The Merits
of Christ—God’s Remedy for Sin, Part 12a
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Chap. 4 - God's Remedy For Sin
The Saviour of Men
The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin. {FLB 97.2}
Christ's death on the cross was one of willing obedience, else in it there
would have been no merit; for justice would not punish in the
place of the sinner an innocent being who was unwilling to bear the penalty. {FLB 97.3}
Jesus . . . became a "Man of sorrows," that we might be made
partakers of everlasting joy. God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace
and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and
blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He
permitted Him to leave the bosom of His Love, the adoration of the angels, to
suffer shame . . . and death. {FLB 97.4}
Behold the cross, and the Victim uplifted upon it. . . . Christ bore our sins
in His own body. That suffering, that agony, is the price of your redemption.
{FLB
97.5}
The bitter cup was apportioned to us to drink. Our sins mingled it. But our
dear Saviour took the cup from our lips and drank it Himself, and in its
stead He presents to us a cup of . . . salvation. {FLB 97.6}
We cannot measure how much deeper our afflictions would have been, how much
greater our woes, had not Jesus encircled us with His human arm of sympathy
and love, and lifted us up. {FLB 97.7}
We may rejoice in hope. . . . Through His {our Advocate's} merits we have pardon and peace. He died that He might wash
away our sins, clothe us with His righteousness, and fit us for the society
of heaven, where we may dwell in light forever.
The Sinner's Friend
Jesus is the sinner's friend, His heart is ever open, ever touched with human
woe; He has all power, both in heaven and upon earth. {FLB 98.2}
In the person of Christ we behold the eternal God engaged in an enterprise of
boundless mercy toward fallen man. {FLB 98.3}
Christ came to this world to show that by receiving power from on high, man
can live an unsullied life. . . . {FLB 98.4}
He could say to whom He pleased, "Follow Me," and the one addressed
arose and followed Him. The spell of the world's enchantment was broken. At
the sound of His voice the spirit of greed and ambition fled from the heart,
and men arose, emancipated, to follow the Saviour. . . . {FLB 98.5}
He passed by no human being as worthless, but sought to apply the healing
remedy to every soul. . . . He sought to inspire with hope the roughest and
most unpromising, setting before them the assurance that they might become
blameless and harmless, attaining such a character as would make them
manifest as the children of God. {FLB 98.6}
Often He met those who had drifted under Satan's control, and who had no
power to break from his snare. To such a one, discouraged, sick, tempted,
fallen, Jesus would speak words of tenderest pity, words that were needed and
could be understood. Others He met who were fighting a hand-to-hand battle
with the adversary of souls. These He encouraged to persevere, assuring them
that they would win; for angels of God were on their side and would give them
the victory. {FLB 98.7}
The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner. . . . {FLB 98.8}
Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves
the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is
slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage,
to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.
A Wellspring of Life
Many are suffering from maladies of the soul far more than from diseases of
the body, and they will find no relief until they come to Christ, the
wellspring of life. . . . Christ is the mighty Healer of the sin-sick soul. {FLB 99.2}
If we let go of Jesus we have nothing to hold on to. . . . Perpetual grace in
ever-flowing streams is blessing those who will, if athirst, come unto Him
and drink. {FLB 99.3}
He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world will drink
only to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for something
to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want. The need of the
world, "the desire of all nations," is Christ. The divine grace
which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and
invigorating the soul. . . . {FLB 99.4}
He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he
seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not
attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He who
reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and
thirst. Every human resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be
emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain.
We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom
Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing--"a well of
water springing up into everlasting life." From this source he may draw
strength and grace sufficient for all his needs. {FLB 99.5}
He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver
becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the
desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish
eager to drink of the water of life.
My Guide and Pilot
Often the Christian life is beset with dangers, and duty seems hard to
perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage and
death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, Go forward. . . . Faith
looks beyond the difficulties, and lays hold of the unseen, even Omnipotence,
therefore it cannot be baffled. Faith is the clasping of the hand of Christ
in every emergency. {FLB 100.2}
Every ship sailing the sea of life needs to have the divine Pilot on board;
but when storms arise, when tempests threaten, many persons push their Pilot
overboard, and commit their bark into the hand of finite man, or try to steer
it themselves. Then disaster and wreckage generally follow, and the Pilot is
blamed for running them into such dangerous waters. Do not commit yourselves
into the keeping of men, but say, "The Lord is my helper"; I will
seek His counsel; I will be a doer of His will. . . . It is as impossible for
us to receive qualification from man, without the divine enlightenment, as it
was for the gods of Egypt to deliver those who trusted in them. . . . Do not
trust yourself to men. Act under the divine Guide. {FLB 100.3}
You have been chosen by Christ. You have been redeemed by the precious blood
of the Lamb. Plead before God the efficacy of that blood. Say unto Him:
"I am Thine by creation; I am Thine by redemption. I respect human
authority, and the advice of my brethren; but I cannot depend wholly upon
these. I want Thee, O God, to teach me. I have covenanted with Thee to adopt
the divine standard of character, and make Thee my counselor and guide--a
party to every plan of my life; therefore teach me." Let the glory of
the Lord be your first consideration. . . . Let every act of your life be
sanctified by a holy endeavor to do the Lord's will, that your influence may
not lead others into forbidden paths.
