Salvation Percentage

[Guest]

Ok he became the perfect sacrifice, but when was he not perfect?

[jasd]

Umm, sorry, but I haven't the patience for circularity.

I'm reprising

Quote:

What does "being made perfect" say - linguistically?"

hoping you'll note the verbal tense...

and am dropping the matter.

[skyblue888]

What we need is the faith that works, the faith that works by love through faith in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. See 1 S.M.354.

My experience for the last 30 years has shown me that many of these debates we are having today over justfication and sanctification are still the same old arguments and counter-arguments which profit very little. As a result we have become a people as dry as the hills of Gilboa, wthout dew or rain. I am convinced that the reason these debates continue to go on and on with little results, if any, is because the simple message the Lord sent to us in 1888 is still ignored and made little of.

In the years that preceded the 1888 General Conference at Minneapolis, the theologians, the ministers, church members, conservatives and liberals alike, had been debating over the same issues "advitam eternam" without ever coming to an understanding of the truth. Among the people there were some who were hungering and thirsting for light. By day and by night, many were asking, What must I do to be saved? They were listening eagerly to popular discourses, hoping to learn how they might be justified before God. But too often they heard only a pleasing speech, an eloquent declamation. There were sad and disappointed hearts in every religious gathering. See Review and Herald, March 8, 1881.

Six years later, in the same Review and Herald of Feb.22, 1887, Mrs. White wrote, "There are many who want to know what they must do to be saved."

The next year, 1888, the Lord sent a most precious message. It was a clear and simple message as to what to do in order to be saved. The message was said to be just as simple as learning or accepting the alphabet.

Months later, on May 11, 1889, Mrs. White wrote,

"There seems to be a cloudy atmosphere that has gathered about the soul of man and that has shut in the mind. It is next to impossible to break through this atmosphere of doubt and unbelief. It is next to impossible to arouse his vital interests so that he may know what he must do to be saved." Manuscript 1, 1889.

On the same day, she wrote, "We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it."

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

If that message is just as simple as accepting the letters of the alphabet, then why are we continually debating over it as though it was so complicated?

As little children we accepted all of the letters of the alphabet by faith and because we did, we were soon able to use those letters to make words with them and in no time we learned to write sentences with those words. If we had refused to accept these simple letters of the alphabet by faith, we would never have been able to learn the English language and we would have lost all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of the English language.

If we, as little children, would receive the letters of the spiritual alphabet of God, especially as God sent these letters to us more than 120 years ago, we would be blessed with all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God and we would be united as a people and the Lord could finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.

The problem is that whenever efforts are made to present this message in clear, distinct lines, the enemy casts his shadow across our pathway to intercept every ray of heavenly light.

Shortly after the Minneapolis meeting, Mrs. White wrote:

"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." Review and Herald, Sept.3, 1889.

These words were penned at a time when God designed that the precious light of truth which He sent in 1888 should come to His professed people as the latter rain. Five years after this illustrious conference, Mrs. White wrote, "We have been in the time of the latter rain since the Minneapolis meeting." 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.377.

Three years later she had this to say about the message and its reception:

"Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been kept away from the world." Letter 96, 1896.

That same year, she wrote, "Many have listened to the truth spoken in demonstration of the Spirit, and they have not only refused to accept the message, but they have hated and the light. These men are parties to the ruin of souls. They have interposed themselves between the heaven-sent light and the people. They have trampled upon the word of God and are doing despite to His Holy Spirit." T.M.91.

Again, that same year, she wrote, "The people to whom God had entrusted eternal interests, the depositories of truth pregnant with eternal results, the keepers of light that is to illuminate the whole earth, have lost their bearings." T.M.397.

How can we find our spiritual bearings back? Simply by accepting that most precious message that the Lord sent to us in 1888.

"The only remedy is belief in the truth, acceptance of the light." T.M.91.

The light that was sent in 1888 can be summerized in a few simple words:

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

These most simple words were penned on November 4, 1890, two years after the Minneapolis conference.

On that same day, Mrs. White wrote, "The only way in which the sinner can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ."

Why? Simply because "The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." S.C.36.

Daily we are to come to God as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent, trusting wholly in the merits of the blood shed for us upon Calvary's cross. Then the Father receives us to Himself and clothes us with the robe of Christ's righteousness which imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the repentance, all the inclination, and all the pardon of sins. And His righteousness is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. It accomplishes everything. See F.W.24,27 and T.M.92,93,97.

This is how faith is accounted righteousness and the Father loves us as He loves His only-begotten Son! To all who receive, believe, and act upon this most simple message, the Father says, "This is by beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased." And the pardoned soul may go on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light, and from victory to victory, for "When we seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress." F.W.94,100,101.

sky

"Present your case before God pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross." F.W.106.

Say, "Lord, I have no goodness or merit within whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before You the all-sufficient merits of the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This is my only plea."

This is the prayer of faith which ascends to God as sweet incense. It is heard in the courts above and great grace is imparted to those who say those words from the heart every day.

[Guest]

Amen Brother

That is very sobering.

