Saved IN our sins ... Tom Hughes PART 2 ...

[Woody]

By popular demand ... more of Tom Hughes on this topic was requested. Here it is ...

We are saved from our sins and not in them?

Pastor Tom Hughes

As an Adventist I have often heard ministers say we are “Saved FROM our sins, not IN our sins”. This has often inspired more confusion and needless guilt than it has motivated people to live a more sanctified life. Those who say this often are perfectionists who believe they can reach a state of sinless perfection before Jesus comes through character development. If they mean our sins are “taken away” in the sense that Jesus died for them, and through justification we no longer have “our sins”, then I say AMEN! If they are saying we should not cherish sin and practice iniquity I say Amen. However if they mean God removes all sinning from sinners before the Second Coming, I have to object to this distortion. The Bible teaches that we have sin, and that we are sinful until Jesus comes. All have sinned, there is none good but God and Paul had not yet arrived when he died. Paul said that nothing good dwelled in him and that he was a wretched sinner. (“Oh wretched man that I AM” not was[ii]) If the Bible admonishes us not to say we have no sin,[iii] then we must therefore be saved in sin. Romans 5: 8 reads: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This ground has already been taken and staked out in the 27 Fundamentals of our faith, “People can never claim that perfection independently…Apart from Christ human beings cannot obtain righteousness” “Some incorrectly believe the ultimate perfection that glorification will bring is already available to humans…Perfection now is ours only in Christ, but the ultimate, all comprehensive transformation of our lives into the image of God will take place at the Second Advent” “Neither Christlike character traits nor faultless behavior is the ground of our acceptance with God. Saving righteousness comes from one righteous Man, Jesus, and is conveyed to us by the Holy Spirit. We can contribute nothing to Christ’s gift of righteousness; we can only receive it. No one other than Christ is righteous (Rom. 3:10); independent human righteousness is only filthy rags. (Isa. 64:6; see also Dan 9:7, 11, 20; 1 Cor. 1: 30)[iv] As Paul and our church has stated, we ARE great sinners, but Jesus is a great Savior!

Ellen White writes that the noblest and gentlest among men are but a faint reflection of Christ’s character[v], and that only the perfect flawless character of Christ is sufficient to merit salvation. She also writes categorically that “No one is perfect but Jesus”. [vi] So for ministers to suggest we have to equal Christ’s accomplishments by producing a flawless character before Jesus steps out of the sanctuary is totally false.

Let’s review some of the statements that make is clear we are still sinners, with a sinful nature, in need of forgiveness and grace.

“The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor, who is at God's right hand, presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. SM, 1:344, 345.

Those whose hearts have been moved by the convicting Spirit of God see that there is nothing good in themselves. They see that all they have ever done is mingled with self and sin. Like the poor publican, they stand afar off, not daring to lift up so much as their eyes to heaven, and cry, "God, be merciful to me the sinner." Luke 18:13, R.V., margin. And they are blessed. {MB 7, 8}

Jesus loves to have us come to Him, just as we are--sinful, helpless, dependent. We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend ourselves to divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves or to our good works; but when as erring, sinful beings we come to Christ, we may find rest in His love. FW 38

Neither Joseph, Daniel, nor any of the apostles claimed to be without sin. Men who have … acknowledged themselves to be sinners, unworthy of His great favors. They have felt their weakness and, sorrowful for their sins, have tried to copy the pattern Jesus Christ. {FW 43}

The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. SC 64

The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ. … A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power.” SC 64, 65

Men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. AA 561

Apart from Christ we have no merit, no righteousness. Our sinfulness, our weakness, our human imperfection make it impossible that we should appear before God unless we are clothed in Christ's spotless righteousness.” God’s Amazing Grace p.183

God declares, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom 3:10). All have the same sinful nature. All are liable to make mistakes. No one is perfect. The Lord Jesus died for the erring that they might be forgiven. It is not our work to condemn. Christ did not come to condemn, but to save.” In Heavenly Places p. 292

From these statements we can see that Ellen White agreed with the Apostle Paul in acknowledging that we have a sinful nature and that we must never consider ourselves to have arrived at a point of sinlessness. She makes it crystal clear in this statement: “So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.” AA 560

So until Jesus comes, we will need God’s saving grace while we are “IN” sin and while he is helping us to separate from our sinfulness through the process of sanctification. Until we receive our new nature, we must consider ourselves sinners, being saved by grace, and transformed into his image. That total transformation will come, but not as long as Satan reigns and we have self to subdue! Some paint a picture of sinners removing sin from their experience until they reach a perfection and sinlessness equal to Christ’s character in this life and of removing sin to the point of not sinning anymore. However, Ellen White paints a picture of the believer’s experience that is entirely different from this. She paints a picture of believers who find that the closer they get to Jesus, the more they see their own faults and imperfection and actually seem to get worse![vii] But according to the false teachers, you will see your perfection grow until you reach total Christlikeness when Jesus steps out of the Sanctuary. This is nothing short of blasphemy. Ellen White puts clarifies the point this way:

“I ask, How can I present this matter as it is? The Lord Jesus imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination, all the pardon of sins, in presenting His righteousness for man to grasp by living faith--which is also the gift of God. If you 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 in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason. {FW 24.1}

I’m happy Jesus is able to save us in, and forever from sin in all its forms! Christ is able to subdue all things unto himself! Let us proclaim with the angels in the very throne room of God; Praise to You, oh Lamb of God because “You alone are worthy”! Rev. 15: 4

1 JN 1: 8; LK 18: 19; Isaiah 64: 6; Rom. 3: 0-12; 20-23; PS 14; Philippians 3: 3, 8-9

[ii] Romans 7: 18, 24

[iii] 1 John 1: 8

[iv] 27 Fundamentals of the Faith pp. 127-131

[v] MB 49

[vi] TIMKH 136

[vii] SC 64, 65