Balancing Statements in the “Justified by Faith” Document, Written by Ellen White
Page 8
“In order to obtain the righteousness of Christ, it is necessary for the sinner to know what that repentance is which works a radical change of mind and spirit and action. The work of transformation must begin in the heart, and manifest its power through every faculty of the being; but man is not capable of originating such a repentance as this, and can experience it alone through Christ, who ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
It
is clear not only from Mrs. White but also from Scripture that repentance is a
gift given to us from God. We cannot
manufacture such a heartfelt, sincere remorse for sin. It comes by way of God’s grace. That repentance which comes from God as a
gift is not only a deep sorrow for sin.
It actually produces in us a transformation of character. It involves a radical change in our thinking,
and in our behavior. This is a balancing
statement about repentance that needs to be read along with the others. Its truth needs to be embraced and
emphasized.
Pages 8 and 9
“Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do?—He must come to Jesus, just as he is, without delay. He must believe that the word of Christ is true, and, believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere desire prompts men to pray, they will not pray in vain. The Lord will fulfill His word, and will give the Holy Spirit to lead to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He will pray and watch, and put away his sins, making manifest his sincerity by the vigor of his endeavor to obey the commandments of God. With prayer he will mingle faith, and not only believe in but obey the precepts of the law. He will announce himself as on Christ’s side of the question. He will renounce all habits and associations that tend to draw the heart from God.”
While it is certainly true
that we must come to Christ just as we are, and that we bring nothing to the
cross save our great sin and neediness, it is just as true that we are to go forth
from the cross with renewed strength of purpose, a new heart, and a desire to
pray and read God’s Word. We come away
from the cross with a desire to obey God, to please God. We come away from the cross with the actual
power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to actually put away sins and to obey
God’s law. This is a balancing statement
that pastors and their people need to understand, for it clarifies that not
only is repentance a gift from God; repentance also has a purpose, and that purpose is to produce obedience and a changed
life in the believer.
Page 9
“He who would become a child of God must receive the truth that repentance and forgiveness are to be obtained through nothing less than the atonement of Christ. Assured of this, the sinner must put forth an effort in harmony with the work done for him, and with unwearied entreaty he must supplicate the throne of grace, that the renovating power of God may come into his soul.”
Here we see a true balance
in one brief statement. It expresses, in
simple fashion, a truism. That truism is
that justification and sanctification are not really two separate processes in
the believer’s life. They are one continuum
of faith. Justification flows naturally
into sanctification, if we allow God to perform His work in us. It starts with the assurance that we are
accepted in the Beloved before God the Father, and it continues with our
“effort” to pray earnestly for continued strength and power and miracles, so
that we can experience the renovating power of God. This is a balancing statement that removes
the false dichotomy between justification and sanctification, and forever
negates the idea that it is somehow “meritorious” to render obedience to our
Creator.
Page 11
“He makes an end of the controlling power of sin in the heart, and the life and character of the believer testify to the genuine character of the grace of Christ. To those that ask Him, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit; for it is necessary that every believer should be delivered from pollution, as well as from the curse and the condemnation of the law. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the truth, the believer becomes fitted for the courts of heaven; for Christ works within us, and His righteousness is upon us. Without this no soul will be entitled to heaven. We would not enjoy heaven unless qualified for its holy atmosphere by the influence of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.”
This statement immediately
follows a statement that has to do with justification, and the fact that
Christ’s work of justifying us before the Father is complete. Jesus has made an end of sin. Then follows the above statement, which
actually finishes the thought. It
informs us that Jesus also makes an end of the controlling power of sin in our
hearts. This is just as much good news
as the wonderful news which precedes it, regarding justification. It need not and should not be skipped over. There is indeed a “fitting” process that the
Holy Spirit is performing in us. There
is a preparation that is necessary. The
same grace which forgives us also transforms us. It is Christ who is working within us to
accomplish our fitting for heaven. We
should not interfere with what He is wanting to do. We should keep this truth before His people,
so that they do not become complacent.
This balancing statement reminds us that the plan of salvation includes
both God’s declaration that we are righteous, and God’s power that makes us righteous in daily living.
Pages 11 and 12
“In order to be candidates for heaven we must meet the requirement of the law: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.’ We can do this only as we grasp by faith the righteousness of Christ. By beholding Jesus we receive a living, expanding principle in the heart, and the Holy Spirit carries on the work, and the believer advances from grace to grace, from strength to strength, from character to character. He conforms to the image of Christ, until in spiritual growth he attains unto the measure of the full stature in Christ Jesus. Thus Christ makes an end of the curse of sin, and sets the believing soul free from its action and effect.”
