WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH?

"Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God... and the life of God in the soul is man's only hope." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.18; Ministry of Healing, p.115.

We are all familiar with these words of Jesus, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt.5:6.

In the light of the statements which were quoted above, we may now paraphrase the words of Jesus in this manner:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for the life of God which is conformity to the law of God. "Having been reconciled by His death, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10.

Now, in the book, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.19, we read these words:

"If you have a sense of need in your soul, if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart, in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you to do for yourself."

We often speak of the 1888 message as the message of "Righteousness by faith!"

In fact, in 1888 the people were "invited to receive the righteousness of Christ which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God." Testimonies to Ministers, p.92.

But that presupposes that before the sending of that message, there must have been, on the part of some in the church, a hungering and a thirsting for the righteousness (life) of God. Can we find evidence that this was indeed the case?

TO BE CONTINUED

]We are looking for some evidence that prior to the proclamation of the message of righteousness by faith at the Minneapolis meeting in 1888, that there had to have been, on the part of some, a hungering and a thirsting for the righteousness (life) of God in their souls.

Such evidence is not hard to find.

In The Review and Herald, March 8, 1881, we read the following words:

"In every congregation in the land there are souls unsatisfied, hungering and thirsting for salvation. By day and by night the burden of their heart is, What must I do to be saved?"

Can we ask for better evidence than this? Hardly. Notice that in this statement Mrs. White used the word "salvation" as a substitute for "righteousness".

Then she goes on to say that these church members were "listening eagerly to popular discourses, hoping to learn how they may be justified before God."

And what did these people hear? "But too often they hear only a pleasing speech, an eloquent declamation."

How sad. Then she concludes by saying:

"There are sad and disappointed hearts in every religious gathering."

In the Review and Herald of February 22, 1887, one year before the Minneapolis meeting, Mrs. White wrote:

"There are many who want to know what they must do to be saved."

Many wanted to know what they had to do in order to be justified before God.

"The present message--justification by faith--is a message from God; it bears the divine credentials, for its fruit is unto holiness." E.G. White, The Review and Herald, Sept.3, 1889.

To those who asked, "What must I do to be saved?" "What must I do to be justified before God?" these words were sent:

"Present your case before God pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross. This is your only plea."

"There is salvation for you but only through the merits of Jesus Christ." Testimonies to Ministers, p.97.

"The sinner is justified through the merits of Christ."Signs of the Times, July 4, 1892.

"We are to be transformed through the merits of Christ." Our Father Cares, p.204.

"Works will never save us. It is the merit of Christ that will avail in our behalf." Signs of the Times, June 16, 1890.

"The merits of Jesus Christ are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." Steps to Christ, p.36.

In Manuscript 1, 1889, Mrs. White spoke of "The faith which lays right hold upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour to bring the righteousness of Christ into the life."

This is called "living faith."

"Living faith is essential to our salvation, that we should lay hold upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour." Ibid.

In other words, "Looking unto Jesus and trusting in His merits, we appropriate the blessings of light and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit." Testimonies, Vol.5, p.744.

As some of us know, this most simple and most precious message was resisted. Why?

TO BE CONTINUED

WHY WAS THE MESSAGE RESISTED?

How marvelous it is in our eyes that in just a few words, we have here, so simply stated, the true religion, the only religion of the Bible:

"There is salvation for you but only through the merits of Jesus Christ."

What could have caused resistance to this most precious message?

Here is a clue: "When light begins to shine forth to make clear the plan of redemption to the people, the enemy works with all diligence, that the light may be shut away from the hearts of men." The Review and Herald, Sept.3, p.1889.

These words were penned shortly after the proclamation of the message which God had intended to come to His people as the latter rain message!

"We have been in the time of the latter rain since the Minneapolis meeting." E.G. White, 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.377.

How did the enemy succeed in blinding God's people and to cause them to reject the simple message of the merits and righteousness of Christ?

The answer to this question is no less simple and clear:

"Men are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking that they must climb to Heaven, [u]that they must do something to merit the favour of God. This they can never accomplish.[/u]" Letter 22, 1889.

During a morning talk to ministers at the General Conference session held in November 1883, at Battle Creek, Michigan, Mrs. White said:

"We have long desired and tried to obtain the blessings of the covenant of grace but have not received them because we have cherished the idea that we could do something to make ourselves worhty of them."

In a general manuscript written in 1890, the Lord described His people as being "in a fog of bewilderment."

There were some "discussions strenuously advocating creature merit, and each man striving for the supremacy."

What they needed was "to discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit." The Holy Spirit desired to fix their eyes, instead, upon the merits of a crucified and risen Savior!

In an article of The Review and Herald, November 4, 1890, Mrs. White clarified the issue of righteousness by faith:

"Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin."

I am so amazed at the simplicity of the Gospel of the righteousness of Christ. If somehow this last statement did not do it for you, consider this:

"Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ." Ibid.

