The Merits
of Christ Our Righteousness
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Dear Reader, For those who believe true righteousness by faith was not taught prior to 1888, this is an interesting short read of a presentation by Ellen White in 1883. |
Chap. 3 -
Christ Our Righteousness (An 1883 Presentation) MORNING
TALK TO MINISTERS AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION HELD IN NOVEMBER, 1883,
AT BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN. PUBLISHED IN GOSPEL WORKERS (1892 EDITION), PP.
411-415, AND SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK ONE, PP. 350-354. "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). {FW 35.1} 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. {FW 35.2} 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. 36 {FW
35.3} 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. 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" (Isaiah 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. {FW
36.1} 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.
{FW 36.2} 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. 37 {FW
36.3} 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 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. {FW 37.1} "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. {FW 37.2} 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
38 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. {FW 37.3} 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. {FW 38.1} 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. {FW 38.2} 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. {FW 38.3} There is need of constant watchfulness
and of earnest, loving devotion, but these will come naturally when the soul
is
39 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 or 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. {FW 38.4} |