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What Does the Law Demand?

What Does the Law Demand?

I was introduced to the “Healing Model” view of the Atonement and surrounding ideas some time last year and have been prayerfully and thoughtfully considering these ideas and beliefs that it is a better understanding. However, I don’t believe Ellen White also held these views based on some statements that I have come across in her writings.

I am still exploring all these ideas and hope you can help by explaining your thoughts on the following quotes:

“…”Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:3-5). Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5-7).” {FW 101.1}

D


Thanks for such an important question and providing a quotation with language that confuses many, but so accurately describes God’s plan to heal and restore. The passage above is describing God’s solution or remedy for the sin problem and its application to the sinner’s life. But before we are able to accurately understand the solution for sin we must first properly diagnose the problem sin caused that the plan of salvation is designed to fix. Those who misdiagnose the sin problem misunderstand the solution and misread the passage above. In order to rightly understand the problem we must start with understanding God’s design for life. And God’s design is love.

The Bible teaches that God’s law is the law of love:

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt 12:37-40

Where does the law of love originate? Is it something God created that exists outside Himself and is compulsory upon Him and the rest of creation? Is God’s law an imposed, legislated, or otherwise enacted law? Or does the law of love originate in God’s heart/character?

The Bible teaches that God is love. Imagine traveling back in time before earth was created, back before any planets, before angels, back before God created anything at all to a time described in John 1:1,2 .

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”

Back then, when only God existed, was the law of love in existence? If so, then such a law is not “created” but is the expression of God’s being.

God, being love, created everything to operate upon the template of the law of love because all things were made through Him, and through Him all things hold together (John 1:3, Col 1:17). Love is the design protocol for all life. 1Cor 13 tells us that this love is “not self-seeking, which means love is giving, other-centered, beneficent. The law of life for the universe is perfect love, free giving to uplift and bless.

In chapter seven of my book Could It Be This Simple? I give several examples of this law in action. But one example of how life is built to operate on giving is respiration. With every breath we take we give away CO2 to the plants and the plants give us O2. The only way to live is to give. If we hoard our CO2 it will kill us. This is God’s design, an expression of the law of love.

Then what is sin? What is the problem sin caused that needs fixing? Why does sin bring death? And what needs to happen in order to avoid death for mankind?

Here are a few statements from the same author you quoted describing the law of love as the law of life, or the basis of life and what sin is:

In living for self he has rejected that divine love which would have flowed out in mercy to his fellow men. Thus he has rejected life. For God is love, and love is life. COL 258

Our only definition of sin is that given in the word of God; it is “the transgression of the law;” it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government. GC 493

The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. GC 493

Here is a slightly longer statement giving a little more detail and how the law of love got broken:

But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.  DA 21

In heaven itself this law was broken. [Law of love] Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men. DA 21

How did the law of love get broken in man? We believed lies about God:

“Eve believed the words of Satan, and the belief of that falsehood in regard to God’s character, changed the condition and character of both herself and husband. They were changed from good and obedient children into transgressors…” RH, January 5, 1886 par. 8

And what happens when lies are believed? The circle of love and trust is broken and fear and selfishness spring up in the heart. This is a terminal condition as life can only exist in harmony with the law of love. As the Bible says “the wages of sin is death” and “sin when full grown brings forth death” (Romans 6:23, James 1:15). This is our situation, born terminal, born selfish, born with the law of love broken in our minds, hearts and characters.

Then what would be the remedy for sin? Let’s reexamine the statement you sent:

Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of his Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as he loves his Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” {RH, November 4, 1890 par. 7}

Would the above passage be saying this?

Righteousness is perfect harmony with the law of love. The law of love requires righteousness for it is the basis of life (just like the law of respiration demands breathing for life to exist). The sinner owes the law perfect compliance as a basis of life, but is not capable of providing it because the sinner is selfish, out of harmony with the law. The only way he can be brought back into harmony with the law (become righteous) is by trust in God. By faith, or trust, he is infused with Christ’s character and thereby is no longer out of harmony with the law. Through trust he receives the remedy of Christ and is restored to righteousness and in trust brings Christ’s character, reproduced in his heart, to God. The Lord recognizes the sinner, thus restored by the indwelling Christ, is no longer out of harmony with the law of love, but is healthy again. He accepts Christ’s perfect character reproduced in the sinner and does not hold against him his record of sins.

Consider the following, written by the same author you cited above and see if it doesn’t agree with our interpretation:

The law requires righteousness,–a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Rom. 3:26. {DA 762.2}

What is being described? Christ came to earth, partook of our humanity, overcame where we could not. Jesus, in His human brain, restored God’s law of love into humanity via His own victorious life and destroyed sinfulness that He assumed. Now, He offers to share His life with us. Through faith or trust, we receive, via the work of the Holy Spirit the infusion/transfusion of Christ’s character so that it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me! God’s law of love is restored again in the heart of mankind!

Our Redeemer determined on nothing less than that through His merits the love of God should be transfused through the soul that believes in Him. As our life, the vitality of God’s love is to circulate through every part of our nature, that it may abide in us as it dwells in Christ Jesus. United with Christ by living faith, the Father loves us as the members of Christ’s mystical body, of which Christ is the glorified head. TMK 19

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Heb 8:10

Through Christ the law of love is restored into humanity and mankind is again right with God. Through Christ each person can receive a transfusion of love, righteousness, Christlikeness to be restored in their individuality to be one with God again. Thus the demands of the law are fulfilled in the believer in Christ! Praise God for His love, mercy and healing grace!

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The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

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Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

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I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

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Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA

 

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I got the book “Could It Be This Simple?” a few months ago and the reading was wonderful and I was fascinated. I lent the book to a friend at work. She is having a difficult time and the book is helping her to find Jesus and I found this very exciting. She has asked me questions and I can see her life changing.

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I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

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I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

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I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

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I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

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