Page 9 - Our God of Love, Mercy, and Justice

Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from
the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her
fall. . . .
When she "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did

eat." It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power,
and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she
plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan
in working the ruin of her husband. . . .
Satan exulted in his success. He had tempted the woman to distrust God's love, to
doubt His wisdom, and to transgress His law, and through her he had caused the

overthrow of Adam. PP 55-57.
Satan uses men and women as agents to solicit to sin and make it attractive. These
agents he faithfully educates to so disguise sin that he can more successfully destroy
souls and rob Christ of His glory. Satan is the great enemy of God and man. He
transforms himself through his agents into angels of light. In the Scriptures he is
called a destroyer, an accuser of the brethren, a deceiver, a liar, a tormentor,
and a murderer. Satan has many in his employ, but is most successful when he can

use professed Christians for his satanic work. 5T 137.
By the same misrepresentation of the character of God as he had practiced in
heaven, causing Him to be regarded as severe and tyrannical, Satan induced man to
sin. And having succeeded thus far, he declared that God's unjust restrictions had led
to man's fall, as they had led to his own rebellion.

But the Eternal One Himself proclaims His character: "The Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will
by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 34:6, 7.
In the banishment of Satan from heaven, God declared His justice and maintained
the honor of His throne. But when man had sinned through yielding to the deceptions
of this apostate spirit, God gave an evidence of His love by yielding up His only-
begotten Son to die for the fallen race. GC 500.

The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God
had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the
dead, saying, "Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man's place. He
shall have another chance" 1BC 1085.
Divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken

law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who
could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God
Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression.
None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and bring him

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