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WHO IS OUR GOD?

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 10, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 15.

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WHO IS OUR GOD?

By Albert H. Darrow

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
AS "there be gods many, and lords many" (1 Cor. 8:5), therefore we should wish to know which of the gods it is who manifests such an interest in human welfare, who loves us "with an everlasting love" (Jer. 31:3), and by whom, as we also learn, "are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4).
It is an old and trite saying that "promises are like pie-crust, made to be broken;" and, for this reason, it must be plain and obvious to every one that the question of real importance here is, From whom and to whom are these "precious promises" given? Peter says they are given to US, and that they include an immortal, divine, imperishable nature. But the us can not include those who are disobedient, and the nature of obedience depends on the character and personality of the God who makes the promises; for He it must be who lays down the rules of obedience.
It must be manifest to all that from a false, worthless, or fickle god only false, worthless, and fickle or unreliable promises could proceed: and therefore we are interested in the question, What God is this who so loved the world as to give His Son to suffer and die for the world, and by Him to make "exceeding great and precious promises" to those who would believe into Him?
The true answer to this question is not difficult to find. The Bible plainly tells us that the "God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," who "so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son," "whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises," is the same God who "in the beginning," "created the heavens, and the earth" (Gen. 1:1), by His Son, Jesus Christ (Col. 1:16). It is the God who, after He had created the substance of the world out of nothing, saw that it was "without form and void;" and who, on the first day of the first week—the day we call Sunday—created the light, and divided it from the darkness. Gen. 1:2-4.
It is the God who, on the second day of the week—the day we call Monday—divided the waters and placed between them a firmament, called heaven, or the atmosphere. Gen. 1:6-8.
It is the God who, on the third day of the week—the day we call Tuesday—caused the dry land to appear and bring forth grass and herbs. Gen. 1:9-12.
It is the God who, on the fourth day of the week—the day we call Wednesday—caused the sun, moon, and stars to appear, at least in visible form. Gen. 1:14-18.
It is the God who, on the fifth day of the week—the day we call Thursday—"created great whales, and every living" aquatic "creature." Gen. 1:20-22.
It is the God who, on the sixth day of the week—the day we call Friday—created land animals, and also "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Gen. 1:24, 25; 2:7.
From these circumstances we may know that our God is a God of power, that He is able to fulfil His promises, and that the provisions which He has made for our salvation, being founded in wisdom and omnipotence, will be efficacious. But, since they will be efficacious only to the US who obey His will, we must note further that our God is the God who, on the seventh day of the week—the day we call Saturday—because that He had then worked six full days, "rested" (Gen. 2:1, 2); "and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it"—hallowed it, or made it to be holy time,—and set it apart for the use of somebody, not Himself, because He had already finished His creative work and rested from it (Gen. 2:2, 3).Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had been the agent in all of His Father's work of creation, said when He was upon earth, that "the Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27), not for the Jewish nation, which came into existence 2,500 years after the day was set apart and made holy, but for every human being who was then alive, or who should thereafter issue from the stock of Adam.
God sent His Son into the world that He might bear the guilt of sinners; that is, law-breakers, violators of the divine law, and in order that men and women might become holy, as God is holy. Lev. 20:7; Matt. 5:48; Heb. 12:14. Since the sanctification, or holiness, of man implies a complete conformity to the law of God, the sanctification, or holiness, of a day of the week means that holiness, or sanctification, has been attached to that one specified day by God Himself, in accordance with His will or law; and that this sanctification, or holiness, can no more be detached from that day and applied to another day than holiness can be taken from a holy man and given to an unholy man. To do either of these things is beyond the power of any individual or any aggregation of individuals, whether composing a church or a State; and it is doubtful whether it would not be beyond the power of God Himself to consistently change a law which is the foundation of His throne and dominion.
The very object of sending His Son into the world was to save sinners, by bringing them into conformity with His law, which existed from the beginning, but was reiterated on Sinai. There, amid the lightning's flash, the thunder's roar, and the trembling earth, God told the people with His own voice to have no gods before Him, to make unto themselves no image for worship, not to blaspheme, to remember and keep holy the Sabbath day which had been sanctified in Eden, to honor their parents, to commit no murder, nor adultery, nor theft, to be truthful, and to regard each other's rights. No other law was spoken or written by God Himself, or put into the ark, under the mercy-seat, which was typical of God's throne in heaven. The stone-written Decalogue is acknowledged by every one to have embodied at that time the fundamental principles of the divine government; and, since it has never been changed, it is still a requirement of God, in order to be saved, that we should "fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13.
ALBERT H. DARROW.