God's Law = God's Character

[EastCoastRemnant]

There has been alot of reference to God's Law (decalogue) being only applicable to the OT. That somehow, Jesus' ministry and death brought in a 'newer, better covenant'.

If we can understand the Law of God is directly tied to His character, then we realize that it is unchangeable and was indeed in place at creation, even before that... as God was eternal, His Law is eternal.

I know that my commentary will not hold any weight in this arguement so I will post scripture to show the relationship... sorry for the formatting, it was supposed to be in a table to better show the relationship but it wouldn't paste over.

God Is...

Good Luke 18:19
Holy Psa 99:5
Perfect Matt 5:48
Pure 1 John 3:3
Just Deut. 32:4
True John 3:32
Spiritual 1 Corin. 10:4
Righteous Jer 23:6
Faithful 1 Corin. 1:9
Love 1 John 4:7, 8
Unchangeable James 1:17
Eternal Gen 21:33

The Law Is...
Good 1 Tim 1:8
Holy Rom 7:12
Perfect Psa 119:7
Pure Psa 19:8
Just Rom 7:12
True Psa 19:9
Spiritual Rom 7:14
Righteous Psa 119:172
Faithful Psa 119:86
Love Rom 13:10
Unchangeable Matt 5:18
Eternal Psa 111:7, 8

 

[Pythons]

Ellen White wrote that Satan rebelled against the "Govt of God" slandering God's Character...
...According to what I've read this took place prior to the formation of the world.
...Which by default would have been prior to the "Sabbath".
...How can the ten commandments define God's Character when God 'is'.
...And the one commandment SDA's claim is the most important didn't exist until after the creation of Adam?

 

[Servant of the Lord]

"God's Law = God's Character"

Amen! Great thread. Thank you for the table with the scriptures!

14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14
​

 

[k4c]

Ellen White wrote that Satan rebelled against the "Govt of God" slandering God's Character...
...According to what I've read this took place prior to the formation of the world.
...Which by default would have been prior to the "Sabbath".
...How can the ten commandments define God's Character when God 'is'.
...And the one commandment SDA's claim is the most important didn't exist until after the creation of Adam?

The Law is holy, just and good. Is that not the character of God?

As far as the rebellion goes, I don't see how that has anything to do with the Law reflecting God's character.

 

[Pythons]

The Law is holy, just and good. Is that not the character of God?

As far as the rebellion goes, I don't see how that has anything to do with the Law reflecting God's character.

Did Satan not break "the law of God" and that's why he was expelled from heaven?
...Did this happen prior to or after Adam?
...Was God's Character only able to be understood subsequent to the Sabbath commandment?

 

[k4c]

Did Satan not break "the law of God" and that's why he was expelled from heaven?
...Did this happen prior to or after Adam?
...Was God's Character only able to be understood subsequent to the Sabbath commandment?

I don't know what law the angels have in heaven but I do know what God has said to man. I do know at least one universal law in heave and on earth and that is there is only one God. Anyone attempting to override this principle will find opposition from God.

 

[Pythons]

I don't know what law the angels have in heaven but I do know what God has said to man. I do know at least one universal law in heave and on earth and that is there is only one God. Anyone attempting to override this principle will find opposition from God.

Would you say God's Character is different when viewed by angels than it is viewed by humans?

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Would you say God's Character is different when viewed by angels than it is viewed by humans?

I don't know how you would expect a reasonable answer to that question... never been an angel, so I wouldn't know their view.

You remind me of another fellow on here who used to try and wear out the saints with questions such as these...

God's character is God's character, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow...

 

[k4c]

I don't know how you would expect a reasonable answer to that question... never been an angel, so I wouldn't know their view.

You remind me of another fellow on here who used to try and wear out the saints with questions such as these...

God's character is God's character, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow...

Amen and amen...

 

[Joe67]

Look in the mirror. What is "reflected" to your sight?

Your right hand is seen as your left hand, and your left hand is seen as your right hand.

This is a mystery.

The "reflection" of something is the inverted form of the body.

"Reflection" can be holy, just and good while being an upside down/downside up, left is right and right is left, presentation of the original.

The Lord showed Moses His "backside" in the cleft of the Rock, as the Lord passed by and declared His Name, gracious and merciful, to whom he will have mercy.

