Are we appropriating the merits of Christ to ourselves?

[skyblue888]

We are all familiar with the expression, "I deserved it," or "He deserved it." It may be about a promotion or a raise in one's wages or whatever it might be. People judge the worth of a cause by its merits. We accept or reject ideas on account of their having merits or not. In financial matters, mamy schemes, propositions, ideas and plans are rejected or approved depending on whether they have merits or not.

It is a very natural thing for human beings to treat matters or other human beings according to their merits. People "earn" merits through talents, hard work, dedication, bravery, or through sacrificing whatever it might be. The more merits a person has earned in the eyes of the world, the more that person is worthy of notice, the more honored and the more the object of admiration!

Now I ask you, were not the condescension and humiliation and the spotless life of the Son of God worth something? Was not His sacrificial death most worthy of our notice and admiration? Did not Christ, by His life and death, earn infinite merits? And would it not be fair to ask, in the light of the infinite sacrifice that was made, Should not all other merits be held in abomination save those of Jesus?

"O Father we had devised for ourselves many useless follies, but You have have placed Your word before me like a torch, and 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.

But this is not all. Our Heavenly Father is not satisfied or pleased unless we appropriate the merits of His Son to ourselves! That's right! God the Father is not pleased unless we appropriate to ourselves the very merits that Christ earned by His infinite sacrifice! Why is that? So that we might be treated as He deserves to be treated!

"Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves." Desire of Ages, p.25.

Behold what manner of love! God so loved the world!

Do we appreciate the merits of Christ? It is a marvelous thing that by His death Jesus paid the ransom price for each one of us that we might be saved from eternal oblivion but is it not an even more marvelous thing that He should have been treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves!!! Is it not a marvelous thing that His merits should be placed upon the believing sinner and thus be elevated in the scales of moral value with God?

What manner of love is this? As we make it our lifebusiness to look to Christ and to claim His all-sufficient merits, the Father clothes us with the glistening vesture of Christ's righteousness and we become members of the Royal Family, members of the Household of God on a par with Jesus Himself!

As we lay hold, by faith, of the merits of the Lamb that was slain, Christ encircles us with His human arm and with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite and God loves us as He loves Jesus.

The enemy hates this and he is fighting against this all the time. He knows that this is the light that should burn brightly in the hearts of men to shine out in good works!

It has been said that not one in one hundred understands this Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare! Rom.3:25; Col.1:20; Heb.10:19; Eph.1:7; 1 S.M.360.

And yet we read, "The only faith that will benefit us is that which appropriates His merits to ourselves." Our Father Cares, p.192.

This is the hope that is set before us in the Scriptures! Heb.6:18.

Thank God for His unspeakable gift! 2 Cor.9:15.

[pnattmbtc]

Quote:

Do we appreciate the merits of Christ? It is a marvelous thing that by His death Jesus paid the ransom price for each one of us that we might be saved from eternal oblivion but is it not an even more marvelous thing that He should have been treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves!!! Is it not a marvelous thing that His merits should be placed upon the believing sinner and thus be elevated in the scales of moral value with God?

This is from the SOP:

Quote:

He took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His wonderful work in giving His life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God.(1SM 343)

Quote:

Through the victory of Christ, the human race was elevated in moral value, not because of anything they had done, but because of the great work that had been wrought out for them through the only begotten Son of God. As man's substitute and surety, in human nature, through divine power, Christ placed man on vantage ground.(BE 12/1/93)

So being elevated in the scales of moral worth is something Christ did for the race, meaning that every human being is included, whether a believer or not. So appropriating the merits of Christ for oneself must mean something other than this, it seems.

What does it mean? Could you put the phrase "appropriate the merits of Christ" in some other words, to make clear what it means?

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Sky, would you please list the Merits of Christ? A list, please. Not a list of EGW quotes. Please.

[skyblue888]

Again I think we should be astonished that we should ask such a question, especially us adventists. The pen of inspiration has a lot to say about the merits of Christ but never once do we find a statement listing them simply because they cannot be counted. Who can make a list of the merits of Christ? His sacrifce was of value beyond estimate. Who can measure the infinity of the sacrifice? Can we count the merits of His infinite sacrifice? The fact that Christ relinquised His divine form for ever and took the form of a servant and then humbled Himself as a servant even to die upon the cross should give us an idea as to the infinite merits of the world's Redeemer, as to why we should hold in abomination all other merits but His own!

