God's Estimate of Man by W. S. Chapman

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 15, 1914

God's Estimate of Man

By W. S. Chapman

W. S. CHAPMAN

WE read, "The value of man is to be estimated at the price paid for his redemption;" and, "In order to understand the value which God places upon man we need to comprehend the plan of redemption, the costly sacrifice which our Saviour made to save the human race from eternal ruin."-Mrs. E. G. White, in Review and Herald, Dec. 18, 1894, and June 18, 1895.

And we are told, "The salvation of man was procured at such an immense cost that angels marveled and could not fully comprehend the divine mystery that the Majesty of heaven, equal with God, should die for the rebellious race."-'Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. II, pages 11, 12.'

Man had sinned. Sin is the transgression of God's law. The punishment for sin is death. Death is eternal separation from God. As the law is immutable and God cannot change, death had to follow as the judgment against sin. God could, however, accept a substitute, but, of necessity, the substitute must stand on a higher plane than, and be superior to, the sinner, to be an acceptable and complete offering for sin.

This is why the lives (the shed blood) of animals could not atone for sin. The life of an animal is inferior to the life of man, is of a lower order. Man was created perfect, with a mind and with the power of speech. Man can think God's thoughts after him; he can commune with God; he can companion with God, so God loves him. "Man is very dear to God, because he was formed in his own image."-Mrs. E. G. White, in Review and Herald, June 19, 1895. All other forms of animal life lack these higher gifts; they are merely dumb brutes, placed in the world, not to companion with God, but to serve other of his purposes. God could accept their spilled blood only as prefiguring a more perfect sacrifice for sin, which was to follow.

Moses was willing to die, to suffer eternal separation from God, for the people he loved; but no sacrifice by man for man could satisfy the wages of sin. Men are descendants of Adam, inheriting sin from him, born in sin; while Adam was created perfect and sinless. No man's death could be an adequate atonement for Adam's sin because "the offering made should in value be superior to man as he was in his state of perfection and innocency." See 'Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. II, page 9.'

Angels would willingly have offered themselves as a sacrifice to save the Son of God, but this could not be, as the precepts of the law of God had been violated, and the wages of transgression needed to come from a being higher than the law. The angels are created beings, on probation as is man, subject to the law.

Only a being above the law, a being equal with God, the author of the law, could make an acceptable offering. "His life [alone] was of sufficient value to rescue man from his fallen condition."-'Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. II, page 10.'

And so we read, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

St. Petersburg, Fla.