The Sacrificial Blood of Christ
Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He
was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of
the law. {FLB 101.2}
Hating sin with a perfect hatred, He yet gathered to His soul the sins of the
whole world. Guiltless, He bore the punishment of the guilty. Innocent, yet
offering Himself as a substitute for the transgressor. The guilt of every sin
pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world's Redeemer. The evil
thoughts, the evil words, the evil deeds of every son and daughter of Adam,
called for retribution upon Himself; for He had become man's substitute. {FLB 101.3}
Behold Him in the wilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Son
of God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He who had been one with God,
felt in His soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man.
This wrung from His lips the anguished cry, "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?" Matt. 27:46. It was the burden of sin, the sense of
its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God--it was this
that broke the heart of the Son of God. {FLB 101.4}
"Ye know," says Peter, "that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold." 1 Peter 1:18. Oh, had these
been sufficient to purchase the salvation of man, how easily it might have
been accomplished by Him who says, "The silver is mine, and the gold is
mine"! Haggai 2:8. But the sinner could be redeemed only by the precious
blood of the Son of God. {FLB 101.5}
By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in
Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the
soul, of every human being.
Justified by His Blood
God calls for faith in Christ as our atoning sacrifice. His blood is the only
remedy for sin. {FLB 102.2}
It is not God's will that you should be distrustful, and torture your soul
with the fear that God will not accept you because you are sinful and
unworthy. . . . You can say: "I know I am a sinner, and that is the
reason I need a Saviour. . . . I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim
salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only
plea." {FLB 102.3}
God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way through
which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of His
justice, His holiness, and His truth. But He does forgive sins and that
fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is the sinner's only hope, and if he rests here in sincere
faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel
and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant
forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are
forgiven. These lessons were taught to the chosen people of God thousands of
years ago, and repeated in various symbols and figures, that the work of
truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood
there is no remission of sins. . . . Justice demanded the sufferings of man;
but Christ rendered the sufferings of a God. He needed no atonement of
suffering for Himself; all His sufferings were for us; all His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as a
gift. {FLB 102.4}
Christ calls upon us to lay our sins upon Him, the Sin-Bearer. . . . But if
we refuse to let them go, taking the responsibility ourselves, we will be
lost. We may fall upon Christ, the living stone, and be broken, but if that
Stone falls upon us, it will grind us to powder.
Peace Through the Cross
If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can
obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of
God's compassion and the sinfulness of sin. {FLB 103.2}
As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen
something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look
upon it with abhorrence. . . . You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be
set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him-- what can you do to obtain it? {FLB 103.3}
It is peace that you need--Heaven's forgiveness and peace and love in the
soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain
to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers
it to you as a gift, "without money and without price." Isa. 55:1.
. . . {FLB 103.4}
Go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins, and give you a new
heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised . . . .
It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the
law without shame or remorse. {FLB 103.5}
When at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save
him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling
in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can
attain. {FLB 103.6}
Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, and pray that He may not have died
for you in vain. The spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to
Jesus, and you may claim His blessing. {FLB 103.7}
As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable
love and pity. . . . Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to
restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and
repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.
A Glorious Substitution
It is the province of the law to condemn, but there is in it no power to
pardon or to redeem. {FLB 104.2}
Without Christ the law of itself was only condemnation and death to the
transgressor. It has no saving quality--no power to shield the transgressor
from its penalty. . . . {FLB 104.3}
The transgression of God's law made the death of Christ essential to save man
and yet maintain the dignity and honor of the law. Christ took upon Himself
the condemnation of sin. He opened His bosom to the woes of man. He who knew
no sin became sin for us. {FLB 104.4}
As man's substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; He
was counted a transgressor that He might redeem them from the curse of the
law. . . . He, the Sin-Bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity and
becomes sin itself for man. {FLB 104.5}
Sin, so hateful to His sight, was heaped upon Him till He groaned beneath its
weight. The despairing agony of the Son of God was so much greater than His
physical pain, that the latter was hardly felt by Him. {FLB 104.6}
God permits His Son to be delivered up for our offenses. He Himself assumes
toward the Sin-Bearer the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the
endearing qualities of a father. {FLB 104.7}
Herein His love commends itself in the most marvelous manner to the
rebellious race. {FLB 104.8}
The sin of the whole world was laid upon Jesus, and divinity gave its highest
value to the suffering of humanity in Jesus, that the whole world might be
pardoned through faith in the Substitute. The most guilty need have no fear that
God will not pardon, for because of the efficacy of the divine sacrifice the
penalty of the law will be remitted. Through Christ the sinner may return to
allegiance to God.
