Christ looked forward to the time when....

[skyblue888]

On another forum, someone asked,

What does it mean to "bring to God the merits of Christ."? Break it down like I am a school boy. Also What is righteousness?

So is salvation by "doing something" or simple faith in the one who did the doing and dying?

You wrote

So brother, sister, What must we do in order to be saved? What is our life business?

"Bring to God the merits of Christ."

Again...what does "Bring to God the merits of Christ." mean?

And lastly....scripture please.

AdventTruth

_________________

Thanks Advent for asking. Your user name suggests that you are an SDA and that you are familiar with the SoP. You ask what righteousness is and for Scriptures. I have given you nothing but Scripture, paraphrased by the SoP, of course. We all should know that righteousness is right doing, God's right doing by comparing Phil.3:9 with Phil.2:13.

And since God is love, His righteousness, then, 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. "We are saved by His life." Rom.5:10. If we have "Christ in us the hope of glory," (Col.1:27) through faith in the all-sufficient merits of His shed blood, (Rom.3:25; Eph.3:17), His righteousness through the Holy Spirit will work in us both to will and to do God's good pleasure (Rom.8:10) as His will is expressed in the precepts of His holy law. (Rom.2:18) Thus we read, "All Your commandments are righteousness." Psalm 119:172.

You ask me to bring this down "Bring to God the merits of Christ" like you are a school boy. Better than that, like you are a little child, because this is what we must be if we are to benefit from the plan of redemption.

"The sinner must ever look toward Calvary and with the simple faith of a little child he must rest in the merits of Christ,accepting His righteousness, and believing in His mercy." Evangelism,184.

"You want to be like little children, hanging upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, and THEN you will be FORTIFIED. How? The angels of God will be around you as a wall of fire; the righteousness of Christ goes before you, and the glory of God (Spirit) is your rearward. God sanctify our tongues, our thoughts, our minds, that we may dwell upon heavenly themes, and that we may impart that knowledge to others." Ms 9, 1891. *parenthesis mine

Resting in the merits of Christ; hanging upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour.

"The work of the ministers of Christ is to hang their helpless souls upon His merits." T.M.247.

"Christ looked forward to the time when the Holy Spirit, as His representative, should come and do a wonderful work in and through His merits." T.M.402.

What are the merits of Christ we are to rest in? The merits of Christ are the merits of His infinite sacrifice and they are the foundation of the Christian's faith. Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in understanding this.

"The MERITS of a crucified and risen Saviour are the FOUNDATION of the Christian's faith." G.C.73.

The Reformers did not have Ellen White's writings and yet they arrived at the same conclusion. In the book "The History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century," Merle D'Aubigne makes that very clear. I can share some statements from that book if you wish. The Reformers were studying the Scriptures and this is the "true light" they discovered and when they did we are told that "they cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus." See G.C.74.

To them this is what "faith in His blood" meant. Romans 3:25. It meant that they were to lay right hold of the merits of the blood shed for them upon Calvary's cross and as they did this on a daily basis they appropriated the blessings of pardon and peace and light and joy in the Holy Spirit. See Testimonies, Vol.5,744; F.W.64.

So we are to come to God daily, just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent, resting in the merits of Christ's infinite sacrifice. It is that simple and then the righteousness of Christ imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination and all the pardon of sin. See F.W.24.

This is our life business.

"Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. (James 4:8) Present your case before God pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross." F.W.105.

This statement is clear. We draw nigh to God by presenting our helpless case before Him pleading the merits of Christ's shed blood.

Why, because, "The merits of Christ's sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." S.C.36.

Hence we read, "The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the foundation of the Christian's faith." G.C.73.

sky

[Gibs]

Sky, I like your post but would like more of each quote as more thought should be added she puts forth. Here is the full paragraph of your main thought sentence and one more with it.

When Christ spoke these words, He was standing in the shadow of the shameful cross, the symbol of the guilt which made the sacrifice of Christ necessary in order to save the world from complete ruin. Christ looked forward to the time when the Holy Spirit, as His representative, should come to do a wonderful work in and through His merits; and He felt privileged to communicate His relief to His disciples. . . . {TM 402.1}

Those who have not a living connection with God have not an appreciation of the Holy Spirit's manifestation, and do not distinguish between the sacred and the common. They do not obey God's voice, because, as the Jewish nation, they know not the time of their visitation. There is no help for man, woman, or child who will not hear and obey the voice of duty, for the voice of duty is the voice of God. The eyes, the ears, and the heart will become unimpressible if men and women refuse to give heed to the divine counsel, and choose the way that is best pleasing to themselves. {TM 402.2}

