If the great, final cleansing of the Day of Atonement is to be understood, it is essential to understand the nature of man, especially as human nature has been affected by sin.
The fall of Adam corrupted human nature physically and spiritually. The seeds of decay and death were implanted in the human organism, thus reducing the strength of the physical, mental, and moral powers. More than this, sin corrupted the human heart, defiled the mind, and polluted the human spirit.
Satan "prevailed on Adam to sin. Thus at its very source human nature was corrupted."-RH, April 16, 1901. It was inevitable that the stream of life from Adam would also inherit the same corruption of nature. The law of life is that everything produces after its kind. (Gen. 1:11, 21, 24, 25) Adam's children all bear his nature, both in the degeneracy of the outward man (body) and in the sinfulness of the inward man (heart, mind, or spirit). Thus "by one man's disobedience many were made sinners."-Rom. 5:19.
Everyone born of the flesh is sinful. He is born sinful. It is not as important to know how it happens as it is to know that it does happen. A child does not become a sinner after he commits acts of sin. Rather, he commits acts of sin because he is first a sinner. Everyone "born of the flesh" is a sinner, not by deed, but by nature. The acts of sin are the fruit which grows from the corrupt tree. Even if one naturally born were to commit no act of sin, he would still be a sinner, totally unfit for fellowship with God and unsaved unless cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Statements of Inspiration which affirm this basic truth of the inherited sinfulness of all men are as follows:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"-Jer. 17:9.
... the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."-Rom. 8:7.
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."-Gen. 6:5.
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. ... and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."-Eph. 2:1, 3.
"Behold, I was shapen in inquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."-Ps. 51:5.
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."-Ps. 58:3.
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."-Rom. 5:19.
"The inheritance of children is that of sin. Sin has separated them from God."-CG 475.
"Children who have not experienced the cleansing power of Jesus are the lawful prey of the enemy, and the evil angels have easy access to them."-CT 118.
"Children are the lawful prey of the enemy. ...'-RH, Sept. 19, 1854.
"Because of sin his [Adam's] posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience."-5BC 1128.
"In the human heart there is natural selfishness and corruption. ..."-4T 496.
"As related to the first Adam, men receive from hi m nothing but guilt and the sentence of death."-6BC 1074.
From the foregoing, it is clear that:
- All men naturally born have sin in them.
- This sin exists not in expression (deed) but in very nature. As the oak tree is in the acorn, so every conceivable act of sin is in the sinful nature. [1]
- The corrupt "tree" soon makes itself known by its evil "fruit." The "fruit" does not make the "tree" evil. The evil "tree" makes the "fruit" evil.
- Thus sin should be considered in its two aspects-the sin of nature and the sin of action. Paul referred to the believers as those who had "put off the old man with his deeds."-Col. 3:9.
Original Sin and the Reformers
Augustine first coined the expression "original sin." By it he meant the sinful nature transmitted to humanity as a result of Adam's sin. Adventists may not agree with Augustine on how the corrupt nature of Adam is transmitted to his posterity, but they would certainly have to agree with him that man is born with a corrupt heart and a carnal mind.
It is not necessary to use the expression "original sin" any more than it is necessary to use the word "Trinity" in reference to the three persons of the Godhead. But in order to appreciate what the great Reformers stood for, it is most helpful to know what they meant by "original sin" and what they taught about "original sin."
Luther
"... It [original sin] is the proneness toward evil." [2]
"Original sin is our inherited tendency to do that which is evil, and our disinclination and inability to do that which is good." [3]
"We must confess, as Paul says in Romans 5:12, that sin originated from one man Adam, by whose disobedience all men were made sinners and subject to death and to the devil. This is called original or capital sin. The fruits of this sin are afterwards the evil deeds which are forbidden in the Ten Commandments, such as unbelief, false faith, idolatry, to be without fear of God, arrogance, blindness, and, to speak briefly, not to know or regard God, not to regard God's Word, to be disobedient to parents, to murder, to be unchaste, to steal, to deceive, etc. This hereditary sin is so deep a corruption of nature, that no reason can understand it, but it must be believed from the revelation of Scripture." [4]
The Augsburg (Protestant) Confession of 1530, which was drawn up largely by Melancthon, ex pressed not only Luther's theology, but Protestant theology in general.
