THE HOLINESS OF GOD. “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy" (Psalm 99:9).

Scripture gives much attention to God’s holiness. What does this holiness tell us about what God is like and what it means to the plan of salvation?

…we find within the 66 biblical books an extensive recounting of what God is like and how He relates to us as fallen beings whom He longs to redeem.

God s love, Yes. And Yes, God bids us call Him “Father.” And Yes, God is patient, forgiving, and  caring… God’s holiness undergirds His revelation of Himself.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org


HIS HOLY NAME.  “God’s house should be free of corruption, worldliness, politics, pride, ostentation, respect of persons, hate and hypocrisy.”

God’s holiness should prevail in our minds and in our hearts. Psalm 99:5 says, “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”

But how can we recognize God’s holiness if our thoughts are on ourselves rather than on Him?



IT IS WRITTEN. Voltaire quipped: “God made man in His image, and man has returned the compliment.” We may not even realize that we have an incomplete or even false understanding of God.

Thus, we must return to Scripture and compare our thinking about God with what is taught there.

^{Jer.7: 3} This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.

…the phrase “thus says the Lord”… This should remind us that the prophet is not merely speaking for God but that God is speaking for Himself through the prophet.

The whole New Testament corpus finds its theological foundation in the Old. There’s no justification for any radical division between them. All Scripture—both Testaments—is inspired by the Lord (2 Tim. 3:16).

Matthew 4: 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 11: 10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Mark 7: 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘ This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

John 12: 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “ Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
Romans 3: 10 As it is written: “ There is none righteous, no, not one;

1 Peter 1: 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Corinthians 5: 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

2 Timothy 3: 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

GOD’S HOLINESS  DEMONSTRATED. Job 42: ⁵ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. ⁶ Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

He meant for the Sabbath to be holy throughout all of time and eternity. The holiness of the Sabbath points to the holiness of its Creator.

One thing we can admire about Job was his submission to God even after multiple disasters struck him down. After his time of great suffering, he concluded that he needed God to cleanse him from the many sins he had committed unintentionally.

Isaiah was called by God, and when the call came, Isaiah realized how sinful he really was and how unworthy he was to do God’s bidding.

We have no righteousness of our own, and therefore should never boast about our good works; and only God’s righteousness can lead us to see Him clearly. When God calls us to do something for Him, He will help us do what He has asked of us.

John the Baptist was the one who would prepare the way for His coming. Preparing for something special is special in and of itself. It involves total commitment, and in the case of John, it involved total surrender to a holy God and the holy mission God had for him to perform.

“This demon inside the man knew two facts—that Jesus had indeed come to destroy them (and their power) and that Jesus was the Holy One sent from God. All demons, and Satan himself, knew that Jesus was the Messiah. While the people in the synagogue were astounded at Jesus’ teaching and wondered who this man could be, the demon knew.”

Upon Peter there now dawned, perhaps for the first time, a profound sense of his own spirtual need.” And we could well add, a profound sense of the holiness of Jesus.

Job G. Minasalvas, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



TO BE SET APART. How significant is the fact that the first thing deemed holy in the Bible is time?  

Genesis 2: 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

The seventh day itself is no different from any other 24-hour, sunset-to-sunset period; what makes it different, “holy,” is that God declared it that way. He set it apart from the rest of the week.

The Hebrew word there for “sanctified” means to “make holy” or to “declare holy.” Holiness then implies that something is special about whatever is “holy,” something that sets it apart from what isn’t holy.

God is set apart from anything else in creation. He is transcendently separate, so far above and beyond anything that we can truly grasp. To be holy is to be “other,” to be different in a special way, as with the seventh-day Sabbath.

Exodus 15: 11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Psalm 86: 8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Your works. 9 All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

Psalm 99: 1 The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! 2 The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy.
I
saiah 40: 25 “ To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

God is separate from us, not only because He is the Creator and we are the created but because we are fallen beings. All this should, ideally, help us better understand what Christ has done for us.