This statement is quite
revealing. It informs us that a basic
entrance requirement for heaven is loving God supremely, and our neighbor as
ourselves. At first glance, it might appear
that this is borderline legalism, and that is smells of a works-orientation to
salvation. But nothing could be further
from the truth. The fact is, as we grasp
by faith the righteousness of Christ (the weak hand reaching out and taking
hold of God’s powerful hand), and as we behold Jesus, the Holy Spirit carries on a work in us that enables us to advance in
grace, strength, and character. It is God who is fulfilling the entrance
requirement of heaven in us. It is God who restores us to His image. It is God who helps us attain unto the
measure of the full stature of His Son.
We are supernaturally rescued from the curse, action, and effect of sin. This powerful balancing statement lays to
rest the notion that obedience in the believer’s life is somehow the product of
the believer’s efforts alone. It also
reminds us how important and necessary it is to allow God to do this
transforming work in us.
Page 14
“Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and practice of the life. Every sin must be renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Lord of life and glory, and the believer must have a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Christ. It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained.
Those who are justified by faith must have a heart to keep the way of the Lord. It is an evidence that a man is not justified by faith when his works do not correspond to his profession. James says, ‘Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was his faith made perfect?’ The faith that does not produce good works does not justify the soul. ‘Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.’ ‘Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.’”
In the continuum of the
plan of salvation, the same faith that accepts the free gift of Jesus’
righteousness and His death for our sins, also bears fruit in the form of good
Page 15
“Grace is unmerited favor, and the believer is justified without any merit of his own, without any claim to offer to God. He is justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who stands in the courts of heaven as the sinner’s substitute and surety. But while he is justified because of the merit of Christ, he is not free to work unrighteousness. Faith works by love and purifies the soul. Faith buds and blossoms and bears a harvest of precious fruit. Where faith is, good works appear.”
The same faith that
reached out and accepted the free offer of the grace of God works in the life
to purify. The same faith that accepted
Christ’s sacrifice for sin, also accepts Christ’s offer to live within and to
empower. This is how good works appear
in the life. This is how fruit
develops. This is an important balancing
statement, because it clearly shows the dual role of faith, and it reveals the
will of God concerning our sanctification.
Pages 15 and 16
“Christ and the believer become one, and His beauty of character is revealed in those who are vitally connected with the Source of power and love. Christ is the great depositary of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace…Have you accepted the peace which Christ alone can give? If you have not, then yield to Him, and through His grace seek for a character that will be noble and elevated. Seek for a constant, resolute, cheerful spirit. Feed on Christ, who is the bread of life, and you will manifest His loveliness of character and spirit.”
The believer’s goal is to
manifest the lovely character of Jesus Christ.
Our goal is not heaven alone.
What is important here is that it can be seen clearly that
sanctification is a work of God’s grace, as is justification. It is all of grace. Our job is simply to yield and to feed on
Christ, internalizing His Word and claiming His precious promises, through
which we escape the corruption that is in the world (2 Peter 1:4).
Balancing Statements in the “Dangers of False Ideas on Justification by Faith” Document, Written by Ellen White
Page 810
“Can we not understand that the most costly thing in the world is sin? It is at the expense of purity of conscience, at the cost of losing the favor of God and separating the soul from Him, and at last losing heaven. The sin of grieving the Holy Spirit of God and walking contrary to Him has cost many a one the loss of his soul.”
Through sin, we lose
several things: purity of conscience, the favor of God, the separation of the
soul from God, and heaven itself. This
balancing statement is important because Mrs. White starts off with it, in her
discussion on false ideas about justification by faith. In whatever she says following this
statement, it can never be concluded that she is downplaying obedience in the
believer’s life. She begins her article
emphasizing the devastating nature of sin; she informs us that Jesus Christ
will reward the loyal righteous, and He will judge and punish the disloyal and
unrighteous.
Page 811
“Many young men are sent forth to labor, who do not understand the plan of salvation and what true conversion is; in fact they need to be converted. We need to be enlightened on this point, and the ministers need to be educated to dwell more particularly upon subjects which explain true conversion. All who are baptized are to give evidence that they have been converted.”
Evidently Mrs. White
encountered many workers whom she did not consider to be truly converted. She tells us to dwell more on themes that
will help increase our understanding of what it means to fully surrender the
life to God and to be indwelt by His Holy Spirit. There should be evidence or fruitage in the
life, that indicates that conversion has taken place.