"Our churches, with common consent, do teach ... that since the Fall of Adam, all men begotten according to nature, are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of origin is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon those not born again through baptism and the Holy Spirit. ..." [5]
Calvin
"Original sin, therefore, seems to be a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul, which first makes us liable to God's wrath, then also brings forth in us those works which Scripture calls 'works of the flesh' [Galatians 5:19]. And that is properly what Paul often calls sin. The works that come forth from it-such as adulteries, fornications, thefts, hatreds, murders, carousings-he accordingly calls 'fruits of sin' [Galatians 5 :19-21], although they are also commonly called 'sins' in Scripture, and even by Paul himself. ...
"For, since it is said that we became subject to God's judgment through Adam's sin, we are to understand it not as if we, guiltless and undeserving, bore the guilt of his offense but in the sense that, since we through his transgression have become entangled in the curse, he is said to have made us guilty. Yet not only has punishment fallen upon us from Adam, but a contagion imparted by him resides in us, which justly deserves punishment. ... And the apostle himself most eloquently testifies that 'death has spread to all because all have sinned' [Romans 5:12]. That is, they have been enveloped in original sin and defiled by its stains. For that reason, even infants themselves, while they carry their condemnation along with them from the mother's womb, are guilty not of Luther's fault but of their own. For, even though the fruits of their iniquity have not yet come forth, they have the seed enclosed within them. Indeed, their whole nature is a seed of sin; hence it can be only hateful and abhorrent to God. From this it follows that it is rightly considered sin in God's sight, for without guilt there would be no accusation." [6]
It is clear that the Reformers used the expression "original sin" to mean the depraved, sinful nature which belongs to all who are naturally engendered. Any fundamental Christian must believe in this concept of original sin.' [7]
Original Sin and Regeneration
In the unconverted life, the sinful nature of the heart and mind holds full sway. Apart from converting grace, all that the natural man does is sin. All his thoughts, religion, devotion, zeal, works, righteousness, are sin. Struggle as he may to be free, the natural man is a complete slave to his sinful nature.
Conversion is a great work "that most do not appreciate."-2T 294. The believer in Jesus is born again and becomes a new creature. (John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17) He partakes of the divine nature and becomes a son of God. (2 Pet. 1:4; John 1:12) He is "justified by His blood," and his sins are passed over by the forbearance of God. (Rom. 5:9; 3:25) He experiences "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."-Titus 3:5. He is among those described by Paul, " ... but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."-1 Cor. 6:11. The love of God is shed abroad in his heart, and his very body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 3:16) "The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies."-6BC 1101. Sin no longer reigns in the believer's mortal body (Rom. 6:12), for the liberating grace of God breaks the controlling power of original sin in his life. (Rom. 8:2)
The power and efficacy of the blood of Christ must not be minimized, but these important questions should be raised:
Does the daily experience of regeneration altogether eradicate original sin (the sinful nature)? Is there any sin in them that are born of God, or are they wholly delivered from it? What is the testimony of the saints of all ages?
Moses
"... cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. ..."-Gen. 3:17.
The ground is an illustration of the human heart (Jer. 4:3; Hosea 10:12; Matt. 13:8); and the changed condition of the earth after the fall served to illustrate the changed condition of man's heart after the fall.
"It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. ... But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it-they would have the knowledge of evil-all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan's temptations."-PP 59.
"Where once was written only the character of God, the knowledge of good, was now written also the character of Satan, the knowledge of evil."-Ed 26.
"The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man's experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which, unaided, he cannot resist."-Ed 29.
Adam was not wholly restored to the image of the Divine after he repented of his sin. He was not able to see God's face again. Through sin his nature became evil, and he was now required to contend with the evil bent of his heart all the days of his life, just as he was required to contend with bad seeds, thorns, and weeds in the cursed earth.
Solomon
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."-Eccl. 7:20.
"Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"-Prov. 20:9.
Job
"... Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. ... Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."-Job 40:4; 42:6. (Yet the same job was a "perfect and upright" man-Job 1:1.)