Though we are made in the image of God, what are the ways that we differ radically from Him? How do these differences help us understand our need of a Savior?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org



REALIZING GOD’S HOLY PRESENCE. Moses..(Exod. 3:1–5)… “saw a bush in flames, branches, foliage, and trunk, all burning, yet seeming not to be consumed. He drew near to view the wonderful sight, when a voice from out of the flame called him by name. With trembling lips he answered, ‘Here am I.’..: ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. . . . I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ It was He who, as the Angel of the covenant, had revealed Himself to the fathers in ages past. ‘And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.’

…all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him, and, like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out, ‘How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ ”*

Ellen G. White cited by Connie DeVries, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



TO REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5, 6).

^{Ez.1: 28} Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

^{Gen 28: 16} When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Ex.34:  ⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

^{Dan.10: 5} I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.

In their own way, these passages hint at the need of a Savior, a Substitute, Someone to bridge the gap between a Holy God and fallen sinful creatures like ourselves. Thanks to the Lord, we have that bridge in Jesus.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org 

THE MESSENGER OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY. Matthieu 11: ¹⁰Car c'est celui dont il est écrit: Voici, j'envoie mon messager devant ta face, Pour préparer ton chemin devant toi.

John did not allow the world to influence him. He wore simple clothes, walked barefoot, and ate only wild food (locust pods and honey). He had no desire for wealth, self-exaltation, or power. Because he was clearly a holy man, many Jewish people in Israel paid attention to what he had to say.

John’s work was a fulfillment of prophecy. As such, he was sent by God specifically to pave the way for Jesus’ ministry and His kingdom. John showed the people the path that leads to the Savior.

As God’s holy people, we also should live a life of simplicity. Our main objective is to show people the path to Jesus Christ and His holiness. We are to help people focus on the Savior, rather than on ourselves. As John said, “He [Jesus Christ] must increase, but I [John] must decrease” (John 3:30).

Justice Love C. Francisco-Diaz, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org



 DEPART FROM ME. Luke 5: ⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Peter’s response, though…was much like those of the Old Testament characters who encountered the Lord.

The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net, Peter fell at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming, ‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ ” Ellen G. White

Whenever a human being truly encounters the living God, there is the initial horror of finally seeing the true depth of one’s own sinfulness.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org 



WHOLLY HOLY. In Le­viticus 11:44, God says to the Israelites, “ ‘I am the Lord your God; con­secrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy’ ” (NIV).

Be distinct from the world (1 Peter 2:9). In 1 Peter 2:9, the word peculiar (KJV) means “ ‘a people that belongs to God.’ ”

Be morally pure (Ps. 24:3, 4). Habakkuk 1:13 describes God as having eyes too pure to look upon evil and as being unable to tolerate that which is wrong. Psalm 24:3, 4 explains it well: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

Spend quality time with God every day. Holiness comes as the result of our continued day-to-day relationship with God and having faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Michael John J. Diaz, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org




WHEN DEMONS SPEAK. Luke 4: ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”  ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”

It must be that, so full of sin, even demons fear before the presence of God’s holiness, somewhat in the same manner that sinful humans do.

^{Rev.1: 16} In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Isaih 6: ¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

^{Rev. 4: 8} Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:  “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’^[a] who was, and is, and is to come.”

Though all heaven is involved in the ministry of God’s love and salvation to this world, heavenly beings around the throne of God day and night praise the holiness of God. As sinless beings, they are awed by His holiness, but they don’t hide in fear of it, as do fallen beings.

In all the human encounters of the divine as depicted in Scripture… human beings finally see themselves for who they really are. And that is scary. In Scripture, when people truly encounter the God of heaven…there is abject personal repentance… How different our words, our lives, and our actions would be were we all to live with the constant sense, not only of God’s presence but of His holiness, as well.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

ARE WE DOING THE WILL OF GOD ? Lev.19: ² “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Being holy is to completely surrender to God’s will. It is walking by faith rather than by sight. It is relying on God with confidence and resting in His love. Living with Him helps us to be holy. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14, NKJV).

There are two aspects to holiness: (1) accepting Christ as our personal Savior, and (2) following His example of self-denial. We are His spiritual children, born again and renewed in righ­teousness and true holiness.