I once posted about a fire man who had saved a few human lives from a burning house. That man was given a badge on which were ascribed these words: MERIT FOR SERVICE AWARD. I don't remember anyone asking what his merits were or to list them! How much less should we ask what the merits of Christ are or that they be listed!

All we need to know is that Christ presents before the Father His own divine merits and that He is pleading them in our behalf and that it is our privilege to claim them.

Even the unbelievers know and understand exactly what is meant by MERIT FOR SERVICE AWARD.

They simply understand and recognize the courage of that man as being worth something, worthy enough to be honored, recognized, admired, and rewarded.

Christ's merits are infinite and it is our privilege to claim them and be treated according to them. Only God knows fully what that means. Our part is to lay hold upon them by faith and believe that He will treat us accordingly even in this life and in the life that is to come. It will take eternity to reveal to us what it means to be treated according to His merits if, with the simple faith of a little child, we accept them and appropriate them to ourselves. We may do this by claiming them as our very own, for "All His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as a gift." E.G. White, Letter 12, 1892.

sky

[skyblue888]

Quote:

Do we appreciate the merits of Christ? It is a marvelous thing that by His death Jesus paid the ransom price for each one of us that we might be saved from eternal oblivion but is it not an even more marvelous thing that He should have been treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves!!! Is it not a marvelous thing that His merits should be placed upon the believing sinner and thus be elevated in the scales of moral value with God?

This is from the SOP:

Quote:

He took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His wonderful work in giving His life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God.(1SM 343)

Quote:

Through the victory of Christ, the human race was elevated in moral value, not because of anything they had done, but because of the great work that had been wrought out for them through the only begotten Son of God. As man's substitute and surety, in human nature, through divine power, Christ placed man on vantage ground.(BE 12/1/93)

So being elevated in the scales of moral worth is something Christ did for the race, meaning that every human being is included, whether a believer or not. So appropriating the merits of Christ for oneself must mean something other than this, it seems.

What does it mean? Could you put the phrase "appropriate the merits of Christ" in some other words, to make clear what it means?

May be the following statements will help:

"Christ places His own merits upon man and thus elevates him in the scales of moral value with God." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, p.121.

This simply means that by appropriating His merits to themselves, "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.

This is food for thought, isn't it?

This is taught in 1 Cor.15:47-49.

sky

[skyblue888]

We have just read how the pen of inspiration tells us that the only faith that will benefit us is the faith that appropriates to ourselves the merits of Christ. We appropriate them by claiming them. It is our privilege to claim them. I don't think these words need to be explained or that we should think of a better way or of a more simple way to say it. These words are just as simple to understand as the letters of the alphabet are.

"Many have a nominal faith in Christ, but they know nothing of that vital dependence upon Him which appropriates the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour." E.G. White, 1 S.M.289.

This declaration is in harmony with the fact that "There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare." 1 S.M.360.

sky

[Gerr]

Sky, would you please list the Merits of Christ? A list, please. Not a list of EGW quotes. Please.

1mer•it \ˈmer-ət, ˈme-rət\ n

[ME, fr. AF merite, fr. L meritum, fr. neut. of meritus, pp. of merēre to deserve, earn; akin to Gk meiresthai to receive as one’s portion, meros part] 14c

1 a obs : reward or punishment due

b : the qualities or actions that constitute the basis of one’s deserts

c : a praiseworthy quality : virtue

d : character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem also : achievement

2 : spiritual credit held to be earned by performance of righteous acts and to ensure future benefits

3 a pl : the substance of a legal case apart from matters of jurisdiction, procedure, or form

b : individual significance or justification — mer•it•less \-ləs\ adj

———————

2merit vt

1526 : to be worthy of or entitled or liable to : earn vi 1 obs : to be entitled to reward or honor

2 : 

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

So what did Jesus deserve?

1. Because He did not participate in sin in the least, He deserve to be called righteous. When we appropriate the merits of Jesus into our lives, we are pronounced righteous/perfect by God.

2. Because Jesus was righteous and did not merit death, by appropriating His merits, we receive life.

3. Because Jesus merits respect, everyone appropriating His merits merit respect as well.

4. Because of His victory, He merited praise & honor. Likewise, when we appropriate His victory, the Father will praise & honor us, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and will even let us sit on the throne of Christ!

