Jesus is coming soon...

[Twilight]

But there is an understanding from Mark 4:26-29 that harvest time is when the corn of Christ's character will have been brought to full maturity (the latter rain will bring it to maturity, the full corn will be in the ear) which means that spiritually some will "come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph.4:13. This is harvest time when the character of Christ is affixed and this will have been achieved prior to the close of probation.

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." C.O.L. p.69.

sky

This is the "sign" I am looking for.

In my own experience and in others.

Are there amongst Gods people that are learning how to overcome in Christ's strength.

If there are, then this prophecy is on its way to fulfillment.

And I believe it is happening in many peoples experience.

Victory is becoming a reality through primitive practical Godliness.

That means we should sit up and take notice...

Jesus is waiting for His people to learn how to overcome.

When they do, He is coming back...

Thoughts?

Mark

[skyblue888]

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27.

"If divine power does not combine with human effort, I would not give a straw for all that the strongest man could do." 1 S.M.411.

"Separate humanity from divinity, and you can try to work out your own righteousness from now till Christ comes, and it will be nothing but a failure." F.W.71.

But "When we seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ the soul makes progress... from strength to strength, from victory to victory, for through Christ the grace of God has worked out our complete salvation." F.W.94.

This last statement indicates how important it is that we seek to gain the grace of the Holy Spirit (divinity) through the merits of Christ.

"Looking unto Jesus and trusting in His merits, we appropriate the blessings of light and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." 5 T 744.

Notice what the blessing of "light" in the Holy Spirit is: "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." M.B.18; M.H.115.

So when we talk about righteousness by faith, we are talking about receiving the light of the Holy Spirit, and that light is the love of God or the life of God, the life of the Infinite One.

That explains why the servant of the Lord wrote these most interesting words: "The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour: which appropriates His merits to ourselves." D.A.347.

Because as we appropriate the merits of Christ to ourselves on a daily basis, we become partakers of the Divinity of Christ through the endowment of the Holy Spirit and then the love of God is diffused through our whole being and this is how we are made "more than conquerors" (Rom.8:37) over all our inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil and the character of Christ is impressed upon us until the full corn is in the ear. Mark 4:26-29.

"Thus through the Agency of the Holy Spirit man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. He is accepted in the Beloved." D.A.675.

sky

[Stewart (SDA)]

I agree with you Mark.

_________

Stewart

[LifeHiscost]

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27.

sky

Agreed, with this comment representing all the others in your original post.

Isn't it interesting that Billy Graham, an evangelist who commanded audiences of tens of thousands before it was fashionable without the aid of present day technologies, recognized that reality over 50 years ago. It was about that time

there were approximately 600,000 Seventh Day Adventists in all the world.

What a loss that we could not, as a church, have picked up on his ability to believe the Scriptures, wherein lay that truth all the time.

I do not say this as a criticism, only as a reflection on how human kind as a general rule, tends to accept the lowest common denominator, which is indicative of little or no involvement with the reading of the Scriptures, which is where the Holy Spirit does His greatest measure of teaching and from which the children of men can obtain the greatest measure of His power.

Blessings!

[Guest]

Wow Life, That was deep. And oh so true.

[Twilight]

Originally Posted By: skyblue888

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27.

sky

Agreed, with this comment representing all the others in your original post.

Isn't it interesting that Billy Graham, an evangelist who commanded audiences of tens of thousands before it was fashionable without the aid of present day technologies, recognized that reality over 50 years ago. It was about that time

there were approximately 600,000 Seventh Day Adventists in all the world.

What a loss that we could not, as a church, have picked up on his ability to believe the Scriptures, wherein lay that truth all the time.

I do not say this as a criticism, only as a reflection on how human kind as a general rule, tends to accept the lowest common denominator, which is indicative of little or no involvement with the reading of the Scriptures, which is where the Holy Spirit does His greatest measure of teaching and from which the children of men can obtain the greatest measure of His power.

Blessings!

The problem with error is that it attaches itself to our sins...

So to give up error often means giving up sins.

That is why we want to scrape under the bar with as little effort as possible in my view.

Mark :-)

[Gerr]

Quote:

Notice what the blessing of "light" in the Holy Spirit is: "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." M.B.18; M.H.115.

So when we talk about righteousness by faith, we are talking about receiving the light of the Holy Spirit, and that light is the love of God or the life of God, the life of the Infinite One.

So then, "righteousness by faith" is not only the righteousness bestowed at justification, but also the righteousness that God works IN in sanctification. Both are by/through faith alone.

[BobRyan]

Originally Posted By: skyblue888

But there is an understanding from Mark 4:26-29 that harvest time is when the corn of Christ's character will have been brought to full maturity (the latter rain will bring it to maturity, the full corn will be in the ear) which means that spiritually some will "come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph.4:13. This is harvest time when the character of Christ is affixed and this will have been achieved prior to the close of probation.