David
"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults."-Ps. 19:12.
"... Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."-Ps. 143:2.
"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?"-Ps. 130:3.
Isaiah
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. ..."-Is. 64:6.
"... Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. ..."-Is. 6:5; cf. 4BC 1139. (Isaiah was a holy prophet, yet he included himself among the unclean.)
Daniel
"And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin. ..."-Daniel 9:20. (Daniel was a blameless servant of God when he was engaged in this prayer.)
"And I Daniel alone saw the vision [of Christ's glory and moral excellence] ... and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption. ..."-Daniel 10:7, 8.
Paul
"I am not conscious of anything against myself, and I feel blameless; but I am not vindicated and acquitted before God on that account."-1 Cor. 4:4, Amplified Bible.
"This is a faithful saving, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."-1 Tim. 1:15.
"Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ... Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ... For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind..."-Rom. 7:17, 20, 22, 23.
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."-Phil. 3:12.
John
"... but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth [Greek: keeps on and continues to cleanse] us from all sin."-1 John 1:7.
James
"For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things."-James 3:2, Amplified Bible.
Luther
"So original sin remains in Christians until they die. ..." [8] "The lives and confessions of these [Paul, Jerome, Cyprian] and all saints prove the saying of St. Paul in Romans 7, 'I delight in the law of God after my spirit, yet find in my members a contrary law of sin,' so that no one can deny that sin is still present in all the baptized and holy men on earth, and that they must fight against it." [9]
"But we should know that sin is left in the spiritual man for the exercise of grace, for the humiliation of pride, and for the restraint of presumptuousness." [10]
"'Sin remains after baptism.' All sins are washed away, but there is still something left that needs washing. ... Every good work of the saints while pilgrims in this world is sin. ... [the saints] are righteous yet impure at one and the same time [SIMUL JUSTI ET PECATORES]." [11]
Wesley
"And as this position, there is no sin in a believer, no carnal mind, no bent to backsliding, is thus contrary to the word of God, so it is to the experience of his children. These continually feel a heart bent to backsliding, a natural tendency to evil, a proneness to depart from God, and cleave to the things of earth. They are daily sensible of sin remaining in the heart, pride, self-will, unbelief; and of sin cleaving to all they speak or do, even their best actions and holiest duties. Yet at the same time they 'know that they are of God'; they cannot doubt it for a moment. They feel his Spirit clearly 'witnessing with their spirit, that they are the children of God.' They 'rejoice in God through Christ Jesus, by whom they have now received the atonement.' So that they are equally assured, that sin is in them, and that 'Christ is in them the hope of glory.' " [12]
"Christ indeed cannot reign where sin reigns; neither will He dwell where any sin is allowed. But He is and dwells in the heart of every believer who is fighting against all sin; although it be not yet purified, according to the purification of the sanctuary." [13]
"That believers are delivered from the guilt and power of sin we allow; that they are delivered from the being of it we deny." [14]
"... [sin] does not reign but it does remain." [15]
White
The Spirit of Prophecy describes the daily experience of the saints as follows:
"The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes. ..."-SC 64.
"There is a wrestling with inbred sin; there is warfare against outward wrong."-RH, Nov. 29, 1887.
"We must strive daily against outward evil and inward sin. ..."-RH, May 30, 1882; cf. 5T 397.
"None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature."-COL 160.
"But because this experience [of regeneration] is his, the Christian is not therefore to fold his hands, content with that which has been accomplished for him. He who has determined to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ's strength for victory."-AA 476, 477.
From the foregoing testimony of saints of all ages, it can be seen that Doctors Edward Heppenstall and Desmond Ford are quite correct if their following statements are applied to the normal, daily Christian experience:
"The Christian knows that there still remains in him a fountain of evil, a depraved nature."-Edward Heppenstal. [16]
"The consecrated believer has sin in him but no sin on him, just as Christ had sin on Him but no sin in Him. That is to say, every converted soul still has his old nature to fight and from this source he is continually tempted. ... See Romans 7:14-23 and Galatians 5:17."-Desmond Ford. [17]
Once the truth that original sin remains in the regenerate saints is grasped, one many readily understand what Luther meant when he stressed that even the good works of the saints are defiled with sin." [18] Wesley likewise testified that sin cleaves to the saints' best actions and holiest duties. E. G. White declared that the prayers, praise, and religious exercises of "true believers" are so defiled by their "corrupt channels of humanity" that they are not acceptable to God unless Jesus purifies them by His blood. (1SM 344)
It follows that perfect obedience here and now is only possible if the imputed righteousness of Christ is applied to the impurity and deficiency of all good works: [19]
"Man's obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ's righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience."-AA 532.
