Christ Our
Righteousness Part 1
CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Part 1
By Ellen White
The foundation of
Christianity is Christ our righteousness…. {5T 725.2} {1888 112.1}
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony:
if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them.
Chap. 54 - The Subject
Presented in 1883
[MORNING TALK TO THE
MINISTERS ASSEMBLED AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, NOVEMBER, 1883. PUBLISHED IN GOSPEL WORKERS (1892 ED.), PP.
411-415, UNDER THE TITLE "CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."]
"If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). {1SM 350.1}
God requires that we confess our sins, and
humble our hearts before Him; but at the same time we
should have confidence in Him as a tender Father, who will not forsake those
who put their trust in Him. Many of us walk by sight, and not by faith. We
believe the things that are seen, but do not appreciate the precious promises
given us in God's Word; and yet we cannot dishonor God more decidedly than by
showing that we distrust what He says, and question whether the Lord is in
earnest with us or is deceiving us. {1SM 350.2}
God does not give us up because of our
sins. We may make mistakes, and grieve His Spirit; but when we repent, and come
to Him with contrite hearts, He will not turn us away. There are hindrances to
be removed. Wrong feelings have been cherished, and there have been pride,
self-sufficiency, impatience, and murmurings. All these separate us from God.
Sins must be confessed; there must be a deeper work of grace in the heart.
Those who feel weak and discouraged may become strong men of God,
and do noble work for the Master. But they must work from a high
standpoint; they must be influenced by no selfish motives. {1SM 350.3}
Merits of Christ Our Only
Hope
We must learn in the school of Christ.
Nothing but His righteousness can entitle us to one of the blessings of the
covenant of grace (COR). We have long desired and tried to obtain these blessings, but have not received them because we have
cherished the idea that we could do something to make ourselves worthy of them.
We have not looked away from ourselves, believing that Jesus is a living
Saviour. We must not think that our own grace and merits will save us; the
grace of Christ is our only hope of salvation. Through His prophet the Lord
promises, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:7). We must
believe the naked promise, and not accept feeling for faith. When we trust God
fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we
shall receive all the help that we can desire. {1SM 351.1}
We look to self, as though we had power to
save ourselves; but Jesus died for us because we are helpless to do this. In
Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. We should not despond,
and fear that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy toward
us. At this very time He is carrying on His work in
our behalf, inviting us to come to Him in our helplessness and be saved. We
dishonor Him by our unbelief. It is astonishing how we treat our very best
Friend, how little confidence we repose in Him who is able to
save to the uttermost, and who has given us every evidence of His great love.
{1SM 351.2}
My brethren, are you expecting that your
merit will recommend you to the favor of God, thinking that you must be free from
sin before you trust His power to save? If this is the struggle going on in
your mind, I fear you will gain no strength, and will finally become
discouraged. {1SM 351.3}
Look and Live
In the wilderness, when the Lord permitted
poisonous serpents to sting the rebellious Israelites, Moses was directed to lift up a brazen serpent and bid all the wounded look to it
and live. But many saw no help in this Heaven-appointed remedy. The dead and
dying were all around them, and they knew that without divine help their fate
was certain; but they would lament their wounds, their pains, their sure death,
until their strength was gone, and their eyes were glazed, when they might have
had instant healing. (Num. 21:4-9) {1SM 352.1}
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness," even so was "the Son of man ... lifted
up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life" (John 3:14, 15). If you are conscious of your sins, do not devote
all your powers to mourning over them, but look and live. Jesus is our only
Saviour; and although millions who need to be healed will reject His offered
mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish. While we
realize our helpless condition without Christ, we must not be discouraged; we
must rely upon a crucified and risen Saviour. Poor, sin-sick, discouraged soul,
look and live. Jesus has pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him.
{1SM 352.2}
Come to Jesus, and
receive rest and peace. You may have the blessing even now. Satan suggests that
you are helpless, and cannot bless yourself. It is
true; you are helpless. But lift up Jesus before him: "I have a risen
Saviour. In Him I trust, and He will never suffer me to be confounded. In His
name I triumph. He is my righteousness, and my crown of rejoicing." Let no
one here feel that his case is hopeless; for it is not. You may see that you
are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account that you need a Saviour.
If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. "If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Those who hunger and
thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has promised it. Precious
Saviour! His arms are open to receive us, and His great heart of love is
waiting to bless us. {1SM 352.3}
Some seem to feel that they must be on
probation and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can
claim His blessing. But these dear souls may claim the blessing even now. They
must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they
cannot form a Christian character. Jesus loves to have us come to Him, just as
we are--sinful, helpless, dependent. {1SM 353.1}
Repentance a Gift of God
Repentance, as well as forgiveness, is the
gift of God through Christ. It is through the influence of the Holy Spirit that
we are convicted of sin, and feel our need of pardon.
None but the contrite are forgiven; but it is the grace of God that makes the
heart penitent. He is acquainted with all our weaknesses and infirmities, and
He will help us. {1SM 353.2}
Some who come to God by repentance and
confession, and even believe that their sins are forgiven, still fail of
claiming, as they should, the promises of God. They do not see that Jesus is an
ever-present Saviour; and they are not ready to commit the keeping of their
souls to Him, relying upon Him to perfect the work of grace begun in their
hearts. While they think they are committing themselves to God, there is a
great deal of self-dependence. There are conscientious souls that trust partly
to God, and partly to themselves. They do not look to God, to be kept by His
power, but depend upon watchfulness against temptation, and the performance of
certain duties for acceptance with Him. There are no victories in this kind of
faith. Such persons toil to no purpose; their souls
are in continual bondage, and they find no rest until their burdens are laid at
the feet of Jesus. {1SM 353.3}
There is need of constant watchfulness, and
of earnest, loving devotion; but these will come naturally when the soul is kept
by the power of God through faith. We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to
commend ourselves to divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves nor to
our good works; but when as erring, sinful beings we come to Christ,
we may find rest in His love. God will accept every one that comes to Him
trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the
heart. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there is an abiding, peaceful
trust. Every burden is light; for the yoke which Christ imposes is easy. Duty
becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path
that before seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the Sun
of Righteousness. This is walking in the light as Christ is in the light. {1SM
353.4}
Chap. 55 - Presented as Old
Truth in New Framework
[REPORT OF CAMP MEETING AT
OTTAWA, KANSAS, PRINTED IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD, JULY 23, 1889.]