A Perfect Atonement
The infinite sufficiency of Christ is demonstrated by His bearing the sins of
the whole world. He occupies the double position of offerer and of offering,
of priest and of victim. {FLB 105.2}
In the atonement made for him the believer sees such breadth, and length, and
height, and depth of efficiency--sees such completeness of salvation,
purchased at such infinite cost, that his soul is filled with praise and
thanksgiving. He sees as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and is changed
into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord. {FLB 105.3}
The great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that will be of any value.
The incense that is offered now by men, the masses that are said for the
deliverance of souls from purgatory, are not of the least avail with God. All
the altars and sacrifices, the traditions and inventions whereby men hope to
earn salvation, are fallacies. . . . Christ is the only sin-bearer, the only
sin-offering. . . . {FLB 105.4}
Priests and rulers have no right to interpose between Christ and the souls
for whom He has died, as though invested with the Saviour's attributes, and
able to pardon transgression and sin. They themselves are sinners. They are
only human. {FLB 105.5}
Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him who has entered once for
all into the holy place. Christ has declared, "If any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. He
will save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. {FLB 105.6}
The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every
soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. {FLB 105.7}
The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. . . . He will take the
load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. The burden of care and
sorrow also He will bear. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He
carries us upon His heart.
Type Meets Antitype
God's people, whom He calls His peculiar treasure, were privileged with a
twofold system of law; the moral and ceremonial. . . . {FLB 106.2}
From the creation the moral law was an essential part of God's divine plan,
and was as unchangeable as Himself. The ceremonial law was to answer a
particular purpose in Christ's plan for the salvation of the race. The
typical system of sacrifices and offerings was established that through these
services the sinner might discern the great offering, Christ. . . . The
ceremonial law was glorious; it was the provision made by Jesus Christ in
counsel with His Father, to aid in the salvation of the race. The whole
arrangement of the typical system was founded on Christ. Adam saw Christ
prefigured in the innocent beast suffering the penalty of his transgression
of Jehovah's law. {FLB 106.3}
The need for the service of sacrifices and offerings ceased when type met
antitype in the death of Christ. In Him the shadow reached the substance. . .
. The law of God will maintain its exalted character as long as the throne of
Jehovah endures. This law is the expression of God's character. . . . Types
and shadows, offerings and sacrifices, had no virtue after Christ's death on
the cross; but God's law was not crucified with Christ. . . . Today he
{Satan} is deceiving human beings in regard to the law of God. {FLB 106.4}
The law of the ten commandments lives and will live through the eternal ages.
. . . {FLB 106.5}
God did not make the infinite sacrifice of giving His only-begotten Son to
our world, to secure for man the privilege of breaking the commandments of
God in this life and in the future eternal life. {FLB 106.6}
He {Jesus} gave His precious, innocent life to save guilty human beings from
eternal ruin, that through faith in Him they might stand guiltless before the
throne of God.
Redemption and Forgiveness
The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete
pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is
pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to
doubt God's forgiving grace. {FLB 107.2}
There is nothing in faith that makes it our saviour. Faith cannot remove our
guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe.
The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price
for the sinner's redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that
Jesus can justify the believer. {FLB 107.3}
The sinner cannot depend upon his own good works as a means of justification.
He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace one
degree of light after another as it shines upon his pathway. He simply grasps
by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He
believes the promises of God, which through Christ are made unto him
sanctification and righteousness and redemption. And if he follows Jesus, he
will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light and diffusing that
light to others. {FLB 107.4}
Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon "the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world." . . . When we see Jesus, a Man of
Sorrows and acquainted with grief, working to save the lost, slighted,
scorned, derided, driven from city to city till His mission was accomplished;
when we behold Him in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the
cross dying in agony--when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be
recognized. Looking unto Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our coldness, our
lethargy, our self-seeking. We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so
that we may do heart service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the
cross after Jesus, to endure trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake.