"Through the merits of Christ's imputed righteousness, the fragrance of such words and deeds is forever preserved." -Sons and Daughters of God, p. 270.
"But that which God required of Adam in paradise before the fall, He requires in this age of the world from those who would follow Him,-perfect obedience to His law. But righteousness without a blemish can be obtained only through the imputed righteousness of Christ."-RH, Sept. 3, 1901.
It is a grave mistake to suppose that original sin may be entirely eradicated if the Lord just gives His people enough probationary time to practice sanctification. Is not the divine decree clear enough? "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life."
"Man has fallen; and it will be the work of a lifetime, be it longer or shorter, to recover from that fall, and regain, through Christ, the image of the divine, which he lost by sin and continued transgression."-2T 448.
"Man may grow up into Christ, his living head. It is not the work of a moment, but that of a lifetime. By growing daily in the divine life, he will not attain to the full stature of a perfect man in Christ until his probation ceases."-4T 367.
It may therefore be affirmed, with the saints of all ages, that all sinfulness is not eliminated from believers in the normal, daily experience. This concept does not limit the power of God to cleanse from sin, but it accepts by faith that His wisdom sees best to leave His people in a state [20] of sin to teach humility, abhorrence of sin, and dependence upon His righteousness alone. Character is formed by conflict, and a large share of the Christian's conflict is with his own sinful heart.
Original Sin and the Second Advent
Some Seventh-day Adventists avoid the error of trying to pull down the great Protestant pillar, confessing with the Reformers that original sin remains in Christians until they die, and yet turn to the opposite error-that of claiming that sin will remain in the saints until the second advent of Christ :
Edward Heppenstall
"The old creature or the old man remains with us till the day of our death or the day of Christ's coming; but as long as we look to Christ the author and the finisher of our faith, sin and self cannot prevail. ... The Christian believes that there still remains in the regenerate man a fountain of evil; that sin always exists in the saints till they are divested of their mortal bodies. ...
"This original sin remains in Christians and non-Christians until they die or are translated." [21]
"We find here the most solemn warning against sinless perfection in this life. The Christian knows that there still remains in him a fountain of evil, a depraved nature. ..." [22]
Taylor Bunch
"Webster defines perfection as being 'blameless' and 'flaw less' with characters 'fully formed,' 'completely developed; 'satisfying the highest expectation,' and having reached 'full maturity.' It is stated that perfectionism from a theological viewpoint is 'the doctrine that a state of freedom from sin is attainable, or has been attained, in the earthly life. ... We should remember that only when Jesus comes can we be made perfect." [23]
Ralph Watts
"We will never reach sinless perfection in this life. ..." [24]
Desmond Ford
"The consecrated believer has sin in him but no sin on him, just as Christ had sin on Him but no sin in Him. That is to say, every converted soul still has his old nature to fight and from this source he is continually tempted, whereas Christ had no old nature of evil. See Romans 7:14-23 and Galatians 5:17. Our old nature will be finally destroyed at glorification when our Lord returns. Then we will have sin neither in us nor on us. [25]
This concept attempts to pull down the pillar of Adventism - the cleansing of the sanctuary before the coming of Jesus. But as long as Daniel 8:14 stands, the truth stands that all sin must be eliminated from the saints before Christ comes.
That this may appear as certain as it is, five facts are here presented:
- The sanctuary must be cleansed and all sin blotted out as far as the saints are concerned before Jesus comes. To deny this is to deny Daniel 8:14 and the very foundation of Adventism.
- Paul affirms that Christ will come "the second time without sin [apart from sin, not to deal with sin as far as His people are concerned] unto salvation."-Heb. 9:28. Sin must be finished with and blotted out "when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord," not at the Second Advent.