At the Kansas meeting my prayer to God
was, that the power of the enemy might be broken, and that the people who had
been in darkness might open their hearts and minds to the message that God
should send them, that they might see the truth, new to many minds, as old
truth in new framework. The understanding of the people of God has been
blinded, for Satan has misrepresented the character of God. Our good and
gracious Lord has been presented before the people clothed in the attributes of
Satan, and men and women who have been seeking for truth, have so long regarded
God in a false light that it is difficult to dispel the cloud that obscures His
glory from their view. Many have been living in an atmosphere of doubt, and it
seems almost impossible for them to lay hold on the hope set before them in the
gospel of Christ. . . . {1SM 355.1}
On Sabbath, truths were presented that
were new to the majority of the congregation. Things
new and old were brought forth from the treasure house of God's Word. Truths
were revealed which the people were scarcely able to comprehend and
appropriate. Light flashed from the oracles of God in relation to the law and
the gospel, in relation to the fact that Christ is our righteousness, which
seemed to souls who were hungry for truth, as light too precious to be
received. {1SM 355.2}
But the labors of the Sabbath were not in
vain. On Sunday morning there was decided evidence that the Spirit of God was
working great changes in the moral and spiritual condition of those assembled.
There was a surrendering of the mind and heart to God, and precious testimonies
were borne by those who had long been in darkness. One brother spoke of the
struggle that he had experienced before he could receive the good news that
Christ is our righteousness. The conflict was severe, but the Lord was at work
with him, and his mind was changed, and his strength renewed. The Lord
presented the truth before him in clear lines, revealing the fact that Christ
alone is the source of all hope and salvation. "In him was life; and the
life was the light of men." "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:4, 14). {1SM 356.1}
One of our young ministering brethren said
that he had enjoyed more of the blessing and love of God during that meeting
than in all his life before. Another stated that the trials, perplexities, and
conflicts which he had endured in his mind had been of such a character that he
had been tempted to give up everything. He had felt that there was no hope for
him, unless he could obtain more of the grace of Christ; but through the
influence of the meetings he had experienced a change of heart,
and had a better knowledge of salvation through faith in Christ. He saw
that it was his privilege to be justified by faith; he had peace with God, and
with tears confessed what relief and blessing had come to his soul. At every
social meeting many testimonies were borne as to the peace, comfort, and joy
the people had found in receiving light. {1SM 356.2}
We thank the Lord with all the heart that
we have precious light to present before the people, and we rejoice that we
have a message for this time which is present truth. The tidings that Christ is
our righteousness has brought relief to many, many souls, and God says to His
people, "Go forward." The message to the Laodicean church is
applicable to our condition. How plainly is pictured the position of those who
think they have all the truth, who take pride in their knowledge of the Word of
God, while its sanctifying power has not been felt in their lives. The fervor
of the love of God is wanting in their hearts, but it is this very fervor of
love that makes God's people the light of the world. {1SM 357.1}
The Laodicean Message r
The True Witness says of a cold, lifeless,
Christless church, "I know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:15, 16). Mark the following words:
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked"
(Rev. 3:17). Here is represented a people who pride themselves in their
possession of spiritual knowledge and advantages. But they have not responded
to the unmerited blessings that God has bestowed upon them. They have been full
of rebellion, ingratitude, and forgetfulness of God; and still He has dealt
with them as a loving, forgiving father deals with an ungrateful, wayward son.
They have resisted His grace, abused His privileges, slighted His
opportunities, and have been satisfied to sink down in contentment, in
lamentable ingratitude, hollow formalism, and hypocritical insincerity. With
Pharisaic pride they have vaunted themselves till it has been said of them,
"Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with
goods, and have need of nothing." {1SM 357.2}
Has not the Lord Jesus sent message after message
of rebuke, of warning, of entreaty to these self-satisfied ones? Have not His
counsels been despised and rejected? Have not His delegated messengers been
treated with scorn, and their words been received as idle tales? Christ sees
that which man does not see. He sees the sins which, if not repented of, will
exhaust the patience of a long-suffering God. Christ cannot take up the names
of those who are satisfied in their own self-sufficiency. He cannot importune
(plead) in behalf of a people who feel no need of His help, who claim to know
and possess everything. {1SM 357.3}
The great Redeemer represents Himself as a
heavenly merchantman, laden with riches, calling from house to house,
presenting His priceless goods, and saying, "I counsel thee to buy of me
gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou
mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:18-20). {1SM 358.1}
Let us consider our condition before God;
let us heed the counsel of the True Witness. Let none of us be filled with
prejudice, as were the Jews, that light may not come into our hearts. Let it
not be necessary for Christ to say of us as He did of them, "Ye will not
come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40). {1SM 358.2}
In every meeting since the General
Conference, souls have eagerly accepted the precious message of the
righteousness of Christ. We thank God that there are souls who realize that
they are in need of something which they do not
possess--gold of faith and love, white raiment of Christ's righteousness, eyesalve of spiritual discernment. If you possess these
precious gifts, the temple of the human soul will not be like a desecrated
shrine. Brethren and sisters, I call upon you in the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, to work where God works. Now is the day of gracious opportunity and
privilege. {1SM 358.3}
Chap. 56 - A Truth Bearing
the Divine Credentials
[ITEMS DRAWN FROM REPORTS ON
THE RECEPTION OF THE MESSAGE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH AS IT WAS PRESENTED
FOLLOWING THE GENERAL CONFERENCE HELD AT MINNEAPOLIS IN 1888.
A Message From God
[DRAWN FROM REPORT OF THE
CAMP MEETING AT ROME, NEW YORK.]