Self-righteousness Insufficient
The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ's day was that a mere
assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human experience a
theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be insufficient for the
saving of the soul. It does not bring forth the fruits of righteousness. . .
. The Pharisees claimed to be children of Abraham, and boasted of their
possession of the oracles of God; yet these advantages did not preserve them
from selfishness, malignity, greed for gain, and the basest hypocrisy. . . . {FLB 108.2}
The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that they are
Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But
they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed
and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come
through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if
it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it
is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to
the world. {FLB 108.3}
The righteousness which Christ taught is conformity of heart and life to the
revealed will of God. Sinful men can become righteous only as they have faith
in God and maintain a vital connection with Him. Then true godliness will
elevate the thoughts and ennoble the life. Then the external forms of
religion accord with the Christian's internal purity. Then the ceremonies
required in the service of God are not meaningless rites, like those of the
hypocritical Pharisees. {FLB 108.4}
Salvation is God's free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ's sake
alone. The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ, and his
peace will be in proportion to his faith and trust. He cannot present his
good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul.
Filled With His Righteousness
Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love." 1
John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for "all thy commandments
are righteousness" (Ps. 119:172), and "love is the fulfilling of
the law" (Rom. 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and
the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive
righteousness by receiving Him. {FLB 109.2}
Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is
righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and
thirsts to receive it. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;. . . without money
and without price." Isa. 55:1. "Their righteousness is of me, saith
the Lord," and, "This is his name whereby he shall be called, The
Lord our righteousness." Isa. 54:17; Jer. 23:6. {FLB 109.3}
No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of
the soul. But Jesus says, . . ."I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst." John 6:35. . . . {FLB 109.4}
The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the
more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines
with the human when the soul reaches out after God and the longing heart can
say, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from
him." Ps. 62:5. . . . {FLB 109.5}
The continual cry of the heart is, "More of Thee," and ever the
Spirit's answer is, "Much more." Rom. 5:9, 10. . . . It was the
good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fulness
dwell," and "in him ye are made full." Col. 1:19, R.V.; 2:10,
R.V. {FLB 109.6}
Christ is the great depository of justifying righteousness and sanctifying
grace. {FLB 109.7}
All may come to Him, and receive of His fullness.
The First Steps in Justification
Many are confused as to what constitutes the first steps in the work of
salvation. Repentance is thought to be a work the sinner must do for himself
in order that he may come to Christ. They think that the sinner must procure
himself a fitness in order to obtain the blessing of God's grace. But while
it is true that repentance must precede forgiveness, for it is only the
broken and contrite heart that is acceptable to God, yet the sinner cannot
bring himself to repentance, or prepare himself to come to Christ. . . . The
very first step to Christ is taken through the drawing of the Spirit of God;
as man responds to this drawing, he advances toward Christ in order that he
may repent. . . . {FLB 110.2}
When before the high priests and Sadducees, Peter clearly presented the fact
that repentance is the gift of God. Speaking of Christ, he said, "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." Repentance is no
less the gift of God than are pardon and justification, and it cannot be
experienced except as it is given to the soul by Christ. If we are drawn to
Christ, it is through His power and virtue. The grace of contrition comes
through Him, and from Him comes justification. {FLB 110.3}
Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do? He must come to
Jesus, just as he is, without delay. He must believe that the word of Christ
is true, and, believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere
desire prompts men to pray, they will not pray in vain. The Lord will fulfill
His word, and will give the Holy Spirit to lead to repentance. . . . With
prayer he {the repentant sinner} will mingle faith, and not only believe in
but obey the precepts of the law. . . . He will renounce all habits and
associations that tend to draw the heart from God.
The Righteousness of Christ Sufficient
What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of
man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do
for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be
clothed with the righteousness of Christ. {FLB 111.2}
Those whom heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own
goodness. The apostle Peter became a faithful minister of Christ, and he was
greatly honored with divine light and power; he had an active part in the
upbuilding of Christ's church; but Peter never forgot the fearful experience
of his humiliation; his sin was forgiven; yet well he knew that for the
weakness of character which had caused his fall only the grace of Christ
could avail. He found in himself nothing in which to glory. {FLB 111.3}
None of the apostles or prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have
lived nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than
knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God had honored with divine light and
power, have confessed the sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no
confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have
trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So will it be with all who
behold Christ. {FLB 111.4}
The righteousness of Christ, as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no stain,
no guilt. This righteousness may be ours. Salvation, with its blood-bought,
inestimable treasures, is the pearl of great price. {FLB 111.5}
The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of
any merit on our part, but as a free gift from
God, is a precious thought. The enemy of God and man is not willing that this
truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it
fully, his power will be broken.