- After the final close of human probation, the saints must live in the sight of a holy God without an Intercessor. (EW 71) This experiential concept of the final generation is intrinsic in Daniel 8:14 and Hebrews 9:28. The regenerate saints are not without sin, even though they do not commit acts of sin. They are not prepared to live without an Intercessor in the sanctuary.
Any man who has a sinful nature needs a Mediator in the sanctuary and the continual application of the blood of Christ. While the sinful nature remains, even the prayers of the saints cannot reach God without an Intercessor. (1SM 344) But Jesus does not continue interceding for His people and purifying them with His blood until the Second Advent.
- Those who remain until the coming of Christ must stand in His presence and look into the face of the Son of God. (Cf. Is. 25:9 with 2 Thess. 2:8) Man in his sinful state could not endure the glory of this experience. (Ex. 33:18-20) Moreover, the very fact that the final generation will be glorified before Jesus comes (GC 645) is evidence that nothing but the mortal body remains to be changed at the Second Advent.
- The claim that sin will remain in the saints until Jesus comes is foreign to the past teaching of the exponents of Adventism from James White to M. L. Andreasen. Not one instance has been found in this writer's research where this new teaching was propounded by Seventh-day Adventists before the present decade. Daniel 8:14 means that sin-all sin-must be dealt with and eradicated from the saints before the second coming of Christ.
Original Sin and the Final Atonement
The great pillars of Protestantism and Adventism stand together. The first establishes the truth that original sin remains in the regenerate; the second affirms that it does not remain in those who will live until the coming of the Lord. Where are the would be Samsons who would push down these great pillars? They uphold not the temple of Dagon, but the two apartments of the heavenly sanctuary.
Where can be found the complete blotting out of all sin?
"... so Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly, at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the sanctuary."-EW 253.
Could it be that after more than 120 years, Seventh-day Adventists do not know about Jesus' final atonement? It is made in the most holy place. It is made for the regenerate saints when Jesus takes up their names in judgment. (GC 480) "This atonement is made for the righteous dead as well as for the righteous living."-EW 254. [26] It is credited to the account of the righteous dead, and they will in consequence be resurrected without original sin at the coming of Christ. But the living saints will be alive to experience the glory and power of Christ's final atonement:
"For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the Lord."-Lev. 16:30, Torah Translation.
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."-Mal. 3:2, 3.
"In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence."-Is. 4:2-5.
"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."-Dan. 7:26.
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."-Acts 3:19.
"But into the second [apartment] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people ... which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. ...
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. ...
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."-Heb. 9:7, 9; 10:1, 2, 14-18.
"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve."-Jer. 50:20.
"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by."-Zech. 3:3-5.
"The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. ... The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil anymore."-Zeph. 3:13, 15.
Conclusion
"As the people of God afflict their souls before him, pleading for purity of heart, the command is given, 'Take away the filthy garments from them,' and the encouraging words are spoken, 'Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.' The spotless robe of Christ's righteousness is placed upon the tried, tempted, yet faithful children of God. The despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, never more to be defiled by the corruptions of the world. Their names are retained in the Lamb's book of life, enrolled among the faithful of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by the dragon's roar. Now they are eternally secure from the tempter's devices. Their sins are transferred to the originator of sin. And the remnant are not only pardoned and accepted, but honored. A 'fair mitre' is set upon their heads. They are to be as kings and priests unto God. While Satan was urging his accusations, and seeking to destroy this company, holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living God."-5T 475.
It is clear that Christ does something for His saints in the investigative judgment. There is not only a work of examination; there is also a work of atonement, a work of cleansing. (GC 480) How could the words of inspiration be plainer? "For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the Lord."-Lev. 16:30, Torah Translation. "Take away the filthy garments from him. ... I will clothe thee with change of raiment."-Zech. 3:4.
By what power does the Lord make this great change in the saints?
"I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered: 'It is the latter rain, the loud cry of the third angel.'-1T 183.
"The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain and prepares it for the sickle. ... The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ. ...
"Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection."-TM 506.
