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The idea for this week’s topic came to me last week while I was talking to Sister G. about things that are good, things that are holy and approved by Yahweh, but might not necessarily meet the world’s standards of “goodness,” or might not at first glance appear to be the product of perfect love.
It seemed good to me, in fact, that we go into a new year, as most of the world counts years, considering what it is we are doing here. The foundation of our belief system, or view of reality, is the experience of “righteousness by faith,” and while I intend for this to be a very simple message, I would also like to dig into it a bit deeper than the surface in order to see what light may be found.
I am also going to begin, rather unusually, by citing a statement from Ellen G. White, because it is one that we use quite often when speaking to Adventists, and when examining our own relationship with Yahshua. Again, this is a very familiar statement to Creation Seventh Day Adventists, and it reads, “The principles of righteousness must be implanted in the soul. The faith must grasp the power of Jesus Christ, else there is no safety. Licentious practices are getting to be as common as in the days before the flood. Not one should be buried with Christ by baptism unless they are critically examined whether they have ceased to sin, whether they have fixed moral principles, whether they know what sin is, whether they have moral defilement which God abhors. Find out by close questioning if these persons are really ceasing to sin, if with David they can say, I hate sin with a perfect hatred.” [Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, p. 165]
Much of this is clear, and powerful testimony. It is pointed, stirring, and straight testimony, to use some of those adjectives that we examined in Bro. L.’s study last week. Here we read what baptism is, an outward sign of a total inward transformation that has the individual perfectly hating sin, and forsaking it altogether. What is known to be sin is actively forsaken. What is not known yet to be sin is forsaken in principle, by promise, and only awaits revelation so that it may also be actively put away. We commit to perfect righteousness, and then we begin to learn what that looks like in our human experience.
These are all powerful and relevant truths that we obtain from this inspired statement, and it is right that we focus on that last part, which clearly describes the experience of the born-again believer, the genuine Christian, as one of victory over sin. Certainly, when addressing the Adventists, the Christians of this generation, a Laodicean people, we need to bear them this testimony. They are Laodicean because they are neither cold nor hot. They are not cold, because they speak out, at least doctrinally, against the transgression of the Law. They are for the Sabbath day’s observance, for the renunciation of pagan fables, for reform in dress and diet. So far so good, although we may point out that these days they typically ignore statements that are at least as forceful, and at least as numerous, about unity of all believers and a necessary gathering into an organized Church. But we will speak more about that shortly. In any event, the Laodiceans are not entirely “dead” to acts of righteousness, because they champion them with acceptable zeal in many ways.
On the other hand, neither are they hot. As I have said, they do not “burn” for the unity that Christ asked the Father to provide. They do not desire to burn away their sins – all their sins – in the light and fire of Yahweh’s judgment, so that they may stand free of them now, before probation closes, when the witness of this great victory would actually do some good, and win souls away from Satan’s seductive power. In truth, it is selfish to believe, or expect, that victory over sin comes only at the very end… this only benefits the individual directly. It is now, while mercy lingers, that we are to take the gift we have received to the world, for the blessing of those still dead in their trespasses, those who might come to life at this testimony of faith.
We have not erred in bringing this quote to the attention of many who need to hear it, and who need to be convicted of its truth and applicability without looking for “contradicting” quotations, or ways to explain it away that allows them that shadow of a doubt so they can convince themselves they are still Christians even in their willful sin. So, yes, that is a necessary work, but just as the Three Angels’ Message must be given in its proper order, so there is a best order of emphasizing the points in this and other, similar quotes.
The point inspiration is making here is clear enough. The conclusion is beyond controversy. Without observably and openly ceasing from sin, there can be no valid baptism. There can be no true Christian experience without the testimony of overcoming sin and self, and it is through the deterioration of this Christian message that the world’s current tragic state of affairs has arisen. But let’s go back to the beginning. The quote begins by saying, “The principles of righteousness must be implanted in the soul…”
Why is there a ceasing from sin? How does it come about? How do we teach it as a reality, and not merely a theoretical possibility?
We dare not focus on the actions of those whom we are evangelizing, and make educated, well-behaved sinners. No, we and those whom we convert cease from sin because the principles of righteousness have been implanted in our souls. That is the reason this is no mere theory, no mere head-knowledge, but an active, living faith. It is because the principles of Yahweh’s own righteousness have been given to us, implanted in us, made a part of our very beings, so that we can neither ignore them nor forget them, any more than we could forget to beat our own hearts, or breathe our own breaths. We do these things because they are a part of our nature. We rest in the knowledge that when we go to sleep, our hearts will continue to function, and our breathing will continue to occur. This is Sabbath rest as it applies to our physical bodies. How is it with the saint and his spiritual being? Must it not be the very same?
