What does EGW write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "If Jesus were not God Himself, what would that otherwise mean except that the Father had sent a created being to die for us? Why is this such a radical and decisive difference from God who Himself, in the person of Christ, died for us?"
Answer
The decisive difference lies in the fact that only a being who is equal to God in every respect could fulfill the demands of the holy law and bring about reconciliation. A created being would itself be under the law, bound to a duty of obedience, and would possess no own righteousness that it could transfer to others. However, since Christ is part of the deity and possesses life from Himself, His sacrifice was not merely human death, but the voluntary sacrifice of God, which alone is capable of elevating fallen humanity to the divine nature.
The Necessity of Christ's Divinity for Salvation
Indeed, the fact that Christ is a part of the deity, possesses all attributes of divinity, and is equal to the Father in every respect as Creator and Lawgiver, is the only power at work in the work of reconciliation. This alone makes salvation possible. Christ died “that He might lead us to God,” but if even a jot of equality with God were lacking, He could not bring us to Him. [...] If Christ were not divine, then we would have only a human sacrifice. It makes no difference even if one admits that Christ was the highest created intelligence in the universe; in that case He would be a subordinate who owes obedience to the law, without the ability to do more than his own duty. He could have no righteousness to convey to others.
Equality with God as a Prerequisite for Reconciliation
Since the divine law is as holy as God Himself, only one who is equal to God could make atonement for its transgression. No one except Christ could redeem the fallen human from the curse of the law and bring him back into harmony with heaven. [...] Throughout the entire universe there was only one who could satisfy the claims on behalf of humanity.
The Infinite Gap Between Creature and Creator
They were told that, since Jehovah’s law is the basis of His government in heaven as on earth, even the life of an angel could not be accepted as a sacrifice for its transgression. Not a single one of its statutes could be abolished or altered to accommodate humanity in its fallen state; but the Son of God, who created humanity, could bring about reconciliation for Him.
Life From Oneself as Opposed to Created Beings
But the point is that Christ is a begotten Son and not a created subordinate. [...] And since He is the firstborn Son of God, He is of the same substance and nature as God and possesses by birth all the attributes of God... Thus He has “life in Himself.” He possesses immortality by his own right and can grant immortality to others. Life dwells in Him, so it cannot be taken away.
- Christ's divinity and reconciliation
- Difference between Creator and creature in salvation
- Why only Christ could atone
Original Sources (English)
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