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Triumph of God’s Love, December 26
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be
glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him:
righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
Psalm 97:1, 2
.
The law of love is the foundation of God’s government, and the service
of love the only service acceptable to Heaven. God has granted freedom
of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate His character, and
therefore with ability to love Him and to choose His service. So long
as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the
universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As
there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God’s
character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies.
But known unto God are all His works, and from eternal ages the
covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called
the everlasting covenant, for the plan of salvation was not conceived after
the fall of man, but it was that which was “kept in silence through times
eternal, but now is manifested, and ... made known unto all the nations ...”
(
Romans 16:25, 26
, R.V.)....
Before Him who ruleth in the heavens the mysteries of the past and
future are alike outspread, and God sees beyond the woe and darkness
and ruin that sin has wrought, the outworking of His purpose of love
and blessing. Though clouds and darkness are round about Him, yet
righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.... Through
the plan of salvation a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the
salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation
of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government
would be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan refuted, the
nature and result of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully
demonstrated
Then the extermination of sin will vindicate God’s love and establish
His honor before a universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in
whose heart is His law
[367]
32
Signs of the Times, February 13, 1893.
33
The Desire of Ages, 764
.
379