5. Because of His merits, "no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly," Ps 84:11

6. Because merited a crown for His victory, by appropriating His merits, we too shall receive a crown of victory.

7. Because He merited treatment as a Son, by His merits, we too are treated as sons & daughters of our heavenly Father.

8. Because He merited protection as a Son, by this merit we can too claim the same.

9. Because He merited every blessing heaven could provide, by His merit, every blessing in the heavenly places is ours as well.

[skyblue888]

Is this is a list of His merits? Can we possibly measure the infinity of the sacrifice that was made? We just simply cannot fathom His merits.

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

That sacrifice is not limited to what took place upon Calvary's cross for Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

sky

[Gerr]

That was not meant to be the final list.

Feel free to add as many as you can.

Rudy wanted a concrete list of these "merits", not just some

esoteric generalities. For those who desire to see something

concrete, infinity is not enough.

[skyblue888]

Are we more inspired than inspiration itself? Search far and wide in the inspired writings and you will not find a "list" of the merits of Christ. It is not an "esoteric generality" to talk of "the merits of Christ's sacrifice" or of "the merits of His shed blood" or of "the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour."

It is sufficient to know that Christ's infinite sacrifice is full of merits and that it is our privilege to claim them.

"The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." E.G. White, Faith and Works, p.64.

Just because someone asks for a list of the merits of Christ does not mean that we can make such a list. We cannot fathom the merits of Christ and yet we can accept them and claim them.

sky

[Guest]

Are we more inspired than inspiration itself? Search far and wide in the inspired writings and you will not find a "list" of the merits of Christ. It is not an "esoteric generality" to talk of "the merits of Christ's sacrifice" or of "the merits of His shed blood" or of "the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour."

It is sufficient to know that Christ's infinite sacrifice is full of merits and that it is our privilege to claim them.

"The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." E.G. White, Faith and Works, p.64.

Just because someone asks for a list of the merits of Christ does not mean that we can make such a list. We cannot fathom the merits of Christ and yet we can accept them and claim them.

sky

I think you're right sky.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

That was not meant to be the final list.

Feel free to add as many as you can.

Rudy wanted a concrete list of these "merits", not just some

esoteric generalities. For those who desire to see something

concrete, infinity is not enough.

Thanks Gerry. That was very helpful to me.

[skyblue888]

[skyblue888]

Originally Posted By: Gerry Cabalo

That was not meant to be the final list.

Feel free to add as many as you can.

Rudy wanted a concrete list of these "merits", not just some

esoteric generalities. For those who desire to see something concrete, infinity is not enough.

Thanks Gerry. That was very helpful to me.

So infinity is not enough!!!

You never cease to amame me Rudy. The other day you made the comment that you were not interested in talking about this topic, that you had heard enough of it and now you are asking for a list of the merits of Christ. I do not think that you yourself believed that anyone could come up with a list but that rather you were attempting to set a trap for me. All because you are holding a grudge against me personally for something I said not long ago in another thread.

Of course you agree with Gerry. Now Gerry can add to his list of the merits of Christ until Christ comes and you will have nothing but praise for him when it is probably the first time he has ever said something on this topic.

sky

[Steve Billiter]

The word "merits" is not in the Bible. The conversion steps need to be clearly taught; as a continual harping on the "merits" is worthless.

Everyone is to keep himself separate from the world, which is full of iniquity. We are not to walk with God for a time, and then part from His company and walk in the sparks of our own kindling. There must be a firm continuance, a perseverance in acts of faith. We are to praise God; to show forth His glory in a righteous character. No one of us will gain the victory without persevering, untiring effort, proportionate to the value of the object which we seek, even eternal life. {TM 511.2}

Saved Through Faith in Jesus

Have we come to the foot of the cross to obtain the free gift of everlasting life? Have we met the conditions our Lord has given us to follow? No other subject is so compelling; no other topic is so important, or so relevant!

“Then let none say that there are no conditions to salvation. There are decided conditions, and everyone is put to the strenuous task of diligently inquiring and searching for the truth from God's word. At the peril of our souls we must know the prescribed conditions given by Him who has given His own life to save us from ruin. We will certainly be lost if we float along with the current of the world, receiving the sayings of men. By our selfish love of ease and by our indolence we endanger our souls and the souls of others. We are to seek earnestly to know what saith the Lord”. {13MR 22.1}

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We must meet His conditions to be born again. repentance is the theme throughout the Bible from the time Adam sacrificed animals, that pointed to Jesus who fulfilled the types and shadows, and then He came preaching repentance.

