Unfortunately when you make other things as requirements then you are just paying lip service to the above.
We have to take the Bible as a whole. While salvation is by Grace through Faith alone, obedience is still a requirement.
"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Romans 2:13)
"but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17),
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22).
Notice that Paul does not say that the law justifies you. Only Jesus can justify you. But yet only doers will be justified. You cannot be justified and knowingly and willfully continue in sin and not obey the law. Remember, sin is defined by the law. Without the law, there is no sin. Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4; Romans 3:20; Romans 4:15; Romans 5:13 and 1 Cor 15:56.
Therefore, salvation is still by Grace through Faith alone, without the works of the law. Works cannot justify you, but only those who follow through with works can be justified. It's as simple as what the Bible says. The works themselves are not doing the justifying. But only those who do what God says can be justified, otherwise it is a deception.
You need to think
deep, yet simple. One more time: You need to think
outside the box. You seem to be locked into an idea that prevents you from understanding how Law and Grace interact. You are failing to comprehend how salvation can be by Grace through Faith alone, yet we still need to obey God's Holy Requirements. But it is possible for you to see how the two concepts are compatible, if you put forth effort.
As long as you continue to misunderstand that the law is but a tutor to lead us to Christ and that its work is done when we are in Christ then you will fail to ascertain what the 'works" of God actually are. Hint: you are boasting on your "proper" eating etiquette.
The law is still a tutor to lead us to Christ. The law points us to Christ. When we look at the law, we behold His Divine Character, for the Law is a transcript of God's character. Christ Jesus is a living walking manifestation of the law. The Law is Good, Holy, and Righteous. Romans 7:12. Jesus has all these attributes. We are to "walk as he walked" (1 John 2:6), we are to "follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).
Christ fulfilled the law as an example of how we are to live. He did not live a holy life in our place so that we don't have to. But He did so to prove that it could be done, and all who accept Christ's Sacrifice are crucified WITH Christ (Gal 2:20). Paul says "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ." (Gal 6:2). Therefore, to say that works are done is unbiblical. It is completely contrary to scriptures. James 1 and 2 make this brazenly clear.
Keeping the law is ALWAYS for the wrong motives since we have the ministry of the Spirit to guides us now. I do not need to be convicted of my sins by the law since the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts me of my sins. Phillippians 2:13 has nothing to do with the Mosaic law.
So when you make up your mind to honor your parents, or to do good unto others, to provide them clothing, to help the sick, to be loyal to your wife, to put God first and not put anything above Him, to refrain from lying, that this ALWAYS means that we are doing it for the wrong motives? This does not compute. Jesus says
"by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20). Of course there are those who conduct a well-ordered life on the outside, but their hearts are wicked. Such are the ones doing it for the wrong motives. But to classify everyone who is conducting good works as doing it for the wrong motives does not harmonize with Jesus' words. Also, the Holy Spirit is what convicts you to look at the law of righteousness. The Holy Spirit convicts you "this is what the law says, and you are violating it". In this sense, it is the Holy Spirit and the Law working together to convict you about sin. Do not pidgen-hole the methods God uses to convict people of sin. And do not pidgen-hole Phil. 2:13 as applying to everything "outside the Mosaic Law". Remember, in the Mosaic Law you find the commandments to love God with all your soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself (Deut 6:5; Lev. 19:18). These are the two principles of love that Jesus taught. They were part of the "Mosaic Law". What was abolished IN the Mosaic Law were the ceremonial shadows in the sacred seasons--rites and ceremonies--and festivals. Not moral principles that guard our health and our moral conduct with one another and toward God. You have the Moral Laws, Health Laws (which falls under the Moral Law), Civil Laws, and Hygienic Laws all inside the "Mosaic Law". Christ came to magnify the law.
The law only defines sin for the unbeliever not for the believer.
The law defines sin for the unbeliever, but why? Because he is transgressing the law. Unbelievers violate the law, therefore, the law defines sin for the unbeliever. The law is for those who transgress the law.
The Holy Spirit is the one that defines sin for the believer. Secondly, the law does not define sin for the believer since the law does not address the impurities of the heart. Many a Pharisee kept the law and yet, they were refuted by Jesus to the point of calling them unbelievers.
Every time you sin, you are showing "unbelief". Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit also convicts the unbeliever as well. Concerning the Pharisees who did not believe in Jesus, Stephen said:
"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." (Acts 7:51). Do not strain the word of God
Hentenza. God has many ways of convicting of sin, and the Law is one of them.
The law is not for the believer in the sense that He is living a righteous life, and meeting its requirements, therefore, we do not need the law to define sin in our lives. But the moment we sin, we manifest "unbelief", and therefore, we come under the law again. Under its condemnation. The law now points out our sin. Only those who are in the Spirit are "subject to the law", but not the carnal mind (see Romans 8:3-10). Those who are being guided by the Spirit are subject to God's law. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin AGAINST the law. And then when we LOOK at the law, we see sin DEFINED. You could say...the Law convicts you of sin THROUGH the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot convict you of sin if there is no law to define what sin is.
