Justification by Faith- series 3

Introduction

Hello child of God,in our first series on Justification by faith,we had a brief history of our church
concerning the 1888 General conference Session. This marked a significant change of our theology as a
movement. Through Elder Waggoner &A T Jones,God gave the such a message for this time(Justification
by Faith and Christ & His Righteousness) to counter formalism which was developing in our church.

However you can testify up to date the message is not fully accepted by many!!The message which was
to prepare the church to stand in times of crisis is very rare to here it proclaimed in our pulpits yet its
the 3rd Angel's message in verity.What my the main course of the opposition to the message?It is
Adherence to unscriptural doctrines by some Reformation churches. After conducting a survey,it very
sad to bring to you that majority of our members have held these doctrines without their conscience!
{The doctrines have even been in embraced in some of our theological institutions of our church} Does
this mean that our hope is doomed?No,the is hope for us;Acts 17:30. Therefore God overlooked and
disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent
[that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God's purpose for
their lives],

Let's have a brief study on this doctrines before proceeding further;

 Predestination was a common belief that originally came from paganism and was introduced
into the church by Augustine. This idea was adopted by both Luther and Calvin who had been
Augustinian monks. This belief states that even before one is born God has decided if he is to be
saved or lost and nothing he can do about it will change that fact. It denies freedom of choice
and annuls all evangelistic effort and foreign missions. Thus inviting spiritual death to the
church.
 Original Sin which states that at birth all infants are guilty of Adam's sin and are deserving of
God's wrath and curse. This belief misrepresents God and presents a false view as to what is sin.
Sin according to the Bible is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) Original sin holds that the
sinful nature with which we are born is itself sin whether one chooses to sin or not. Under the
idea of original sin all infants must be baptized at birth to be cleansed from this stain of sin.
Once this rite is performed the salvation is assured. Thus there is no need for personal
confession, repentance, regeneration by the Holy Spirit or call to live a holy life. (Deuteronomy
3:18; 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in
that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I
give it, and they shall possess it.) It goes on to state that because of original sin, no man even by
the grace of God can fully obey God. It amounts to salvation in sin rather than salvation from sin
as is found in the Bible. He shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)If you still have
more doubts that we don't inherit adamic sin at birth and that sin is a choice,please contact
the sentinel office via 0702860343 for more study from pen of inspiration and Bible, it brings it
more clearly.
 Fallen or Unfallen Nature?
Now let us look at the effect of original sin on the churches of Protestantism. How could they
avoid the dilemma of their belief as it related to the nature of Christ? Although they rejected the
Catholic tradition of the Immaculate Conception, they invented a doctrine that was equally un-
scriptural and which removed Christ totally from the fallen family of Adam. This view declared
that Jesus was incarnated in a special manner that preserved Him from partaking of the nature
of Adam's descendants. Instead, He was born with the unfallen nature of Adam and lived His
holy life in the uncorrupted state of sinless humanity.Again, we are struck by the marvelous
duplicity of the counterfeit. He did come in human nature, they say, but it had to be in Adam's
unfallen nature in order to protect Him from the pollution of original sin.Is this a serious
digression from truth? Does it make any difference whether we believe He possessed pre-sin
humanity or post-sin humanity? Many sincere Christians believe that it is a minor, moot point
that carries no significance in practical application.The truth is that this small deviation has laid
the groundwork for a series of other false conclusions that strike at some of the most cherished
truths of Protestantism.In the first place, such a doctrine is diametrically opposed to the clear
teaching of theBible. At least six times we are assured that Jesus had a human nature exactly like
ours.In Hebrews 2:11 we read, "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all
of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Brothers are of one flesh
and family nature. Christ is the one who sanctifies, and we are being sanctified; and we are all
of one flesh so that He can call us His brothers. This establishes the point beyond any
question."For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of
Abraham" (Hebrews 2:16). How could He partake of Abraham's seed if He took on Him the
nature of unfallen Adam? The emphasis here is that He did not take on some exotic,sinless
nature such as angels or holy Adam might have had but the same nature that Abraham's
children possessed. They had sin-weakened bodies and minds. So did He.This does not involve
guilt. To be subject to sin is not to be guilty of it. He was tempted in the same way we are, yet
He never once yielded to or entertained sin. He never developed any propensities toward sin
by giving way to it. He remained undefiled by sin and was always totally pure and
holy."Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God" (Hebrews 2:17)We can have
deeper insight from the pen of the prophet Ellen White; It would have been an almost infinite
humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence
in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand
years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law
of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came
with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a
sinless life. DA 48.6