The present message--justification by
faith--is a message from God; it bears the divine credentials, for its fruit is
unto holiness. Some who greatly need the precious truth that was presented
before them, we fear did not receive its benefit. They did not open the door of
their hearts to welcome Jesus as a heavenly guest, and they have suffered great
loss. There is indeed a narrow way in which we must walk; the cross is
presented at every step. We must learn to live by faith; then the darkest hours
will be brightened by the blessed beams of the Sun of Righteousness. {1SM
359.1}
We are not safe if we neglect to search
the Scriptures daily for light and knowledge. Earthly blessings cannot be obtained
without toil, and can we expect that spiritual and heavenly blessings will come
without earnest effort on our part? The mines of truth are to be worked. Says
the psalmist, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding unto the simple" (Ps. 119:130). The Word of God must not be
kept apart from our life. It must be entertained in the mind, welcomed in the
heart, and be cherished, loved, and obeyed. We need also much more knowledge;
we need to be enlightened in regard to the plan of
salvation. There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the
Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal
welfare. When light begins to shine forth to make clear the plan of redemption
to the people, the enemy works with all diligence that the light may be shut
away from the hearts of men. If we come to the Word of God with a teachable,
humble spirit, the rubbish of error will be swept away, and gems of truth, long
hidden from our eyes, will be discovered. {1SM 359.2}
There is great need that Christ should be
preached as the only hope and salvation. When the doctrine of justification by
faith was presented at the Rome meeting, it came to many as water comes to the
thirsty traveler. 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, seemed a precious thought.--The Review and Herald, Sept. 3, 1889.
{1SM 360.1}
No Relish for 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 sufferings of
the Son of God.--The Review and Herald, March 18, 1890. {1SM 360.2}
Extreme Teaching
There are grand truths, long hidden under
the rubbish of error, that are to be revealed to the people. The doctrine of
justification by faith has been lost sight of by many who have professed to
believe the third angel's message. The Holiness people have gone to great
extremes on this point. With great zeal they have taught, "Only believe in
Christ, and be saved; but away with the law of God." This is not the
teaching of the Word of God. There is no foundation for such a faith. This is
not the precious gem of truth that God has given to His people for this time.
This doctrine misleads honest souls. The light from the Word of God reveals the
fact that the law must be proclaimed. Christ must be lifted
up, because He is a Saviour who forgiveth
transgression, iniquity, and sin, but will by no means clear the guilty and
unrepentant soul.--The Review and Herald, Aug. 13, 1889. {1SM 360.3}
The Message Bears Fruit
[ELLEN
G. WHITE REPORT OF THE FRUITAGE OF THE MESSAGE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH
OBSERVED AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1889 IN BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, OCTOBER
18 TO NOVEMBER 5. REFERENCE TO THE SPIRIT MANIFEST AT MINNEAPOLIS IS TO THE
SITUATION WHICH GREW OUT OF AN APPROACH TO BIBLE STUDY, AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
OF 1888, HELD IN MINNEAPOLIS, IN AN ARGUMENTATIVE AND DEBATING SPIRIT
ACCOMPANIED ON THE PART OF SOME WITH CRITICISM AND RIDICULE.--COMPILERS.]
We are having most excellent meetings. The
spirit that was in the meeting at Minneapolis is not here. All moves off in
harmony. There is a large attendance of delegates. Our five o'clock morning
meeting is well attended, and the meetings good. All the testimonies to which I
have listened have been of an elevating character. They say that the past year
has been the best of their life; the light shining forth from the Word of God
has been clear and distinct--justification by faith, Christ our righteousness.
The experiences have been very interesting. {1SM 361.1}
I have attended all but two morning
meetings. At eight o'clock Brother Jones speaks upon the subject of
justification by faith, and great interest is manifested. There is a growth in
faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There are
quite a number who have not had an opportunity to hear upon this subject
before, but they are taking it in, and are being fed with large morsels from
the Lord's table. The universal testimony from those who have spoken has been
that this message of light and truth which has come to our people is just the
truth for this time, and wherever they go among the churches, light, and
relief, and the blessing of God is sure to come in. {1SM 361.2}
We have a feast of fat things, and when we
see souls grasping the light we are rejoiced, looking unto Jesus who is the
author and finisher of our faith. Christ is the great pattern; His character
must be our character. All excellence is in Him. Turning from man and every
other model, with open face we behold Jesus in all His glory. And their minds
are filled with the grand and overpowering ideas of His excellency; every other
object sinks into insignificance, and every part of moral discipline is lost
which does not promote their likeness to His image. I see heights and depths
that we may reach, accepting every ray of light and going forward to a greater
light. The end is near, and God forbid that we shall be asleep at this time.
{1SM 362.1}
I am so thankful to see with our
ministering brethren a disposition to search the Scriptures for themselves.
There has been a very great lack of deep searching of the Scriptures, storing
the mind with the gems of truth. How much we all lose because we do not put to
the tax our minds to search with much prayer for divine enlightenment to
understand His Holy Word. {1SM 362.2}
I believe there will be a decided advance
among our people, a more earnest endeavor to keep pace with the third angel's
message.--Manuscript 10, 1889. {1SM 362.3}
The Beginning of the Loud Cry
Let every one who
claims to believe that the Lord is soon coming, search the Scriptures as never
before; for Satan is determined to try every device possible to keep souls in
darkness, and blind the mind to the perils of the times in which we are living.
Let every believer take up his Bible with earnest prayer, that he may be
enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to what is truth, that he may know more of
God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Search for the truth as for hidden treasures, and disappoint the enemy. The time of test is
just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the
revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is
the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.
