When sin came into this world, back in the beginning, man was expelled from the garden of Eden, but he was not left without hope. A promise of restoration was given to him. This first unfolding of the gospel is recorded in Genesis 3:15: "and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel." This was the first promise of the cross, which was in effect from the very beginning. To restore lost humanity was the purpose of the Plan of Redemption. Today we shall come to grips with this plan for restoration in a special way.
There are three books which deal with the subject of Righteousness by Faith, each of which is a little gem. The first of these is Steps To Christ, by Ellen G. White. The second is Christ And His Righteousness, by E. J. Waggoner, and the third is The Consecrated Way To Christian Perfection, by A. T. Jones. We shall be quoting rather extensively from the last two of these, and also from E. G. White in her other writings.
What is important about these three books is that they approach this aspect of the gospel from three different points of view, and end up giving a beautiful total picture of Righteousness and Justification by Faith. They always seem to put me in mind of the Mercedes Benz Star with which I am sure you are all familiar. There are three arms to the emblem, one pointing straight up vertically, and the other two pointing down like two legs of a tripod. Many years ago Gottlieb Daimler, who founded the Daimler-Benz company, was asked about a star which hung on the wall of his home. He replied, in German of course, "From this place a star will go forth, and it is hoped that it will bring blessings to us and our children." He explained that the vertical arm pointed toward heaven, the source of all of blessings, while the other two reached from one end of the earth to the other, indicating his plans for an undertaking which would extend all over the world. How very much like the Gospel Commission. We receive from heaven the light and truth God unfolds to us through His Holy Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and then, under heaven's power, take the glorious good news of the Plan of Salvation to the ends of the earth.
Consider first of all the book by E. J. Waggoner, Christ And His Righteousness, where we find, in the very first paragraph, page 7, a nutshell definition of Righteousness by Faith. Here it is:
In the first verse of the third chapter of Hebrews we have an exhortation which comprehends all the injunctions given to the Christian. It is this: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." To do this as the Bible enjoins, to consider Christ continually and intelligently, just as He is, will transform one into a perfect Christian, for "by beholding we become changed."
There, then, is righteousness by faith in a nutshell. Beholding Christ constantly, continually, intelligently, will transform one into a perfect Christian.
On the occasion when Pilate presented Jesus to the multitude, he said, speaking Latin of course, "Ecce Homo" ("Behold, the Man"), even though he did not realize that he was preaching one of the greatest sermons ever heard through the centuries. "Behold, the Man" indeed! This is the very essence of Righteousness by Faith. Beholding Christ is the means by which human beings are transformed.
For many years I followed the "gimmick-formula" for obtaining the victory over sin. I am sure you know what I am talking about. Things like: "Three Steps to Heaven," "Seven Essentials of Holy Living," "Ten Secrets of Victory in Christ," "Fifteen Vital Elements of the True Gospel," "Twenty Important Things to Understand About Being Saved," and on and on. It is not that these tabulations of Bible truths are wrong, or bad, or even worthless. They are not. Many good lessons have been learned from them. But when we look at the Bible itself, to learn from that source what it is we are asked to do, what do we find? Something quite simple and uncomplicated. The Bible simply says "Look," or "Behold." Here it is that Waggoner's simple formula, the first paragraph of his book, Christ and His Righteousness, which we examined earlier, takes on a vital significance.
Consider some of these Scriptural passages. There is John 12:32, for example: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." People cannot possibly fail to be drawn to Christ as they behold Him upon the cross. And another: Isaiah 45:22: "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Notice the simple invitation, "Look." That is all we are asked to do. Marvelous and yet heart-rending is this verse in Lamentations 1:12, clearly a Messianic prophecy: "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger." It is the intelligent knowledge of that blood so freely and lavishly shed upon the cross of Calvary for us which melts these sin-hardened hearts of ours. It is, in fact, the only thing that can.
Statements from the Pen of Inspiration harmonize completely with the Scriptural passages quoted above. Notice these from The Desire of Ages, page 661: "Looking upon the crucified Redeemer, we more fully comprehend the magnitude and meaning of the sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven. The plan of salvation is glorified before us, and the thought of Calvary awakens living and sacred emotions in our hearts. Praise to God and the Lamb will be in our hearts and on our lips; for pride and self-worship cannot flourish in the soul that keeps in memory the scenes of Calvary." The cross acts as a wall of defence against sin in any form. The expression "pride and self worship" embraces sin of every kind. It is not by following a cleverly worded formula, but by allowing the emotional impact of the "scenes of Calvary" to effect that change of heart which will make complete victory over all sin a reality in our lives. David, heart-broken because of the terrible sin he had committed, prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10).
