God is love. From the creation of the world, to its re-creation, woven within the tapestry of earth’s history is a compassionate, merciful, patient, loyal, faithful, and just God (Exodus 34:6-7). This is the conviction at the heart of what we call “The Great Controversy.”
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are unique in how we wrestle with the problem of evil. Why is there suffering? Why does sin exist? Doesn’t God have the power to end it? Instead of addressing the issue by referencing God’s sovereignty and omnipotence, we refer to God’s character.
God most certainly has the power to end things, but the Great Controversy is not a conflict that can be settled with brute force. Why? Because the issue is about character, not power. The real questions at the heart of the controversy are: “is God just? Is God fair? Is God loving?” not “Is God powerful enough?”
As the narrative of history unfolds through the pages of Scripture and time, we see a God who, despite being all-powerful, gives freedom to creation because He desires love, and love can only exist in a free world. Freedom, of course, comes with the risk of rejection but with opportunity. With all the pain and suffering that exists in the world, it is hard to imagine that freedom is worth the price we are paying. The Great Controversy is the wisdom that allows us to say now, “Alleluia! heaven is cheap enough,” (Spiritual Gifts 2:34, 35) as we wait for the day of the coming of our Lord. Our prayer is that at the other end of this series you may come to proclaim with all the saints that God is love.
–Pastor Alex Portillo