Many doubt his existence and even more so his integrity. Are you ready for an extraordinary mission? By Dr. theol. Alberto Treiyer, Adventist expert in sanctuary teaching from Argentina/USA
Reading time: 7 minutes
Recently, some Adventists have questioned the role that the last generation plays in vindicating God’s character and saving His glory. They consider this theology to be outdated and unnecessary, because Jesus already revealed God’s character in a unique way 2000 years ago. That is enough. In doing so, they overlook the fact that they are agreeing with those who therefore consider a current investigative judgment to be superfluous.
Jesus justified God in a unique way. That is true. But it should not stop there. Protestants and evangelicals believe that God’s name was vindicated exclusively through Jesus. They therefore believe that the final judgment is only for the ungodly, but not for believers. So they make little effort to keep all of God’s law. After all, they are already saved!
Those who believe that the cross justifies God and that nothing more is necessary are only thinking about their own salvation. They forget how the moral and spiritual chaos of this world makes God stand before the universe. Does God love without being just? Is God not intelligent enough to solve the sin problem in this world? For even if Jesus proved that God’s law can be kept, even if his substitutionary death brings forgiveness to the sinner, what kind of people will God accept into his kingdom? Will the final judgment only prove God’s inability because he could not transform sinners into Jesus’ image? Is his almighty power not enough to change their lives so that they perfectly reflect the character of his Son?
Some in our church are so “obsessed” with resisting legalism or perfectionism that they fail to recognize how God desires to glorify Himself in the very last generation so that His name might be vindicated. What does that mean? Does God really need justification? No, of course not! He created the universe and could simply destroy it if he wanted to. He wouldn’t have to answer to anyone either. But that would be in contradiction to his qualities of love and justice, in contradiction to the well-being of his earthly and heavenly creatures and in contradiction to the preservation of peace and security of the universe. So that all can praise him without fear, he must be vindicated in judgment. Only when all heavenly intelligences see that God is wisdom, love and justice can these intelligences praise him freely, as described at the end of Revelation (Revelation 4-5; 7:9ff.).
Jesus longs very much for his character to be reflected in his people so that all can see that his sacrifice was not in vain. He desires that all who follow him do so not only with words, but also with their hearts (Matthew 15:8). Therefore, in the end, it is not a question of whether a person can keep God’s law. Jesus proved this 2000 years ago. Now we have to judge whether God is not incapable of transforming his church and preparing it fully for the transfer to his eternal kingdom. Does he really have enough power to lead them alive to a triumphant victory?
If we thought more about how God’s character can be vindicated, we would better understand the value of the cross and be more responsible in our discipleship. We would exalt His law and make it “great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21). David understood justification as something that both he and God needed, as did Paul in Romans. By confessing his sin, David could be forgiven by God without losing his dignity before his own creation.
“Against you, against you alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so that you may be right in your words, pure in your judgment.” (Psalm 51:6 ELB) “But let God be true, and let all men be liars, as it is written: ‘That you may be justified in your words and triumph in your judgments’.” (Romans 3:4 ELB)
With his confession, the sinner acknowledges that God has nothing to do with his sin and that only the one who committed it is guilty (Genesis 5:5-6). He absolves God of any accusation of being involved in the sin by declaring him “righteous”, “pure” and “true”. Only in this way can God take care of this sin in his temple – until the day of judgment. This is why only those who have confessed their transgressions will be accepted at the final judgment, i.e. on today’s Day of Atonement, when God cleanses his temple of the sins recorded in the books of heaven (Daniel 7:9-10). With their confession, they justify God by not accusing him of these sins, but by accepting the substitutionary sacrifice (Leviticus 16:16). Those who remain unrepentant in rebellion accuse God openly or secretly and will ultimately meet their end (Exodus 20:2-5; 23:29-30).
This is why the apostle also says that “the manifold wisdom of God is now being made known to the powers and authorities in heaven through the church” (Ephesians 3:10), “things into which angels desire to look” (1 Peter 1:12 ELB). Vindicating God’s character means showing that God is what he claims to be. But we have dishonored his name before the nations, defiled his sanctuary. That is why, in the end, his name must be vindicated and his seat of government cleansed (Leviticus 16:16; Hebrews 9:23).
While the rebellious world worships a deformed creature (Revelation 13:3-4) and denies that this world was made by God (2 Peter 3:3-5), the heavenly creatures praise him in judgment and acknowledge him as Creator – and his Son as Redeemer (Revelation 4-5). On earth, this heavenly recognition of God as Creator is proclaimed by his faithful remnant. This happens at the time when the heavenly judgment is taking place (Revelation 14:7). In this way, God’s character, which has been so severely denigrated by humanity, is vindicated.
God risked his reputation when he decided to dwell in this world, in the midst of an impure people whom he set out to purify. His ultimate goal is not to prepare a failed and dirty church through the Messiah, but “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that is holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). So when he returns to earth, the devil can hardly tell him to turn back because his sacrifice was useless and no one on earth pays him homage or recognizes him as the prince of this world.
“If the righteous then fall victim to their enemies, this would be a triumph for the prince of darkness”(Great Controversy, 634). “If he could exterminate them on earth, his triumph would be complete.” (ibid. 618)
How much these words say about the nature of the conflict between God and the rebel angel! If the last generation fails, the triumph of the devil would be complete. For along with this last generation would also fail the Deity, who has made his reputation dependent on the “perfecting of the character of his people”(Desire of Ages, 671). The wrath of God’s enemy against this last generation lies in the fact that he cannot harm it because the Holy Spirit keeps it faithful to God.
The devil cannot change because God’s Spirit has completely withdrawn from him. But he thinks his only chance is to thwart God’s plan and dishonor his name through the last generation. He knows that “his triumph would be complete” if he succeeded. He thinks he can dishonor God, that heaven cannot get rid of him because doubt about God’s true character cannot be removed from the universe. That is why he tries so hard to deceive the world and destroy God’s children. But Satan will fail. In the midst of an idolatrous and rebellious world, God will have a faithful people who will not bow to Satan’s demands, a people whom the LORD will preserve. The LORD “is coming to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be admired in all those who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10, 12 ELB). “Give glory and power to the Lord. Bring to the LORD the glory of his name.” (Psalm 96:7-8) “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come.” (Revelation 14:7)
Source: hoffnung-weltweit.info