Page 812
“Christ has given me words to speak: ‘Ye must be born again, else you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ Therefore all who have the right understanding of this matter should put away their controversial spirit and seek the Lord with all their hearts. Then they will find Christ and can give distinctive character to their religious experience. They should keep this matter—the simplicity of true godliness—distinctly before the people in every discourse. This will come home to the heart of every hungering, thirsting soul who is longing to come into the assurance of hope and faith and perfect trust in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In an article dedicated to
our understanding that creature merit does not in any way affect our standing
before God, there are scattered throughout statements such as this one, which
underscore our need for true godliness in our conduct and experience. It is important for the believer to seek the
Lord with all the heart. We are to keep
“the simplicity of true godliness” before the people with whom we
associate. We are encouraged that
hungering souls will respond to a message which combines assurance, faith, and
perfect trust in God. The born-again
experience will lead us to this perfect trust, and God, working through us,
will bring about godlikeness.
Page 817
“Man can achieve no praiseworthy exploits that give him any glory. Men are in the habit of glorifying men and exalting men. It makes me shudder to see or hear of it, for there have been revealed to me not a few cases where the homelife and inner work of the hearts of those very men are full of selfishness. They are corrupt, polluted, vile; and nothing that comes from all their doings can elevate them with God for all they do is an abomination in His sight. There can be no true conversion without the giving up of sin, and the aggravating character of sin not discerned. With an acuteness of perception never reached by mortal sight, angels of God discern that beings hampered with corrupting influences, with unclean souls and hands, are deciding their own destiny for eternity; and yet many have little sense of what constitutes sin and the remedy.”
It is a truism that
nothing we can do renders us as deserving of exaltation. It is quite the opposite. The Bible says our righteousnesses are like
filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Truly we are
undone, and unworthy, even on our best behavior. This balancing statement makes it clear that
there can be no true conversion without the giving up of sin, and an
acknowledgment of the heinous nature of sin.
The angels are watching us, and they see the hampering, sinful
influences that we are allowing to destroy us.
They long to help to us escape destruction, and to be victorious over
these evil influences. But we have to
make daily choices to cooperate with the heavenly forces; they will not force
their assistance on us. Our people need
to understand these issues.
Page 818
“Faith is rendering to God the intellectual powers, abandonment of the mind and will to God, and making Christ the only door to enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
This is a phenomenal definition of faith. We cannot please God without faith. So we better know what it is. It is rendering, abandoning, making. It is complete surrender to Christ of our minds, our plans, our wills. It is walking through the only Door to heaven: Jesus Christ.
Page 818
“When men learn they cannot earn righteousness by their own merit of works, and they look with firm and entire reliance upon Jesus Christ as their only hope, there will not be so much of self and so little of Jesus. Souls and bodies are defiled and polluted by sin, the heart is estranged from God, yet many are struggling in their own finite strength to win salvation by good works. Jesus, they think, will do some of the saving; they must do the rest. They need to see by faith the righteousness of Christ as their only hope for time and for eternity.”
What a powerful, balanced
statement! We accept that there is
nothing meritorious about our works, because they are but God-given abilities
to think and to act rightly. We will
make through this life safely only through firm and total reliance upon Christ,
our Strength. Our souls and bodies are
polluted by sin, and we should do everything we can to help our people avoid
practices those habits and practices that destroy us. But we must also instill in them the
importance of not trusting ourselves or relying on our own strength. We must lead them to the great Life-Giver,
Jesus. It is His grace which both
forgives and empowers.
Page 818
“God has given men faculties and capabilities. God works and cooperates with the gifts He has imparted to man, and man, by being a partaker of the divine nature, and doing the work of Christ, may be an overcomer and win eternal life. The Lord does not propose to do the work He has given man powers to do. Man’s part must be done. He must be a laborer together with God, yoking up with Christ, learning His meekness, His lowliness. God is the all-controlling power. He bestows the gifts; man receives them and acts with the power of the grace of Christ as a living agent.”
This is perhaps the best
of Mrs. White’s numerous statements that have to do with cooperation between
the believer and Jesus Christ. God
works, and we work. Because of God’s
grace, we are enabled to become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4),
which means we can live the same kind
of life that our Lord lived while on this earth: a surrendered life, a
prayerful life, an empowered life. We
are to overcome the sin that seeks to destroy us. It is in the center of God’s will that we
overcome sin through the power that He gives us. “God is the all-controlling power.” He bestows the gifts, and we use those gifts
to live new lives of purity and godliness.
Page 819
“The soul temple is to be sacred, holy, pure, and
undefiled. There must be a copartnership
in which all the power is of God and all the glory belongs to God. The responsibility rests with us. We must receive in thoughts and in feelings,
to give in
Again, a remarkable
statement concerning the copartnership that is to occur between us and God. We are to actually work the works of God, but
it is God’s power and God’s righteousness that accomplishes those good
works. We are merely drawing power and
goodness from the well that is Christ. A
daily drought is what we need. When we
cooperate with Christ, giving up the things He asks us to give up, and
incorporating into our lives what He teaches us, we are promised that our lives
will be a complete success. What an
amazing God we serve! What a powerful
Savior is Jesus our Lord!