  (Scripture Reading Exercise.) THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD RELATED TO THE ATONEMENT (Continued).
SPECIAL TEXT: "God does not walk in crooked paths, neither does he turn to the right hand nor to the left, or vary from that which he has said; therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 2:2.) DISCUSSION.There is yet to be considered the attributes of Wisdom, Holiness, Truth, Justice, Mercy, Love; and these are the attributes referred to which are more immediately involved in the doctrine of Atonement. 1. Wisdom: Wisdom that arises from knowledge seems essentially an attribute of Deity; as well from the nature of the attribute as from the declaration of scripture. God as un-wise is unthinkable; unpossessed of this attribute, he could not appeal to the consciousness of man as God at all. Therefore it is agreeable to think with Elihu in Job, that God "is mighty in strength and wisdom."[A] Also with David: "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."[B] And again David: "Great is our Lord, and great of power; his understanding is infinite."[C] So Paul: "To God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever;"[D] "The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God;"[E] He says, so high above the wisdom of men does he esteem the wisdom of God; and even "the foolishness of God is wiser than men."[F] We may fittingly close his testimony with his prayer: "Now, unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever, and ever. Amen."[G] [Footnote A: Job xxvi:5.] [Footnote B: Psalms cxv:24.] [Footnote C: Psalms cxvii:5.] [Footnote D: Rom. xvi:27.] [Footnote E: I Cor. i:25.] [Footnote F: I Cor. i:26.] [Footnote G: I Tim. i:17.] Worthy to go with this testimony is that of Joseph Smith, in which is found the same spiritual music: "The Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior; great is his Wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out; his purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand."[A] [Footnote A: Doc. & Cov., Sec. 76:1-3.] 2. Holiness: "Holiness," as an attribute of God, is equally indispensable as Wisdom. Equally unthinkable is it that Deity should not possess it. No marvel that Moses sang, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods, glorious in holiness?"[A] "I am the Lord your God; * * * ye shall be holy: for I am holy,"[B] was God's word to ancient Israel. Throughout the scriptures God is spoken of as the "Holy One of Israel." "Thou art Holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises in Israel."[C] "Sing unto the Lord * * * at the remembrance of his Holiness."[D] "God that is Holy shall be sanctified in righteousness."[E] "And one cried unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Such Isaiah's vision.[F] Both the Old and the New Testaments are replete with the doctrine. In one of the prophets it is written: "O Lord, * * * thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."[G] And again in the scripture: "I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;"[H] which perhaps more than any other utterance of holy writ, asserts the Holiness of God. [Footnote A: Ex. xv:11.] [Footnote B: Lev. xi:44.] [Footnote C: Psalms xxii:3.] [Footnote D: Psalms xxx:4.] [Footnote E: Isaiah v:16.] [Footnote F: Isaiah vi:3.] [Footnote G: Hab. i:12,-13.] [Footnote H: Doc. & Cov., Sec. i:31: "Nevertheless," continues the passage, "he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven." Showing that while God may not compromise with sin by looking upon it with any degree of allowance, yet he has compassion upon the sinner who repents.] 3. Truth: The attribute of "Truth" is ascribed to God; and here we again come in touch with the absolute, as when speaking of God's Eternity. God can be no other than absolute in this quality. An untruthful God! the thought is blasphemy. "God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent."[A] "Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face."[B] "A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."[C] "Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth."[D] "Abundant in goodness and Truth."[E] So our modern scriptures: "God does not walk in crooked paths, neither does he turn to the right hand nor the left, or vary from that which he has said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round."[F] It cannot be emphasized too strongly—God is a God of Truth; and does not, and cannot lie without ceasing to be God. It would wreck the moral universe for God to lie. He must be, he is TRUTH! "A God of truth, without iniquity, just and right is he."[G] [Footnote A: Numbers xxiii:19.] [Footnote B: Psalms lxxxix:14.] [Footnote C: Deut. xxxii:4.] [Footnote D: Psalms xxxi:5.] [Footnote E: Ex. xxxiv:6.] [Footnote F: Doc. & Cov., Sec. 3:2.] [Footnote G: Deut. xxxii:4.] 4. Justice: "Justice," as an attribute, is of the same quality as the attribute of Truth—it must be conceived as absolute in Deity. God not just! The thought would be blasphemous. Of course we have scripture warrant for the doctrine: "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne."[A] "There is no God beside me: a Just God and a Savior."[B] "The Just God is in the midst thereof."[C] "Behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is Just and having salvation."[D] [Footnote A: Psalms lxxxix:14.] [Footnote B: Isaiah xv:21.] [Footnote C: Zech. iii:5.] [Footnote D: Zech. ix:9.] 5. Mercy: "Mercy" as an attribute of God is in a class with Truth and Justice and Holiness. A God without compassion—only another name for mercy—would be a monstrosity. No, God must be Merciful! Else what shall become of man? God not merciful! It is unthinkable, that is all. The quality of Mercy as an attribute of God is not strained;
"Mercy and truth shall go before his face," is the testimony of the Psalmist.[A] "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, Merciful and gracious."[B] "But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful."[C] [Footnote A: Psalms lxxxix:14.] [Footnote B: Ex. xxxiv:6.] [Footnote C: Neh. ix:17.] 6. Love: Love! the crowning glory of all the attributes of God! We may revel in this attribute. "He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is Love!"[A] "God is Love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."[B] "Every one that loveth is born of God."[C] "In this was manifested the Love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins."[D] [Footnote A: I John iv:8.] [Footnote B: I John iv:16.] [Footnote C: St. John iii:16.] [Footnote D: I John iv:9,10.] "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."[A] More perfect evidence than this of love, even God cannot give. [Footnote A: St. John iii:16.] 7. The Harmony of God's Attributes: These attributes as well as those considered in lesson XII, must be thought upon as constituting a harmony; those with the existences as real and eternal as themselves; these with reference to harmony within or among themselves. Thus Justice may not deny the claims of Mercy. Mercy may not rob Justice. Even Love may not allow God to intrude upon Justice, or Wisdom or Truth. At the same time it must be remembered that Mercy and Love, no less than Justice, are attributes of God and somehow and somewhere must find entrance into the divine economy, must get themselves expressed and that worthily; worthy of their intrinsic nature, and worthy of God in whom they inhere. And while "all must be law" or at least in harmony with law; all "must be love," in harmony with love—for God, from first to last, is Love. The attributes of God must be preserved in perfect accord if the moral harmony of the universe is to be maintained. It is these considerations which unite the attributes of God with the subject of Atonement. If God's moral government of the universe is, like his physical government, one of law, then Law, not personal, arbitrary, capricious Will must rule. |
|