From The Desire of Ages, page 661 again:
He who beholds the Saviour's matchless love will be elevated in thought, purified in heart, transformed in character. He will go forth to be a light to the world, to reflect in some degree this mysterious love. The more we contemplate the cross of Christ, the more fully shall we adopt the language of the apostle when he said, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.' Galatians 6:14.
Notice particularly the recurring use of the word "transform" in many of these passages. Here we see the crux of the matter, the nittygritty, the bottom line! It is the contemplation of that cross which was raised on Golgotha's hill nearly two thousand years ago which today can perform that incredible miracle of the transformation of a human heart hardened by sin.
Friend, I hope you are reading carefully! We are dealing with the vitally important subject of Righteousness and Justification by Faith, and the only possible way to understand the subject fully is to recognize the centrality of the cross of Calvary throughout the entire spectrum of these vital elements of the Gospel. This is the reason why we are admonished to make the consideration of the cross a daily experience in our lives. Notice:
It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall more deeply be imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross" (The Desire of Ages, p. 83).
Contemplation of the cross! The very essence of Righteousness by Faith.
E. J. Waggoner was equally clear on the importance of the cross. He said:
Jesus was set forth before the Galatians, when Paul preached to them, as openly crucified before their eyes. So vivid was the presentation that they could actually see Christ crucified. It was not only skillful word painting on the part of Paul and imagination on the part of the Galatians. Through Paul the Holy Spirit enabled them to see Him crucified. (The Glad Tidings, p. 51).
Waggoner is here emphasizing the importance of making the cross central to the preaching of the gospel. And just how important is the cross to this understanding of the gospel? Notice further: "Not until one has seen Christ crucified before his eyes, and can see the cross of Christ at every turn, does one know the reality of the gospel" (ibid.). Without question, this is the reason the Lord's messenger was so elated when she heard the presentations of Jones and Waggoner during the 1888 era.
We are now in a position to understand what true New Testament faith is. The texts and statements we have encountered thus far have set the stage for us in this regard. We have learned about the importance of the cross, and the contemplation of that cross, in our study of the gospel. And now we will learn how this brings us to a deep and clear understanding of the important New Testament definition of faith. We shall start with a priceless definition of faith which comes to us from the Review and Herald of July 24, 1888.
Ellen G. White wrote as follows:
You may say that you believe in Jesus, when you have an appreciation of the cost of salvation. You may make this claim, when you feel that Jesus died for you on the cruel cross of Calvary; when you have an intelligent, understanding faith that His death makes it possible for you to cease from sin, and to perfect a righteous character through the grace of God, bestowed upon you as the purchase of Christ's blood.
Notice here the important word "appreciation." Based on this, we can define "faith" as "a heart appreciation of the love of God as revealed on the cross of Calvary." When we consider the wonderful story of Mary Magdalene, and how she lavishly poured that priceless alabaster jar of ointment on the head and feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36-50) we hear Jesus speaking to her and saying, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (vs. 50). Was anything said in this account of "trust," or something similar, which is the usual understanding of what faith is? Nothing at all! Then what did Jesus mean when He said, "Thy faith hath saved thee"? Mary did something which welled up from inside her. She could not keep from doing what she did, and neither could she explain her actions. She was expressing, in spite of herself, her heart appreciation of what the Lord had done for her in saving her from sin.
Usually we hear faith defined as "trust." But this is essentially a self-centered concept of faith. We trust the fire department to come with lights blazing and bells ringing when our house catches fire. We trust the policeman to be on hand when we get mugged. We trust the insurance company to be ready with a check when we are in a car accident, and so on. In the same way we "trust" Jesus to fix our tickets in heaven when we get into trouble down here on earth. But true faith, as it comes to us in the New Testament, is different. Here is our definition again:
A HEART APPRECIATION OF THE LOVE OF GOD AS REVEALED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY.
A careful study of the Bible's most famous text, John 3:16, brings out the same thought.
