Elle and Tom,

Why did Lucifer object to God's character being manifested? Why did he have a controversy with God over God's loving care?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Regarding the comments above on the New Testament, the reason the healings Christ performed was an action which overcame the devil was it revealed that truth about who he was viz a viz who God was. In all of the actions of kindness Christ did, He advanced God's kingdom by setting forth what the true God is like (e.g., He goes around doing good; He heals; He accepts the company of the down-trodden; He is kind to His enemies; He is non-violent etc.) as well as defeating the kingdom of the enemy by unmasking its true character. Especially the cross did this, but through Christ's life the differences in the two kingdoms were highlighted, including their character and the methods used in the respective kingdoms.

Satan achieved (and achieves) his power by means of deception, especially in regards to God's character. By misrepresenting God's character, Satan leads men to fear and hate God, as opposed to loving and trusting Him.

To know God is to love Him, so by making the true God known, Jesus was paving the way for man to be reconciled to Him, to love and trust Him.

Satan had a controversy with God over His loving care because he didn't want man to love and trust God.

So for you, the Great Controversy started on earth with Satan warring against God by deceiving mankind. That might explain some of the conceptual differences we have.

In my mind, the controversy began in Heaven. At the time it began, Satan did not have in mind the idea to deceive, although that came quickly after. The controversy Lucifer had with God was that God's law prevented him from joining God's special council. Lucifer wanted to be included with the Godhead in their private meetings, but the law forbade. Therefore, he was angered (all of which would not have been the case had he not first become proud and then jealous).

Naturally, Lucifer did not become proud in order to deceive people. Nor did he become jealous so that he could trick them. The controversy he had with God preceded his deception of others, and he only began to deceive them in order to further his original controversy against God's law, which he viewed as overly strict (since it would not allow him liberty to do as he wished in his prideful condition).

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

I've quoted the following many times, including in this thread.



The Great Controversy began in heaven.

All that Satan said in heaven misrepresenting God was in the context of the law.

"Jesus has revealed to men that while the hatred of God against sin is as strong as death, his love to the sinner is stronger than death. Christ, in his life and his death, has forever settled the deep and comprehensive question whether there is self-denial with God, and whether God is light and love. This was the question agitated in the heavens above, which was the beginning of Satan's alienation from God. The change or abolition of the laws of his government in the heavenly courts was demanded as the evidence of the love of God. We see that the controversy has been kept up, Satan creating enmity against God because of his holy law. The satanic agencies are constantly at work, sowing and watering the seeds of rebellion against the law of God, and Satan is gathering souls under his black banner of revolt." {RH, October 21, 1902 par. 1}

"He [Christ] remembered the persistence and malice of Satan, who had boldly contended with the angels in Heaven that his sentence was unjust, maintaining that there was no self-denial with God, and that Satan, in struggling to carry out his purposes and have his own way, was only imitating the example of God. If God followed his own will perfectly and continually, why should not the first sons created in his image do so? By this argument Satan deceived many of the holy angels. He complained continually of God's severity, just as children sometimes complain of their parents' severity in restraining them from carrying out plans destructive to the family government. Rather than submit to the will of God he turned from the light of reason, and set himself in opposition to the divine plans." {3SP 77.1}

Thank you, Rosangela, for those quotes. The first makes clear that death is required by the law and for salvation - ie. forgiveness, etc.

The death to sin by our Saviour, in life by faith and at Calvary in person, both for us and as us - having taken our humanity which needed that penalty due its sinfulness (for which we bear no guilt, but Christ bears that penalty, too, for us, over whom the curse of the law hangs), is the requirement for God to be true to himself and true to us: to save us he must settle that controversy by his own actions.

I believe it makes more sense the other way around. All that Satan said in heaven misrepresenting the law was in the context of the God's character (which the law is a transcript of). The law is the means by which God administers His government. Satan hated God, and thus His character and His principles (or government).



Someone said, "It's great to talk about the law of God, but even greater is to talk of the God of the law."

I don't understand the frame of mind that would lead one to think that considering the law to be of more importance that God (in the context of the Great Controversy) is a superior way of considering things. There's certainly no hint in Scripture that the law is more important to the Great Controversy than God is. If one considers the ministry of Jesus Christ, God trumps the law in terms of coverage by probably a factor of 100 to 1. In order to hold to the view that the law is more important than God (in terms of the Great Controversy), it seems to me that one needs to obtain that view from Ellen White, and doing so makes her to have an emphasis one doesn't see in Scripture (which makes me doubt that it's her emphasis either).

I take it that, of the group who believe the law is primary, you wouldn't feel you could correctly even discuss the Great Controversy, or the Plan of Salvation without reference to the law. I think it's perfectly possible to do so, simply by explaining things in reference to God's character. I think, depending on one's background, this could be a preferable way to do so.

If we agree that the whole purpose of Jesus Christ's mission was the revelation of God, to me that makes sense, given that the Great Controversy is all about God's character. That would mean the whole purpose of His mission was about resolving the Great Controversy. However, if we say the Great Controversy was primarily about the law, and God's character is only "involved," then it would seem to me that the whole purpose of Christ's mission was a bit off focus.

Did Satan misrepresent God's government because he hated God's character? Or did Satan misrepresent God's character because he hated God's government?

He was envious of Christ, and hated Him. He hated God's character, because He hated Him. The same thing could be said in regards to His law (or government; that is, Satan hated God's law, or character, or government, because he hated Him.)