We are Building with God on His Building in us,

"For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9. {HP 159.1}

This figure represents human character, which is to be wrought upon point by point. Each day God works on His building, stroke upon stroke, to perfect the structure, that it may become a holy temple for Him. Man is to cooperate with God, striving in His strength to make himself what God designs him to be, building his life with pure, noble deeds. {HP 159.2}

Man works and God works. Man is called upon to strain every muscle and to exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality, but it is God who supplies the efficiency. God has made amazing sacrifices for human beings. He has expended mighty energy to reclaim man from transgression and sin to loyalty and obedience, but He does nothing without the cooperation of humanity. . . . It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. . . . {HP 159.3}

No one is borne upward without stern, persevering effort in his own behalf. All must engage in the warfare for themselves. Individually we are responsible for the issue of the struggle; though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could deliver neither son nor daughter by their righteousness. . . . {HP 159.4}

I have that in a song I think by two different singers and I love that song.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[Robert]

Man works and God works...but He does nothing without the cooperation of humanity. . . . {HP 159.3}

This isn't speaking about salvation. That's a settled issue as long as your faith in Christ remains. This is speaking of growing in grace. The problem is I can't work....The hardest work is giving up trying to do good things (which is humanly impossible) and allowing God to have my bent to self. Here we fail often. If not, we would be living Christ's life.

[Gibs]

Robert, You are working to make the strait and narrow way wider than Jesus has made it to be and you need to go back and see where you differ with Him on His, the only Way.

If it is as you advocate about all professing Christians would be in the kingdom and it would be but a very TINY few that wouldn't. Jesus said few man and I believe Him.

Man works and God works and yes that is about our salvation. Man must cooperate believe it or not. If He don't God can't help him. Hoss he led us to water will we drink or not?

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

Sky, I like your post but would like more of each quote as more thought should be added she puts forth. Here is the full paragraph of your main thought sentence and one more with it.

When Christ spoke these words, He was standing in the shadow of the shameful cross, the symbol of the guilt which made the sacrifice of Christ necessary in order to save the world from complete ruin. Christ looked forward to the time when the Holy Spirit, as His representative, should come to do a wonderful work in and through His merits; and He felt privileged to communicate His relief to His disciples. . . . {TM 402.1}

T.M.402.

________

Gibs, if you can read between the lines, this statement is the entire Gospel in a nut-shell.

If we will take advantage of the opportunity given to us, the privilege of coming to Christ just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent, looking to Him and claiming His merits on a daily basis, the Holy Spirit (Christ's relief) will work in and through us wonderful works, even the works that God prepared before the foundation of the world and that we should walk in them. (Eph.2:10) These are works of obedience, the works of Omnipotence. See D.A.827,, last sentence of the parg before last.

sky

[Gibs]

Yes Sky I agree of the Gospel in a nutshell. But what I have desire to bring out is that of the work of the Holy Spirit, so the paragraph following is very important I'm sure to all and so I don't post just the one.

"When Christ spoke these words, He was standing in the shadow of the shameful cross, the symbol of the guilt which made the sacrifice of Christ necessary in order to save the world from complete ruin. Christ looked forward to the time when the Holy Spirit, as His representative, should come to do a wonderful work in and through His merits; and He felt privileged to communicate His relief to His disciples. . . . {TM 402.1}

Those who have not a living connection with God have not an appreciation of the Holy Spirit's manifestation, and do not distinguish between the sacred and the common. They do not obey God's voice, because, as the Jewish nation, they know not the time of their visitation. There is no help for man, woman, or child who will not hear and obey the voice of duty, for the voice of duty is the voice of God. The eyes, the ears, and the heart will become unimpressible if men and women refuse to give heed to the divine counsel, and choose the way that is best pleasing to themselves. {TM 402.2}

Sky we see what I underlined happening all around us!

So many are refusing to take the last few steps that reaches the entrance.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

The first statement sheds light on the second. What is that "divine counsel" spoken of in the second statement to which we must give heed in order to be found on the right side of the question as to weather or not we shall be overcomers, even more than conquerors, and thus become co-laborers with God in these last days of this earth's history?

The first statement declares that Christ looked forward to the time when the Holy Spirit should come to do a wonderful work in and through His merits.

So what are we do to in order to place ourselves in an attitude to receive both the former and the latter rain of the Holy Spirit in large measure and thus become vessels fit for the Master's use?

"We shall come in repentance and contrition with a despairing sense of our own finite weakness and learn that we must daily apply to the merits of the blood of Christ that we may become vessels fit for the Master's use." Faith & Works,86.