Having now come to understand the faith part of Righteousness by Faith, we now need to know just what righteousness is. Again we turn to the 1888 messenger, E. J. Waggoner, and his book, Christ and His Righteousness. On page 55 he quotes from Isaiah 51:7: "Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." And then continues as follows:
What do we learn from this?--That they who know the righteousness of God are those in whose heart is His law, and therefore that the law of God is the righteousness of God.
This may be proved again as follows: "All unrighteousness is sin." (1 John 5:17). "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness; therefore sin and unrighteousness are identical. But if unrighteousness is transgression of the law, righteousness must be obedience to the law. Or, to put the proposition into mathematical form: -
Unrighteousness = sin (1 John 5: 17).
Transgression of the law = sin (1 John 3:4).
Therefore, according to the axiom that two things that ate equal to the same thing are equal to each other, we have: -
Unrighteousness = transgression of the law. Which is a negative equation. The same thing, stated in positive terms, would be:-
Righteousness = obedience to the law. (ibid. p. 55-56).
Righteousness is measured by the standard of the law, according to Waggoner's analysis as indicated above. Some years ago, two scholars were discussing this matter of the law. One was a Seventh-day Adventist. The other one was saying, "You Adventists are constantly emphasizing the law, the law, not realizing that the law cannot possibly save you." And the Adventist replied, "Since you are talking about the law as a method, or means, of salvation, I couldn't agree with you more. But our emphasis upon the law stresses law as a standard of righteousness, not as a means of salvation. And that is what you do not seem to understand!" The Adventist scholar was right, of course!
Waggoner continues his analysis on page 56 as follows:
Now what law is it obedience to which is righteousness and disobedience to which is sin? It is that law which says, "Thou shalt not covet," for the apostle Paul tells us that this law convinced him of sin. Rom. 7:7. The law of the ten commandments, then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. There is, indeed, no other righteousness.
Sanctification is the revealing of righteousness in the life, and can be equated with good works, or obedience to God's law of Ten Commandments. Sanctification is necessary, but does not qualify us for heaven. Rather it is the evidence of salvation. It is our fitness for heaven (see Messages to Young People, p. 35). What qualifies us for heaven is our justification, justification by faith, effected in and through the cross. This is our title to heaven. See again the same reference. Righteousness revealed in sanctification is by faith, and faith alone. Not faith plus works or faith and works, but faith, period. It is a faith which works. Keeping these points clear in our minds is of the utmost importance. We need to keep in mind that there are two aspects to the one justification effected at the cross of Calvary. Corporate, or forensic, or legal justification was granted to all the inhabitants of earth at Calvary. The other side of the coin is Justification by Faith, our heart appreciation of that love there revealed.
A. T. Jones explains another aspect of this righteousness by faith in The Consecrated Way To Christian Perfection, pages 87 and 88:
In His coming in the flesh--having been made in all things like unto us, and having been tempted in all points like as we are--He has identified Himself with every human soul just where that soul is. And from the place where every human soul is, He has consecrated for that soul a new and living way through all the vicissitudes and experiences of a whole lifetime, and even through death and the tomb, into the holiest of all, at the right hand of God for evermore.
And this "way" He has consecrated for us. He, having become one of us, has made this way our way: it belongs to us. He has endowed every soul with divine right to walk in this consecrated way; and by His having done it Himself in the flesh--in our flesh--He has made it possible, yea, He has given actual assurance, that every human soul can walk in that way, in all that way is; and by it enter fully and freely into the holiest of all.
He has made and consecrated a way by which, in Him, every believer can in this world, and for a whole lifetime, live a life holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and as a consequence be made with Him higher than the heavens.
Good news, do you think?
A. T. Jones again. This is from the book, Lessons On Faith; a compilation by Dr. John Ford of articles by Jones and Waggoner. It is found on page 91, and is part of an article entitled, "Sinful Flesh":
Conversion, then, you see, does not put new flesh upon the old spirit; but a new Spirit within the old flesh. It does not propose to bring new flesh to the old mind; bur a new mind to the old flesh. Deliverance and victory are not gained by having the human nature taken away; but by receiving the divine nature to subdue and have dominion over the human--not by the taking away of the sinful flesh, but by the sending in of the sinless Spirit to conquer and condemn sin in the flesh.
Notice now these next two paragraphs which so beautifully sum up the central idea.
The Scripture does not say, Let this flesh be upon you, which was also upon Christ; but it does say, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5.