His Righteousness Obtained by Faith
The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere
consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces
Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost all
that come unto God by Him. . . . {FLB 112.2}
The perishing sinner may say: "I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to
seek and to save that which was lost. He says, `I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance.' I am a sinner, and He died upon
Calvary's cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved. He
died and rose again for my justification, and He will save me now. I accept
the forgiveness He has promised." . . . {FLB 112.3}
The great work that is wrought for the sinner who is spotted and stained by
evil is the work of justification. By Him who speaketh truth he is declared
righteous. The Lord imputes unto the believer the righteousness of Christ and
pronounces him righteous before the universe. He transfers his sins to Jesus,
the sinner's representative, substitute, and surety. Upon Christ He lays the
iniquity of every soul that believeth. "He hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him." 2 Cor. 5:21. . . . {FLB 112.4}
Through repentance and faith we are rid of sin, and look unto the Lord our
righteousness. Jesus suffered, the just for the unjust. . . . {FLB 112.5}
Having made us righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ, God
pronounces us just, and treats us as just. He looks upon us as His dear
children. Christ works against the power of sin, and where sin abounded,
grace much more abounds. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by
faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God." Rom. 5:1, 2. {FLB 112.6}
God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wanting
in nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord.
Clothed in His Righteousness
Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to
appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness,
Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. "I counsel
thee," He says, "to buy of me . . . white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed. . . ." Rev. 3:18. {FLB 113.2}
This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human
devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this
character He offers to impart to us. "All our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags." Isa. 64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is
defiled by sin. But the Son of God "was manifested to take away our
sins; and in him is no sin." Sin is defined to be "the
transgression of the law." 1 John 3:5, 4. But Christ was obedient to
every requirement of the law. . . . {FLB 113.3}
By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to
obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is
united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one
with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His
life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His
righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf
garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of
righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah. {FLB 113.4}
Those who . . . accept of Christ are looked upon by God, not as they are in
Adam, but as they are in Jesus Christ, as the sons and daughters of God. {FLB 113.5}
We are not to be anxious about what Christ and God think of us, but about
what God thinks of Christ, our Substitute.
Proving the Will of God
Christ came to the world to counteract Satan's falsehood that God had made a
law which men could not keep. Taking humanity upon Himself, He came to this
earth, and by a life of obedience showed that God has not made a law that man
cannot keep. He showed that it is possible for man perfectly to obey the law.
Those who accept Christ as their Saviour, becoming partakers of His divine
nature, are enabled to follow His example, living in obedience to every
precept of the law. Through the merits of Christ, man is to show by his obedience
that he could be trusted in heaven, that he would not rebel. {FLB 114.2}
In all His Godlike deeds, the world's Redeemer declares, "I can of mine
own self do nothing." "This commandment have I received of my
Father." John 5:30; 10:18. All I do is in fulfillment of the counsel and
will of My heavenly Father. The history of the daily earthly life of Jesus is
the exact record of the fulfillment of the purposes of God toward man. His
life and character were the unfolding or representation of the perfection of
the character that man may attain by becoming a partaker of the divine
nature, and overcoming the world through daily conflicts. {FLB 114.3}
The youth need to keep ever before them the course that Christ followed. . .
. In the study of His life we shall learn how much God through Him will do
for His children. And we shall learn that, however great our trials may be,
they cannot exceed what Christ endured. {FLB 114.4}
Those who walk even as Christ walked, who are patient, gentle, kind, meek and
lowly in heart, those who yoke up with Christ and lift His burdens, who yearn
for souls as He yearned for them--these will enter into the joy of their
Lord. They will see with Christ the travail of His soul, and be satisfied.
Heaven will triumph, for the vacancies made in heaven by the fall of Satan
and his angels will be filled by the redeemed of the Lord.
Faith Demonstrated by Works
The part man has to act in the salvation of the soul is to believe on Jesus
Christ as a perfect Redeemer, not for some other man, but for his own self. {FLB 115.2}
Christ imputes His perfection and righteousness to the believing sinner when
he does not continue in sin, but turns from transgression to obedience of the
commandments. {FLB 115.3}
While God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments
of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins, or neglecting known
duties. {FLB 115.4}
The apostle James saw that dangers would arise in presenting the subject of
justification by faith, and he labored to show that genuine faith cannot
exist without corresponding works. The experience of Abraham is presented.