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." C.O.L. p.69.

sky

This is the "sign" I am looking for.

In my own experience and in others.

Are there amongst Gods people that are learning how to overcome in Christ's strength.

If there are, then this prophecy is on its way to fulfillment.

And I believe it is happening in many peoples experience.

Victory is becoming a reality through primitive practical Godliness.

That means we should sit up and take notice...

Jesus is waiting for His people to learn how to overcome.

When they do, He is coming back...

Thoughts?

Mark

It is a chilling thought indeed. Even more that Ellen White points to this purity of heart as a condition to the sealing and the sealing itself as the "drawing of God's protective covering" in preparation for the plagues and especially Armageddon.

Very often we have thought of those who are sealed being nothing more than a stamp of certainty on those who are "determined" or "settled in the faith" so as not to waver between the doctrines of truth anymore.

But Ellen White argues that they also need to be in a condition of purity that they did not possess in her day and still do not today - to be sealed.

What a shocker.

Question - when does a new believer find out about this?

We would not say it during an evangelistic series because we would not be able to quote Ellen White as a "source" for new Christians. They first would need to master the doctrines of the church "sola scriptura".

You don't hear it from the pulpit - possibly for fear that a first time visitor might be attending.

When do they hear it?

in Christ,

Bob

[Twilight]

Originally Posted By: Twilight

This is the "sign" I am looking for.

In my own experience and in others.

Are there amongst Gods people that are learning how to overcome in Christ's strength.

If there are, then this prophecy is on its way to fulfillment.

And I believe it is happening in many peoples experience.

Victory is becoming a reality through primitive practical Godliness.

That means we should sit up and take notice...

Jesus is waiting for His people to learn how to overcome.

When they do, He is coming back...

Thoughts?

Mark

[/quote']

It is a chilling thought indeed. Even more that Ellen White points to this purity of heart as a condition to the sealing and the sealing itself as the "drawing of God's protective covering" in preparation for the plagues and especially Armageddon.

Very often we have thought of those who are sealed being nothing more than a stamp of certainty on those who are "determined" or "settled in the faith" so as not to waver between the doctrines of truth anymore.

But Ellen White argues that they also need to be in a condition of purity that they did not possess in her day and still do not today - to be sealed.

What a shocker.

Question - when does a new believer find out about this?

We would not say it during an evangelistic series because we would not be able to quote Ellen White as a "source" for new Christians. They first would need to master the doctrines of the church "sola scriptura".

You don't hear it from the pulpit - possibly for fear that a first time visitor might be attending.

When do they hear it?

in Christ,

Bob

When will the established members hear it and will they receive it is another question Bob. :-)

Mark

[Woody]

Quote:

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27

According to the White Estate .... Ellen White never made the above statement. For certain ... it is not in the above reference.

[skyblue888]

Here is the full statement from F.W. p.27:

"The law of the human and the divine action makes the receiver a laborer together with God. It brings man where he can, united with divinity, work the works of God. Humanity touches humanity. Divine power and the human agency combined will be a complete success, for Chrit's righteousness accomplishes everything." F.W.27.

Commenting upon the parable of Matt.22, the parable of the wedding garment, Mrs. White writes,

"By the marriage is represented the union of humanity and divinity." C.O.L.307.

"With humanity and divinity combined you can accomplish a work as enduring as eternity." F.W.27.

sky

"The condescension and agony of God's dear Son were not endured to purchase for man liberty to transgress the Father's law and yet sit down with Christ in His throne. It was that through His merits and the exercise of repentance and faith the most guilty sinner might receive pardon and obtain strength to live a life of obedience. The sinner is not saved in his sins but from his sins." F.W.31.

This "strength" to live a life of obedience is nothing short of Divinity.

"It is impossible for an individual to experience Bible sanctification while he holds that if he believes in Christ it is immaterial whether he obeys God's law or disobeys it." F.W.31.

[skyblue888]

Originally Posted By: skyblue888

But there is an understanding from Mark 4:26-29 that harvest time is when the corn of Christ's character will have been brought to full maturity (the latter rain will bring it to maturity, the full corn will be in the ear) which means that spiritually some will "come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph.4:13. This is harvest time when the character of Christ is affixed and this will have been achieved prior to the close of probation.

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." C.O.L. p.69.

sky

This is the "sign" I am looking for.

In my own experience and in others.

Are there amongst Gods people that are learning how to overcome in Christ's strength.

If there are, then this prophecy is on its way to fulfillment.

And I believe it is happening in many peoples experience.

Victory is becoming a reality through primitive practical Godliness.