For it is the work of every one to whom the message of warning has come, to
lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world as revealed in types, as shadowed in
symbols, as manifested in the revelations of the prophets, as unveiled in the
lessons given to His disciples and in the wonderful miracles wrought for the
sons of men. Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Him. {1SM
362.4}
If you would stand through the time of
trouble, you must know Christ, and appropriate the gift of His righteousness,
which He imputes to the repentant sinner.--The Review and Herald, Nov. 22,
1892. {1SM 363.1}
Appropriating the Righteousness of Christ
Through Christ, restoration as well as
reconciliation is provided for man. The gulf that was made by sin has been
spanned by the cross of Calvary. A full, complete ransom has been paid by
Jesus, by virtue of which the sinner is pardoned, and the justice of the law is
maintained. All who believe that Christ is the atoning sacrifice may come and
receive pardon for their sins; for through the merit of Christ, communication
has been opened between God and man. God can accept me as His child, and I can
claim Him and rejoice in Him as my loving Father. We must center our hopes of
heaven upon Christ alone, because He is our substitute and surety. {1SM 363.2}
We have transgressed the law of God, and
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. The best efforts that man
in his own strength can make, are valueless to meet the holy and just law that
he has transgressed; but through faith in Christ he may claim the righteousness
of the Son of God as all-sufficient. Christ satisfied
the demands of the law in His human nature. He bore the curse of the law for
the sinner, made an atonement for him, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. Genuine faith appropriates the
righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for
he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are
combined. {1SM 363.3}
He who is trying to reach heaven by his
own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be
saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should
work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. If a man could save himself
by his own works, he might have something in himself in which to rejoice. The
effort that man makes in his own strength to obtain salvation, is represented
by the offering of Cain. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with
selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to
God. When we seek to gain heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes
progress. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we may go
on from strength to strength, from victory to victory; for through Christ the
grace of God has worked out our complete salvation. {1SM 364.1}
Without faith it is impossible to please
God. Living faith enables its possessor to lay hold on the merits of Christ,
enables him to derive great comfort and satisfaction from the plan of
salvation.--The Review and Herald, July 1, 1890. {1SM 364.2}
Chap.
57 - Christ the Way of Life
[THIS
ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD, NOV. 4, 1890.]
"Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark
1:14,15). {1SM 365.1}
Repentance is associated with faith, and is urged in the gospel as essential to salvation.
Paul preached repentance. He said, "I kept back nothing that was
profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, testifying both to the
Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:20, 21). There is no salvation without repentance.
No impenitent sinner can believe with his heart unto righteousness. Repentance
is described by Paul as a godly sorrow for sin, that "worketh repentance
to salvation not to be repented of" (2 Cor. 7:10). This repentance has in
it nothing of the nature of merit, but it prepares the heart for the acceptance
of Christ as the only Saviour, the only hope of the lost sinner. {1SM 365.2}
As the sinner looks to the law, his guilt
is made plain to him, and pressed home to his conscience, and he is condemned.
His only comfort and hope is found in looking to the
cross of Calvary. As he ventures upon the promises, taking God at His word,
relief and peace come to his soul. He cries, "Lord, Thou hast promised to
save all who come unto Thee in the name of Thy Son. I am a lost, helpless, hopeless
soul. Lord, save, or I perish." His faith lays hold on Christ, and he is
justified before God. {1SM 365.3}
But 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. God requires the entire surrender of the
heart, before justification can take place; and in order for
man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active,
living faith that works by love and purifies the soul. {1SM 366.1}
James writes of Abraham and says,
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac
his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought
with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was
fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by
works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:21-24). In order for man to be justified by faith, faith must reach
a point where it will control the affections and impulses of the heart; and it
is by obedience that faith itself is made perfect. {1SM 366.2}
Faith the Condition of Promise
Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is
in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace,
supernatural power is imparted to the man, and works in mind and heart and
character. It is through the impartation of the grace of Christ that sin is
discerned in its hateful nature, and finally driven from the soul temple. It is
through grace that we are brought into fellowship with Christ, to be associated
with Him in the work of salvation. Faith is the condition upon which God has
seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith
whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of
Christ, the remedy provided for sin. Faith can present Christ's perfect
obedience instead of the sinner's transgression and defection. When the sinner
believes that Christ is his personal Saviour, then, according to His unfailing
promises, God pardons his sin, and justifies him freely. The repentant soul
realizes that his justification comes because Christ, as his substitute and
surety, has died for him, is his atonement and righteousness. {1SM 366.3}
"Abraham believed God, and it was
counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not
reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3-5). Righteousness is obedience to the law.
The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is
incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness
is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the
Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness
is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies,
the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and
loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness;
and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater
light. He can say with rejoicing, "Not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7). {1SM
367.1}
Again: it is written, "But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12, 13). Jesus
declared, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God" (John 3:3). "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3: 5). It is not a low
standard that is placed before us; for we are to become the children of God. We
are to be saved as individuals; and in the day of test and trial we shall be
able to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. We
are saved as individual believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. {1SM 367.2}
Many are losing the right way, in
consequence of thinking that they must climb to heaven, that they must do
something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by
their own unaided efforts. This they can never accomplish. Christ has made the
way by dying our sacrifice, by living our example, by becoming our great high
priest. He declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John
14:6). If by an effort of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder,
the words of Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good works
will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of life, that Christ is
our way, and that we are treading the true path that leads to heaven. {1SM
368.1}
He Becomes Our Righteousness
Christ looks at the spirit, and when He
sees us carrying our burden with faith, His perfect holiness atones for our
shortcomings. When we do our best, He becomes our righteousness. It takes every
ray of light that God sends to us to make us the light of the world.--Letter
22, 1889. [ORIGINALLY LISTED AS LETTER 33, THIS REFERENCE HAS BEEN RECLASSIFIED
AS LETTER 22, 1889. {1SM 368.2}
Chap.
58 - "Thou Hast Left Thy First Love"
[PORTION
OF A SERMON AT OTSEGO, MICHIGAN, OCT. 10, 1890, PRINTED IN THE REVIEW AND
HERALD, FEB. 3, 1891.]
I spoke to the people of Otsego from the
fourth and fifth verses of the second chapter of Revelation: "I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent"(Rev. 2:4, 5). The people to whom these words
are addressed have many excellent qualities, which are recognized by the True
Witness; "Nevertheless," He says, "I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love." Here is a want that will have to
be supplied. All the other graces fail to make up the deficiency. The church is
counseled to "remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove
thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. . . . He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev.
