What
Does Ellen White say was Divested, “
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The full truth concerning the Godhead resolves the following "apparent" contradictions between God and Ellen White.
Problem #1:
And Jesus said He
would give us the Comforter. What is the Comforter? It is the Holy Spirit
of God. What is the Holy Spirit? It is the
representative of Jesus Christ,
it is our Advocate that stands by our side and places our
petitions before the Father all fragrant with His merits. There He accepts the petition of the humblest
saint. He doesn't ask you how much money you have, or how heavy you are
loaded with property, but the very humblest saint that brings his petition
to God, and [his] thank offering is made fragrant with the riches of His
grace, and the Father accepts it as your offering, and the blessing comes
to you, grace for grace. {RC 285.4} 1.
The entire plan of
Redemption is taught in the Sanctuary Service and that plan involves Christ
alone. Everything in the Sanctuary points to Christ. We do not find Christ
doing His work only up to a point and then being replaced or supplemented
by someone else—a Third Distinct Person of the Godhead that is not
intrinsically related to Christ’s pre-Incarnation Being. It is Christ who is seen represented as our
sacrifice, our priest (mediator--Advocate) and ultimately our High
Priest Judge. 2.
Ellen White says
that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate (Mediator) 3.
In the Sanctuary
Service. Christ was everything--High Priest (advocate--Mediator),
Offering--Sacrificial Lamb 4.
The Bible says that
there is ONE MEDIATOR. That Mediator is our Advocate. 5.
1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one
God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6.
1Jo 2:1 My little children,
these things write I
unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (one) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 7. Major Problem if one does not accept my presentation of the Godhead: that the Holy Spirit is the pre-Incarnated life of the Son of God, then Ellen White contradicts the Bible when she says that the Advocate is the Holy Spirit and the Bible says it is Christ. Problem
#2: "The Power of God in the Third
Person.--The prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the
power of God in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.-- Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 10, p. 37.
(1897).
"He (Christ) suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which WAS His." Desire of Ages, p. 25 1 Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John 6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.
"The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church." Desire of Ages, 805.
Problem #3
Jesus said in John 14 that He would send ANOTHER COMFORTER, the Holy Spirit.
Jhn 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Ellen White said that the Saviour (Christ) is our Comforter. July 16, 1892: The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be. {8MR 49.3}
Using this Bible tool: http://www.bju.edu/bible/bible.php?b=gen&c=1&v=0&d=1&w=0 Look up the word comforter in John 14:16. You will get the following definition: Number 3875 Transliteration: parakletos {par-ak'-lay-tos} Word Origin: a root word TDNT: 5:800,782 Part of Speech: noun masculine Usage in the KJV: comforter 4,
advocate 1 Definition: 1. summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid 1. one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate 2. one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor 1. of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins 3. in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant 1. of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom TDNT - Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
"The Holy Spirit is the
breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the
Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the
attributes of Christ. Only
those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of
the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is
manifested, are to stand as
representative men, to minister in behalf of the church." Desire of Ages, 805. "Christ declared that after his
ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the
Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the
Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With
his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away
sin. In the gift of the Spirit, Jesus gave
to man the highest good that heaven could bestow.... The Spirit was given as a regenerating
agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no
avail.... It is by the Spirit that the heart is
made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine
nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all
hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own
character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42. “Cumbered with humanity Christ could
not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their
advantage that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy
Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of
the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent
Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s
1081-1135) MR No.1084. “What gift could Christ
bestow rich enough to signalize and grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of His greatness and His royalty. He
determined to give His representative, the Third Person of the Godhead.
This gift could not be excelled. 6 BC, 1053. |
Chap. 183 - Christ's Promise of the Spirit
I will
pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide
with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth. John 14:16, 17. {AG 191.1}
Before
offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, Christ sought for the most
essential and complete gift to bestow upon His followers, a gift that would
bring within their reach the boundless resources of grace. "I will pray
the Father," He said, "and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to
you" (John 14:16-18, margin). {AG 191.2}
Before
this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of
redemption He had been moving upon men's hearts. But while Christ was on
earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were
deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then
He would come. {AG 191.3}
The Holy
Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of
humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not
be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He
should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No
one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal
contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour
would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if
he had not ascended on high. {AG 191.4}
This
promise belongs to us now as surely as it belonged to the disciples. . . .