In the same book, Testimonies to Ministers, from which the first quotation was taken, we are told, on page 93, that unless the sinner makes it his life business to look to Christ and to accept His merits which it is his privilege to claim, he cannot be saved. In other words, he cannot become a co-laborer with God and therefore he will fail of becoming a vessel fit for the Master's use when God finally is able to finish the work on this earth and cut it short in righteousness.

So what is our life business? It is to look to Christ and to claim the merits of His sacrifice. By claiming them we show that we have accepted them and that we believe that they are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf, (S.C.36) that they are our only plea, and then we expect that the Holy Spirit will do a wonderful work in and through us for He will make us fit vessels for the Master's use by making us partakers of Christ's divine nature.

Then the law will be restored to its rightful position into the hearts of all them that truly believe this and there will be a revival of primitive faith and godliness.

sky

[Gibs]

Yes Sky, as long as we don't put it so it appears man has no part to do, he is told in another place,

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

"Fear" in the KJV is reverance, revere Him who can save.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

But Gibs all along what do you think I have been doing? I have been talking about man's part and God's part. "Man's part is to lay hold by faith of the merits of Christ," (F.E.430) in order to form a Christian character or to attain to righteousness. So that means that if we do our part which is to make it our life business to lay hold by faith of the merits of Christ, God will do His. He will work in us both to will and to do His good pleasure as it is expressed in the precepts of His holy law.

But interestingly enough, you give the impression that I am the one missing something in my teaching when it is you who is confused as to what man's part is!

So far you have totally failed to emphasize that part which is man's part which is to bring to God the merits of Christ by teaching that man must first lay hold of them by faith, by claiming them. (T.M.93; F.W.48,65,66,100,101)

I have never ever seen any emphasis on this in any way, shape, or form, in any of your numerous posts on overcoming.

I have been hoping against hope that you would come to publicly acknowledge that this is indeed man's part which is to come to God just as he is, sinful, helpless, dependent, trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour that the love of God may be brought into his life as this is the only way he can attain to righteousness. (1 S.M.454)

sky

[skyblue888]

with fear and trembling.... remembering that it is God who works in you BOTH to will and to do... verse 13

fear lest we forget that and we attempt to do it ourselves...

I have already posted what that "fear" is from C.O.L. and at the time I did you rejoiced.

Don't you remember?

sky

[Gibs]

OK, Sky, but you know every little bit we need it more direct like this one. If it is realized as it ought to be and this would be the fruit.

"We have no hesitancy in telling you that in order to obtain the immortal inheritance and the eternal substance, you must be overcomers in this probationary life. Everything that blots and stains the soul must be removed, must be cleansed from the heart. We must know what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Are you willing to wage war against the lusts of the flesh? Are you ready to battle against the enemy of God and man? Satan is determined to enslave every soul if he can; for he is playing a desperate game to win the souls of men from Christ and eternal life. Will you permit him to steal from you the graces of the Spirit of God, and plant in you his own corrupt nature? or will you accept the great provision of salvation, and through the merits of the Infinite Sacrifice made in your behalf, become a partaker of the divine nature? God has given His only-begotten Son, that through His shame, suffering, and death, you might have glory, honor, and immortality".--Signs of the Times, June 15, 1891. {TDG 175.2}

Then I'm told I'm a legalist! No one worked harder against legalism than EGW and them above is not my words but hers and the absolute truth.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

"... will you accept the great provision of salvation, and through the merits of the Infinite Sacrifice made in your behalf, become a partaker of the divine nature?

Yes it is the absolute truth that through the merits of Christ we may become partakers of the divine nature and thus be enabled to live the life of holiness.

But this statement alone is not sufficient as far as the merits of Christ are concerned. It does not tell us what is our part. It only tells us that through the merits of Christ we may become partakers of the divine nature.

Other statements tell us that we must by faith lay right hold upon His merits by claiming them and that unless we make that our life business we cannot become partakers of His nature and be made more than conquerors.

But if my memory serves me well this is the only statement you have quoted which mentions the merits of Christ. My gut feeling is that you used it because it speaks of the need to become partakers of the divine nature. Your emphasis was not on the merits of Christ per se and the need to claim them, or was it Gibs?

Honestly now.

sky

[Gibs]

Sky, yes I have posted quite a few on the merits of Christ, but since Sky hits that good and heavy I don't particularly hunt for quotes with that phrase. Most want the merits of Christ and take it to mean Christ done it all that they are home free and can sit on the lee side.

Well we can't, we too must be working with him on our building.