Some know, and it is true, that when Yahshua is returning, He will cease to be our Intercessor, and we will stand before the Father without His ministration. This statement, while solemn, is not to fill you with fear. It is to fill you with joy, with excitement, that there need be no longer any barrier, however loving, necessary, and well-intended, between the Father and ourselves. Righteousness, all and perfect righteousness, is as natural to the redeemed saint as breathing is to us now. There is no fear in love. (1John 4:18) Remember that when you think of the coming judgment, and the promise of an eternity lived without the least shadow of sin. Everything the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church tells you, whether it seems joyful or grievous at the moment, it is all good news. Choose to rejoice in what you learn from the Bride of Christ, and your happiness will indeed be made complete, even when we speak of judgment, of correction, and of preparation.
We rest, we Sabbath, in the righteousness of Yahweh, which we have been made. We know, and I hope we all love, this verse: “For He [Yahweh] hath made Him [Yahshua] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Cor 5:21) Trust it. Believe it. Know it to be true for you, and see your works and attitudes lining up with the will and purposes of Yahweh. We labor as those who do what they love best, and there is no fear in doing what the new nature instructs.
We succeed… not because we try, fail, and try again. We succeed… not because we wait a long time for success to come our way. We succeed… not by studying the doctrines until we have memorized them all. We succeed… not because we gradually improve at holiness. No, none of these. We succeed because our Father has gifted us success.
For those who are not yet of the Covenant, who do not claim the born-again experience as described in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings, do not dishonor your Creator and your Savior by saying, “I cannot do this.” Do not dishonor them by saying, “I am not ready yet.” You have heard Their invitation before now, and They do not invite anyone to the Wedding Feast that has not already been provided a fitting garment.
To those who hear this, what is your testimony? Can you say, sincerely, while looking someone in the eye, “The principles of righteousness are implanted in my soul?” When you can say that with integrity, you are free from sin. This goes above and beyond any acts or works, of righteousness. It cuts to the very root of the tree, the need for the soul itself to be transformed, and thereafter to naturally bring forth good fruit. And let me tell you, you can say that. That sentence may be your testimony this very moment, and unwaveringly forever from this moment forward, if you say, “Father, I receive the gift that you paid an infinite price to give me.” For the sincere heart, that is all it takes. The gift is the life of His Son, and it is His Son, by His own Spirit, that does the implanting of the principles of righteousness. We are beginning a new year, but more importantly, it is “today,” and “today” is the best day of all days to take up this testimony and make it yours for now and for eternity, with no fear of failure, and no fear of backsliding, no matter what your experience may have been in the past. No matter if you have seen bad examples in the past, of pastors, teachers, and perhaps parents. What is that to you today? The Blood of Yahshua covers up your disappointment, the wounds you feel from all those bad experiences, and washes you clean this moment.
Now, if you have accepted Yahshua as your Savior, if you have come to Him willingly, or being willing to be MADE willing, then you already have that gift: the life of Yahshua, the Holy Spirit, the implantation of the principles of righteousness, so that the inevitable result, the inescapable consequence, is that acts of sin cease. That is just cause and effect, and it is as easy for you to cease from sin as it is for an apple tree to bear apples instead of figs. When your nature is transformed, when you are a new creature, then you do what the new creature does, not the old. A dog does not act like a giraffe. They are both made of protein, carbohydrates, fats, water, and minerals... they are composed of the same substances, generally speaking, but their organs and chemicals are ordered in such a way that their behaviors are totally different.
In just the same way, when a man or woman is born again, they are made of the same basic “stuff,” perhaps a bit better stuff if their diet changes, but the same basic chemicals, and yet their behavior is totally different. Now, a dog does not try to act like a dog instead of a giraffe. A dog immediately knows how to act like a dog because he has instinct, a power as great as his choices, leading him to behave a certain way. The principles of “dog-hood” are implanted in his soul, and even though he has a degree of freedom, to chase a stick or not to chase a stick, the impulse is toward dog-like behavior at every moment. For the saint, to an infinitely greater degree, the principles of righteousness have been implanted in our souls so that, even though we retain our individuality and freedom, our choices are in harmony with those principles, always. This is because we understand, to a greater degree than a dog or any other mere animal, that there are eternal consequences to moral and spiritual choices, and because we love our Father in Heaven, and our neighbors as ourselves, we would never use our freedom to choose evil. We would never use our freedom to unnecessarily harm others.
