11. Why was it important that the One who was to become our High Priest should be divine? Colossians 1:12, 14.
NOTE: ‘Said the angel, “Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no.” It was even a struggle with the God of heaven, whether to let guilty man perish, or to give His darling Son to die for them. Angels were so interested for man’s salvation that there could be found among them those who would yield their glory and give their life for perishing man. “But,” said my accompanying angel, “that would avail nothing.” The transgression was so great that an angel’s life would not pay the debt. Nothing but the death and intercession of God’s Son would pay the debt and save lost man from hopeless sorrow and misery.’ Early Writings, page 127.
12. How does the Bible make it clear that only God Himself can release us from our wretchedness and keep us from falling back into sin? Acts 4:12; Jude 1:24.
COMPILER’S NOTE: The broken law is God’s law. It is not possible for us to put things right with God. An angel cannot redeem us from the hands of Satan. An angel cannot give us forgiveness. They did not devise the law. They did not give us the law. God alone can act in respect of His law. And the wages of sin for breaking that law is death, the second death, from which there is no standing up again, no resurrection, no after-life. Sinners are doomed to perish. The wonder is that Jesus Christ humbled Himself and took our death so we could walk into the sunshine and begin again. He has also promised the power so that we can live without falling.
NOTE: ‘Than Christ, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon. How, then, are we to be saved? “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live.' Desire of Ages, page 175.