Do you see how simple and clear the message of salvation is?

Bring to God the merits of Christ! Just as simple as ABC!

This answered the question, What must I do to be saved? "Bring to God the merits of Christ."

For the sinner who hungers and thirsts for salvation, God could not have made the plan of redemption more simple and He could not have taught it more clearly.

In fact, in May 11, 1889, Mrs. White wrote:

"The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it."
TO BE CONTINUED

BRINGING TO GOD THE MERITS OF CHRIST

Look at the beauty and simplicity of that statement again:

"Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin."

Faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin...

Faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ! It is left to us to exercise this faith, for, as it is written,

"Faith is the gift of God but the power to exercise it is ours." E.G. White.

And as we exercise this simple faith, it "grows exceedingly." 2 Thess.1:3.

In the Signs of the Times, May 19, 1890, Mrs. White wrote:

"We must daily apply to the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour that we may become vessels fit for the Master's use."

I just can't stop marvelling at the simplicity of the Gospel of the righteousness of Christ! I can't stop thanking God for sending to us such a simple but most precious message!

What happens when we claim the merits of Christ and bring them to God as our only plea?

"He receives us unto Himself through the merits of His Son." Acts of the Apostles, p.333.

This is how faith is counted for righteousness:

"By faith the sinner can bring to God the merits of Christ. Then the Lord receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul and loves him as He loves His Son. THIS IS HOW FAITH IS ACCOUNTED RIGHTEOUSNESS and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace and from light to a greater light." E.G. White, The Review and Herald, Nov.4, 1890. (emphasis supplied)

This is so significant because these words were written two years after the Minneapolis meeting.

In a special testimony to Battle Creek Church (1896), Mrs. White wrote:

"Unless he makes it his lifebusiness to behold the uplifted Saviour and to accept His 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 steadily fixed upon Jesus."

Thus "Our work (lifebusiness), is to lay hold by faith of the merits of Christ." Fundamentals of Education, p.430.

Whosoever shall not receive the merits and righteousness of Christ as a little child, he shall not enter the kingdom of God!

"The sinner must ever look toward Calvary and with the simple faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting His righteousness and believing in His mercy." Evangelism, p.185.

TO BE CONTINUED

Could the Gospel of the righteousness of Christ be made more plain and simple? With the simple faith of a little child we are to rest in the merits of the Lamb that was slain! All that we need to do is to hold on to the Testimony of God, that He receives us unto Himself through the merits of His Son!

"The merits of Christ blot out transgressions and clothe us with the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of Heaven." Evangelism, p.186.

It is court week with us. Our cases are pending. We are to present our cases before God pleading the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour saying, "Lord, I have no merit or goodness within whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before you the all-sufficient merits of the spotless Lamb of God. This is my only plea." Signs of the Times, July 4, 1892.

Then "Christ places His own merit upon man and thus elevates him in the scales of moral value with God." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, p.121. "This is the highest position to which man can attain." Acts of the Apostles, p.210.

Thus "It is the privilege of every believer in Christ to possess Christ's nature, a nature far above that which Adam and Eve forfeited by transgression." E.G. White, The Upward Look, p.18.

Therefore, I will extol nothing save the merits of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

"We have been at work on the law until we become as dry as the hills of Gilboah, without dew or rain. Let the law take care of itself. Let us trust in the merits of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. May God help us that our eyes may be anointed with eyesalve that we may see." E.G. White, 1888 Materials, Vol.2, p.557.

"They need the heavenly eyesalve that they may discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life." Manuscript 36, 1890.

John Calvin, in His prayer to God, said: "You have touched my heart in order that I may hold in abomination all other merits save those of Jesus." The Great Controversy, p.221.

Amen!

And if you are not obedient to all the commandments of God, what then? Let me guess? Lost! So, what you are teaching is in reality righteousness by works.

Righteousness by faith is accepting your position "in Christ" by faith. "In Him" you are complete now and in the judgment.

Rob

"We are accepted through Christ's merits alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of love, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merits of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works in and of themselves have no merit. When we have done all that is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as unprofitable servants. We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures." E.G. White, Bible Commentary, Vol.5, p.1122.[/size]

I think that answer should get 10,000 C/A points but there is a catch...

you have to get to heaven first to redeem them.

I have studied the issue from both sides. I have a hard time believing that we can willfully sin and still remain in Christ by faith. When presented with temptation and we recognize which is right and which is wrong, if we are in Christ, by His power, we will choose to do right every time.

Of course there are times when we fall in temptation without ever recognizing it until we have already chosen wrong. I believe this can happen while we yet remain in Christ. There are also sins of ignorance that we commit without knowing they are wrong. Those too are done while we remain in Christ.

"So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome, there will be no stopping place" AA 560

"I will be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your faulty character but He sees you as clothed in MY perfection" DA 357

What kind of characters will we have ? FAULTY.