 False ideas on Justification by Faith included the idea that the act of justifying the sinner is a
forensic or legal act only and does not involve the new birth or regeneration of the sinner in it.
Biblical justification involves the new birth experience in the justifying process unable to be
separated from the legal act of declaring one righteous or just. See Romans 2:2 and Ezekiel
 36:26. The false ideas also lead to once saved always saved which claims once we have been
justified by God we can never be lost. This is also a false concept as even the great apostle Paul
feared that after preaching to others he himself might be a castaway, that is lost. See 1
Corinthians 9:27.
 Antinomianism is the idea that the grace of God has done away with the law. This also is an
outgrowth of the idea of original sin which makes the idea of keeping the law an impossibility.
But the scriptures in John 14:15 and 1 John 5:2-3 teach very clearly that to love God is to keep
his law, something that according to the creeds of many Reformation churches we cannot do.

Having dealt with the root cause of the opposition of the message, I humbly request the we ask for the
Guidance of the Holy sprit as we enter to our main subject of Study which is a continuation of our last
release;

YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW,BUT UNDER GRACE.

The is commonly heard phrase from our brothers and sister from Sunday churches when you begin a
conversation with them concerning the fourth commandment;'we are under the Grace, provided I have
Christ in my heart I don't have to keep the law'As faithful sentinels, do we have a reason for our Faith?

Coming to adventism,many have misunderstood the doctrine on salvation by Grace.Someone can claim
s/he has freedom to eat anything even if it defiles the body because we are saved by Grace,,,!

Now let's go deeper and study the true meaning of being under grace

Romans 6:14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 What's Grace?-Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and
source of all the benefits men receive from him him.

Or,Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and
restraining from sin.(Webster dictionary)

From the above definition of grace,we can summarize that its unmerited love and favour of God(Notice
that this unmerited love is the one which saves us from sinning!)According to Ephesians 2:8, we can sum
up that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.To fully understand this we need to understand
what took place in the fall of man.

Fall man

In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed,
that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for
the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit
the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice. When men broke the law of God,
and defied His will, Satan exulted. It was proved, he declared, that the law could not be obeyed; man
could not be forgiven. Because he, after his rebellion, had been banished from heaven, Satan claimed
that the human race must be forever shut out from God’s favor. God could not be just, he urged, and
yet show mercy to the sinner.

Contrary to Satan's claims,The pen of inspiration records;Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that
man was lost, and that world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery,
sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must
die. I saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance.
Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my
accompanying angel, He is in close converse with His Father. The anxiety of the angels seemed to be
intense while Jesus was communing with His Father. Three times He was shut in by the glorious light
about the Father, and the third time He came from the Father, His person could be seen. His
countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and doubt, and shone with benevolence and loveliness,
such as words cannot express. He then made known to the angelic host that a way of escape had been
made for lost man. He told them that He had been pleading with His Father, and had offered to give His
life a ransom, to take the sentence of death upon Himself, that through Him man might find pardon;
that through the merits of His blood, and obedience to the law of God, they could have the favor of God,
and be brought into the beautiful garden, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life. EW 149.2.Christ stood
between the wrath of God and the fallen mankind.The lamb which Adam slew marked the institution
of kingdom of Grace,a shadow of the death of Christ the lamb which taketh away the sins of the
world! This kingdom was fully established on the cross.

Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no. It was even a
struggle with the God of heaven, whether to let guilty man perish, or to give His beloved Son to die for
him.” Angels were so interested for man’s salvation that there could be found among them those who
would yield their glory and give their life for perishing man, “But,” said my accompanying angel, “that
would avail nothing. The transgression was so great that an angel’s life would not pay the debt.
Nothing but the death and intercessions of His son would pay the debt and save lost man from
hopeless sorrow and misery.” EW 151.3.Friends,this is what it means to say we are saved by Grace.
(Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: )

At the cross on Calvary;Through Jesus, God’s mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set
aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God’s character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be
changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in
Christ, for man’s redemption. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians
5:19.