Glee-Zeal Regua, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

FURTHER STUDY. As Christ stands before the trafficking crowd in the temple, “the confusion is hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining has ceased. The silence becomes painful. A sense of awe overpowers the assembly. It is as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds. Looking upon Christ, they behold divinity flash through the garb of humanity. The Majesty of heaven stands as the Judge will stand at the last day . . . with the same power to read the soul. His eye sweeps over the multitude, taking in every individual. His form seems to rise above them in commanding dignity, and a divine light illuminates His countenance. He speaks, and His clear, ringing voice—the same that upon Mount Sinai proclaimed the law that priests and rulers are transgressing—is heard echoing through the arches of the temple: ‘Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise.’

“Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered up on entering the enclosure, He bids the bargaining company depart from the precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. . . . None presume to question His authority. . . . Jesus does not smite them with the whip of cords, but in His hand that simple scourge seems terrible as a flaming sword. Officers of the temple, speculating priests, brokers and cattle traders, with their sheep and oxen, rush from the place, with the one thought of escaping from the condemnation of His presence.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 158.

Given what we have looked at this week, why is it so much easier to see why self-righteousness and self-satisfaction, especially about one’s own spiritual state, is a very dangerous deception?


HOLY, HOLY, HOLY… we must never lose sight of the fact that He is our Creator and we are His creatures.
Céleste Perrino-Walker, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

SUMMARY. It might be much nicer to focus only on God’s love instead of His holiness, but that would be to distort the truth. We need to encounter God's searing holiness until we tremble before Him. Understanding God’s holiness, and our sinfulness in contrast, is crucial to helping us to understand what the atonement is all about, why it is so desperately needed, and why it had to cost so much.  

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE GOD OF GRACE AND JUDGMENT. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

God’s judgment is as pervasive in the Bible as is the theme of salvation; in fact, the two teachings are intricately entwined.

^{GOD’S DIVINE COURT. Rom.5: 17} For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

As Christians, it is God’s law that condemns us. We are saved by God’s grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). “Yet being under grace does not give believers the license to ‘continue in sin that grace may abound’ (Rom. 6:1). Rather, grace supplies the power that makes obedi­ence and victory over sin possible.”

“Christ’s death magnified the law, upholding its universal authority. If the Decalogue could have been changed, He would not have had to die. But because this law is absolute and immutable, a death was required to pay the penalty it imposed. This requirement Christ fully satisfied by His death on the cross, making eternal life available to all who accept His magnificent sacrifice.”

…our Father…sends us the Holy Spirit to keep us from sinning and to transform our character.

Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 2nd ed.  Cited by Fernando Ayala, San Miguel, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT DAY…judgment is not contrary to salvation or to the gospel. Indeed, both themes are woven together in Scripture from Genesis through Revelation.

Judgment and salvation reflect twin aspects of God’s character: His justice and grace…the New Testament talks more about judgment than does the Old.

Ecc.12:  13Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

^{Heb.10: 30} For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

^{Matt.16: 27} For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Rev.22: ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

^{Matt.12: 36} But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

1 Peter 4: ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Rev.14: ⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

These are just a small sample of the texts that clearly teach judgment. As noted above, many of the most explicit judgment texts, texts that clearly reveal the reality of divine judgment, or judgments, appear in the New Testament. This fact certainly works against the notion that judgment is somehow contrary to the new-covenant concept of God’s grace, which is also clearly taught in the New Testament. What this should teach us is that however we understand judgment, and however we understand grace, we must understand them as divine truths that work together with each other. To pit one against the other is to misunderstand the fullness of the gospel, which we looked at last week.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT AND GRACE WORKING TOGETHER. John 3: ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

we see a pattern:  1. Someone commits a sin.  2. God pronounces judgment upon the sinner. 3. God offers grace to the sinner.

“This call is not to be perceived as condemnation but as an invitation to turn back to God and away from Satan and the bondage to sin he has brought into the world. [Here] the Creator presents Himself as Saviour with a call that offers grace.”

If we truly accept His grace, the Holy Spirit will live in our hearts and transform our lives (Gal. 5:16–23). First John 4:17 assures us that “we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world” (NASB).