2:4-7). {1SM 369.1}
In these words
are warnings, reproofs, threatenings, promises, from
the True Witness, He that holdeth the seven stars in
His right hand. "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and
the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the
seven churches" (Rev. 1:20). {1SM 370.1}
When this church is weighed in the balance
of the sanctuary, it is found wanting, having left its first love. The True
Witness declares, "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and
how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and
hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted"
(Rev. 2:2, 3). Notwithstanding all this, the church is found wanting. What is
the fatal deficiency?--"Thou hast left thy first love."
Is not this our case? Our doctrines may be correct; we may hate false doctrine, and may not receive those who are not true to
principle; we may labor with untiring energy; but even this is not sufficient.
What is our motive? Why are we called upon to repent?--"Thou hast left thy
first love." {1SM 370.2}
Let each member of the church study this
important warning and reproof. Let each one see if in
contending for the truth, if in debating on the theory, he has not lost the
tender love of Christ. Has not Christ been left out of the sermons, and out of
the heart? Is there not danger that many are going forward with a profession of
the truth, doing missionary work, while the love of Christ has not been woven
into the labor? This solemn warning from the True Witness means much; it
demands that you shall remember from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; "or else," says the True Witness, "I will come
unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except
thou repent" (Rev. 2:5). O that the church might realize its need of its
first ardor (Passion) of love! When this is wanting, all other excellences are
insufficient. The call to repentance is one that cannot be disregarded without
peril. A belief in the theory of the truth is not enough. To present this
theory to unbelievers does not constitute you a witness for Christ. The light
that gladdened your heart when you first understood the message for this time,
is an essential element in your experience and labors, and this has been lost
out of your heart and life. Christ beholds your lack of zeal, and declares that
you have fallen, and are in a perilous position. {1SM 370.3}
Present Love and Law Together
In presenting the binding claims of the
law, many have failed to portray the infinite love of Christ. Those who have so
great truths, so weighty reforms to present to the people, have not had a
realization of the value of the atoning Sacrifice as an expression of God's
great love to man. Love for Jesus, and Jesus' love for sinners, have been
dropped out of the religious experience of those who have been commissioned to
preach the gospel, and self has been exalted instead of the Redeemer of
mankind. The law is to be presented to its transgressors, not as something
apart from God, but rather as an exponent of His mind and character. As the
sunlight cannot be separated from the sun, so God's law cannot be rightly
presented to man apart from the divine Author. The messenger should be able to
say, "In the law is God's will; come, see for yourselves that the law is
what Paul declared it to be--'holy, and just, and good.' "It reproves sin,
it condemns the sinner, but it shows him his need of Christ, with whom is plenteous
mercy and goodness and truth. Though the law cannot remit the penalty for sin,
but charges the sinner with all his debt, Christ has promised abundant pardon
to all who repent, and believe in His mercy. The love of God is extended in
abundance to the repenting, believing soul. The brand of sin upon the soul can
be effaced only through the blood of the atoning Sacrifice. No less an offering
was required than the sacrifice of Him who was equal with the Father. The work
of Christ--His life, humiliation, death, and intercession for lost
man--magnifies the law, and makes it honorable. {1SM
371.1}
Many sermons preached upon the claims of
the law have been without Christ, and this lack has made the truth inefficient
in converting souls. Without the grace of Christ it is
impossible to take one step in obedience to the law of God. Then how necessary
that the sinner hear of the love and power of his Redeemer and Friend! While
the ambassador for Christ should plainly declare the claims of the law, he
should make it understood that none can be justified without the atoning
sacrifice of Christ. Without Christ there can be only condemnation and a
fearful looking for a fiery indignation, and final separation from the presence
of God. But he whose eyes have been opened to see the love of Christ, will
behold the character of God as full of love and compassion. God will not appear
as a tyrannical, relentless being, but as a father longing to embrace his
repenting son. The sinner will cry with the psalmist, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear him" (Ps. 103:13). All despair is swept from the soul when
Christ is seen in His true character. {1SM 371.2}
The Third Angel's Message in Verity
Some of our brethren have expressed fears
that we shall dwell too much upon the subject of justification by faith, but I
hope and pray that none will be needlessly alarmed; for there is no danger in
presenting this doctrine as it is set forth in the Scriptures. If there had not
been a remissness in the past to properly instruct the people of God, there
would not now be a necessity of calling a special attention to it.... The
exceeding great and precious promises given us in the Holy Scriptures have been
lost sight of to a great extent, just as the enemy of all righteousness
designed that they should be. He has cast his own dark shadow between us and
our God, that we may not see the true character of God. The Lord has proclaimed
Himself to be "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth." {1SM 372.1}
Several have written to me, inquiring if
the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message, and I have
answered, "It is the third angel's message, in verity."-- The Review
and Herald, April 1, 1890. {1SM 372.2}
Chap.
59 - Perfect Obedience Through Christ
[THIS
ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD, NOV. 1, 1892.]
"Ye see then how that by works a man
is justified, and not by faith only. . . . For as the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:24- 26). It is
essential to have faith in Jesus, and to believe you are saved through Him; but
there is danger in taking the position that many do take in saying, "I am saved."
Many have said: "You must do good works, and you will live"; but
apart from Christ no one can do good works. Many at the present day say,
"Believe, only believe, and live." Faith and works go together,
believing and doing are blended. The Lord requires no less of the soul now,
than He required of Adam in Paradise before he fell--perfect obedience,
unblemished righteousness. The requirement of God under the covenant of grace
(COR) is just as broad as the requirement He made in Paradise--harmony with His
law, which is holy, and just, and good. The gospel does not weaken the claims
of the law; it exalts the law and makes it honorable. Under the New Testament,
no less is required than was required under the Old Testament. Let no one take
up with the delusion so pleasant to the
natural heart, that God will accept of sincerity, no matter what may be the faith, no matter how imperfect may be the life.
