition of daily conversion - nothing related to propitiation for sin, which is the heart of this week's lesson.

Check it out here: The Serpent and the Seed

7. Jesus died to demonstrate the immutability of God’s law. “But it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man that Christ came to the earth to suffer and to die. He came to "magnify the law" and to 'make it honorable.' Not alone that the inhabitants of this world might regard the law as it should be regarded; but it was to demonstrate to all the worlds of the universe that God's law is unchangeable. Could its claims have been set aside, then the Son of God need not have yielded up His life to atone for its transgression. The death of Christ proves it immutable. And the sacrifice to which infinite love impelled the Father and the Son, that sinners might be redeemed, demonstrates to all the universe--what nothing less than this plan of atonement could have sufficed to do--that justice and mercy are the foundation of the law and government of God. {GC 503.1} “The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law immutable, proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. {GC 503.3}

You mentioned 7, not 1. My quote above was from 1. Here are some quotes related to 7, the first one a paragraph (maybe two) before yours, the second one a little earlier in the chapter.

MM's points 1 & 7 sound like your singular point of demonstrating God's love to change our minds about God's character; all his other quotes challenge you to agree with them, with their points on substitution and justice, which you don't support, or do you: what do you say to them?

Sin is secession from the government of God. Satan seceded, and sought to exalt his throne above that of God. Sinners are those who have joined themselves to Satan’s forces in the secession. God, in infinite love, sens his own and only Son to put down the rebellion. He cannot pardon those who are still in rebellion, for this would but justify the rebellion and dishonor the law, and so perpetuate and multiply the misery. But through Jesus this rebellion is finally to be put down entirely. “The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.” O’er every hilltop of earth and heaven, where for a short time there has waved the black standard of the man of sin, there shall forever float the white pennon of the Prince of Peace.
Every one who lays down his arms and surrenders his opposing will to God has the promise of pardon. This pardon God can grant, and not dishonor his law. Yea, more, it is through this pardon that the mercy and love of God’s law and government are revealed, -- a love that only commanded the right way, not to be arbitrary and domineering, but that men might be happy, -- a love what when men repent of the wrong, and turn back their hearts toward the broken law, is ever willing to forgive the past and give power for future obedience. It is thus that God can be just, and still the justifier of those who believe on Jesus. It is thus that faith in Jesus exalts the law of God to the highest heavens, and established it forever.
(God is Love)

It's known you differ with us on the meaning of Christ's sacrifice - this week's lesson on sacrificial symbolism for Israel till the Messiah should come, but the greek dictionary definition of propitiation for Rom 3:25 for example gives the meaning presented in the lesson.

Even the NIV makes clear in the margin that propitiation means "one [Christ] who would turn aside his [God's] wrath".

8 [25] Expiation: this rendering is preferable to "propitiation," which suggests hostility on the part of God toward sinners. As Paul will be at pains to point out (Romans 5:8-10), it is humanity that is hostile to God.

Divine wrath propitiation is also well known among heathen religions, but you don't like Biblical wrath against sin do you. God's version can't be true?

While God has desired to teach men that from His own love comes the Gift which reconciles them to Himself, the archenemy of mankind has endeavored to represent God as one who delights in their destruction. Thus the sacrifices and the ordinances designed of Heaven to reveal divine love have been perverted to serve as means whereby sinners have vainly hoped to propitiate, with gifts and good works, the wrath of an offended God. (PP 685)

Tom, what is your point?

Do you agree Jesus' death was necessary to prove the law is immutable?

If so, why was His death necessary to prove it?

And, how did His death prove it?

Also, what did dying to prove it have to do with motivating sinners to love and obey God?

"But it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man that Christ came to the earth to suffer and to die." The way she puts this implies different reasons.

To deal with your question if I'm aware that "divine wrath propitiation is also well known among heathen religions" the following quote comes to mind:

Quote:
While God has desired to teach men that from His own love comes the Gift which reconciles them to Himself, the archenemy of mankind has endeavored to represent God as one who delights in their destruction. Thus the sacrifices and the ordinances designed of Heaven to reveal divine love have been perverted to serve as means whereby sinners have vainly hoped to propitiate, with gifts and good works, the wrath of an offended God. (PP 685)


This quote seems to be arguing against the idea you are referring to.

Fraid not, no: she writes that Satan perverted God's propitiatory sacrifices into heathen propitiation in the hands of the Israelites- iow. not God's will & worthless, not that God didn't provide Jesus as propitiation for our sins and taught that through the sanctuary service.

Divine wrath propitiation is also well known among heathen religions

Yes I did refer to Rom 3:25, and I don't accept "expiation" as an interpretational translation.

The RSV shares that word with the NASB, but the NIV acknowledges that "propitiation" is in its original text

whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God

, and that's the way the Bible is. I'll find a series of texts about wrath against sin...What's wrong with God propitiating his own wrath????

A propitiation is a sacrifice. The statement then is simply that Christ is set forth to be a sacrifice for the remission of our sins. "Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. 9:26. Of course the idea of a propitiation or sacrifice is that there is wrath to be appeased. But take particular notice that it is we who require the sacrifice, and not God. He provides the sacrifice. The idea that God's wrath has to be propitiated in order that we may have forgiveness finds no warrant in the Bible.

It is the height of absurdity to say that God is so angry with men that he will not forgive them unless something is provided to appease his wrath, and that therefore he himself offers the gift to himself, by which he is appeased. "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death." Col. 1:21, 22.

But take particular notice that it is we who require the sacrifice, and not God.

Was there ever a being in this world that hated sin as Christ hates it? - No. Was there ever a being who loved the sinner as Christ loved him? - No. Suppose I hate a man, and somebody is trying to do that man an injury, and I see it, and do not try to prevent it. Do I care whether that man is injured or not? - No; I am rather glad of it. But suppose I love that man, and here is a man that is trying to thrust a dagger into him and kill him. Now the measure of my hatred for that deed is the measure of my love for that man. I am liable to hate the man that is doing the deed, too. But I hate the deed, anyway. Now, brethren, the measure of God's hatred for sin, is the measure of his love for the sinner.

Sin has been lurking with murderous intent to take the life of every soul. God's wrath is kindled against the sin. Is that wrath going to be appeased in any way? O if it were, it would be a bad thing for us. That wrath of God against sin is to burn on until it consumes every bit of sin in this universe. Just as long as God loves the sinner, he will hate the sin, and his wrath against the sin will burn; and, thank God! that wrath against sin is going to burn, unchanged, until the universe is clean.

But look: the plan of redemption is God's effort to separate the sin from the sinner, so that he can destroy the sin, and save the sinner alive forevermore. And only when the sinner inseparably connects himself with sin, does he have to take the wrath of God. And does the Lord take delight in that? - No. When you and I have wrath, we have wrath against the man. But how about God? "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked," but rather that he turn and repent. Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye die. The wrath of God is not against the wicked, even in their extermination; but because the wicked have inseparably connected themselves with sin, they have to break it; and the Lord says he does not take any pleasure in that.(1897 GCB)