Now, I do not want to confuse this with a “holy flesh” message, or a “celebration movement” message. We do not for an instant take any of this for granted. We rest, we Sabbath, and we know we are resting in Yahweh’s perfect promises… but we do not take it for granted and just passively observe our own sanctification. No, there are temptations to overcome, some of which will drive us to hard choices, to painful sacrifices, to parting perhaps from friends, family, jobs, and so on. These choices are not going to be made with careless ease, or any flippancy. We “watch and pray” so that we have the strength to make those hard choices… but we do these things, including preparing for the tribulation of these events, because it is our nature to obey, and prepare, and be ready, and to solemnly consider the cost. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the perfect Savior and very Image of the Father struggled with the choice He made to be the righteousness that He was. He was not celebrating. His flesh was not holy, immunizing Him to distress, but was cast in the likeness of our own. And yet, He did succeed. We will likewise have times of perplexity, of straining at the work before us, and yet, we will succeed.
It is Satan who tries to make the choices before us complicated, and to cast the eventual result into doubt. It is Satan that muddies the water, and yes, we are not always allowed to see how obvious the choices are... we do have those perplexities that trouble us, but we know that we are led by a Holy Spirit, and serve a God who knows all things. He is patient with us. He is kind. He does not discard us if we make a sincere error out of genuine ignorance, and will use the results of those errors to teach us. Because there is no rebellion in us, He can lead us gently, rather than with wrath. This is the nature of the Covenant, and only the Church is within the intimacy of this knowledge with the Father and Son. No nominal Christian, no fallen organization or self-directed fellowship, no independent ministry, will speak in such a way as this.
But what does it mean? Now, here we are speaking of sanctification. Once we have accepted the Covenant, we know that we have all these things, but we cannot really make use of the spiritual tools in our spiritual toolbox until we understand what each tool does. Remember, we have actively put away all known sin, and we have put away all sin in total by promise, by a commitment to perfect righteousness as it comes to our knowledge. So what, then IS the “righteousness” that comes by faith?
It is the manifestation, the expression, of agape-love in our words and actions. This is why, even though we are saved by faith, we read, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2Cor 5:10) It is the body that produces the words and the actions, all in response to what we believe. When the sky is red, we know it is going to rain, as the Bible says. (Mat 16:3) There are visible signs of invisible things; so then, when we see acts of infidelity, cowardice, jealousy, or any of the works of the flesh, we know that the faith is not of the right order. This is particularly critical in one who claims to be Christ’s, but walks as one in the world. We can read that often misunderstood passage from John, about those who walk in darkness, but claim to be saved. Of those who are falsely claiming to be righteous while holding on to known sin, John writes, “My little children, 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.” (1John 2:1) THEY, who “saith, ‘I know Him,’ and keepeth not His commandments,” (1John 2:4 – which tells us who the author is describing) have an Advocate with the Father, when they see their error, and wish to repent... not moment by moment, not in an endless cycle of falling and rising, but once and for all, so that they may come out of the darkness, stay in the light and be sanctified.
This is what righteousness looks like. And to be sure, it is not just treating people “well” all the time. It is not just an appearance of pleasantness, or kindness. What was perverted in the flesh was once good. Thus we have, in the born again experience, such things as Righteous anger, Righteous desire, Righteous frustration/impatience, Righteous killing and so on… although we must certainly be careful with some of these even more than others.
The world may say, and even find some Bible verses to support the idea, that anger, desire, frustration, and violence are not holy impulses. And yes, it is true that if these things are impulses: unfiltered, uncontrolled, they indeed reflect a carnal nature. In our current generation, we would probably agree that under just about all circumstances, Righteous killing is reserved for Yahweh, although permitted at times for the human authorities.
But we see righteous anger described when we read, “I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…” (Mat 5:22) Sometimes, there is cause. Sin makes us feel angry. Injury makes us feel anger, when we see one person abusing another. Anger drives justice forward, and it is proper for us to know it by observing the state of the world.
We read, “Yahshua saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, ‘Shew us the Father?’” (John 14:9) There is righteous frustration, and our Father does not bear with sinners forever. We feel an echo of this when we see those who ought to know better, to know the truth, rejecting it and acting contrary to their best interests. We desire to see them step faster in the knowledge of holiness, and when rightly channeled, it leads us to speak a word of loving but solemn reproof.
We read of all these things in the Bible, of righteous anger, of appropriate frustration, and even hatred – that perfect hatred of sin – because they are part of the divine character. We read of corrections, rebukes, and offenses. We read of disagreements, some of which were not immediately resolved. We know that the 144,000 will represent the pinnacle, the peak, of divine charity manifest in the flesh. We know that we do the works of omnipotent love, and the world will not always recognize that love in our words and in our deeds. We are content that our Father knows the nature of our behavior, and we shall see the good fruit that comes forth from the seeds that we sow.