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

So as we are convicted by the Holy Spirit of the need to accept Christ as our Savior:

Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

We can choose to accept Him or reject Him. When we accept Christ, we confess our sins and fully turn away from them, (repentance) This could be a several years processes Jesus taught in John 3, no definite time is given.

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

When we complete these conditions for salvation, we are then converted, born again:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our whole attitude changes! We then hunger and thirst for righteousness, we begin to have the blessings of the Beatitudes. Here is Ellen White on the beatitudes:

Desire of Ages (page 299)

Without combating their ideas of the kingdom of God, He told them the conditions of entrance therein, leaving them to draw their own conclusions as to its nature. The truths He taught are no less important to us than to the multitude that followed Him. We no less than they need to learn the foundation principles of the kingdom of God. {DA 299.3}

Christ's first words to the people on the mount were words of blessing. Happy are they, He said, who recognize their spiritual poverty, and feel their need of redemption. The gospel is to be preached to the poor. Not to the spiritually proud, those who claim to be rich and in need of nothing, is it revealed, but to those who are humble and contrite. One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the poor in spirit. {DA 299.4}

So the beatitudes are connected to salvation, we cannot fully have these blessings until we fulfill the conditions for salvation and continue in the process of sanctification.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness." The sense of unworthiness will lead the heart to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this desire will not be disappointed. Those who make room in their hearts for Jesus will realize His love. All who long to bear the likeness of the character of God shall be satisfied. The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fullness. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." {DA 302.1}

We cannot earn our salvation, it is a free gift.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. As we are converted, we love the things we used to hate, and hate the things we used to love. We should desire to keep the commandments out of our love for the Savior, and because it is the right thing to do. In addition, we are forming our characters for heaven and there will be no sin there.

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

The power of the Holy Spirit, and our own choices, will allow us to gain the victory over all sin:

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14. {GC 425.1}

We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. {2T 355.1}

Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Nothing but holiness will prepare you for heaven. It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character and enable you to enter into the presence of God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable. The heavenly character must be acquired on earth, or it can never be acquired at all. Then begin at once. Flatter not yourself that a time will come when you can make an earnest effort easier than now. Every day increases your distance from God. Prepare for eternity with such zeal as you have not yet manifested. Educate your mind to love the Bible, to love the prayer meeting, to love the hour of meditation, and, above all, the hour when the soul communes with God. Become heavenly-minded if you would unite with the heavenly choir in the mansions above. 276 {CCh 187.1}

Men were taught that it is possible to obey the law of God; that even while living in the midst of the sinful and corrupt, they were able, by the grace of God, to resist temptation, and become pure and holy. They saw in his example the blessedness of such a life; and his translation was an evidence of the truth of his prophecy concerning the hereafter, with its award of joy and glory and immortal life to the obedient, and of condemnation, woe, and death to the transgressor. {PP 88.2}

By faith Enoch "was translated that he should not see death; . . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Hebrews 11:5. In the midst of a world by its iniquity doomed to destruction, Enoch lived a life of such close communion with God that he was not permitted to fall under the power of death. The godly character of this prophet represents the state of holiness which must be attained by those who shall be "redeemed from the earth" (Revelation 14:3) at the time of Christ's second advent.(PP. p. 88,89)

So when we receive the final seal of God, as probation closes, Jesus comes to rescue the saints with all of the holy angels!

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city.

Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, "You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in." We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city. {EW 16.2}

Maranatha! Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

(Steve Billiter)

[Gerr]

So you claim the merits of Christ but you don't know what it is/they are?

Sorry that makes no sense to me. If there is an infinite list, you should at least be able to name a few.

I can provide you with Scriptural references for everyone I listed.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Sky, get a grip. I dislike voluminous posts on the board, which you are quite fond of producing. If I was to "set a trap" for you, you would never know it. I am not holding a personal grudge against you. Why should I?

You have written volumes about the merits of Christ, and I was tired of reading about something that had not been defined; hence, my agreement with Redwood that we'd seen enough of what you were writing. I started thinking that if the merits of Christ could be defined, I'd have something to hold on to...to think about.

Why are you so disturbed by my post???? Because you couldn't explain what you meant by "merits" and Gerry could???