The Scripture does not say, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your flesh;" but it does say, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Rom. 12:2. We shall be translated by the renewing of our flesh; but we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
A. T. Jones is here making the point that our old sinful nature is something which will be with us until Christ comes. There is no way by which we can be rid of that sinful nature, this fallen flesh, until then. But what God does for us in the meantime is to give us a sinless Spirit to subdue the fallen nature, to have dominion over sinful flesh, to conquer and condemn sin in the flesh. This expression, "condemned sin in the flesh" is from Romans 8:3, and appears in the 1888 message perhaps more than any other Scriptural passage.
There is found all through Africa what is considered the world's most dangerous snake, not only because of its highly toxic venom, but also because of its aggressiveness and incredible speed. In Australia we find what is probably the world's most venomous snake, the Inland Taipan, but it is not considered as dangerous as the African snake, which is known as the Black Mamba, not so much because of its outer coloring but probably because the inside of its mouth has a distinctly blackish appearance. Actually, most of the four hundred snake-bite deaths which occur in Africa each year are caused, not by the dreaded black mamba, but by the puff adder, which has what herpetologists regard as the most advanced venom injecting system of all snakes.
There is a lesson for us here. Let us suppose that somewhere on the East African coast there is a convention of Muslims, of whom there are many in this part of the world, which is being conducted in an area close to the thick bush. An expert on snakes, anticipating the possibility that someone might be bitten by a snake, takes with him a snakebite kit containing all that would be needed to treat a snakebite victim. Now let us say that one of the Muslims gets bitten. The man with the snakebite kit rushes over to him and says, "Keep calm! I can save your life! I am well prepared." But this Muslim, who, shall we say, is a very fatalistic sort of person, replies, "No, no, it is the will of Allah! Let me die!" And no matter how much the snake expert tries to save his life, the Muslim refuses help, and he dies.
And now comes the question: What is it that kills this man? As I have asked this question many times of different people, the most popular answer has been, "His refusal of the antidote," or "his own choice," or "lack of faith." But this is not what kills him! What kills him is the snake venom!! There is no way to reason around this! But if I should ask a further question, "What is the reason the man dies?" then most people say, correctly, his refusal of the antidote. This is important for us to understand. What actually kills the fatalistic Muslim is the snake venom, but the reason he dies is that he refused help.
You see, this world of ours has had injected into it the deadliest venom of all, sin, and the one responsible is that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan. Ordinarily, nothing would be able to save the people of this earth, but God found a way to save humanity. He sent His only-begotten Son into this world to provide the remedy, but it cost Him Calvary! Here an antidote for sin was given. James 1:15 tells us: "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." But then we read in the Signs of the Times of December 30, 1889, "The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin." If a man is lost at last and dies eternally, what kills him finally is sin, but the reason he dies is that he refused the salvation so freely given.
The Desire of Ages, page 480, tells us that, "It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow Him."
What priceless admonition we find here. So many who seek the solace of a religious faith do so from wrong motivations. As indicated in the statement just quoted they either want to escape punishment or they seek eternal reward in heaven, when the only true motivation should be the love awakened in the heart by the contemplation of Calvary's cross. Too many preachers and religious leaders take advantage of this by holding up the carrot of eternal bliss, or, as in too many cases, painting horrifying pictures of everlasting torment. In the latter case, it is the principle of fear-motivation. An example of this is the following:
Listen to the tremendous, the horrible uproar of millions and millions of tormented creatures mad with the fury of hell. Oh, the screams of fear, the groanings of horror, the yells of rage, the cries of pain, the shouts of agony, the shrieks of despair of millions on millions! There you hear them roaring like lions, hissing like serpents, howling like dogs, and wailing like dragons. There you hear the gnashing of teeth and the fearful blasphemies of the devils. Above all you hear the roaring of the thunders of God's anger, which shakes hell to its foundations. But there is another sound!
There is in hell a sound like that of many waters. It is as if all the rivers and oceans of the world were pouring themselves with a great splash down on the floor of hell. Is it then really the sound of waters? It is. Are the rivers and oceans of the earth pouring themselves into hell? No. What is it then? It is the sound of oceans of tears running from the countless millions of eyes. They cry night and day. They cry forever and ever. They cry because the sulphurous smoke torments their eyes. They cry because they are in darkness. They cry because they have lost the beautiful heaven. They cry because the sharp fire burns them.