Let every church member kneel before God, and pray earnestly for the
impartation of the Spirit. Cry, "Lord, increase my faith. Make me to
understand Thy word; for the entrance of Thy word giveth
light. Refresh me by Thy presence. Fill my heart with Thy Spirit." {AG
191.5}
At all
times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the
outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone,
the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. {AG 191.6}
May 29,
1899 The Divine Sacrifice.
Who is
able to describe the last scenes of Christ's life on earth, His trial in the
judgment hall, and His crucifixion? Who witnessed these scenes?--The heavenly
universe, God the Father, Satan and his angels. Wonderful events took place
in the betrayal of Christ. At His mock trial His accusers found nothing by
which He could be proved guilty. Three times Pilate declared, "I find no
fault in Him at all." Nevertheless he ordered Him to be scourged, and
then delivered Him up to suffer the most cruel death
that could be devised. {BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 1}
It
pleased God to bruise His only begotten Son, to suffer temptation to come to
Him, to permit Satan to develop his attributes and the principles of his
government. The enmity of the apostate against the Commander of all heaven
must be seen. It must be shown that Satan's mercy is cruelty. What a battle
was this between Christ and Satan? It was waged up to the very time of the
resurrection, yea, up to the time of the ascension. Then it was transferred
to Christ's followers, and today Satan wars against them. {BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 2}
During
His lifetime Christ's spirit was grieved because His own nation looked upon
Him as a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness that they
should desire Him. He longed for care-worn, oppressed, weary human beings to
come to Him, that He might give them the light and life and joy that are to
be found only in Him. The veriest sinners were the
objects of His deep, earnest interest, pity and love. But when in the
greatest need of human sympathy, in the hour of His trial and temptation,
even the most promising of His disciples forsook Him. He was indeed compelled
to tread the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Him. An
atmosphere of apostasy surrounded Him. On every side could be heard sounds of
mockery, taunting and blasphemy. Satanic agencies full of animosity strove to
inspire the human family with deadly animosity against the law of Jehovah;
and in his enmity the apostate was joined by the professed worshippers of
God, for whom Christ had done so much. {BEcho, May
29, 1899 par. 3}
The Lord
of hosts suffered with His Son, but He did not abate one jot of the penalty.
The world's Redeemer heard the people taking the oath of allegiance to a
rival sovereign. He heard them divorcing themselves from God, refusing to
obey His rule, saying, "We have no king but Caesar." As He hung on
the cross, He heard them say tauntingly, "He trusted in God, let Him
deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, I am the Son of God."
{BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 4}
The Lord
permits men to go to a certain length in sin, and then, as in the destruction
of the old world, He will arise and punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity. The earth will disclose her blood, and no more cover her
slain. {BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 5}
Thus it
was. The terrible scenes of the crucifixion revealed what humanity will do
when under Satan's control. They revealed what the outcome would be if Satan
was to control the world. Those who witnessed these scenes never lost the
impressions made upon their minds. Many were converted, and told others of
the awful scene they beheld. Many who heard the report of Christ's death were
convicted, and commenced searching the Scriptures. Thus were fulfilled the
words, "So shall He sprinkle many nations." {BEcho,
May 29, 1899 par. 6}
Christ
was the Majesty of heaven, the Commander of the heavenly hosts. But He put
off His crown, and divested Himself of His royal robe, to take upon Him human nature,
that humanity might touch humanity. As the world's Redeemer He passed
through all the experiences through which we must pass. He found Himself in
fashion as a man. He humbled Himself to do the greatest work that could be
done for the human race. A beam of righteousness from heaven shone amid the
moral darkness of this earth, to enlighten every man that cometh into the
world. {BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 7}
Christ
suffered in man's stead, giving His life for the life of the world. All who
repent and turn to Him are His heritage. His death proved God's
administration and government to be without a flaw. Satan's charge in regard
to the conflicting attributes of justice and mercy was forever settled beyond
question. Every voice in heaven and out of heaven will one day testify to the
justice, mercy, and love of God. Mrs. E. G. White. {BEcho, May 29, 1899 par. 8}
God bless,
Ron