How awesome it is to believe in a God who provides for our needs even before the need occurs. ..We are sharing His grace when we tell others about His salvation just as we received His grace when we first believed.

Heber David Morán Zeledón, www.ssnet.org

JUDGMENT AND GRACE IN EDEN. Gen.3: ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Immediately, though, the Lord entered, calling out “Where are you?” This question doesn’t have to be seen as condemnatory; it was more an invitation to come to Him, the One who created and loved them. It was a call to turn away from their deceiver and to return to their Maker.

^{Gen.3: 15} And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush^[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Verse 15 is the first gospel promise. As soon as He declares His judgment against the serpent, He then immediately gives the first message of grace, of redemption, of salvation for humanity. And only then, only after that gospel promise, does He start declaring His judgments against the woman and the man.

Though God must judge and condemn sin, the promise of grace is always there, always present, always available for those who will claim it for themselves.

In what ways might the Lord be saying to you, “Where are you?” What are you doing that, perhaps, is causing you to hide from Him?

Jo Ann Davidson,  Professor of Theology, Andrews University

HE KNOWS YOU BY YOUR NAME. Exo.34: ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

“Then those who pierced Him will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand? ‘The wrath of the Lamb’—One who ever showed Himself full of infinite tenderness, patience, and long-suffering, who having given Himself up as the sacrificial victim, was led as a lamb to the slaughter to save sinners from the doom now falling upon them because they would not allow Him to take away their guilt.”

“While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors…

“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands

Ruth Jenniffer Paz Herrera, www.cqbiblestudy.org

GOD AS REDEEMER. ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ " Revelation 5:12

The Triune God is not only our Creator, He’s our Redeemer, as well.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13

Not through works, not through anything we could ever do, but through His grace, manifest at the Cross, can we as sinners be redeemed by the Lord and be “brought near” to Him.

“the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” 1 Cor. 1:18,

AT THE CROSS. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:8

Love, justice and compassion fuse in a singular dynamic act. God forgives sinners by paying in Himself the price of sin and absorbing into His own suffering Self the penalty of that sin.

Modern religious sentimentality often minimizes repugnance toward sin. And because sin doesn’t make us angry anymore, perhaps it becomes harder to realize that sin arouses the wrath of a Holy God.

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

^{Rom.3: 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

It is precisely because God is love that He opposes sin and evil, for these realities corrupt and destroy His beloved children. The death that God endured on the cross is the price His love pays for taking sin seriously while still loving sinners.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews university, www.ssnet.org

^{RIGHTHEOUSNESS AND LOVE. SAVIOR OF ALL. 1 Peter 1: 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

His Son would die for these first two humans and all who would follow. He would come to earth so we could go to heaven. He would take on a mortal body, so we could be immortal again; and He would walk with sinners, so we could once again walk with angels. He would be hurt, so we could be healed (Isa. 53:5); and He would receive God’s wrath against sin so we could know God’s love. Christ would die so we could live.

At the Cross—between righteousness and love—God, through Christ, chose both so we could be redeemed.

^{Rom.1: 18} The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

^{Rom.16: 20} The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Jesus’ command is to “ ‘make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ ” (Matt. 28:19, 20, NIV).

^{Eph.2: 8} For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Saving faith is evi­dent by the good deeds we do for others. A person who is truly saved helps others. Our faith and actions work together.

Jesus was punished for our sins when He died on the cross. Our part is to grasp His sacrifice by faith.

Jesus’ sacrifice is for all people, even the worst of sinners. When we do not preach and live the message of the Cross, we basically invalidate all that Jesus did and is doing for us as our High Priest in heaven.

We must not be afraid to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus and to help all who need help, just as He did. After all, Jesus associated with the rich, the poor, harlots and hypocrites, and Gentiles and Samaritans. He was known as the Friend of sinners because He went where sinners were. He was totally involved.

How are you preparing your heart and mind to bring people to Jesus, the Redeemer who longs to save us all?

