Other worlds acknowledge God's law is holy, just, and good
Through the plan of salvation we see mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace embracing each other. There is no vacillation in the principles of God's commandments, but they are pronounced by the angels of heaven, by the inhabitants of unfallen worlds, and by souls justified, as “holy, and just, and good.” SSW December 1, 1895
God's law is unchangeable
The law of God is the expression of his character. God possesses absolute, invariable, and immutable independence, and his law is without variableness, unalterable, eternal, because it is the transcript of his character. No event can take place that will in any sense make it necessary to declare a law of a contrary nature. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Any change in the law would mar its perfection. The slightest variance in its precepts would give reason to the hosts of heaven and to unfallen worlds to think that God's counsels and declarations are not to be relied upon, but need to be remodeled, because they are of a faulty character. Should any change be made in the law of God, Satan would gain that for which he had instituted controversy. ST March 12, 1896, par. 1
Christ came to prove God's law is unchangeable
We should consider that it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man that Christ came to earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might have a just regard for the law of God; but it was to demonstrate to all the worlds that the divine law is unchangeable, and that the wages of sin is death. RH March 9, 1886.
Could God have abolished the law in order to meet man in his fallen condition, and yet have maintained his honor as Governor of the universe, Christ need not have died. But the death of Christ is the convincing, everlasting argument that the law of God is as unchanging as his throne. In the place of the great sacrifice's abating one jot or one tittle of the Father's law, that sacrifice exalts the law; it proclaims to worlds unfallen and to the fallen race that God's law is changeless, and that he will maintain his authority and sustain his law. RH February 8, 1898, par. 4
Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Of Christ it was written, “He will magnify the law, and make it honorable.” How did he do this?—He lived out the law in the sight of the heavenly universe, in the sight of unfallen worlds, and in the sight of sinful men. ST March 14, 1895, par. 1
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. GC88 503.1
The fact that [Christ] bore the penalty of transgression is a mighty argument to all created intelligences, in heaven and in other worlds, that that law is changeless; that God is righteous, merciful, and self-denying; and that his administration is one of justice and mercy. SW July 14, 1908
In the gift of his Son as a substitute and surety for fallen man, is an everlasting testimony to the world, to the heavenly universe, and to worlds unfallen, of the sacred regard which God has for the honor of his law and the eternal stability of his own moral government. It was also an expression of his love and mercy for the fallen human race. In the plan of redemption, this Saviour was to bring glory to God by making manifest his love for the world. YI August 5, 1897
Jesus demonstrates that He is an atoning sacrifice
Notwithstanding that the law condemns the sinner as still unworthy of the gift of eternal life, unworthy of the confidence of God, through our substitute, Jesus Christ, man may be saved. Jesus will demonstrate to the worlds that have not fallen, who are subjects of God's law and have been watching the controversy between Lucifer—one of the angels exalted but fallen—and the Prince of heaven, that He became more than a martyr: He became an atoning sacrifice. 4LtMs, Ms 89, 1886, par. 8
The cost of salvation reveals the malignity of sin
When man, beguiled by Satan's power, disobeyed the divine law, God could not, even to save the lost race, change that law. God is love, and to change the law would be to deny Himself, to overthrow those principles with which are bound up the good of the universe. The working out of the plan of salvation reveals not only to men, but to angels, the character of God, and through the ages of eternity the malignant character of sin will be understood by the cost to the Father and the Son of the redemption of a rebel race. BEcho July 15, 1893
Christ vindicates God's law
Christ cleared away the rubbish of men's opinions, the multiplied exactions with which men had surrounded the commandments of God, so that the true character of the law was revealed. Jesus had given the law, and he was the one who could expound its true principles. It was essential that this should be done in order that the character of God might be vindicated before the inhabitants of a fallen world, and before the inhabitants of worlds unfallen. Jesus showed the contrast that there was between error and truth, between the words of finite men and the word of God. The word of God was plain, but men's words had made it mysterious and unintelligible. But the instruction which Christ gave was unmistakable. His disciples were to obey the precepts of the law, and to represent the character of God to the world. He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” ST March 26, 1896, par. 5
God's gift of love reveals His glorious character
The creation of the worlds, the mystery of the gospel, are for one purpose, to make manifest to all created intelligences, through nature and through Christ, the glories of the divine character. By the marvelous display of his love in giving “his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” the glory of God is revealed to lost humanity and to the intelligences of other worlds. ST April 25, 1892
Pardoning, redeeming love is brought to view in Christ Jesus. Satan had misrepresented the character of God, and it was necessary that a correct representation should be made to worlds unfallen, to angels, and to men. Satan had declared that God knew nothing of self-denial, of mercy and love, but that he was stern, exacting, and unforgiving. Satan never tested the forgiving love of God; for he never exercised genuine repentance. His representations of God were incorrect; he was a false witness, an accuser of Christ, and an accuser of all those who throw off the Satanic yoke, and come back to render willing allegiance to the God of heaven. RH March 9, 1897, par. 3
Christ ends the dispute over God's love
Christ came to the world to convince men, by evidence that could not be controverted, that “God is love.” This fact, so long disputed by Satan, is forever put at rest with unfallen worlds and with heavenly intelligences. It is put at rest with those who look upon an uplifted Saviour, who are convinced by the manifestation of the love of God displayed at Calvary. The wondrous condescension of God in giving Christ to the world to work out the principles of divine character, leaves every human intelligence without a shadow of excuse in withholding his allegiance from the God of heaven. Jesus was one with the Father, and revealed the perfection of God, and yet he came to the world in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, and condemned sin in the flesh by his own life of perfect obedience to the law of God, showing that men may become partakers of the divine nature, and may through faith in Christ lay hold on moral power that has been brought within their reach through the love so abundantly expressed in their behalf. Human agents may form characters after the divine similitude, because of the great love wherewith Christ has loved us. ST March 7, 1895
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