what alone will bring unity among the believers?

[skyblue888]

If there is to be unity in the faith among us we must first know what the message of the righteousness of Christ is in clear, distinct lines, as far as the 1888 message is concerned, and then receive it, believe it, and act upon it.

Having the 1888 message in mind, Mrs. White wrote, "The only remedy is belief in the truth, acceptance of the light." T.M.91. We are clearly told from the same source that if that message had been received, believed, and acted upon, the whole earth would have been lightened with the glory of God and Christ would have come to take His people with Him.

Personally I spent 21 long years digging and searching for that message, from 1978 to 1999. In 1978 I enrolled for the theology program at Canadian Union College, Alberta, Canada. It was there that it all began for me as far as learning that the message had been resisted when it was presented to the ministers and leading men and in a large degree that light has been kept away from our people and from the world ever since. Lots of water under the bridge since but to make a long story short, it wasn't until January of 1999 that the Lord was finally able to get through my thick head to make me see the beauty and simplicity of the matter of salvation as it was revealed and understood by Mrs. White. Of course Jones and Waggoner were chosen of God to first present that message but I believe Mrs. White was the only one who, after the conference, was able to show how simple that message really was.

On the 11th of May 1889, having the 1888 message of salvation in mind, she wrote, "The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." Manuscript, 1, 1889.

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[skyblue888]

The Holy Spirit stated through Mrs. White that the matter of salvation was just as simple as ABC, just as simple as accepting the alphabet! And yet the same Holy Spirit also declared that, as a people, we did not understand it. In fact the Holy Spirit sent another testimony to the effect that there was not one in one hundred who understood for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare. (1 S.M.360) Why is that? On that same page, immediately following the last sentence quoted, we read,

"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."

This is what happened in 1888 when what Mrs. White identified as the "true light" finally shone upon the people. Satan is working against this message all the time. We read, "Satan is still active and vigilant. With all possible deception Satan will manifest his power, calling to his aid all the fallen angels of his realm," (G.C.398) to intercept the heavenly illumination. This is what he did in the days of Christ, in the days of the Reformation, and between 1888 and 1901. He was so successful in his efforts to intercept the heaven-sent light that in 1901 the Lord sent this testimony:

"We may have to remain in this world because of our insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel." Evangelism, p.696.

We are in 2010 now, 110 years later!

What is this message which some declared to be "more illusive than any in the history of past ages?" Can we know it that we may receive it, believe it, and act upon it?

It is just as simple as accepting the alphabet.

In my next post I will share how this message all came together for me.

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[skyblue888]

As I said in my previous post, it was in January of 1999 that my blind eyes were finally open to see and understand the beauty and simplicity of the message the Holy Spirit Himself had described as being "a most precious message" sent to God's people in 1888 and which was resisted by the ministers and leading men. See T.M.91 and 1 S.M.234,235. It was said that this message was "the true light" which was to lighten the whole earth with the glory of God. It was also stated that this was the precious truth that the disciples of Christ, in all ages of the world, had to learn, if they were to obtain a living connection with God. Therefore it is the faith that is so essential for our salvation, for our present and eternal welfare. In fact it is written that it is the only true faith, the only faith that will benefit us!

The Holy Spirit also said that this faith was the "true religion," "the only religion of the Bible," and that by exercising this "simple faith" or "living faith," we may become one with Christ as He is one with the Father.

But in order for us to exercise this faith, we must receive the message just as God sent it, just as He said it, and just as He meant it. Otherwise we cannot benefit from it. Remember that statement I quoted earlier? "The storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are you prepared to meet it? Are you one with Christ as He is one with the Father?" As God's professed people, in order for us to become one with Christ as He is one with the Father, we must receive, believe, and act upon this simple message of truth. And yet it is a most precious message which, again, was said to be "the true light."

In January of 1999, after many years of painstaking efforts to discover what that "illusive" message was, and feeling like never before a despairing sense of the weakness of self, I was impressed to read the book Patriarchs and Prophets all over again. I don't know how many times I had read this book in the past 20 years, like The Desire of Ages, and yet I had never noticed the words I am about to share with you, so simple and yet if we receive them, believe them, and act upon them, all the law and the prophets will be fulfilled in our lives and we shall be the light of the world indeed! So I followed the impression and started to re-read that book, totally unaware that this time my eyes would fall upon the very message which some had declared to be more illusive than any in the history of past ages! After I read the first 200 pages, like never before in my life, I felt even more helpless. I felt utterly helpless as I read the chapters dealing with the Israelites at Sinai and the preparation for Moses to meet Jesus on the mount. I was overwhelmed and felt like there was no hope for me. I kept asking myself, Who then can be saved? Not a pretty feeling especially that I had spent the last 20 years, as an adventist, searching desperately for something no one seemed to clearly understand. I was aware that I was not alone feeling as I did, so frustrated.