Clayton Ferreira, Fernando Monteiro, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Gen.3: ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush^[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

We are also assured that this major conflict will not be eternal, for the head of the enemy will one day be crushed. In these verses, not only is the great controversy first revealed, but we also are told how it is going to end.

^{Gen.22: 9} When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  ¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

What a powerful representation of the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf.

There, on Mount Moriah, the world has been presented a very powerful picture (but still only a picture) of the plan of salvation and what it cost to redeem fallen humanity from the ruin of sin.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE GIFT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. Eph.1: ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

‘The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.’ Isaiah 53:5.

God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse.

He who had been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. . . .Ellen G. White

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.’ John 3:16.

‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 5:19.

God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption. . . . Ellen G. White

“The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. . . .

‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.’ 1 John 3:1.

By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name ‘sons of God.’ Ellen G. White, compiled by Elyssa Nascimento, www.cqbiblestudy.org

SALVATION IN ISAIAH. Isaiah 53 ¹ Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Though so much exists in this chapter, one point stands out more than anything else, and that is the substitutionary role of the Suffering Servant. Notice all the times that He is paying the price for the sins of others.

The only way to save us was for Jesus to pay the penalty in our stead and then offer us His perfect righteousness, which we claim by faith.

The fact that He did, that it took nothing less than His death in order to make atonement, should be all the proof we need that we cannot earn our salvation. It is, instead, wholly a gift of grace.

^{1 Peter 2: 21} To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^{[a] 23} When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” ²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Using Isaiah 53 as your text, think about the final scenes of Christ’s life. As you do, keep in mind that the person depicted there is our God, our Creator, one part of the Godhead Himself. How do we get our minds around this amazing truth?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

THE CROSS. He suffered for us so we can one day live without pain.

“The death of the cross was something so cruel that for the ancient Latin people the word crucio became synonymous with suffering. According to historical data, there were four types of crosses: the comissa (T-shaped), decussata (X-shaped), the Greek (+-shaped) and timissa (†-shaped). The last one refers to that which we know traditionally by the various paintings of Christ’s death. Only timissa and the Greek cross allowed the placement of any sign above the head of the condemned, and the Bible says that happened with Jesus (Matt. 27:37). Timissa, being extremely high (4.80 meters), fits well with the characteristics presented in the Gospels.

On the timissa, the convict’s arms were nailed in a V shape, and the victim had to put weight on his nailed feet to breathe better. This caused terrible suffering. The crucified could struggle with death for days. That’s why in Mark 15:44 Pilate marveled that Jesus was already dead.”  Rodrigo Silva, A arqueologia e Jesus, 2007, pp. 260, 264.

While dying on the cross, Jesus’ heart was oppressed by anguish and wounded by sadness. The cause of His suffering was not the fear of death, but the overwhelming weight of the sin of a cruel world that separated Him from the love of His Father. All of this caused Him to experience an earlier than normal death. Only the spotless Son of God could be our Substitute.

João Brito et Estela Pint, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE GOSPELS AND THE CROSS. As miraculous as His birth and ministry were, the great mission of Christ’s life was His death.

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

In fact, in the four Gospel accounts of the Messiah’s life, the events surrounding and including the crucifixion carry the major emphasis.

All four Gospel writers, however, determinedly emphasize the last week of Christ’s life and, of course, His death. Glance through them and notice this pointed focus on just a few days of Christ's life. The last week of Jesus’ life, leading up to and including His death, takes up from one-third to almost a half of all gospel accounts. Each reader is “forced” to rivet attention on the great redeeming act of God.

Look at your life, your past, your mistakes, your sins. Do you honestly think anything you have done, or could do, could ever atone for them? Why, then, should the death of Jesus on your behalf be the central focus of your life? What hope would you have without it? 

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

OUR HERO SAVIOR. Eph.2: ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

^{Marc 10: 33} “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

^{Matt.28: 16} Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

^{Gal;.5: 22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

First of all, believe God’s promise that Christ atones for your past sins and that only He can make you holy. Then confess your sins and commit your life to serving God.

^{Eze. 36: 26} I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

^{Matt.9 6} But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home.