What I can never understand is why all this water fails to put the fire out! But there's more! "Little child." That's right! This entire portrayal of horror was written for little children! But let us continue.
Little child, it is better to cry one tear of repentance now than to cry millions of tears in hell. But what is that dreadful, sickening smell?
There are some diseases so bad, such as cancers and ulcers, that people cannot bear to breathe the air in the house where they are. There is something worse. It is the smell of death coming from a dead body lying in the grave. The dead body of Lazarus had been in the grave only four days, yet Martha, his sister, could not bear that it should be taken out again. But what is the smell of death in hell?
St. Bonaventure says that if one single body was taken out of hell and laid on the earth, in that same moment every living creature on earth would sicken and die. Such is the smell of death from one body in hell. What then will be the smell of death from countless millions and millions of bodies laid in hell like sheep?
This entire passage is taken from Spiritual Readings, written by, and get this, the Reverend Furniss!
Many statements similar to this have been made by ministers of the large and popular churches over the centuries. One even tells us that if the fires of hell were to be extinguished it would put an end to a great part of the joy and happiness of the redeemed! This kind of thing is the inevitable result of the fear-motivation to which too many preachers resort in order to keep people coming to church.
There is only one true motivation worth anything, and that is the love which God revealed to the world on the cross of Calvary!
Consider now this vitally important subject of the "Sanctuary." We as a people have, for the most part, approached the study of the sanctuary largely from the descriptive point of view. There is nothing so terribly wrong about this. We have to start somewhere, and this is an excellent place to begin. It is important that we understand clearly the physical aspects of the Sanctuary, the dimensions, materials, and so on, and the many articles of furniture, and their meaning and most particularly what they symbolized.
However, there is a message for the people of God from a study of the Sanctuary which goes far beyond the elementary stages. It was in the presentation of the 1888 message that concepts arising from such a study came to be more fully appreciated. It is to some of these concepts that we shall now turn our attention.
Evangelism, page 221, contains this statement: "The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith." Many have tried to depreciate the importance of the work to which the Advent Movement is dedicated by telling us that Martin Luther preached the Three Angels' Messages. If this is true then there is indeed no need for Seventh-day Adventism, but the whole idea is without foundation. Such doctrines as the Sabbath and the Investigative Judgment found no place in the teaching of Martin Luther, which does not detract one iota from the greatness of the man or the exceedingly important contribution he made to the cause of Christianity. But the truths we have mentioned, and others, all of which carry tremendous eschatological significance, were not taught by Luther. He was a man for a different time. And he had no understanding of the sanctuary, without which he could not possibly have given the Three Angels' Messages. The doctrine of the sanctuary is uniquely Seventh-day Adventist.
A. T. Jones identified the cleansing of the sanctuary with the finishing of the mystery of God and the ending work of the Gospel (see The Consecrated Way, pp. 115, 119, and 120). His central point of emphasis was that, parallel with the work of our High Priest in the Holy of Holies in the heavenly sanctuary, was the work of the cleansing of the hearts of God's people down here on earth. Notice these statements:
The finishing of this work of the sanctuary and for the sanctuary was, likewise, the finishing of the work for the people. For in that day of the cleansing of the sanctuary, which was the day of atonement, whosoever of the people did not by searching of heart, confession, and putting away of sin, take part in the service of the cleansing of the sanctuary was cut off forever. Thus the cleansing of the sanctuary extended to the people, and included the people, as truly as it did the sanctuary itself (pp. 115-116).
The finishing of the mystery of God is the ending of the work of the gospel. And the ending of the work of the gospel is, first, the taking away of all vestige of sin and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness--Christ fully formed--within each believer. God alone manifest in the flesh of each believer in Jesus; and, secondly, on the other hand, the work of the gospel being finished means only the destruction of all who then shall not have received the gospel (2 Thess. 1:7-10); for it is not the way of the Lord to continue men in life when the only possible use they will make of life is to heap up more misery for themselves" (p. 119).
The service in the earthly sanctuary shows also that in order for the sanctuary to be cleansed and the course of the gospel service there to be finished, it must first be finished in the people who have a part in the service. ... The sanctuary itself could not be cleansed so long as, by confessions of the people and the intercessions of the priests, there was pouring into the sanctuary a stream of iniquities, transgressions, and sins. ... And this stream must be stopped at its fountain in the hearts and lives of the worshipers, before the sanctuary itself could possibly be cleansed. (p. 120).