That means we should sit up and take notice...

Jesus is waiting for His people to learn how to overcome.

When they do, He is coming back...

Thoughts?

Mark

"God's law is the mirror presenting a complete reflection of the man as he is, and holding up before him the correct likeness. Some will turn away and forget this picture, while others will employ abusive epithets against the law, as though this would cure their defects of character. Still others who are condemned by the law will repent of their transgressions and, through faith in Christ's merits, will perfect Christian's character." F.W.31.

Some say we can't preach this from the Scriptures but only from Ellen White. This is what the Scriptures teach everywhere but we don't see it. Mark 4:26-28 teaches it. Christ will come again when the full corn of His character is perfectly reproduced in His people.

If the ministers introduced the merits of Christ to their new "converts" and taught them the necessity of appropriating them by faith, and if they would teach them that as they do this the Father clothes them with the robe of Christ's righteousness which is the full armour of God and that this is how they are made "more than conquerors" in the battle against temptation, I believe there would be a true revival of primitive faith and godliness and the Lord could finish the work and cut it short in righteousness.

sky

[skyblue888]

Quote:

Notice what the blessing of "light" in the Holy Spirit is: "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." M.B.18; M.H.115.

So when we talk about righteousness by faith, we are talking about receiving the light of the Holy Spirit, and that light is the love of God or the life of God, the life of the Infinite One.

So then, "righteousness by faith" is not only the righteousness bestowed at justification, but also the righteousness that God works IN in sanctification. Both are by/through faith alone.

Yes, both are by/through faith in the merits of Christ alone.

sky

[John317]

Quote:

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27

According to the White Estate .... Ellen White never made the above statement. For certain ... it is not in the above reference.

Please show reference from the Estate that this is not an authentic statement by Ellen White.

This link will take you to the quote:

http://www.egwtext.WhiteEstate.org/cgi-bin/egw2html?C=22922249&K=142807083110902335

As skyblue says, this righteousness of Christ is not only the imputed but the imparted righteousness.

"It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour." COL 310.

[Woody]

Quote:

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27

Again ... I must insist that Ellen White never said this quote. It is not in FW27 and if you would like to cut and paste it to the White Estate web site ... you will find that Ellen White never said them anywhere.

[Bravus]

Seems pretty clear and simple to me: if God's character being perfectly represented by his people is the criterion, then the thread title is hopeful fiction. Wish it were otherwise...

[Woody]

Good Point Bravus. We are all sinners. Praise God He loves and accepts me and gives me Grace ... or His life and death was meaningless.

[John317]

Quote:

"Divinity and humanity combined will be a complete success." F.W.27

Again ... I must insist that Ellen White never said this quote. It is not in FW27 and if you would like to cut and paste it to the White Estate web site ... you will find that Ellen White never said them anywhere.

The entire sentence is: "Divine power and the human agency combined will be a complete success, for Christ's righteousness accomplishes everything."

It on the Ellen White Estate Website at this link,

http://www.egwtext.WhiteEstate.org/cgi-bin/egw2html?C=22922249&K=142807083110902335

and it is also in my copy of Faith and Works, page. 27 (1979). It is found in Ms. 36, 1890, and was published in the Review and Herald, Feb. 24 and March 3, 1977.

[Lutz13]

It is also here:

Faith and Works

Just go to page 27, you will see it.

[Gerr]

Good Point Bravus. We are all sinners. Praise God He loves and accepts me and gives me Grace ... or His life and death was meaningless.

Meaningless indeed if so-called saved people continue to willfully & deliberately sin even after they have been "saved."

[Bravus]

If Ellen White said that (and it's pretty clear she did), then in that sentence she taught heresy. I think that's also pretty clear. I don't know how people who belive in her infallibility deal with that - perhaps with some kind of mental calisthenics. Or, I guess, they join her in her heresy. But the doctrine that human efforts have any contributary role in salvation is most certainly heretical.

[BobRyan]

Quote:

The soul temple is to be sacred, holy, pure, and undefiled. There must be a copartnership in which all the power is of God

27

and all the glory belongs to God. The responsibility rests with us. We must receive in thoughts and in feelings, to give in expression. The law of the human and the divine action makes the receiver a laborer together with God. It brings man where he can, united with divinity, work the works of God. Humanity touches humanity. Divine power and the human agency combined will be a complete success, for Christ's righteousness accomplishes everything. {FW 26.3}

Supernatural Power for Supernatural Works

The reason so many fail to be successful laborers is that they act as though God depended on them, and they are to suggest to God what He chooses to do with them, in the place of their depending on God. They lay aside the supernatural power and fail to do the supernatural work. They are all the time depending on their own and their brethren's human powers. They are narrow in themselves and are always judging after their finite human comprehension. They need uplifting, for they have no power from on high. God gives us bodies, strength of brain, time and opportunity in which to work. It is required that all be put to the tax. With humanity and divinity combined you can accomplish a work as enduring as eternity

http://egwdatabase.whiteestate.org/nxt/g...pter01408.htm#1

BOOKS/FW - Faith and Works (1979)/Chap. 1 - Ellen White Clarifies the Issues

It is called "Arminianism" -- turns out we are not Calvinists.