God requires of His child perfect obedience. {1SM 373.1}
In order to meet the requirements of the
law, our faith must grasp the righteousness of Christ, accepting it as our
righteousness. Through union with Christ, through acceptance of His
righteousness by faith, we may be qualified to work the works of God, to be colaborers with Christ. If you are willing to drift along
with the current of evil, and do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies in
restraining transgression in your family, and in the church, in order that
everlasting righteousness may be brought in, you do not have faith. Faith works
by love and purifies the soul. Through faith the Holy Spirit works in the heart
to create holiness therein; but this cannot be done unless the human agent will
work with Christ. We can be fitted for heaven only through the work of the Holy
Spirit upon the heart; for we must have Christ's righteousness as our
credentials if we would find access to the Father. In order that we may have
the righteousness of Christ, we need daily to be transformed by the influence
of the Spirit, to be a partaker of the divine nature. It is the work of the
Holy Spirit to elevate the taste, to sanctify the heart, to ennoble the whole
man. {1SM 374.1}
Look
to Jesus
Let the soul look to Jesus. "Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). No one
will be forced to look to Christ; but the voice of invitation is sounding in
yearning entreaty, "Look and live." In looking to Christ, we shall
see that His love is without a parallel, that He has taken the place of the
guilty sinner, and has imputed unto him His spotless
righteousness. When the sinner sees his Saviour dying upon the cross under the
curse of sin in his stead, beholding His pardoning love, love awakes in his
heart. The sinner loves Christ, because Christ has first loved him, and love is
the fulfilling of the law. The repenting soul realizes that God "is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." The Spirit of God works in the believer's soul, enabling
him to advance from one line of obedience to another, reaching on from strength
to greater strength, from grace to grace in Jesus Christ. {1SM 374.2}
God justly condemns all who do not make
Christ their personal Saviour; but He pardons every soul who comes to Him in
faith, and enables him to work the works of God, and through faith to be one
with Christ. Jesus says of these, "I in them, and thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one {this unity brings perfection of character}; and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou
hast loved me" (John 17:23). The Lord has made every provision whereby man
may have full and free salvation, and be complete in
Him. God designs that His children shall have the bright beams of the Sun of
Righteousness, that all may have the light of truth. God has provided salvation
for the world at infinite cost, even through the gift of His only-begotten Son.
The apostle asks, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
(Rom. 8:32). Then if we are not saved, the fault will not be on the part of
God, but on our part, that we have failed to cooperate with the divine
agencies. Our will has not coincided with God's will. {1SM 375.1}
The Redeemer of the world clothed His
divinity with humanity, that He might reach humanity; for it took the divine
and the human to bring into the world the salvation that was needed by fallen
man. Divinity needed humanity that humanity might afford a channel of
communication between God and man. Man needs a power out of and above himself
to restore him to the likeness of God; but because he needs divine aid, it does
not make human activity unessential. Faith on the part of man is required; for
faith works by love and purifies the soul. Faith lays hold upon the virtue of
Christ. The Lord does not design that human power should be paralyzed; but by
cooperating with God, the power of man may be efficient for good. God does not
design that our will should be destroyed; for it is through this very attribute
that we are to accomplish the work He would have us to do both at home and
abroad. He has given to every man his work; and every true worker sheds forth light to the world, because he is united with
God and Christ and heavenly angels in the grand work of saving the lost. From
divine association he becomes more and more intelligent in working the works of
God. In working out what divine grace works in, the believer becomes
spiritually great. He who works according to his entrusted ability will become
a wise builder for the Master; for he is under the apprenticeship to Christ,
learning to work the works of God. He will not shun burdens of responsibility,
for he will realize that each one must lift in the cause of God to the extent
of his ability, and he places himself under the pressure of the work; but Jesus
does not leave His willing and obedient servant to be crushed. It is not the
man who carries heavy responsibilities in the cause of God who needs your pity,
for he is faithful and true in cooperation with God; and through union of
divine and human effort, the work is made complete. It is he who shuns
responsibilities, who has no realization of the privilege to which he is
called, who is an object of pity. {1SM 375.2}
Chap.
60 - Relation of Faith and Works
[APPEARED
IN NOTEBOOK LEAFLETS, THE CHURCH, NO. 5.]
Napier,
New Zealand
April
9, 1893
Brother
A. T. Jones:
I was attending a meeting, and a large
congregation were present. In my dream you were presenting the subject of faith
and the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith. You repeated several times
that works amounted to nothing, that there were no conditions. The matter was
presented in that light that I knew minds would be confused,
and would not receive the correct impression in reference to faith and
works, and I decided to write to you. You state this matter too strongly. There
are conditions to our receiving justification and sanctification, and the
righteousness of Christ. I know your meaning, but you leave a wrong impression
upon many minds. While good works will not save even one soul, yet it is
impossible for even one soul to be saved without good works. God saves us under
a law, that we must ask if we would receive, seek if we would find, and knock
if we would have the door opened unto us. {1SM 377.1}
Christ offers Himself as willing to save
unto the uttermost all who come unto Him. He invites all to come to Him.
"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). You
look in reality upon these subjects as I do, yet you
make these subjects, through your expressions, confusing to minds. And after
you have expressed your mind radically in regard to works, when questions are
asked you upon this very subject, it is not lying out in so very clear lines,
in your own mind, and you cannot define the correct principles to other minds,
and you are yourself unable to make your statements harmonize with your own
principles and faith. {1SM 378.1}
The young man came to Jesus with the
question, "Good Master, what shall I do, that I may inherit eternal
life?" (Mark 10:17). And Christ saith unto him, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is,
God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." He saith
unto Him, "Which?" Jesus quoted several, and the young man said unto
Him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I
yet?" Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and
come and follow me." Here are conditions, and the Bible is full of
conditions. "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful: for he had great possessions" (Matt. 19:17, 20, 21, 22). {1SM
378.2}
Points
to Guard
Then when you say there are no conditions,
and some expressions are made quite broad, you burden the minds, and some
cannot see consistency in your expressions. They cannot see how they can
harmonize these expressions with the plain statements of the Word of God.