"Seest thou," he says, "how faith wrought with his works, and
by works was faith made perfect?" James 2:22. Thus genuine faith does a
genuine work in the believer. Faith and obedience bring a solid, valuable
experience. {FLB 115.5}
Faith and works are two oars which we must use equally if we {would} press
our way up the stream against the current of unbelief. {FLB 115.6}
The so-called faith that does not work by love and purify the soul will not
justify any man. "Ye see," says the apostle, "how that by
works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24. Abraham
believed God. How do we know that he believed? His works testified to the
character of his faith, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness.
We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness that gathers
around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God's love, and dwarfing
spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith
without works is dead.
Sanctification the Work of a Lifetime
The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by
which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the
second is our fitness for heaven. {FLB 116.2}
Many commit the error of trying to define minutely the fine points of
distinction between justification and sanctification. Into the definitions of
these two terms they often bring their own ideas and speculations. Why try to
be more minute than is Inspiration on the vital question of righteousness by
faith? {FLB 116.3}
As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in
his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the
future life, his sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith. {FLB 116.4}
Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a
lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of
constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be
righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent
efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern
conflict, that we shall overcome. {FLB 116.5}
It {sanctification} is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words,
but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires
that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the
preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to
the Lord our bodies--not an offering corrupted by wrong habits but--"a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." {FLB 116.6}
The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. . . .
If studied and obeyed, the Word of God works in the heart, subduing every
unholy attribute. {FLB 116.7}
There is no such thing as instantaneous sanctification. True sanctification
is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last.
A Hatred of Sin
When in conversion the sinner finds peace with God through the blood of the
atonement, the Christian life has but just begun. {FLB 117.2}
The grace that Christ implants in the soul . . . creates in man enmity
against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would
continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But
the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace.
The power which Christ imparts, enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper.
Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and
conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of
a principle wholly from above. {FLB 117.3}
Conformity to the world and harmony with Christ cannot be maintained. Worldly
maxims and worldly practices sap spirituality from heart and life. Conformity
to the world means resemblance to the world in meeting the world's standard.
. . . No man can serve the world and Jesus Christ at the same time. There is
an irreconcilable antagonism, between Christ and the world. {FLB 117.4}
How few can say: "I am dead to the world; the life I now live is by
faith in the Son of God!" . . . While those around us may be vain and
engaged in pleasure-seeking and folly, our conversation is in heaven, whence
we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and
peace, for righteousness and true holiness. Converse with God and
contemplation of things above transform the soul into the likeness of Christ.
{FLB
117.5}
Let your heart be softened and melted under the divine influence of the
Spirit of God. You should not talk so much about yourself, for this will
strengthen no one. . . . Talk of Jesus, and let self go; let it be submerged
in Christ.
"If Any Man Sin--"
When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish
for sin; for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we
will hate the sin that caused the suffering of the Son of God. {FLB 118.2}
If one who daily communes with God errs from the path, if he turns a moment
from looking steadfastly unto Jesus, it is not because he sins willfully; for
when he sees his mistake, he turns again, and fastens his eyes upon Jesus,
and the fact that he has erred does not make him less dear to the heart of
God. He knows that he has communion with the Saviour; and when reproved for
his mistake in some matter of judgment, he does not walk sullenly, and
complain of God, but turns the mistake into a victory. {FLB 118.3}
There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ, and who really
desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is
imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their
hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw
back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of
Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be
discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not
forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, "These things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And do not forget the
words of Christ, "The Father himself loveth you." John 16:27. He
desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness
reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath
begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. {FLB 118.4}
All sin . . . may be overcome by the Holy Spirit's power.
The Test of Character
Many who profess sanctification are entirely ignorant of the work of grace
upon the heart. . . . The lay aside reason and judgment, and depend wholly
upon their feelings, basing their claims to sanctification upon emotions
which they have at some time experienced. . . . {FLB 119.2}
Bible sanctification does not consist in strong emotion. Here is where many
are led into error. They make feelings their criterion. When they feel elated
or happy, they claim that they are sanctified. Happy feelings or the absence
of joy is no evidence that a person is or is not sanctified. . . . Those who
are battling with daily temptations, overcoming their own sinful tendencies,
and seeking for holiness of heart and life, make no boastful claims of
holiness. They are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Sin appears to
them exceedingly sinful. {FLB 119.3}
In summer, as we look upon the trees of the distant forest, all clothed with
a beautiful mantle of green, we may not be able to distinguish between the
evergreens and the other trees. But as winter approaches, and the frost king
encloses them in his icy embrace, stripping the other trees of their
beautiful foliage, the evergreens are readily discerned. Thus it will be with
all who are walking in humility, distrustful of self, but clinging
tremblingly to the hand of Christ. While those who are self-confident, and
trust in their own perfection of character, lose their false robe of
righteousness when subjected to the storms of trial, the truly righteous, who
sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ's righteousness in
prosperity and adversity alike. {FLB 119.4}
It requires the testing time to reveal the pure gold of love and faith in the
character. When trials and perplexities come upon the church, then the
steadfast zeal and warm affections of Christ's true followers are developed.