So many have the idea that the reason Christ has not returned to this world in the clouds of glory is because He is waiting for the word from the heavenly Father, the final countdown, as it were. And this, they believe, is something which depends entirely upon just when God will decide the time has come: a heavenly "whim" as it were. God finally deciding that He has had enough of all the sin and sorrows and endless tragedies of the people on earth. This is simply not so. Why He waits is because the "bride" is not yet ready. As long as sins are continually ascending up to the sanctuary the work is not yet finished, and Jesus has to wait until that wonderful time is realized. I am well aware that this is a mind-boggler. I was simply stunned when it first came home to me. And yet it makes simple sense. The details and many other related factors are too complicated for our little minds to understand, and yet the principle is not only valid but so clearly given to us in these statements by the 1888 messenger, A. T. Jones. An idea which suggests that Jesus will say, one of these days, when His Father gives Him the nod, "Ready or not, here I come," is far from the truth. Notice these further statements:
Therefore the very first work in the cleansing of the sanctuary was the cleansing of the people. That which was preliminary and essential to the cleansing of the sanctuary itself, to the finishing of transgression and bringing in everlasting righteousness, there, was the finishing of transgression, and the making an end of sins, and making reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness in the heart and lift of each one of the people themselves. When the stream that flowed into the sanctuary was thus stopped at its source, then, and then alone, could the sanctuary itself be cleansed from the sins and transgressions which, from the people, by the intercession of the priests, had flowed into the sanctuary. (ibid. pp. 120-121).
A. T. Jones explains now that these principles brought out in the earthly sanctuary are all a type of the final ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Notice now how he applies what he said about the ministry of the earthly sanctuary to the work of the High Priest in the heavenly:
And all that "was a figure for the time then present"-- a "figure of the true." Therefore by this we are plainly taught that the service of our great High Priest in the cleansing of the true sanctuary must be preceded by the cleansing of each one of the believers, the cleansing of each one who has a part in that service of the true High Priest in the true sanctuary. It is plain that transgression must be finished, an end of sins and reconciliation for all iniquity must be made, and everlasting righteousness must be brought in, in the heart's experience of every believer in Jesus, before the cleansing of the true sanctuary can be accomplished.
And this is the very object of the true priesthood in the true sanctuary. The sacrifices, the priesthood, and the ministry in the sanctuary which was but a figure for the time then present, could not really take away sin, could not make the comers thereunto perfect. Whereas the sacrifice, the priesthood, and the ministry of Christ in the true sanctuary does take away sins forever, does make the comers thereunto perfect does perfect "forever them that are sanctified." (ibid. p.121).
E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones both stressed that the making righteous of the believers is not our work but that of our Lord Himself. Our part is to believe. He has guaranteed this righteousness to us under the provisions of the everlasting covenant. Jones brings out the thought in these passages on pages 122-123 of The Consecrated Way. E. J. Waggoner says this in The Glad Tidings, page 72: "Remember also that since only righteousness will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth, the promise includes the making righteous of all who believe."
Righteousness by Faith. By faith alone. Remember the definition of faith: A heart appreciation of the love of God as revealed on the cross of Calvary. By this we obtain righteousness. Glorious promise! Glorious good news!
Again here is A. T. Jones: And just listen to the vibrant good news!
Everlasting righteousness, remember. Not a righteousness for today and sin tomorrow, and righteousness again and sin again. That is not everlasting righteousness. Everlasting righteousness is righteousness that is brought in and stays everlastingly in the life of him who has believed and confessed, and who still further believes and receives this everlasting righteousness in the place of all sin and all sinning. This alone is everlasting righteousness; this alone is eternal redemption from sin. And this unspeakable blessing is the gracious gift of God by the heavenly ministry which He has established in our behalf in the priesthood and ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. (ibid., p. 125).
E. J. Waggoner also taught that the blotting out of sin in the Final Atonement was not merely the erasing of the heavenly record. He wrote in the Review and Herald of September 30, 1902:
Though all the record of all our sin, even though written with the finger of God, were erased, the sin would remain, because the sin is in us. Though the record of our sin were graven in the rock, and the rock should be ground to powder--even this would not blot out our sin. ... The erasing of sin is the blotting of it from our natures, so that we shall know it no more. "The worshippers once purged" (Hebrews 10:2)--actually purged by the blood of Christ--have "no more conscience of sins," because the way of sin is gone from them.