^{Isaiah 55: 1} “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

“Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed—God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.”

Denis Silveira et Saulo Vieira, Artur Nogueira, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE CRY ON THE CROSS. ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Matt. 27:46,

 …an “example of selfless love.” It was certainly that, but considering our situation as sinners, it would take more than “an example of selfless love” to redeem us. It would take, instead, our God bearing in Himself the full brunt of His own wrath against sin.

…The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. . . . He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. . . . It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 752, 753.

Jesus addresses this prayer to “God” instead of to the “Father,” as He always had done…this is God giving Himself over to death so that our destiny would not be determined by death. This is God Himself dying the death that we can be spared from, the death that sin would otherwise bring us all.

There is no statement in all the Gospels to rival this one of Jesus from the cross, and in that cry we get a glimpse of what the Lord Himself was willing to go through in order to bring us salvation.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

HERO-LAMB. Rev.5: 5“Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof ”

Rev.5: 9“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood”

By being at the same time God and man, Christ became our Redeemer, our closest Relative, so to speak, shedding His pure blood to redeem our life from Satan’s grip. Thus, He who was slain became the Hero, rather than the hunter. Thus, He redeems us as His own.

In what ways can Jesus be your Hero on a daily basis?

Ricardo Coelho and Ana Carolina, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

FURTHER STUDY. “The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for the most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. . . . As we thus contemplate heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger, and our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be intelligent and fervent. There will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and a daily, living experience in His power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 89

SUMMARY. From the earliest pages of Genesis, the Bible points us to the death of Christ on the cross, where He would die a sinner’s death in order to redeem us, as sinners, from the eternal destruction that sin brings. Though the Bible uses different symbols and metaphors to explain Christ’s death, at the center of it all is His substitution, so graphically expressed in Isaiah 53. If we ever needed proof that works couldn’t save us, we have it with the death of God Himself on the cross. After all, what could fallen beings ever add to that?

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR. CONCLUDE. The overwhelming weight of sin separating Jesus from the Father ended Jesus’ life that day on the cross. There, the fear the human race has felt ever since God came looking for Adam and Eve in Eden was dealt with. Jesus’ death made it possible for everyone to know God as the loving Father that He is. And it is our privilege to tell them about Him.

Gill Bahnsen, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

 

 

 

IN THE BEGINNING

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16,

… two more diverse views of origins…The first presents a creation that was planned, thought through, calculated, with nothing left to chance. Nothing. In contrast, the evolutionary model is all chance.

Finally, the biblical account teaches that humans were made in the image of God. Evolution teaches that they are made in the image of whatever primate just happened to precede homo sapiens.

CREATION WEEK. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1

The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1

^{Ex.20: 11} For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

^{Isaiah 40: 26} Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Everything in the Bible testifies to the fact that the Lord created the world, speaking it into existence just as depicted in Genesis 1 and 2. Jo Ann Davidson, www.ssnet.org

THE PERFECT REFLECTION. NOTHING LEFT TO CHANCE. We forget who we are and who has designed us and this world. We lose sight of God’s love and purpose for us, and we create our own reason for existence. The end result is that we have no reason to exist…When He formed humans, He did so in His image, “both in outward resemblance and in character. Amanda Ridell, Collegiate Quarterly

^{Luc 12: 8} “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.

Job 38:  ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶ On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the angels^[a] shouted for joy?

It is through this evidence that Job found hope in his Designer and Sustainer—the God who was, is, and always will be in control. Amanda Riddell. Collegiate Quarterly

Earth is the only planet equipped with an atmosphere with just the right amount of nitrogen and oxygen to sustain not only human life, but also plant and animal life. If the earth were any smaller or larger this right amount of gases would change and life could not exist. Andrew Smellie. From Collegiate Quarterly

If the earth were any larger, its atmo­sphere would contain free hydrogen, once again making life impossible. R.E.D. Clark. From Collegiate Quarterly

Brittany Hudson, Amanda Ridell, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE HEART OF THE CREATOR. Jer.38: ⁶ On what were its footings set,
   or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together
   and all the angels^[a] shouted for joy?