The Ladder to Perfection
Jesus is the ladder to heaven, . . . and God calls upon us to mount this
ladder. But we cannot do this while we load ourselves down with earthly
treasures. We wrong ourselves when we place our convenience and personal
advantages before the things of God. There is no salvation in earthly
possessions or surroundings. A man is not exalted in God's sight, or
accredited by Him as possessing goodness, because he has earthly riches. If
we gain a genuine experience in climbing, . . . we must leave every hindrance
behind. Those who mount must place their feet firmly on every round of
the ladder. {FLB 120.2}
We are saved by climbing round after round of the ladder, looking to Christ,
clinging to Christ, mounting step by step to the height of Christ, so that He
is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and charity are the rounds of this ladder. {FLB 120.3}
Courage, fortitude, faith, and implicit trust in God's power to save are
needed. These heavenly graces do not come in a moment; they are acquired by
the experience of years. But every sincere and earnest seeker will become a
partaker of the divine nature. His soul will be filled with intense longing
to know the fullness of that love which passes knowledge. As he advances in the
divine life, he will be better able to grasp the elevated, ennobling truths
of the Word of God, until, by beholding, he becomes changed, and is enabled
to reflect the likeness of his Redeemer. {FLB 120.4}
Child of God, angels are watching the character you develop, they are
weighing your words and actions; therefore take heed to your ways, . . .
prove whether you are in the love of God. {FLB 120.5}
To love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves is genuine
sanctification.
Joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost
The promises are, "A new heart will I give you"; "I will put
my Spirit within you." This provision is made for us through the merit of Christ's righteousness: "And the work of
righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and
assurance for ever." Isa. 32:17. Those who experience the change spoken
of in these words will find that their restlessness and disquietude are all
taken away, and they will find rest unto their souls in Christ. His merit, His righteousness, are imputed to the believing soul,
and the believer has inward peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. {FLB 121.2}
The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient.
. . . {FLB 121.3}
Happiness that is sought from selfish motives, outside of the path of duty,
is ill-balanced, fitful, and transitory; it passes away, and the soul is
filled with loneliness and sorrow; but there is joy and satisfaction in the
service of God; the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths; he is
not left to vain regrets and disappointments. If we do not have the pleasures
of this life, we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond. {FLB 121.4}
But even here Christians may have the joy of communion with Christ; they may
have the light of His love, the perpetual comfort of His presence. Every step
in life may bring us closer to Jesus, may give us a deeper experience of His
love, and may bring us one step nearer to the blessed home of peace. {FLB 121.5}
There is peace in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Believing brings
peace, and trusting in God brings joy. Believe, believe! my soul says,
believe. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to His
trust. He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him who hath loved
you.
What Is Faith?
It is not essential to the exercise of faith that the feelings should be
wrought up to a high pitch of excitement; neither is it necessary, in order
to gain the hearing of the Lord, that our petitions should be noisy, or
attended with physical exercise. {FLB 122.2}
It is true that Satan frequently creates in the heart of the suppliant such a
conflict with doubt and temptation that strong cries and tears are
involuntarily forced from him; and it is also true that the penitent's sense
of guilt is sometimes so great that a repentance commensurate with his sin
causes him to experience an agony that finds vent in cries and groans, which
the compassionate Saviour hears with pity. But Jesus does not fail to answer
the silent prayer of faith. He who simply takes God at His word, and reaches
out to connect himself with the Saviour, will receive His blessing in return.
{FLB
122.3}
Faith is not feeling. . . . True faith is in no sense allied to presumption.
Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption, for presumption is
Satan's counterfeit of faith. {FLB 122.4}
Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption
also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse
transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of
God and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law,
believing that His great love would save them from the consequences of their
sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with
the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its
foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {FLB 122.5}
To abide in faith is to put aside feeling and selfish desires, to walk humbly
with the Lord, to appropriate His promises, and apply them to all occasions,
believing that God will work out His own plans and purposes in your heart and
life.