Please guard these points. These strong assertions in regard
to works never make our position any stronger. The expressions weaken
our position, for there are many who will consider you an extremist,
and will lose the rich lessons you have for them upon the very subjects
they need to know. . . . My brother, it is hard for the mind to comprehend this
point, and do not confuse any mind with ideas that will not harmonize with the
Word. Please to consider that under the teaching of Christ many of the
disciples were lamentably ignorant; but when the Holy Spirit that Jesus
promised came upon them and made the vacillating Peter the champion of faith,
what a transformation in his character! But do not lay one pebble, for a soul
that is weak in the faith to stumble over, in overwrought presentations or
expressions. Be ever consistent, calm, deep, and solid. Do not go to any
extreme in anything, but keep your feet on solid rock.
O precious, precious Saviour. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself
to him" (John 14:21). {1SM 378.3}
This is the true test--the doing of the
words of Christ. And it is the evidence of the human agent's love to Jesus, and
he that doeth His will giveth to the world the practical evidence of the fruit
he manifests in obedience, in purity, and in holiness of character. . . . {1SM
379.1}
O my brother, walk carefully with God. But
remember that there are some whose eyes are intently fixed upon you, expecting
that you will overreach the mark, and stumble, and fall. But if you keep in
humility close to Jesus, all is well. . . . {1SM 379.2}
There is no place in the school of Christ
where we graduate. We are to work on the plan of addition, and the Lord will
work on the plan of multiplication. It is through constant diligence that we
will, through the grace of Christ, live on the plan of addition, making our
calling and election sure. . . . "For if ye do these things ye shall never
fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:10,
11).--Letter 44, 1893. {1SM 379.3}
No
Compromise With Sin
Let my brethren be very careful how they
present the subject of faith and works before the people, lest minds become
confused. The people need to be urged to diligence in good works. They should
be shown how to be successful, how to be purified, and their offerings may be
fragrant before God. It is by virtue of the blood of Christ. Messages of a
decided character must be borne to the people. Men must go forth reproving,
rebuking every manner of evil. {1SM 379.4}
If there is given to the angel of any
church a commission like unto that given to the angel of the church of Ephesus,
let the message be heard through human agents rebuking carelessness,
backsliding, and sin, that the people may be brought to repentance and
confession of sin. Never seek to cover sin; for in the message of rebuke,
Christ is to be proclaimed as the first and the last, He who is all in all to
the soul. {1SM 380.1}
His power awaits the demand of those who
would overcome. The reprover is to animate his hearers so that they shall
strive for the mastery. He is to encourage them to struggle for deliverance
from every sinful practice, to be free from every corrupt habit, even if his
denial of self is like taking the right eye, or
separating the right arm from the body. No concession or compromise is to be
made to evil habits or sinful practices.—Manuscript 26a, 1892. {1SM 380.2}
Cooperation
With God
Man is to cooperate with God, employing every
power according to his God-given ability. He is not to be ignorant as to what
are right practices in eating and drinking, and in all the habits of life. The
Lord designs that His human agents shall act as rational, accountable beings in
every respect. . . . {1SM 380.3}
We cannot afford to neglect one ray of
light God has given. To be sluggish in our practice of those things which
require diligence is to commit sin. The human agent is to cooperate with God, and keep under those passions which should be in
subjection. To do this he must be unwearied in his prayers to God, ever
obtaining grace to control his spirit, temper, and actions. Through the
imparted grace of Christ, he may be enabled to overcome. To be an overcomer
means more than many suppose it means. {1SM 380.4}
The Spirit of God will answer the cry of
every penitent heart; for repentance is the gift of God, and an evidence that
Christ is
drawing
the soul to Himself. We can no more repent of sin without Christ, than we can
be pardoned without Christ, and yet it is a humiliation to man with his human
passion and pride to go to Jesus straightway, believing and trusting Him for
everything which he needs. . . . {1SM 381.1}
Let no man present the idea that man has
little or nothing to do in the great work of overcoming; for God does nothing
for man without his cooperation. Neither say that after you have done all you
can on your part, Jesus will help you. Christ has said, "Without me ye can
do nothing" (John 15:5). From first to last man is to be a laborer
together with God. Unless the Holy Spirit works upon the human heart, at every
step we shall stumble and fall. Man's efforts alone are nothing but
worthlessness; but cooperation with Christ means a victory. Of ourselves we
have no power to repent of sin. Unless we accept divine aid
we cannot take the first step toward the Saviour. He says, "I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 21:6) in the salvation of every
soul. {1SM 381.2}
But though Christ is everything, we are to
inspire every man to unwearied diligence. We are to strive, wrestle, agonize,
watch, pray, lest we shall be overcome by the wily foe. For the power and grace
with which we can do this comes from God, and all the while we are to trust in
Him, who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. Never
leave the impression on the mind that there is little or nothing to do on the
part of man; but rather teach man to cooperate with God, that he may be
successful in overcoming. {1SM 381.3}
Let no one say that your works have
nothing to do with your rank and position before God. In the judgment the
sentence pronounced is according to what has been done or to what has been left
undone (Matt. 25:34-40). {1SM 381.4}
Effort and labor are required on the part
of the receiver of God's grace; for it is the fruit that makes manifest what is
the character of the tree. Although the good works of man are of no more value
without faith in Jesus than was the offering of Cain, yet covered with the
merit of Christ, they testify {to} the worthiness of the doer to inherit
eternal life. That which is considered morality in the world does not reach the
divine standard and has no more merit before Heaven than had the offering of
Cain.--Manuscript 26a, 1892. {1SM 381.5}
While Submitting to the Holy Spirit
Everyone who has a realizing sense of what it
means to be a Christian, will purify himself from everything that weakens and
defiles. All the habits of his life will be brought into harmony with the
requirements of the Word of truth, and he will not only believe, but will work
out his own salvation with fear and trembling, while submitting to the molding
of the Holy Spirit.--The Review and Herald, March 6, 1888. {1SM 382.1}
Jesus
Accepts Our Intentions
When it is in the heart to obey God, when
efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as
man's best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine
merit. But He will not accept those who claim to have faith in Him, and yet are
disloyal to His Father's commandment. We hear a great deal about faith, but we
need to hear a great deal more about works. Many are deceiving their own souls
by living an easygoing, accommodating, crossless
religion. But Jesus says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."--The Signs of the Times,
June 16, 1890. {1SM 382.2}
Chap.
