Stacking Evidence

“He’s lying.”

“No, he’s lying!”

“No! He’s lying!!!”

Perhaps you’ve witnessed an argument like this between two children before. Imagine the frustration you would feel if you were the child who was actually telling the truth. How could you convince your parents that you weren’t the one lying?

This situation is not unique to humankind. God found Himself in this same scenario a long time ago. After Satan began cherishing iniquity in his heart, he started “trading” lies regarding the government and character of God with the other unfallen beings.[1] Satan essentially told the other angels, “He’s lying.” And that put God in an awful predicament. What could He say? Like a child, He could have summoned the heavenly intelligences and declared before them all, “No, he’s lying!”—but that would do no good. Satan, the inventor of this game, would have simply replied, “No! He’s lying!!!”

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” It’s true. God recognized what a child often cannot recognize: What was needed was not merely a declaration of His character but a demonstration. It was not enough for Him to declare that He is love; He must prove it to win the confidence of the heavenly intelligences.[2]

It is this one simple idea—the necessity of demonstration—that sums up why this great controversy has continued in this world for so long. The greatest demonstration that has ever been made of the love of God occurred some 2,000 years ago when the Father gave “His only begotten Son” to our world of sin and suffering.[3] The death of the spotless Son of God upon the cross demonstrated both God’s and Satan’s characters to the heavenly universe.[4] God’s power of love and Satan’s love of power could not have been more fully contrasted; God’s hatred of sin and Satan’s sinful hatred were seen more clearly than ever before. Satan’s very act of murdering the Son of God (bruising His heel) was the act that delivered the death blow to himself, that Serpent of old, and sealed his doom.[5]

But . . . if both the love of God and the selfishness of Satan were fully revealed to the universe at the cross, why does the great controversy continue? Why hasn’t Jesus come yet? Is there perhaps still something more that God desires to demonstrate?

Regarding this very matter, Ellen White comments, “Yet Satan was not then destroyed [after the cross]. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan’s existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness.”[6]

Did you catch that? She said that the principles of the great controversy were to be “more fully revealed” and that somehow both men and angels “must see” the contrast between Christ and Satan, obviously implying that they had failed to fully see this contrast yet. A further demonstration—even after the cross—God desires to give. But how is that supposed to happen?

I believe the author explains how this is to occur in her next book of the Conflict series in the very first chapter of the book: “The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.”[7]

In other words, there is a part two in God’s demonstration. In order that the heavenly universe may be fully convinced that humanity is safe to save and that the whole world may have the opportunity to fully “see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness,” our longsuffering Father has permitted the great controversy to continue on this Earth. And this will continue until the Church eventually makes manifest that “final and full display of the love of God.” Put simply, the universe, fallen and unfallen, men and angels, must see a demonstration of the love of God through the Church. God is yearning and waiting for just this.[8] The Church is to join Christ in proving the last of Satan’s accusations false and thus join Him in fully crushing that old Serpent.[9]

Now, how exactly is the Church to make this demonstration? How is the Church supposed to demonstrate the character of God to the world to the extent that the whole earth is “illuminated with his glory”?[10] Consider this selection from the prophetic chapter of Isaiah 58 and ask yourself whether you see the connection:

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.[11]

True medical missionary work—work for the heart, mind, soul, and body—is the work of the Church in these last days. “This is the special work now before us.”[12] The proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages to the whole world is needed, but it is only as useful and effective as the characters of the ones bearing the message. It cannot be uncoupled from a demonstration of the love of God. A mere proclamation of the gospel is not enough. For the world to be convinced of His love, the gospel must be seen.[13]

To see “every member of the church” at last “take hold of medical missionary work”[14] (Osorio); to see the blessed fruits of this work through companies all across the world (McRoberts); to see the gospel and medical missionary workers laboring in full harmony (Choi); and to call talented workers from various professional fields to labor in unity to reach all social classes in the cities of the world (White)[15] is the heart and purpose of this issue.

May the Lord help us as we persevere to recover true medical missionary work.


[1] See Ezek. 28:15-16, 18; Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1947), 14.
[2] See Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1890), 41-43; see also Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 22.
[3] John 3:16; 15:13
[4] See Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 760-761.
[5] See Gen. 3:15; Rev. 12:7-12
[6] Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 761; see also 1 Cor. 4:9; John 17:23.
[7] Ellen G. White, Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911), 9.
[8] See Rev. 14:14-16; Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 69.
[9] See Rom. 16:20. Bear in mind, God does not need the Church in order to fully vindicate Himself (see Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, March 1, 1881, par. 17). Neither
will the Church somehow earn its own righteousness apart from Christ. The emphasis is not on the Church justifying God; rather, the emphasis is on God justifying Himself through the Church. While it is correct to say that the Church must finish the work in these last days, a complete picture recognizes that it is God who is finishing His own work through a willing Church (See Rom. 9:28; Ellen. G. White, The Home Missionary, Nov 1, 1890, par. 5). In love, God is granting a second demonstration—“the final and full display of the love of God”—so that both men and angels may be without excuse and every tongue be stopped. Any goodness that is ever seen in Christians or the Christian Church is only ever because God has wrought transformation, and thus the credit can ever only go to Him (2 Cor. 4:7). We can do nothing by our own strength or power (Zech. 4:6; John 15:4-5).
[10] Rev. 18:1; cf. with Ex. 33:18-19; 34:5-7
[11] Isa. 58:7-8
[12] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2 (Mountain View, CA:  Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1885), 34.
[13] See John 13:35; Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 761.
[14] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol.7 (Mountain View, CA:  Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1902), 62.
[15] See Ellen G. White, Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 24 (Ellen G. White Estate, 1909), Ms 72, par. 27, and the whole manuscript.

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