Faith Comes Through the Promises
The truths of the Word of God meet man's great practical necessity--the
conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be
thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths
which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to
be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and
all the little things of life. {FLB 123.2}
How far we come from representing the character of Christ! But we must lay
hold of His merits by living faith, and claim Him as our
Saviour. He died on Calvary to save us. Each should make it a personal work
between God and his own soul, as though there were no one in the world but
himself. When we exercise personal faith, our hearts will not be as cold as an
iron wedge; we shall be able to realize what is meant by the psalmist when he
says, "Blessed is he . . . whose sin is covered." Ps. 32:1. {FLB 123.3}
God invites us to prove for ourselves the reality of His Word, the truth of
His promises. He bids us "taste and see that the Lord is good." Ps.
34:8. . . . He declares, "Ask, and ye shall receive." John 16:24.
His promises will be fulfilled. They have never failed; they never can fail. {FLB 123.4}
Our Saviour wants you to keep in close relation to Himself, that He may make
you happy. When Christ lets His blessing rest upon us, we should offer
thanksgiving and praise to His dear name. But, you say, if I could only know
that He is my Saviour! Well, what kind of evidence do you want? Do you want a
special feeling or emotion to prove that Christ is yours? Is this more
reliable than pure faith in God's promises? Would it not be better to take
the blessed promises of God and apply them to yourself, bearing your whole
weight upon them? This is faith.
The Good Fight of Faith
The earnest counsel given by the apostle Paul to Timothy, that he might not
fail in doing his duty, should be set before the youth of today: "Let no
man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Tim. 4:12.
Besetting sins must be battled with and overcome. Objectionable traits of
character, whether hereditary or cultivated, should be taken up separately,
and compared with the great rule of righteousness; and in the light reflected
from the Word of God, they should be firmly resisted and overcome, through
the strength of Christ. . . . {FLB 124.2}
Day by day, and hour by hour, there must be a vigorous process of self-denial
and of sanctification going on within; and then the outward works will
testify that Jesus is abiding in the heart by faith. Sanctification does not
close the avenues of the soul to knowledge, but it comes to expand the mind,
and to inspire it to search for truth, as for hidden treasure; and the
knowledge of God's will advances the work of sanctification. There is a
heaven, and O, how earnestly we should strive to reach it. I appeal to you .
. . to believe in Jesus as your Saviour. Believe that He is ready to help you
by His grace, when you come to Him in sincerity. You must fight the good
fight of faith. You must be wrestlers for the crown of life. Strive, for the
grasp of Satan is upon you; and if you do not wrench yourselves from him, you
will be palsied and ruined. The foe is on the right hand, and on the left,
before you, and behind you; and you must trample him under your feet. Strive,
for there is a crown to be won. {FLB 124.3}
Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been
hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of
faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God.
The Just Shall Live by Faith
Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness--all depend upon our union with
Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly--by abiding in Him--that
we are to grow in grace. He is not only the author, but the finisher of our
faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only
at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. . .
. {FLB
125.2}
Do you ask, "How am I to abide in Christ?" In the same way as you
received Him at first. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in him." Col. 2:6. "The just shall live by
faith." Heb. 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve
and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself
atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God,
you believe that He for Christ's sake did all this for you. By faith
you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him--by giving and
taking. You are to give all--your heart, your will, your service--give
yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take
all--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your
strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper --to give you power to
obey. {FLB 125.3}
Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work.
Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my
plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my
work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each morning
consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to
be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day
you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be
molded more and more after the life of Christ.
Faith Is the Victory
The Christian's life should be one of faith, of victory, and joy in God.
"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith." Truly spake God's servant
Nehemiah, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh. 8:10.
And Paul says: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say,
Rejoice." Phil. 4:4. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In
every thing give thanks. . . ." 1 Thess. 5:16-18. {FLB 126.2}
God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they
need, and to give them the wisdom that their varied necessities demand. He
will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust
in Him. {FLB 126.3}
Jesus does not call on us to follow Him, and then forsake us. If we surrender
our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God
has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to
direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever
our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend. If in
our ignorance we make missteps, Christ does not leave us. . . . "He
shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper."
Ps. 72:12. {FLB 126.4}
Faith . . . enables us to look beyond the present, with its burdens and
cares, to the great hereafter, where all that now perplexes us shall be made
plain. Faith sees Jesus standing as our Mediator at the right hand of God.
Faith beholds the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love
Him. Faith sees the robe and crown prepared for the overcomer, and hears the
song of the redeemed. {FLB 126.5}
We may claim much of our kind heavenly Father. . . . We may believe in God,
we may trust Him, and by so doing glorify His name. {FLB 126.6}
The strength of those who, in faith, love and serve God, will be renewed day
by day. {FLB 126.7} |
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