When we look at the lively stones we are seeing the "backside" of mercy and grace. The "backside" is still holy, just and good but the "backside" cannot bring us out of the grave and give us victory over hell and death.

Jesus, the son of David, the son of man, our Lord, has the keys of hell and death. He chooses us, we cannot not choose him.

Joe

 

[Byfaithalone1]

Is there a passage in Scripture that tells us that the law of God is directly tied to His character? I've looked through this thread and can't seem to find this important piece of information.

BFA

 

[Stewartnz]

Is there a passage in Scripture that tells us that the law of God is directly tied to His character? I've looked through this thread and can't seem to find this important piece of information.

BFA

This is a point that calls for some “reasoning from the Scriptures.” I don't think there is a passage that directly ties the Law of God to His character.

But I believe Scripture teaches it in a number of ways.
One of these derives from the words of Jesus -- "I am the... truth". (Jn 14:6)

"Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth." (Ps 119:142) And "... all Thy commandments are righteousness." (Ps 119:172)

I don’t think that anyone will contend that Jesus was/is the embodiment of Truth. Nor that He was/is the embodiment of Righteousness. That is to say, His character was the expression of Truth and Righteousness. (Again, I wonder if there is a professed Christian anywhere that would deny it.)

In the Scriptures, the attributes of His law are consistently the attributes of His character.

________
Stewart.

 

[Stewartnz]

These may be of interest.

“Before this earth was called into being, God's law existed. Angels are governed by its principles, and in order for earth to be in harmony with heaven, man also must obey the divine statutes.” (Mount of Blessing p.48)

“The law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it. After the Fall, the principles of righteousness were unchanged.” (1Selected Messages p.220)

 

[Byfaithalone1]

This is a point that calls for some “reasoning from the Scriptures.” I don't think there is a passage that directly ties the Law of God to His character.

I agree.

The problem we sometimes encounter as we add human reasoning to the scriptures is that we sometimes impose a human presupposition on our conclusion.

For example, I might suppose that God is directly tied to His holy convocations and feast days, so much so that it is hard to distinguish between God and His feast days. To support my theory, I might provide a chart such as the following:

GOD=
Good Luke 18:19
Holy Ps. 99:5
Perfect Matt 5:48
Righteous Jer. 23:6
Love 1 John 4:7, 8
Spiritual 1 Cor. 10:4
A sacrificial offering John 3:17
Eternal Gen 21:33

ALL FEASTS/CONVOCATIONS =
Good Nahum 1:15 (“good news&#8221
Holy Lev. 23:2, 4, 37 (“holy convocations&#8221
Perfect Lev. 23:15 (“seven perfect Sabbaths&#8221
Righteous Deut. 4:8 (“righteous statutes & judgments according to all this law&#8221
Love Zech 8:19 (In celebrating the feast, “love truth and peace.&#8221
Spiritual Lev. 23:8 (a “sacred assembly&#8221
A sacrificial offering Lev. 23:12 (“sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb&#8221
Eternal Lev. 23:14 (an “everlasting ordinance&#8221
​

What I've offered is a silly example of the prooftext method which ties a number of unrelated texts together, passages that were written by different authors in different languages to different audiences during different time periods. In my opinion, this method does not usually lead to sound conclusions. Scripture does not tell us that God's character is directly tied to the law.

BFA

 

[Pythons]

I don't know how you would expect a reasonable answer to that question... never been an angel, so I wouldn't know their view.

You remind me of another fellow on here who used to try and wear out the saints with questions such as these...

God's character is God's character, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow...

So, God's character was known without the Sabbath commandment?
...Because God's creations ( the angels ) were judged prior to the Sabbath.
...Does that sound right?

 

[Pythons]

These may be of interest.

“Before this earth was called into being, God's law existed. Angels are governed by its principles, and in order for earth to be in harmony with heaven, man also must obey the divine statutes.” (Mount of Blessing p.48)

“The law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it. After the Fall, the principles of righteousness were unchanged.” (1Selected Messages p.220)

Yes, I would agree with that Stewartnz therefore, since the spiritual beings existed prior to man....
..."God's ultimate law" would not include the Sabbath.
...Because the fallen angels were judged prior to the creation of the Sabbath.

I've heard this line of reasoning previously: i.e. "the ten commandment law is / shows God's character".....
...Given the information that line of reasoning did not seem logical.

