The Great Controversy Between Good and Evil
SOME SUGGESTIONS ON THE WORK AND PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST.
The Great Controversy between Good and Evil.
THE following are only suggestive. Each paragraph has within it the potency of an article, and some of them of a volume. They are designed to stimulate study. If the thought seems new and erroneous, do not hastily reject it; study it more. Compare it with the Bible. 1. Jesus Christ was from the beginning the eternal Son of God, One with the Father. He is therefore said to be "from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2); Jehovah calls Him "My Fellow" (Zech. 13:7); and He bore among His many names that of Michael, the meaning of which is "who is like God." He was the active agent in creation, creating all things by the Word of His power. John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16. 2. In that very creation He gave His life for all His creatures; for with Him is "the Fountain of life." Ps. 36:9. As Creator and Lifegiver, He became the Head and Priest of the universe. He was Father, Teacher, Provider, Priest, ministering of His own fulness and life to sinless, tho dependent and immature, intelligences. He was righteous, and He was King, and therefore Melchizedek, "King of Righteousness." But as "the fruit of righteousness is peace," He was also "King of Salem," which is King of Peace. He was to all created beings the Source of righteousness and peace. 3. As God's plan throughout the universe is one and harmonious, the heads and fathers of the inhabited worlds, like Christ, the preeminent One, were counted sons of God, even as Adam was of this world. Luke 3:38. As fathers and teachers under Christ, each became king of the world of which he was the primal, created head. As a righteous being, he also became a king of righteousness and king of peace to all his children, rightly named Melchizedek, a priest of his world, rightly teaching and ministering of the life and fulness bestowed on him by Christ. God's uniform and perfect plan clearly indicates this. Then from time to time these sons of God came to present themselves before their Creator, to give an account of their stewardship (Job 1:6; 2:1), and to learn more of the wonderful works and counsels of God. Some of these worlds antedated the creation of this world; for when this was projected in the counsel of God, "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. What4an interest they must have since had in this world's sad travail in sin and sorrow! 4. When Lucifer, the highest and the perfect one of all created beings, entered his charge against the government of this universe, the great controversy began which has waged for centuries. The Son, sharer of His Father's throne, "counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself," yielded all, and gave Himself for the life of His creatures and the vindication of the character of God. Phil. 2:6. Lucifer exalted himself to be like God, and plotted for the destruction of the universe. Isa. 14:10-12. 5. Christ humbled Himself to prove God to be love, mercy, and justice, all that deity could be. Lucifer exalted himself to prove God unjust, and so overthrow God's government. Around these characters revolve, and in them center, the great principles which make or break, not man alone, but the very universe. Rev. 12:1-10. 6. When Lucifer sinned he took upon himself the awful responsibility of the consequences and penalty which might follow. When sin entered, the Son of God gave Himself as sin's victim to redeem the sinful, the world, and the universe; and thus He became a "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." He became the pledge that the righteousness and love of God would be vindicated in life. Rev. 5:6; 13:8. 7. He then took upon Himself, "the form of a servant," an angel. Because He was the Chief of servants, the chief in service, He became Michael the Archangel, the Head of all the heavenly host, the only one with Gabriel who stood in the counsel of God concerning the plan of salvation in the revelation of the Scriptures of truth. Phil. 2:5-7; 1 Thess. 4:16; John 5:28, 29; Dan. 10:21.