[Woody]

One of the problems I see Rudywoofs ... is that much of it is a repeat over and over and over again. The same quotes and little discussion. I am a discussion person. If you can't put it in your own words ... I am really not interested in it. I don't mind some quotes to back things up if needed. But if you can't articulate it in your own words ... you probably don't know that of which you speak.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Yes, Redwood. I understand what you're saying.

[skyblue888]

"The prejudices and opinions that prevailed at Minneapolis are not dead by any means." T.M.467.

sky

[skyblue888]

So you claim the merits of Christ but you don't know what it is/they are?

Sorry that makes no sense to me. If there is an infinite list, you should at least be able to name a few.

I can provide you with Scriptural references for everyone I listed.

I do know what they are, they are the merits of His sacrifice, the merits of His shed blood, the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. That says everything I need to know.

sky

[Woody]

Quote:

I do know what they are, they are the merits of His sacrifice, the merits of His shed blood, the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. That says everything I need to know.

sky

Praise God. Then we don't need all that other stuff that gets posted about the 'merits'.

[skyblue888]

Quote:

1mer•it \ˈmer-ət, ˈme-rət\ n

[ME, fr. AF merite, fr. L meritum, fr. neut. of meritus, pp. of merēre to deserve, earn; akin to Gk meiresthai to receive as one’s portion, meros part'] 14c

1 a obs : reward or punishment due

b : the qualities or actions that constitute the basis of one’s deserts

c : a praiseworthy quality : virtue

d : character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem also : achievement

2 : spiritual credit held to be earned by performance of righteous acts and to ensure future benefits

3 a pl : the substance of a legal case apart from matters of jurisdiction, procedure, or form

b : individual significance or justification — mer•it•less \-ləs\ adj

———————

2merit vt

1526 : to be worthy of or entitled or liable to : earn vi 1 obs : to be entitled to reward or honor

2 : 

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

So what did Jesus deserve?

1. Because He did not participate in sin in the least, He deserve to be called righteous. When we appropriate the merits of Jesus into our lives, we are pronounced righteous/perfect by God.

2. Because Jesus was righteous and did not merit death, by appropriating His merits, we receive life.

3. Because Jesus merits respect, everyone appropriating His merits merit respect as well.

4. Because of His victory, He merited praise & honor. Likewise, when we appropriate His victory, the Father will praise & honor us, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and will even let us sit on the throne of Christ!

5. Because of His merits, "no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly," Ps 84:11

6. Because merited a crown for His victory, by appropriating His merits, we too shall receive a crown of victory.

7. Because He merited treatment as a Son, by His merits, we too are treated as sons & daughters of our heavenly Father.

8. Because He merited protection as a Son, by this merit we can too claim the same.

9. Because He merited every blessing heaven could provide, by His merit, every blessing in the heavenly places is ours as well.

Was there really a need to look into the dictionary in order to find a definition for the word "merit," as though we needed to be educated. We were all raised with the idea that everything in this life must be deserved, even salvation, before we can have it. All the religions in the world teach that, that salvation is gained through merits, the merits of the creature, instead of the divine merits of Jesus Christ.

I would say rather that He did not participate in sin because He was righteous. As we appropriate the merits of Christ we are not only pronounced righteous but we are made righteous in Christ.

In order to appropriate His victory we must first appropriate the all-sufficient merits of His great sacrifice. Then His victory is ours for then the Father clothes us with the same righteousness that was imparted to Him on account of His faith. The Father will say to the righteous, "Well done, good and faithful servant," because they always see themselves as unprofitable servants. The righteous will say, "We have done nothing at all. Christ did it all. It was His grace that enabled us to do the works for which you reward us. We could not have done these works in the strength of our own sinful natures. If we walk through the gates it will be solely on account of the merits of Christ's sacrifice.

All we need to know is that all the blessings of the Covenant of grace as assured to us through faith, that is, by appropriating the merits of His sacrifice, by claiming them. Then we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which brings all other blessings in its train. This is the gift that cannot be excelled and which is worthy of Christ's greatness and Royalty.

Yes by appropriating the merits of Christ's sacrifice we do become members of the Royal Family.

sky

[Woody]

Quote:

I could go on and on.

Ah. You say you could go on and on. Yes. We all know you could. But your short and to the point previous post said it all. No need to go further.

(Whoops. I see you deleted that thought. Just as well. We all knew it anyways.)

[skyblue888]

I meant i could go on and on as far as commenting upon Gerry's post.

But i do agree with you that my short and to the point previous post said it all.

sky