How does the Godhead message contribute to character cleansing? Is this issue even important to our salvation?

Answer

We will answer the questions in a very simple and straight forward way:

Q – What leads men to repentance?

A – “… the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:4

The goodness and love of God is what leads us to repentance

“The goodness and the love of God lead the sinner to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” {1888 780.3}

Q – How did God reveal His goodness or love toward us?

A – By sending His only begotten Son to die for us.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9

The only way that God could save us was by sending His Son to die. There was no other way to demonstrate His love to us in such a way as to win back our sinful hearts. Seeing this love and goodness of God is what leads us to repentance. When we realize what the Father and Son did we are touched and love awakens love.

“It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His Son.” {GC 652.2}

Furthermore, the Bible tells us that only by accepting and believing that Jesus is the Son of God can we overcome the world. “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5

Overcoming the world involves a growth and cleansing of our character. We are changed as we behold the love and glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6). This begins to occur after repentance. We have seen that true repentance is based on God’s goodness and love that was manifested by Him giving us His only-begotten Son. The fruit of character cleansing is overcoming the world and sin. Overcoming the world is dependent upon believing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.

So from the very small and brief section above we have seen that the beginning and the end result of character cleansing depends upon believing that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. The whole plan of salvation is designed to redeem us and restore our character to the divine image. This is why God sought to teach us love by showing us love. In the heart of this plan is the Father-Son relationship. It has a direct bearing on our perception of God’s love and our response to it.

With this in mind, we can better understand why the Spirit of Prophecy says the following:

“Satan is determined that men shall not see the love of God, which led him to give his only begotten Son to save the lost race; for it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. O, how shall we succeed in setting forth before the world the deep, precious love of God? In no other way can we compass it than by exclaiming, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God"! Let us say to sinners, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" By presenting Jesus as the representative of the Father, we shall be able to dispel the shadow that Satan has cast upon our pathway, in order that we shall not see the mercy and love of God's inexpressible love as manifested in Jesus Christ.” {RH, March 20, 1894 par. 4}

“This fact the [fallen] angels would obscure, that Christ was the only begotten Son of God, and they came to consider that they were not to consult Christ.” {TDG 128.1}

Dear reader, only God’s love which was manifest in Him giving us His Son (not His friend, not an angel, not a created being, not another God) to die for us will lead us to true repentance, which will truly elevate and cleanse our character. According to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, it is only the love of God that will cleanse our character (1 John 4:19). God Himself has chosen the way to show us His love. It is up to us to accept it and follow His leading or choose a way of our own devising.

Jesus told us just how important this issue is:

John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”