Why has not this been taught in our churches then?

[rainbowinthesky]

"As we ACKNOWLEDGE before God our appreciation of the merits of Christ, fragrance is given to our intercessions. As we approach God through the virtue of the Redeemer's merits, Christ places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm, He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits as sweet incense in the censor in our hands, in order to encourage our petitions." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, 120.

I hear the Comforter in the above statement. Do you not?

For more than 20 years I had been an avowed reader of the Bible and of the writings of Ellen White and other authors as well as Jones and Waggoner, not to mention many others. I had taken theology and worked as a pastor and Bible instructor for years, and yet I had NEVER noticed this emphasis on the merits of Christ. Oddly enough, in all of these years, I had never heard a speech or sermon on the topic.

Take the following statement for example:

"Unless he makes it his life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and accept the merits which it is his privilege to claim, the sinner CAN NO MORE BE SAVED than Peter could walk upon the water unless he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Jesus." Testimonies to Ministers,93.

To be saved from sin and to reflect a character after the similitude of God is a miracle just as walking upon the water is.

In other words, since of ourselves we cannot do any righteous action unless we daily apply to the merits of our precious Redeemer, by claiming them, it begs the question: Why have we not taught this in our churches?

"The work for the servants of God is to present Jesus. The work for the ministers of Christ is to HANG their helpless souls upon His merits. Men who turn away from the path of obedience and make transgression of the law of God a virtue are under the inspiration of the archdeceiver. They are blinded by his power. They need to have before them a representation of what the truth can do in ENABLING men to preserve a Christlike temper when tempted to become imperious and impatient. The enemies of the truth want to PROVOKE those who teach the binding claims of the law of God. If there is RETALIATION ON OUR PART, Satan's host triumph. By their mean course of action the agents of Satan try to tempt the advocates of truth to say and do things that will not be commendable." Testimonies to Ministers,247,248.

Solemn!

sky

 

[OntheDL]

"As we ACKNOWLEDGE before God our appreciation of the merits of Christ, fragrance is given to our intercessions. As we approach God through the virtue of the Redeemer's merits, Christ places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm, He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits as sweet incense in the censor in our hands, in order to encourage our petitions." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, 120.

I hear the Comforter in the above statement. Do you not?

For more than 20 years I had been an avowed reader of the Bible and of the writings of Ellen White and other authors as well as Jones and Waggoner, not to mention many others. I had taken theology and worked as a pastor and Bible instructor for years, and yet I had NEVER noticed this emphasis on the merits of Christ. Oddly enough, in all of these years, I had never heard a speech or sermon on the topic.

Take the following statement for example:

"Unless he makes it his life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and accept the merits which it is his privilege to claim, the sinner CAN NO MORE BE SAVED than Peter could walk upon the water unless he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Jesus." Testimonies to Ministers,93.

To be saved from sin and to reflect a character after the similitude of God is a miracle just as walking upon the water is.

In other words, since of ourselves we cannot do any righteous action unless we daily apply to the merits of our precious Redeemer, by claiming them, it begs the question: Why have we not taught this in our churches?

"The work for the servants of God is to present Jesus. The work for the ministers of Christ is to HANG their helpless souls upon His merits. Men who turn away from the path of obedience and make transgression of the law of God a virtue are under the inspiration of the archdeceiver. They are blinded by his power. They need to have before them a representation of what the truth can do in ENABLING men to preserve a Christlike temper when tempted to become imperious and impatient. The enemies of the truth want to PROVOKE those who teach the binding claims of the law of God. If there is RETALIATION ON OUR PART, Satan's host triumph. By their mean course of action the agents of Satan try to tempt the advocates of truth to say and do things that will not be commendable." Testimonies to Ministers,247,248.

Solemn!

sky

Perhaps not in those exact words, but I think I've head nothing but grace, the cross and the imputed righteousness. What I don't hear is sanctification and imparted righteousness. The cross is wonderful and but it isn't our message.

I asked the question before but I don't think I got answers. Can you in your own words explain:

1. what's the merits of Christ
2. and more importantly how do we trust and apply the merits of Christ daily.

 

[rainbowinthesky]

What's the merits of Christ?

I believe I have already answered these questions before but it won't hurt to go over this again.