"Ye are God's husbandry; ye are God's building." This figure represents human character, which is to be wrought upon point by point. Each day God works on His building, stroke upon stroke, to perfect the structure, that it may become a holy temple for Him. Man is to co-operate with God, striving in His strength to make himself what God designs him to be, building his life with pure, noble deeds. {ST, June 8, 1904 par. 5}

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

The point is that man cannot co-operate with God and strive in God's strength to make himself what God designed him to be, building his life with pure, noble deeds unless he makes it his life business to look to Christ and accept His merits which it is his privilege to claim. (T.M.93,97)

sky

[Gibs]

The first point is however full surrender and Repentance and death of self that so many will not do. They will not fall broken on Him that He may come in. All must be drawn to Christ in the first place and His Merits are many. None can come to start with unless the Father draw him. God works continually on the mind and heart of men to turn them to see and come to take hold of the only way there is that one can be saved. Men want it their way and it is not and never can be.

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

The first point is however full surrender and Repentance and death of self that so many will not do. They will not fall broken on Him that He may come in. All must be drawn to Christ in the first place and His Merits are many. None can come to start with unless the Father draw him. God works continually on the mind and heart of men to turn them to see and come to take hold of the only way there is that one can be saved. Men want it their way and it is not and never can be.

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

You know Gibs, in all due respect, this has already been covered before and yet we have to go over it one more time.

"He who will lay hold of Christ's righteousness need not wait one moment that he himself may blot out his own sins. He need not wait until he has made a suitable repentance before he may take hold upon Christ's righteousness. We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." Faith & Works,64.

Based on what you have stated and what this statement says, you ought to ask yourself the question, Do I really understand the matter of salvation?

You definitely teach that one must repent before he may take hold upon Christ's righteousness.

But it is the other way around. One must first take hold upon Christ's righteousness if he is to repent at all for "Christ's righteousness imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination, all the pardon of sin." Faith & Works,34.

And His righteousness we receive by laying hold of the merits of Christ.

"You cannot explain this faith that lays right hold upon the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour to bring Christ's righteousness into your life." ibid.,65,66.

sky

[skyblue888]

From another forum:

Adventism just became "old hat" to you and you could no longer appreciate its treasures because the truth never made it's way to your heart. Eventually as a result it turned into a curse because you did not choose to receive the love of the truth, so God has given you up to believe a lie.

L

_____________

I can testify and witness that NOW I can see the truth!!!

As soon as I left Adventism the Holy Spirit started showing me how stupidly wrong I was to trust my soul to a plagiarist brain injured lady from the 1800's!

And not to the living Jesus of today!

M

__________

When reading and studying the writings of Ellen White, one does not have to choose between the humble servant that she was and the Master. On the contrary her writings point to Christ in a way that is very little understood by the majority of those who today profess His name.

Please read the following statements and judge for yourself:

"Faith and works go hand in hand; they act harmoniously in the work of overcoming. Works without faith are dead, and faith without works is dead. WORKS WILL NEVER SAVE US. It is the MERITS of Christ that will AVAIL in our behalf." Faith & Works,48.

"'We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.'(Eph.2:10) In His divine arrangement, through unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that GOOD WORKS shall be REWARDED. But we are ACCEPTED through Christ's MERITS ALONE; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of love, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be REWARDED according to their WORKS. But it is the FRAGRANCE of the MERITS of Christ that makes our GOOD WORKS ACCEPTABLE to God, and it is GRACE that ENABLES us to do the WORKS for which He REWARDS us. Our WORKS, in and of themselves, have NO MERIT. When we have done all that it is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS.(Luke 17:10) WE DESERVE NO THANKS FROM GOD. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our WORKS could NOT have been performed in the strength of our own sinful nature." E.G.W. Bible Commentary, Vol.5,1122.

I don't know of any other writings in what is called Christendom today that have and are expressing these stupendous truths the way she did in the above statements. Do you?

Notice these words: "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,347.

And now the question is, How do we appropriate His merits to ourselves?

By claiming them.

"UNLESS he makes it his LIFE BUSINESS 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." Testimonies to Ministers,93.

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

She wrote that there was not one in one hundred who understood this Bible truth for himself.(1 S.M.360)

"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." Selected Messages, Vol.1,389.

Why is it important to appropriate the merits of Christ to ourselves?

Because "The MERITS of Christ's SACRIFICE are SUFFICIENT to present to the Father in our behalf." Steps to Christ,36.

Hence we read, "The intercession of Christ in our behalf is that of PRESENTING His DIVINE MERITS in the offering of Himself to the Father as our Substitute and Surety; for He ascended up on High to make atonement for our transgressions." Faith & Works,105.

What is our life business then?

sky

[Gibs]

Sky, No one has addressed the salvation issue any fuller and in truth better anywhere. All her writtings are spiced with it and her books like "Steps to Christ" and "Desire of Ages" should be everyones read and study. None would be led astry!

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.