 

[Stewartnz]

Yes, I would agree with that Stewartnz therefore, since the spiritual beings existed prior to man....
..."God's ultimate law" would not include the Sabbath.
...Because the fallen angels were judged prior to the creation of the Sabbath.

I've heard this line of reasoning previously: i.e. "the ten commandment law is / shows God's character".....
...Given the information that line of reasoning did not seem logical.

Perhaps we must always disagree, Pythons, and as time goes on, perhaps our views will become more divergent.

I have believed for some years now that, while the Sabbath was set in place at Creation (as far as this world is concerned), that the Sabbath has always existed. Angels did not begin observing it at the creation of this world, nor at Sinai, nor will they begin observing it with the redeemed in heaven. They have always observed it.

The law of God has always existed, and will always exist.
It is written in the hearts of the loyal angels, just as it may be written in ours.

In the Creation account, "God made the firmament", He "made two great lights", He "created great whales, and every living creature", "God made the beast of the field", He "created man". But the record does not use this language in connection with the Sabbath, and yet we know that the Sabbath "was made". It was made long before, for man, but it was not only for the human race that it was "made". It was also made for the angels. This is my view.

 

[Pythons]

Perhaps we must always disagree, Pythons, and as time goes on, perhaps our views will become more divergent.

I have believed for some years now that, while the Sabbath was set in place at Creation (as far as this world is concerned), that the Sabbath has always existed. Angels did not begin observing it at the creation of this world, nor at Sinai, nor will they begin observing it with the redeemed in heaven. They have always observed it.

The law of God has always existed, and will always exist.
It is written in the hearts of the loyal angels, just as it may be written in ours.

In the Creation account, "God made the firmament", He "made two great lights", He "created great whales, and every living creature", "God made the beast of the field", He "created man". But the record does not use this language in connection with the Sabbath, and yet we know that the Sabbath "was made". It was made long before, for man, but it was not only for the human race that it was "made". It was also made for the angels. This is my view.

Do you believe God exercised His Providence by judging the actions of Lucifer and the angels who sided with him...
...Prior to "making" the Sabbath?
...Or better said the heavenly bodies that incept the Sabbath?

Do you believe that Lucifer and all of heaven observed a literal Sabbath in heaven prior to being expelled?
...Do you understand this Sabbath ( prior to the fall of Lucifer ) to have been permanent.
...As in a perpetual state of Sabbath? So it was literally aways Sabbath?
...The reason I ask this is because if you do that is similar to my own view of it.

 

[ricker]

[=Stewartnz;56991795]
I have believed for some years now that, while the Sabbath was set in place at Creation (as far as this world is concerned), that the Sabbath has always existed. Angels did not begin observing it at the creation of this world, nor at Sinai, nor will they begin observing it with the redeemed in heaven. They have always observed it.

Please alow me to ask a couple questions. Do you think there is a sun in heaven that rises and sets every twenty four hours? How about in the other worlds EGW wrote about?

The law of God has always existed, and will always exist.
It is written in the hearts of the loyal angels, just as it may be written in ours.

Do you think all the laws given to the Nation of Israel at Sinai are included in the law that has always existed?

Are they required to give fellowship offerings? Was the law prohibiting adultery, and to honor parents given to angels before the earth was made? Was God's law of keeping the beards corners trimmed and not wearing two kinds of cloth enforced in heaven before Israel? Sin offerings? Clean meats? Just wondering what you think.

In the Creation account, "God made the firmament", He "made two great lights", He "created great whales, and every living creature", "God made the beast of the field", He "created man". But the record does not use this language in connection with the Sabbath, and yet we know that the Sabbath "was made". It was made long before, for man, but it was not only for the human race that it was "made". It was also made for the angels. This is my view.

[/quote]

There is no question in my mind that, as Jesus said, the Sabbath was made for man. Whether it was made for all mankind is up for debate, as well as if it were made for angels, unless you can point me to some Scriptures to clear it up.

 

[Byfaithalone1]

I have believed for some years now that, while the Sabbath was set in place at Creation (as far as this world is concerned), that the Sabbath has always existed. Angels did not begin observing it at the creation of this world, nor at Sinai, nor will they begin observing it with the redeemed in heaven. They have always observed it.

If the sabbath has always existed and if it preceded creation, must we conclude that it is not a memorial of creation?

BFA