The merits of Christ are the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, the merits of His infinite sacrifice, the merits of the blood shed for us upon Calvary's cross, the merits of the blood that is of value beyond estimate because it was the life of God in His Son that was poured out on Calvary's cross. These are the merits which Jesus pleads in our behalf before the Father. See F.W.23,105; S.C.36; G.C.73 just to mention these references.

How do we trust and apply to the merits of Christ daily?

Again from what I have read from the inspired writings, to trust in the merits of Christ is to believe that they are SUFFICIENT to present to the Father in our behalf (S.C.36) both for our justification and sanctification. That would explain why it is written that "The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the foundation of the Christian's faith." G.C.73. When the Reformers discovered this truth, it is written that they had discovered the "true light" and "they cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus." G.G.74.


We daily apply to the merits of Christ's sacrifice by claiming them since it is our privilege to do so. We are plainly told that unless we do this, we cannot be saved. See T.M.93 and D.A.25.

Daily applying to His merits ensures both out title and fitness for Heaven for "The sinner is justified through the merits of Jesus" (F.W.107) and "We are to be transformed through the merits of Christ." Our Father Cares,204.

sky

 

[OntheDL]

We learned that the merit of Christ is the fragrance that mingled with the incense which is the prayer of the saints that makes the prayers acceptable to God.

The EGW quote you provided alluded to that.

But the prayer is only a part of the 'daily (tamid)' activities. To the remnant of the Great Disappointment, God said, 'arise and measure the temple'. What about the rest of the daily for those whose faith have reached the Most Holy Place?

 

[OntheDL]

Why doesn't church teach this or any of the Holy Place, Most Holy place daily activities?

Because the unsanctified can not talk about sanctification.

The saddest thing about the Laodiceans is not the fact that they are naked but the fact they are blind: unable to see their deplorable condition.

A dark room full of naked people would not want anyone to turn on the light.

 

[rainbowinthesky]

Jesus did not cease pleading His merits when He passed from the Holy to the Most Holy. The difference now is that those who live in the time of the investigative judgment of the living which is to take place at the end of the loud cry must reflect Christ fully. During the latter rain and loud cry they will grow up into Christ until the full corn of His character is in the ear. This prepares them to face the great final test of the image beast, the death decree, and to receive the final seal before entering into the time of Jacob's trouble.

sky

 

[rainbowinthesky]

I believe the following is food for thought for those of us who are seeking a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Christ.
_____

Obedience to the law and all principles of God's kingdom(good works) cannot save us but they have always been the condition upon which salvation is given.

We are saved by grace through faith on condition that we cease to sin and live in harmony with all that God has said.

It's true that for the most part Protestantism, and even most SDAs, have overlooked and disregarded this fact. The 'law' does not mean just the ten commandments. Feed back appreciated. Thank you. God bless.

VIW
from Christianforums
___________


VIW, I am glad that in your first sentence you are saying that obedience to the law, or good works, cannot save us. However, in the next sentence you are stating that we are saved by grace through faith on condition that we cease to sin which is to live a life in harmony with the will of God.

I believe I understand what you are saying but your statement could easily be misconstrued to say that we must first cease to sin in order to be saved by grace when it is grace alone, the Spirit of Christ, that enables us to overcome all sins.

Notice the next statements which agree with your fist statement:

"Works without faith are dead, and faith without works is dead. Works will never save us. It is the merit of Christ that will AVAIL in our behalf." Faith & Works,48.

So it will not be our obedience that will save us, even the obedience of faith, but the merit of Christ.

The next one is even more emphatic:

"If we would gather together everything that is GOOD and HOLY and NOBLE and LOVELY in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part of the salvation of the human soul, or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as TREASON." E.G. White, Faith & Works,24.

The above words perfectly describe the life of the righteous and it is a life of obedience, yet if we were to present that to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul, it would be rejected as treason!

Why? Because "Who can measure the infinity of the sacrifife!" Faith & Works,24.

This clearly means, that "Any works (even a life of perfect obedience to the law) that man can render to God will be far less than nothingness." Faith & Works,24.

Obedience is the fruit of faith and it will be rewarded as though it were our own obedience, even though the Scriptures teach that it is the obedience of Christ in and through us.