We should mention here that Waggoner was not teaching the eradication of the sinful nature. Other statements he made around that time clearly reveal that he did not believe this.
Writing of the end-time experience of God's people in Life Sketches of James and Ellen White, which is quoted in Ransom and Reunion, page 91, James White makes this statement:
And what a thought! Probation closed; the priestly work of Christ forever ended; and the time of trouble to be passed through! The mass of people think that if a person is prepared to die, he is prepared for the coming of the Lord. But they do not consider the difference between dying, and standing alive to meet the Lord at His appearing. It is one thing to die in Christ, to yield our spirits to Him while He is pleading for us before His Father's throne, and quite a different thing to stand in the time of trouble, after Jesus has ceased to plead in man's behalf; after His priesthood is closed, and He is preparing to come to redeem His own, and to take vengeance on His foes.
There are those who say occasionally: "Just what I've always said! I would much rather the Lord would lay me to rest gently some time before the close of probation. Then I would not have to go through the time of trouble and the seven last plagues, but rest quietly in the grave and, when the Lord returns, be raised to meet Him in glory!" These people want to go to heaven by the underground route! They think selfishly. Many times through the centuries our Lord has asked His people to die for Him, but in the final hours of the history of our earth He is going to ask His people to live for Him, in a final demonstration of the power of the gospel to save completely from sin, and to reveal His character to the world before He comes.
Consider now some of these final statements from A. T. Jones in The Consecrated Way To Christian Perfection, pages 126 and l3l. They summarize these thoughts beautifully.
And before He comes thus, His people must be in that condition.
Before He comes we must have been brought to that state of perfection in the complete image of Jesus. Ephesians 4:7, 8, 11-13. And this state of perfection, this developing in each believer the complete image of Jesus--this is the finishing of the mystery of God, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. ... And the blotting out of sins is exactly this thing of the cleansing of the sanctuary; it is the finishing of all transgression in our lives; it is the making an end of all sins in our character; it is the bringing in of the very righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, to abide alone everlastingly. (p. 126).
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum. We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (ibid. p. 131).
"HAVING THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BOLDNESS TO ENTER INTO THE HOLIEST BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, BY A NEW AND LIVING WAY, WHICH HE HATH CONSECRATED FOR US, THROUGH THE VEIL, THAT IS TO SAY, HIS FLESH; AND HAVING AN HIGH PRIEST OVER THE HOUSE OF GOD; LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A TRUE HEART IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, HAVING OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE, AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER." AND "LET US HOLD FAST THE PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH WITHOUT WAVERING; FOR HE IS FAITHFUL THAT PROMISED." (p. 131).
Perhaps now we can begin to appreciate how powerfully the message of the sanctuary came into the 1888 message of Christ's Righteousness. Righteousness by Faith is a reality to one who genuinely, and truly, believes. And "When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people He will come to claim them as His own" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69). Another: "He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God" (Review and Herald, March 10,1904).
Perhaps this next statement will explain why there is so much keen opposition to the 1888 message. Speaking of this message in the Review and Herald of September 3, 1889 Ellen G. White said: "The enemy of man and God is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented, for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken."
Our first quote in this presentation was the opening paragraph in the book, Christ and His Righteousness, by E. J. Waggoner. We shall mention only that sentence taken from Hebrews 3:1: "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." To consider Jesus as High Priest can only be done as we turn our attention to the Holy of Holies in the heavenly sanctuary. This we have tried to do. We mentioned that this was Righteousness by Faith in a nutshell.
We close now with another beautiful summary of Righteousness by Faith which comes to us in Testimonies to the Church, vol. 4, p. 625. Here it is:
The precious blood of Jesus is the fountain prepared to cleanse the soul from the defilement of sin. When you determine to take Him as your friend, a new and enduring light will shine from the cross of Christ. A true sense of the sacrifice and intercession of the dear Saviour will break the heart that has become hardened in sin; and love, thankfulness, and humility will come into the soul. The surrender of the heart to Jesus subdues the rebel into a penitent, and then the language of the obedient soul is, "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This is the true religion of the Bible. Everything short of this is a deception.
Contemplation of the Cross! Righteousness by Faith! AMEN!