^{Gen. 1: 2} Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

^{Deut.32: 10} In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, ¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.

 Matt.23: ³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Think of how mother birds lovingly prepare the nest for their babies. Then picture them hovering over their babies, bringing them food, and then teaching them how to fly. Moses, who had taken care of sheep for 40 years, must have seen this natural phenomenon happen each spring, and it made him think of God’s tender care. Under inspiration, he pictured the same emotions in the Holy Spirit’s heart as our human “nest” was being constructed.

Love was there, at the start of the Creation week. What a contrast to evolution, which teaches that love somehow emerged but only after billions of years of selfish violence. Love motivated the creation, and love will be there when this damaged version of creation is created anew.

Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

Dwell on the marvels of nature. How do you see the amazing love of God manifested there?

A CHILD CREATION. From a child’s perspective, Mom and Dad loom large over life and seem to be able to handle anything…The good news is that such a Parent exists, and He longs for us to experience a relationship with Him.

After 40 years of wilderness wander­ing, he desired to remind them of their covenant relationship with God. In verse 10, he reminded them (and us) that despite fallen human nature, God has great plans for His people. More than anything, Moses wanted them to understand the significance of the role they were poised to assume. Little could they have known that their story—a story about dirty, tired desert nomads—was to be one of the foundations of Holy Scripture.

In a world that is increasing in knowledge, it is critical that we allow our­selves to be awed by the size, scope, and grandeur of God. Compared to Him, we are but helpless, dependent children looking to our magnificent Creator in wonder and amazement.

David draws a parallel between the beauty and perfection of Creation and the beauty and perfection of God’s law

Obviously our heavenly Father wants us to enter into a close, depen­dent relationship with Him. Obviously He desperately wants us to under­stand that we belong to Him because He created us.

Craig Mattson, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

THE HEAVENS  DECLARE. Psalm 19: ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

He (Davis the psalmist) then links this splendor of the sun to the perfection of God’s law and the power of its precepts. The contents of the law are thereby linked with the grandeur of God’s creative actions (vss. 7–11).

^{Psalm 92: 1} It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,

Scientists continue to learn more and more, not only about the different plants and animals but also about how all systems of life interact with each other in the complex web of life. The more they learn, the more amazing it all appears.

No question, the created world reveals the love and power of the Creator. But our world has also been devastated by sin, by the scars and disruption caused by the great controversy…And yet, even amid this devastation, we can see the love and power of the Creator. Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

REVEALING GOD THROUGH HIS CREATION. One om­nipotent in power, great in goodness, in mercy, and love, has created the earth, and even in its blighted state it inculcates truths in regard to the skilful Master Artist. In this book of nature opened to us—in the beautiful, scented flowers, with their varied and delicate coloring—God gives to us an unmistakable expression of his love.

…but in the deli­cate color and perfume of the flowers, we may learn that God still loves us, that his mercy is not wholly withdrawn from the earth.

“Nature is filled with spiritual lessons for mankind. The flowers die only to spring forth into new life; and in this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will bloom again in the Eden above. ..

“God is the superintendent, as well as the Creator, of all things. The divine Being is engaged in upholding the things that he has created. The same hand that holds the mountains and balances them in position, guides the worlds in their mysterious march around the sun.” Ellen G. White, Collegiate Qarterly

THE CROSS AND THE CREATION. John 1: ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

In numerous places the Bible clearly links the Lord as Creator with the Lord as Redeemer, a link that provides more evidence that evolution cannot be reconciled with the Bible, especially with the teaching of the Cross.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ. Rom.5: ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

How is the idea of the Fall, so clearly biblical, explained by those who seek to meld evolution with the Bible? Does God use processes of violence, selfishness, and dominance of the strong against the weak in order to create a morally flawless and selfless being who then “falls” into a state of violence, selfishness, and dominance of the strong over the weak—a state from which he has to be redeemed—or else face final punishment?

Indeed, the idea of evolution makes a mockery of the Fall and the Cross, as well. Jo Ann, Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

CREATION: BASIC BUILDING STONES. Now consider that the doc­trine of Creation is the foundation of Christianity. If we do not understand who created us and why, we have nothing upon which to build our faith.