So, at the end of the day we will not be saved because we have ceased from sin, no matter how important that is, but because Christ places His own merits upon us.

Let me put it this way. If, at the end of the day, the faithful (especially the 144,000 who will have ceased to sin) were asked what rights they have to the City, their only answer would be the answer of faith. They would reply that they are unprofitable servants and that if they enter into the City it will be solely on account of the all-sufficient merits of their Redeemer.

If they were to reply, Well, have we not kept the commandments? Have we not done this and that in your Name? They would then there and then be accused of treason and the Lord would say to them, I do not know you. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity. But the righteous will have the right answer because they possess the Spirit of the Gospel. They will extol the merits of Christ and the merits of Christ alone and to them the everlasting gates will be wide open.

Makes sense?

sky

 

[rainbowinthesky]

jbg wrote: I was just wondering if sky could clarify his testimonies by giving me the meaning of the following quotes?

"That which God required of Adam before his fall was perfect obedience to His law. God requires now what He required of Adam, perfect obedience, righteousness without a flaw without shortcoming in His sight." 2SM 380,4

"God requires at this time just what He required of the holy pair in Eden, perfect obedience to His requirements." 6BC 1073.

So the way I read this we with a sinful human nature are to do what Adam and Eve could not do with a sinless human nature?

Do I have that correct?

jbg
__________

Great rethorical question jbg!

Wow, the way you put it certainly makes it look like we are at such great disadvantage compared to Adam and Eve in Eden, in their perfect, sinless human nature. But as strange as this might seem, the Scriptures teach that we do have an advantage over Adam and Eve in spite of our sinful fallen nature.

Let me explain what I mean.

Just as there was no excuse for Adam and Eve in Eden, in their perfect, sinless human nature to sin, so there is no excuse for the descendants of Adam & Eve in their sinful, fallen human nature to sin for through faith in the merits of Christ's infinite sacrifice they, in their utterly helpless condition, may become partakers of Christ's nature, a nature far above that which Adam and Eve forfeited by transgression:

"It is the PRIVILEGE of every believer in Christ to possess Christ's nature, a nature FAR ABOVE that which Adam forfeited by transgression." E.G. White, The Upward Look,18.

This statement is substantiated by 1 Cor.15:47.

That is why the Scriptures do teach that by being partakers of Christ's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) we may become "MORE than conquerors" (Rom.8:37) over all our inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil and grow up into Christ until the full corn of His character is in the ear.(Mark 4:26-29)

This will be the experience of God's people during the latter rain and loud cry:

"As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict,'the time of Jacob's trouble,' THEY WILL GROW UP INTO CHRIST, AND WILL PARTAKE LARGELY OF HIS SPIRIT. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the LATTER RAIN which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel." Testimonies, Vol.1,353.

And when the mission of the Gospel is completed, the great final test will separate the good from the bad and their destiny will be forever fixed. Probation will close and the faithful will enter into the time of Jacob's trouble while the 7 seven last plagues will be falling upon the finally impenitent.

sky

 

[reddogs]

What's the merits of Christ?

I believe I have already answered these questions before but it won't hurt to go over this again.

The merits of Christ are the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, the merits of His infinite sacrifice, the merits of the blood shed for us upon Calvary's cross, the merits of the blood that is of value beyond estimate because it was the life of God in His Son that was poured out on Calvary's cross. These are the merits which Jesus pleads in our behalf before the Father. See F.W.23,105; S.C.36; G.C.73 just to mention these references.

How do we trust and apply to the merits of Christ daily?

Again from what I have read from the inspired writings, to trust in the merits of Christ is to believe that they are SUFFICIENT to present to the Father in our behalf (S.C.36) both for our justification and sanctification. That would explain why it is written that "The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the foundation of the Christian's faith." G.C.73. When the Reformers discovered this truth, it is written that they had discovered the "true light" and "they cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus." G.G.74.


We daily apply to the merits of Christ's sacrifice by claiming them since it is our privilege to do so. We are plainly told that unless we do this, we cannot be saved. See T.M.93 and D.A.25.

Daily applying to His merits ensures both out title and fitness for Heaven for "The sinner is justified through the merits of Jesus" (F.W.107) and "We are to be transformed through the merits of Christ." Our Father Cares,204.

sky

I like that..