[skyblue888]

Yes brother Richard, indeed it is sobering. Whenever I think of this message, I marvel at its simplicity and I am sad to see how little understood it is or appreciated for what it is. I also think of the enemy who hates this message so much because he hates God and Christ and he hates the thought that fallen human beings may lay claim upon the merits of that great sacrifice and be elevated in the scales of moral value where he himself sought to elevate himself by force. Satan is so jealous of us that his hatred knows no bounds. He will do anything he can to prevent anyone to receive this message for he knows that if it is accepted, he is a defeated foe for the angels of God will be around us like a wall of fire and the righteousness of Christ will go before us and the glory of God will be our rearward.

sky

* by the way, Richard, I edited my last post to correct a few typos and re-wrote a few sentences.

[Twilight]

What we need is the faith that works, the faith that works by love through faith in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. See 1 S.M.354.

My experience for the last 30 years has shown me that many of these debates we are having today over justfication and sanctification are still the same old arguments and counter-arguments which profit very little. As a result we have become a people as dry as the hills of Gilboa, wthout dew or rain. I am convinced that the reason these debates continue to go on and on with little results, if any, is because the simple message the Lord sent to us in 1888 is still ignored and made little of.

In the years that preceded the 1888 General Conference at Minneapolis, the theologians, the ministers, church members, conservatives and liberals alike, had been debating over the same issues "advitam eternam" without ever coming to an understanding of the truth. Among the people there were some who were hungering and thirsting for light. By day and by night, many were asking, What must I do to be saved? They were listening eagerly to popular discourses, hoping to learn how they might be justified before God. But too often they heard only a pleasing speech, an eloquent declamation. There were sad and disappointed hearts in every religious gathering. See Review and Herald, March 8, 1881.

Six years later, in the same Review and Herald of Feb.22, 1887, Mrs. White wrote, "There are many who want to know what they must do to be saved."

The next year, 1888, the Lord sent a most precious message. It was a clear and simple message as to what to do in order to be saved. The message was said to be just as simple as learning or accepting the alphabet.

Months later, on May 11, 1889, Mrs. White wrote,

"There seems to be a cloudy atmosphere that has gathered about the soul of man and that has shut in the mind. It is next to impossible to break through this atmosphere of doubt and unbelief. It is next to impossible to arouse his vital interests so that he may know what he must do to be saved." Manuscript 1, 1889.

On the same day, she wrote, "We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it."

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

If that message is just as simple as accepting the letters of the alphabet, then why are we continually debating over it as though it was so complicated?

As little children we accepted all of the letters of the alphabet by faith and because we did, we were soon able to use those letters to make words with them and in no time we learned to write sentences with those words. If we had refused to accept these simple letters of the alphabet by faith, we would never have been able to learn the English language and we would have lost all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of the English language.

If we, as little children, would receive the letters of the spiritual alphabet of God, especially as God sent these letters to us more than 120 years ago, we would be blessed with all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God and we would be united as a people and the Lord could finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.

The problem is that whenever efforts are made to present this message in clear, distinct lines, the enemy casts his shadow across our pathway to intercept every ray of heavenly light.

Shortly after the Minneapolis meeting, Mrs. White wrote:

"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." Review and Herald, Sept.3, 1889.

These words were penned at a time when God designed that the precious light of truth which He sent in 1888 should come to His professed people as the latter rain. Five years after this illustrious conference, Mrs. White wrote, "We have been in the time of the latter rain since the Minneapolis meeting." 1893 General Conference Bulletin, p.377.

Three years later she had this to say about the message and its reception:

"Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been kept away from the world." Letter 96, 1896.

That same year, she wrote, "Many have listened to the truth spoken in demonstration of the Spirit, and they have not only refused to accept the message, but they have hated and the light. These men are parties to the ruin of souls. They have interposed themselves between the heaven-sent light and the people. They have trampled upon the word of God and are doing despite to His Holy Spirit." T.M.91.

Again, that same year, she wrote, "The people to whom God had entrusted eternal interests, the depositories of truth pregnant with eternal results, the keepers of light that is to illuminate the whole earth, have lost their bearings." T.M.397.

How can we find our spiritual bearings back? Simply by accepting that most precious message that the Lord sent to us in 1888.

"The only remedy is belief in the truth, acceptance of the light." T.M.91.

The light that was sent in 1888 can be summerized in a few simple words:

"Faith can lay hold of the [color:#990000]merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin."

These most simple words were penned on November 4, 1890, two years after the Minneapolis conference.

On that same day, Mrs. White wrote, "The only way in which the sinner can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ."

Why? Simply because "The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." S.C.36.

Daily we are to come to God as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent, trusting wholly in the merits of the blood shed for us upon Calvary's cross. Then the Father receives us to Himself and clothes us with the robe of Christ's righteousness which imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the repentance, all the inclination, and all the pardon of sins. And His righteousness is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. It accomplishes everything. See F.W.24,27 and T.M.92,93,97.

This is how faith is accounted righteousness and the Father loves us as He loves His only-begotten Son! To all who receive, believe, and act upon this most simple message, the Father says, "This is by beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased." And the pardoned soul may go on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light, and from victory to victory, for "When we seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress." F.W.94,100,101.

sky

"Present your case before God pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross." F.W.106.

Say, "Lord, I have no goodness or merit within whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before You the all-sufficient merits of the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This is my only plea."

This is the prayer of faith which ascends to God as sweet incense. It is heard in the courts above and great grace is imparted to those who say those words from the heart every day.

Amen and praise God :-)

Mark