Daniel 8:14 is the complement of the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith. In the daily experience of justification, sin does not reign, but it remains. In the sealing experience under the latter rain (which experience is the blessing of the judgment), sin neither reigns nor remains. Daniel 8:14 is God's final answer to the problem of original sin. Thus Adventism is to cooperate with its High Priest to complete the work of the Reformation. God is now calling His people to this final cleansing. As ancient Israel gathered at the sanctuary with prayer and affliction of soul, so modern Israel must understand the nature of their High Priest's work in heaven. (GC 488, 431) They must follow Him to judgment.
How must the people of God come to the judgment? As Luther would say, SIMUL JUSTI ET PECATORES-righteous and obedient children in Christ, yet afflicting their souls, "pleading for purity of heart."-5T 475. The door to the judgment is open. (Rev. 3:8) God's people are invited to enter. (Heb. 10:19-21) All things are ready (Matt. 22:4) - all things except the Laodicean heart. God of heaven, wake up Thy church ere the sentence is passed, "They which were bidden were not worthy!" Might modern Israel respond to the urgent call of Joel to gather at the sanctuary:
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"-Joel 2:15-17.
Notes:
- By "sinful nature" is not meant the degenerate human organism with its weakened physical, mental, and moral powers; but, in the correct theological terminology, the inward spiritual man is referred to the human heart with its natural selfishness and corruption, or the innately perverse quality of the soul.
- Martin Luther, Luther: Lectures on Romans, p. 167.
- Martin Luther, Luther's Small Catechism, p. 40.
- Martin Luther, Smalcald Articles, Part Three, Sec. 1, Book of Concord, Vol. 1, p. 321 f.
- Quoted in Luther's Small Catechism, p. 90.
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, The Library of Christian Classics, Vol. XX, p. 251.
- It is unfortunate that M.L. Andreasen made the statement, "As Adventists, however, we do not believe in original sin." Letters to the Churches, p. 56. Of course Andreasen believed that all are born with corrupt hearts and minds. What then did he mean? Catholics and some Protestants believed that the guilt of Adam's personal sin is imputed to his offspring. It is true that Adventists do not believe in the imputation of guilt from father to son. (Ezek. 18:20; PP 306) Neither did most of the Reformers! Andreasen should have said, "Seventh-day Adventists do not believe in those theories which include the imputed guilt in original sin." Likewise, Raymond F. Cottrell's editorial in the Review and Herald, Sept. 23, 1965, p. 13, is misleading. A fundamental Protestant reading his article could conclude that Seventh-day Adventists are modern-day Pelagians.
- Martin Luther, Table Talk, CCLVI.
- Martin Luther, Works of Martin Luther, Vol. 111, pp. 17-19.
- Martin Luther, Luther: Lectures on Romans, p. 212.
- Martin Luther, Luther: Early Theological Works, The Library of Christian Classics, Vol. XVI, pp. 317-324.
- John Wesley, Wesley's Sermons, pp. 12, 13.
- Ibid., p. 13.
- Ibid., p. 21.
- Ibid., p. 34.
- Edward Heppenstall, Signs of the Times, .Dec., 1963, p. 30.
- Desmond Ford, Signs of the Times (Australian edition), August 1, 1967, p. 32.
- See pp. 22, 23.
- By imparted righteousness believers receive power to obey; but the acts of obedience are defiled by the corrupt channels of humanity, i.e., original sin.
- A "state of sin" does not mean the practice of sin. A born-again believer does not practice sin. (1 John 3:9).
- Edward Heppenstall, Definitions of Righteousness (lessons used at Andrews University), pp. 18, 20.
- Edward Heppenstall, Signs of the Times, Dec., 1963, pp. 11, 30.
- Taylor Bunch, Ministry, Dec., 1965, pp. 7, 9.
- Ralph Watts, RH, May 19, 1966, p. 4.
- Desmond Ford, Signs of the Times (Australian edition), Aug. 1, 1967, p. 32.
- This is not contrary to the teaching of the Spirit of Prophecy that "death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character."-5T 466. True Christians always have a standing of perfection in Christ, and death does not change this. By virtue of the final atonement, they are resurrected with this same perfect character.