He took six days to carefully shape the world and all that is in it, rather than dashing it off in a minute.

Always remember that you were created in God’s own image. You are His masterpiece (Gen. 1:27).

Respect creation, and take care of it. Because He has made us rulers over His creation (Ps. 8:5, 6), we must learn to take care of it wisely.

Enjoy God’s creation. Directly explore nature when and where it is safe to do so, or learn about it through reputable books and television shows.

Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to help you share with others the story of God as our Creator.

Be thankful. Each day, thank God for the blessings of nature—its food, its beauty, and the health it gives us when we interact with it. Elizabeth Downs, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org

CREATION AND RECREATION. Esaie 65: ¹⁷ “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

^{Recv.21: 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The question is, will the new heaven and the new earth be created by divine fiat; that is, as depicted in a literal reading of Genesis: God speaks and within an amazingly short time all life exists on the earth fully formed and developed, with nothing left to caprice, violence, or chance?

Or, instead, will the process of creation mean that life will, again, have to endure the “joys” and rigors of natural selection and survival of the fittest for billions of years until a new world, one “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13), finally appears?

The absurdity of the idea that God would use evolution to recreate the heavens and the earth is more evidence pointing to the absurdity of His having created the world that way to begin with. No question, the Cross, Redemption, and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth are themes inseparably tied in with the literal Genesis account.

Try to imagine what our world was like in its pristine beauty. Imagine, too, what it will be like when it is created over. Our minds and hearts can only begin to wrap around what that will be like. Jo An Davidson, Professor of Theology, Andrews University, www.ssnet.org

SIGNS OF GOD'S LOVE. Job 38: ³¹ “Can you bind the chains^[a] of the Pleiades?

Can you loosen Orion’s belt? ³² Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons^[a]
or lead out the Bear^[b] with its cubs?

I am guilty of sometimes equating God’s goodness and love with the amount of blessings I receive. But doing so limits the power and glory of God as well as what He can do for and through us… We forget that He sustains us even when we are undeserving of the very air we breathe (Rom. 3:23)

When we believe that God is Maker and Ruler of the universe, we also must believe that we are sinful and must rely on His strength. We are able to heed His will and completely surrender our lives to Him when we have faith in Him as our Creator.

We may not be anything like the Ursa Major, but in God’s eyes, I know I am a treasure just as great as the constella­tions. We are a manifestation of His love, a priceless gift from the Father above, a carefully thought out, perfectly executed, one-of-a-kind design, ordained by the Divine Maker and King. To Him, we are a beauty much greater than the stars.  Michelle Smith, Collegiate Quarterly, ww.cqbiblestudy.org

 
FURTHER STUDY. “[S]hall we, for the privilege of tracing our descent from germs and mollusks and apes, consent to cast away that statement of Holy Writ, so grand in its simplicity, ‘God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him’? Genesis 1:27.”—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 130.

“When the Lord declares that He made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, He means the day of twenty four hours, which He has marked off by the rising and setting of the sun.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 136.

Some folk have been dead for thousands of years; there’s not much left to work with. Yet, if God can re-create them in an instant, why did He use evolution to create them the first time around?

…spend some time in nature and marvel at the various wonders of the created world. As you do it, keep open to the damage that sin has brought, and see how much you can distinguish between the creation and what sin has done to the creation.

Summary:

Despite many attempts to mix a biblical world-view with the doctrine of evolution, the two teachings are polar opposites. Christians must stand firm on the literal Creation story; once that goes, the plan of salvation goes with it.

Jo Ann Davidson, Theology Professor, Andrews University, www.ecolesabbat.org

CREATION—FIRST CHAPTER OF CHRISTIANITY’S HISTORY. Psalm90: ¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

And after Adam and Eve sinned, He promised to be our dwelling place when we feel lost.

CONSIDER: Planting a garden and observing the miracle of growth from seed, to small plant, to larger plant that spreads its seeds to populate the earth and begin the creation cycle again.

Stephanie Yamniuk, Collegiate Quarterly, www.cqbiblestudy.org