When you panhandle the law as a necessary requirement for the Christian you are proposing a works salvation. You can deny it all you want but your actions betrays you. I have seen many an Adventist question other Christians salvation because they do not follow the Mosaic law. I just responded to law adherent that told me that eating a ham sandwich has salvific consequences and you are yet to answer the questions that I posed to you a few posts back.
Read the above verses in my response to your first quote, and then see what I mean. If you love God, you will keep the commandments (John 14:15). It's very simple. The Ten Commandments define sin. The health laws also were not shadows, but were health principles to maintain the vigor and vitality of the children of Israel. Those of us who are in Christ are of the seed of Abraham, and we likewise will follow these moral principles if we are truly saved. We do not keep the law to be saved, we keep it because we have been saved. If we do not keep them, then we are only proving we have not been saved.
You are also being misleading when you say that Adventists question someone's salvation because they do not follow the "Mosaic Law". Let's just put it this way: We say "GOD'S LAW", and many laws that were IN the Mosaic Law are STILL God's Law in the New Covenant. NUMEROUS laws that Jesus taught were part of the "Mosaic Law". We Adventists do not teach circumcision, feast keeping, sacrifices, meat offerings, burnt offerings, drink offerings, holy days, and many other small regulations that do not apply to our society. All the commandments "contained in ordinances" (Eph 2:15) have been abolished. All moral principles of health, love to our neighbor, and love to God apply (which the Ten Commandments reveal). All Jewish civil laws have ceased because the kingdom was taken from them, and we are no longer under Jewish Theocracy. Now, all punishment of violators of God's laws is in King Jesus' hand, as our King of Israel. The Capital of the saints it he New Jerusalem. We are living in the Antitypical Age--the New Covenant.
The problem with the words of Ellen White is that she was a denier of the deity of Christ and a contemporary of the likes such as Charles T. Russell. She was a confirmed false prophetess which would have been stoned outside of the gates if she would have lived during OT times. She redefines the common Christian theological words to fit her false teachings so, even though her words sound good, their meaning are not consistent with mainstream Christianity. Jesus was not a mere man but the Son of God, 100% man and 100% deity. His dual nature is necessary to atone for our sins and justify God's justice. No mere man can justify God's justice so the "Christ" that she preaches is not the Christ of scripture.
This is
ad hominem. I don't care if the tooth fairy wrote what I quoted, my question to you was point blank: How can you disagree with what was written? Did you forget why I quoted her in the first place? To show you how Adventists believe the Law and Grace work together, and to prove to you that while we Adventists believe that keeping God's law is required, salvation is still by Grace through Faith alone and not the works of the law. Her entire chapter summarizes exactly how we Adventists understand it. You must contend with her arguments on their own merits, and contend with the profuse scriptures she quoted. You are being asked to contend with the arguments themselves, without any
ad hominem reaction. I simply cannot word it better myself than what she stated.
Aside from the fact that you purposely diverted from the reason for me quoting her, and turned on the person rather than focusing on the argument (something you people always do), I will gently remind you that we hereby
reject these accusations being made against her--that she denied the deity of Christ, etc. We
disagree with these accusations, and we forthright
protest against these lies that have been wrongfully and deceitfully being perpetrated against her.
If you want, we could go down the list from beginning to end, one accusation at a time, and I guarantee you that virtually every single accusation made against her writings (as well as her life) have been
thoroughly dismantled, obliterated, and refuted. Numerous website and books have been put together specifically for this purpose, and the material is always readily available on the net for those who are eager to learn the truth.
Read her book Desire of Ages, and you will learn that she believed Jesus was fully God and fully Deity. For example, there is an erroneous accusation of her writings where she states: "The man Christ Jesus was not the Lord God Almighty" (Letter 32, 1899)--completely taking it out of context and misunderstanding what she wrote. This false allegation is thoroughly refuted
here.
And that is what happens when you quote verses devoid of context.
Acts 28
28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”
I am not an Israelite. I never will be an Israelite and neither are you. Their time will come after the time of the gentiles has ended.
See above.
Nothing is out of context. My point is going right over your head. And I think you are purposely not trying to see it. Salvation is of the Jews. This "salvation" (that is of the Jews) is that salvation of God that has been sent to the Gentiles. Those Gentiles who accept and believe will be grafted into the household of God. All who are in Christ are heirs according to the promise (the promises given to Israel). ALL of God's people are as "one body" in Christ Jesus, Jew, or Gentile. Jesus is KING of Israel. When we are in Christ's kingdom, we are "Israelites indeed".
Only spiritual Israelites will be saved. If you want a full study on this, I encourage you to read the following:
Spiritual Israel.
God bless.