God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His
throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan’s purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He
sought to prove that the righteousness of God’s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in
God’s plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. “Mercy and
truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10

By His life and His death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be
forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan’s charges were refuted. God
had given man unmistakable evidence of His love. DA 762.4

 What Is Sin? -"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the
transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. "All unrighteousness is sin." 1 John 5:17. This is definite; let
us hold it well in our minds
 What Is Righteousness? -Righteousness is the opposite of sin, because "all unrighteousness is
sin." But "sin is the transgression of the law." Therefore righteousness is the keeping of the law.
So when we are exhorted to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God, it is
the same as telling us to yield ourselves to obedience to the law.

The law requires righteousness,—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He
cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and
developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands
for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after
the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very
righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can “be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26.

 The Dominion of Sin. - Sin has no dominion over those who yield themselves servants to
righteousness, or to obedience to the law; because sin is the transgression of the law. Now read
the whole of the fourteenth verse: "For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not
under the law, but under grace." That is to say, transgression of the law has no place in them
who are not under the law. Then those who are not under the law are those who obey the law.
Those who break it, are under it. Nothing can be plainer.
 Under Grace. - "Ye are not under the law, but under grace." We have seen that those who are
not under the law are the ones who are keeping the law. Those therefore who are under the law
are the ones who are breaking it, and who are therefore under its condemnation. But "where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound." Grace delivers from sin. Distressed by the
threatenings of the law which we have broken, we flee for refuge to Christ, who is "full of grace
and truth." There we find freedom from sin. In him we not only find grace to cover all our sin,
but we find the righteousness of the law because he is full of truth, and the law is the truth.
Psalm 119:142. Grace "reigns" through righteousness or obedience to the law, unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord.
The transforming power of Grace
As we draw to the conclusion of our study,it's important to address what is making majority of
us feel at comfort zone.We have to do away with the teaching that once saved always
saved.God's grace is to safe us from all sins and not 'some sins'.[The reason many in this age of
the world make no greater advancement in the divine life is because they interpret the will of
God to be just what they will to do. While following their own desires, they flatter themselves
that they are conforming to God’s will. These have no conflicts with self. There are others who
for a time are successful in the struggle against their selfish desire for pleasure and ease. They
are sincere and earnest, but grow weary of protracted effort, of daily death, of ceaseless
turmoil. Indolence seems inviting, death to self repulsive; and they close their drowsy eyes
and fall under the power of temptation instead of resisting it. {AA 565.2}].In John 8:34. Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.36.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.(Freedom from sin is accorded
by Christ) However, the only condition for this freedom is in John 15:7. If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.We have to abide in
Christ bacause ' for without him we can do nothing'
John 10:28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand.What a great promise!Its only by our choice we can separate from
Christ.Let's have insight from pen of inspiration;When Christ took human nature upon Him, He
bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the
choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie
—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to
pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this.
But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are
safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we “are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. SC
72.1
It was thus that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour. When those
disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they
followed Him. They were with Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They
were with Him as pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They
looked to Him, as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were men
“subject to like passions as we are.” James 5:17. They had the same battle with sin to fight. They
needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life. SC 72.2
. Conclusion
The church is composed of imperfect, erring men and women, who call for the continual
exercise of charity and forbearance. But there has been a long period of general
lukewarmness; a worldly spirit coming into the church has been followed by alienation,
faultfinding, malice, strife, and iniquity. Should there be less sermonizing by men who are
unconsecrated in heart and life, and were more time devoted to humbling the soul before
God, then might we hope that the Lord would appear to your help and heal your backslidings.
Much of the preaching of late begets a false security. Important interests in the cause of God
cannot be wisely managed by those who have had so little real connection with God as some
of our ministers have had. To entrust the work to such men is like setting children to manage
great vessels at sea. Those who are destitute of heavenly wisdom, destitute of living power
with God, are not competent to steer the gospel ship amid icebergs and tempests. The church
is passing through severe conflicts, but in her peril many would trust her to hands that will
surely wreck her. We need a pilot on board now, for we are nearing the harbor. As a people
we should be the light of the world. But how many are foolish virgins, having no oil in their
vessels with their lamps. May the Lord of all grace, abundant in mercy, full of forgiveness, pity
and save us, that we perish not with the wicked! {5T 104.3,4}
Friends we need to die daily to sin and make a choice daily to follow Christ. We need God's
strength and grace to overcome sin as well as a non-believer who comes to Jesus today;Many
who should stand firm for righteousness and truth have manifested weakness and indecision
that have encouraged the assaults of Satan. Those who fail to grow in grace, not seeking to
reach the highest standard in divine attainments, will be overcome!
Prepared by Cyrus