What is before us now is the Covenant. What is before us now is the gift. Yahweh has set righteousness before us, the principles of righteousness, with all its purity, and all its complexity, and all its power, and He says to us, “Take this. You will need this.”
Choose righteousness. It is not a defense to say, “I don’t understand the choice.” Once you see the options, and understand where they lead, you know enough to make the decision. You are empowered by the Spirit you have received, and by the angel standing by your side, to cast off the illusion that you are being asked to do some hard thing, or solve some impenetrable mystery. The question of how to save the guilty sinner from death is a hard puzzle indeed; but it has been solved, with infinite wisdom, through the Science of Salvation. As in so many other things, we who are helpless may depend on the help provided by others. Because the Father and Son have already provided us with the way of escape, it would only be a rejection of Their love that would render one, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2Tim 3:7)
Why is this? If someone says, “I am not capable of understanding the choice. I don’t know how to choose to receive the principles of righteousness, I haven’t learned enough,” then they are blaming Yahweh for not making them smart enough, or not making the choice clear enough. But no, the barrier to righteousness is always, always an issue of character. That is something we can choose. Consider that. It is never about circumstances. Even in different, sometimes very bad, circumstances, the choice is always available to act according to the Spirit and character of the Savior. Sometimes that means remaining silent, escaping or avoiding the situation. We read at least once that Yahshua hid, and then silently slipped away from those who wished to stone Him. (John 8:59) Sometimes it means speaking up and giving a firm testimony. We have many, many verses about that. The necessary responses can vary, and Yahshua never only acted one way under all situations. He always, however, acted in love, His behavior (righteousness) reflecting His character (love). Behavior is the manifestation of character, and character is the expression of faith. Our beliefs determine how we think, and how we perceive ourselves. That works itself out in behavior, and when the faith is divine, the character will be Christ-like and the behavior will be righteous. That is, exactly, “Righteousness by faith,” with the character as the connecting link between the two. Because we have faith, our character produces righteousness. Hopefully you see clearly how this works.
There are other elements to consider, and perhaps I will continue on these points next week, but I would like to conclude today’s study with what I think is a fairly simple thought:
The divine character is composed of three elements: Victory, Purity, and Unity. The Three Angels’ Message provides us with the Everlasting Gospel, which is the message that transforms the character into the divine likeness. Thus, the redeemed soul receives victory, experiences purity, and the soul strives for unity with the Father, the Son and Their People, according to the fulfillment of the Commandment.
When the individual has the Three Angels’ Message, His character is Christ’s own, and this produces in the life that perfect Fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is all one, because the same divine idea is behind them all, every individual element of joy, peace, self-control, and so on. There is really only one Fruit of the Spirit, just as there is really only one Law, which we may express in two ways (Love Yahweh above others and your neighbor as yourself) or ten ways (as in the commandments) because of our limited human language. But it is all one: Charity, Agape, Selfless love.
See yourself as One with the Father and Son. Consider how we express agape-love. The death of Yahshua, His sacrifice on our behalf, was not a different thing than the love we show to Yahweh and one another, but it is the ultimate expression of it. It is the full expression of the principle, to suffer any injustice and torment, to give up one’s very being, for the safety and life of another. When we practice the fruit of the spirit, it is the same sacrifice, just in a limited, infinitely lesser degree. We are Christ-like when we forgive, when we bear long, when we are generous, because we are following the One Law. We are Christ’s representatives, demonstrating His sacrifice on the cross, when we act according to the principles that He has implanted in our souls. That, to me, is an amazing thought.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“We must have a clear, sharp testimony to bear, all full of love, and yet so sharp that it will be a two-edged sword to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, joint and marrow. The new birth is to be taught, experienced, and exemplified in the life, then a pure, elevating, holy conversation will accompany a good conscience. A good tree will provide good fruit.” [5LtMs, Lt 26d, 1887]
“Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another – this is the best gift that our heavenly Father can bestow. This love is not an impulse, but a divine principle, a permanent power. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. Only in the heart where Jesus reigns is it found. ‘We love Him, because He first loved us.’ In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 551]
“Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by war; but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol of fierce beasts of prey; but Christ is ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29. In His plan of government there is no employment of brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for the kingdom of God to be established in the same way as the kingdoms of the world. To promote righteousness they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plans. But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness, He counterworks error and sin.” [Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 77]