How to overcome like Jesus!!!??? A noble aim yet so illusive for most of us, I am sure. Right? Until I reached page 203 of the book. I literally felt my eyes being drawn to the words I am about to share with you. After I read these words, I was astonished how simple the matter of salvation was. Just as simple as ABC, as stated by Mrs. White. I kept asking myself why I hadn't heard this preached from the pulpits before, why I had not read about this in the Sabbath School Lesson or from adventist authors other than E. G. White. I knew there and then that the Holy Spirit had just taught me in one moment more than all the great men of the earth could have in a life time. These simple words made an indelible impression upon my mind and heart. Here they are, in all their beauty and simplicity, the words that changed everything for me. The words that made all the difference in my life. The words that I found to be so illuminating in their influence and saving in their power and since that day they have been shining brighter and brighter as I have compared statement with statement dealing with this Bible truth which the Holy Spirit said not one in one hundred understood for himself!

"We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this." P.P.203.

None will ever perish while they do what? Trust in the MERITS of the crucified and risen Saviour.

This can only mean that by trusting in the merits of Christ and in the merits of Christ alone for our salvation, all the blessings of the Covenant of grace are assured to us and, therefore, as we exercise this simple faith, we receive the blessings of pardon and peace and joy and light in the Holy Spirit. In other words, we shall become one with Christ as He is one with the Father!

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

Now motice how the pen of inspiration defines the righteousness of Christ: "Righteousness is love and love is the light and the life of God." M.B.18. And "The life of God in the soul is man's only hope." Ministry of Healing, p.115. Or "Righteousness is right doing." C.O.L.312. God's right doing in and through the believer. Thus "Righteousness is obedience to the law." Faith and Works, p.101.

In my next posts I will share with you many more statements dealing with the merits of Christ and it will be shown that it is, indeed, the light that is to lighten the whole earth with the glory of God and, therefore, the light which we must receive, believe, and act upon!

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

Let me share a couple of them before closing this post:

"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." RH, Nov.4, 1890.

Therefore, "The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour: which appropriates His merits to ourselves." Desire of Ages, p.347.

Many ask the question, How do we appropriate His merits? The answer given is: By simply claiming them, and unless we do claim them on a daily basis, we cannot be saved!

This will be the subject of my next post.

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[skyblue888]

Having said that, we can now explore the inspired writings as to verify the above. We just read that to embrace Christ as a personal Saviour means to appropriate His merits to ourselves and the way we appropriate His merits to ourselves is by simply claiming them and this we must do on a continual basis. Notice these words which, by the way, give us the 1888 message in a nutshell, and again, in all its beauty and simplicity. The following is taken from the book Testimonies to Ministers under the subtitle REJECTING THE LIGHT. It was written in the context of having rejected the 1888 message.

"Unless he makes it his lifebusiness to behold the uplifted Saviour and to accept the 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 fixed steadily upon Jesus." p.93.

The Christian life is a miracle. It is no more natural for a man to live the Christian life than it is for a man to walk upon the water. In this statement we are clearly told what we must do in order to be saved, that is, in order to live the Christian life. We must make it our life business to look to Jesus and accept His merits and the way we show we accept them on a daily basis, is by simply claiming them as our own. And we are told that it is our privilege to do so! It is our privilege to claim the merits of the spotless Lamb of God as our very own simply because "Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves." Desire of Ages, p.25.

What a mind-boggling truth!

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

This is why, on the very same page, we read that "When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits."

There is an abundance of statements dealing with this most precious Bible truth and yet how rarely this subject is discussed on the forums or in church, or at home!

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[Kevin H]

Unity in diversity; when we love the world as Jesus has loved it.

[pnattmbtc]

I like this explanation of what one needs to do to be saved:

Quote:

How, then, are we to be saved? "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. (DA 175-176)

This seems very clear to me, and I like how it ties in the love of God, shining from the cross, into the process.