By contrast a 4 point Calvinist option would be that you are saved no matter what you do.

in Christ,

Bob

[wayfinder]

Chapter Title: Ministers of Righteousness

Paul, The Apostle to the Gentiles

Foremost among those called to preach the gospel of Christ stands the apostle Paul, to every minister an example of loyalty, devotion, and untiring effort. His experiences and his instruction regarding the sacredness of the minister's work, are a source of help and inspiration to those engaged in the gospel ministry. Gospel Workers (1915), page 58, paragraph 1

She thought very highly of Paul, who is the only "apostle" who teaches salvation by faith through grace.

Chapter Title: On Publishing Conflicting Views

That which our people must have interwoven with their life and character is the unfolding of the plan of redemption and more elevated conceptions of God and His holiness, brought into the life. The washing of the robes of character in the blood of the Lamb is a work that we must attend to earnestly while every defect of character is to be put away. Thus are we working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The Lord is working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. We need Jesus abiding in the heart, a constant living wellspring; then the streams flowing from the living fountain will be pure, sweet, and heavenly. Then the foretaste of heaven will be given to the humble in heart. Counsels to Writers and Editors (1946), page 81, paragraph 2

"every defect of character is to be put away" doesn't sound like grace to me.

[BobRyan]

Thus are we working out our own salvation with fear and trembling -- Phil 2.

"for it is not the hearers of the law that are just before God but the DOERS of the Law WILL be Justified... on the day when according to my GOSPEL God will judge the secrets of all mankind" Romans 2

"Not everyone who SAYS Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who DOES the will of My Father" Matt 7.

Then of course we have the example of "Forgiveness revoked" in Matt 18 where a fully forgiven servant -- does not forgive his fellow servant -- and all of his full forgiveness is then revoked.

Romans 11 "You stand only by your faith... you should FEAR for if He did not spare them neither will he spare you".

once you go down that Arminian road - a lot of texts suddenly pop up as "applicable".

in Christ,

Bob

[there buster]

Reading the larger context clears up the problems.

Quote:

"Ye are God's husbandry" (1 Corinthians 3:9). The heart is to be worked, subdued, plowed, harrowed, seeded, to bring forth its harvest to God in good works. "Ye are God's building." You cannot build yourself. There is a Power outside of yourself that must do the building of the church, putting brick upon brick, always cooperating with the faculties and powers given of God to man. The Redeemer must find a home in His building. God works and man works. There needs to be a continual taking in of the gifts of God, in order that there may be as free a giving out of these gifts. It is a continual receiving and then restoring. The Lord has provided that the soul shall receive nourishment from Him, to be given out again in the working out of His purposes. In order that there be an outflowing, there must be an income of divinity to humanity. "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (2 Corinthians 6:16).

The soul temple is to be sacred, holy, pure, and undefiled. There must be a copartnership in which all the power is of God

[27] and all the glory belongs to God. The responsibility rests with us. We must receive in thoughts and in feelings, to give in expression. The law of the human and the divine action makes the receiver a laborer together with God. It brings man where he can, united with divinity, work the works of God. Humanity touches humanity. Divine power and the human agency combined will be a complete success, for Christ's righteousness accomplishes everything.

The reason so many fail to be successful laborers is that they act as though God depended on them, and they are to suggest to God what He chooses to do with them, in the place of their depending on God. They lay aside the supernatural power and fail to do the supernatural work. They are all the time depending on their own and their brethren's human powers. They are narrow in themselves and are always judging after their finite human comprehension. They need uplifting, for they have no power from on high. God gives us bodies, strength of brain, time and opportunity in which to work. It is required that all be put to the tax. With humanity and divinity combined you can accomplish a work as enduring as eternity. When men think the Lord has made a mistake in their individual cases, and they appoint their own work, they will meet with disappointment.

Note the following:

There is a Power outside of yourself that must do the building of the church, putting brick upon brick, always cooperating with the faculties and powers given of God to man. The Redeemer must find a home in His building.

and this:

The reason so many fail to be successful laborers is that they act as though God depended on them, and they are to suggest to God what He chooses to do with them, in the place of their depending on God. They lay aside the supernatural power and fail to do the supernatural work.

This passage is not about individual sanctification but about being laborers building the church. The larger context makes that clear.