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The Great Controversy
man’s behalf that could not be overthrown. The penalty of the law fell
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upon Him who was equal with God, and man was free to accept the
righteousness of Christ and by a life of penitence and humiliation to
triumph, as the Son of God had triumphed, over the power of Satan.
Thus God is just and yet the justifier of all who believe in Jesus.
But it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man that
Christ came to the earth to suffer and to die. He came to “magnify
the law” and to “make it honorable.” Not alone that the inhabitants
of this world might regard the law as it should be regarded; but it
was to demonstrate to all the worlds of the universe that God’s law is
unchangeable. Could its claims have been set aside, then the Son of
God need not have yielded up His life to atone for its transgression.
The death of Christ proves it immutable. And the sacrifice to which
infinite love impelled the Father and the Son, that sinners might be
redeemed, demonstrates to all the universe—what nothing less than
this plan of atonement could have sufficed to do—that justice and
mercy are the foundation of the law and government of God.
In the final execution of the judgment it will be seen that no cause
for sin exists. When the Judge of all the earth shall demand of Satan,
“Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me of the subjects
of My kingdom?” the originator of evil can render no excuse. Every
mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless.
The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law immutable, pro-
claims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. In the Saviour’s
expiring cry, “It is finished,” the death knell of Satan was rung. The
great controversy which had been so long in progress was then de-
cided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain. The Son
of God passed through the portals of the tomb, that “through death
He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Hebrews 2:14
. Lucifer’s desire for self-exaltation had led him to say:
“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: ... I will be like the
Most High.” God declares: “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth,
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... and never shalt thou be any more.”
Isaiah 14:13, 14
;
Ezekiel 28:18,
19
. When “the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;....all the proud,
yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them
neither root nor branch.”
Malachi 4:1
.