61 - Christ the Center of the Message
[THIS
ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD, MARCH 20, 1894.]
The third angel's message calls for the
presentation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and this truth must be
brought before the world; but the great center of attraction, Jesus Christ,
must not be left out of the third angel's message. By many who have been
engaged in the work for this time, Christ has been made secondary, and theories
and arguments have had first place. The glory of God that was revealed to Moses
in regard to the divine character has not been made
prominent. The Lord said to Moses, "I will make all my goodness pass
before thee" (Ex. 33:19). "And the Lord passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty"
(Ex. 34:6, 7). {1SM 383.1}
A veil has seemed to be before the eyes of
many who have labored in the cause, so that when they presented the law, they
have not had views of Jesus, and have not proclaimed the fact that, where sin
abounded, grace doth much more abound. It is at the cross of Calvary that mercy
and truth meet together, where righteousness and peace
kiss each other. The sinner must ever look toward Calvary; and with the simple
faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting His
righteousness and believing in His mercy. Laborers in the cause of truth should
present the righteousness of Christ, not as new light but as precious light
that has for a time been lost sight of by the people. We are to accept Christ as
our personal Saviour, and He imputes unto us the righteousness of God in
Christ. Let us repeat and make prominent the truth that John has portrayed:
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). {1SM 383.2}
In the love of God has been opened the
most marvelous vein of precious truth, and the treasures of the grace of Christ
are laid open before the church and the world. "For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). What love is
this--what marvelous, unfathomable love--that would lead Christ to die for us
while we were yet sinners! What a loss it is to the soul who understands the
strong claims of the law, and who yet fails to understand the grace of Christ
which doth much more abound! It is true that the law of God reveals the love of
God when it is preached as the truth in Jesus; for the gift of Christ to this
guilty world must be largely dwelt upon in every discourse. It is no wonder
that hearts have not been melted by the truth, when it has been presented in a
cold and lifeless manner. No wonder faith has staggered at the promises of God,
when ministers and workers have failed to present Jesus in His relation to the
law of God. How often should they have assured the people that "He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). {1SM 384.1}
Satan is determined that men shall not see
the love of God, which led Him to give His only-begotten Son to save the lost
race; for it is that leads men to repentance. Oh, how shall we succeed in
setting forth before the world the deep, precious love of God? In no other way
can we compass it than by exclaiming, "Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1
John 3:1)! Let us say to sinners, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh
away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)! By presenting Jesus as the
representative of the Father, we shall be able to dispel the shadow that Satan
has cast upon our pathway, in order that we shall not see the mercy and love of
God's inexpressible love as manifested in Jesus Christ. {1SM 384.2}
Look at the Cross
Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a
standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy, of the heavenly
Father. O that all might repent and do their first works. When the churches do
this, they will love God supremely and their neighbors as themselves. Ephraim
will not envy Judah, and Judah will not vex Ephraim. Divisions will then be healed, the harsh sounds of strife will no more be heard in
the borders of Israel. Through the grace freely given them of God, all will
seek to answer the prayer of Christ, that His disciples should be one, even as
He and the Father are one. Peace, love, mercy, and benevolence will be the
abiding principles of the soul. The love of Christ will be the theme of every
tongue, and it will no more be said by the True Witness, "I have somewhat
against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Rev. 2:4). The
people of God will be abiding in Christ, the love of Jesus will be revealed,
and one Spirit will animate all hearts, regenerating and renewing all in the
image of Christ, fashioning all hearts alike. As living branches of the True
Vine, all will be united to Christ, the living head. Christ will abide in every
heart, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, and presenting to the world the unity
of the followers of Jesus, thus bearing testimony that the heavenly credentials
are supplied to the remnant church. In the oneness of Christ's church it will be proved that God sent His only-begotten Son
into the world. {1SM 385.1}
When God's people are one in the unity of
the Spirit, all of Phariseeism,
all of self-righteousness, which was the sin of the Jewish nation, will be
expelled from all hearts. The mold of Christ will be upon each individual
member of His body, and His people will be new bottles into which He can pour
His new wine, and the new wine will not break the bottles. God will make known
the mystery which hath been hidden for ages. He will make known what are the
"riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27) {verses 28, 29 also quoted}. {1SM
386.1}
Jesus came to impart to the human soul the
Holy Spirit, by which the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; but it is
impossible to endow men with the Holy Spirit, who are set in their ideas, whose
doctrines are all stereotyped and unchangeable, who are walking after the
traditions and commandments of men, as were the Jews in the time of Christ.
They were very punctilious in the observances of the church, very rigorous in
following their forms, but they were destitute of vitality and religious
devotion. They were represented by Christ as like the dry skins which were then
used as bottles. The gospel of Christ could not be placed in their hearts; for
there was no room to contain it. They could not be the new bottles into which
He could pour His new wine. Christ was obliged to seek elsewhere than among the
scribes and the Pharisees for bottles for His doctrine of truth and life. He
must find men who were willing to have regeneration of heart. He came to give
to men new hearts. He said, "A new heart also will I give you." But
the self-righteous of that day and of this day feel no need of having a new
heart. Jesus passed by the scribes and the Pharisees, for they felt no need of
a Saviour. They were wedded to forms and ceremonies. These services had been
instituted by Christ; they had been full of vitality and spiritual beauty; but
the Jews had lost the spiritual life from their ceremonies,
and clung to the dead forms after spiritual life was extinct among them.
When they departed from the requirements and commandments of God, they sought
to supply the place of that which they had lost, by multiplying their own
requirements, and making more rigorous demands than had God; and the more rigid
they grew, the less of the love and Spirit of God they manifested. Christ said
to the people: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders;
but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their
works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and
enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts,
and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be
called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi." "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:2-7, 23). {1SM 386.2}