“that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.”
I have applied the tests of a prophet many times to Mrs. White. A true prophet must pass all the tests, not failing even a single one. Mrs. White passed all the tests of a prophet, so I believe that she is a true prophet of God.
Confusion
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit.” 1 John 4:1, first part
The Greek text could also be translated “Beloved, stop believing every spirit.”
The language John uses indicates that people are being deceived because of who they listen to.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1
Obviously, when you look at the context, John is addressing a problem occurring in the church at that time.
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They [people teaching these false doctrines] are of the world. Therefore, they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.” Verses 2–5
A tremendous amount of confusion exists among Adventists concerning the meaning of this test, expressed not just in their sermons, but in their books and published materials.
Pleasing God
“So then, those that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8. Did Jesus please God or not?
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ” Matthew 3:16, 17
Matthew 3 chronicles the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Matthew 17 is near the end of His ministry and His life.
“While he [Peter] was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’ ” Matthew 17:5
The Bible tells us that both at the beginning and at the end of Jesus’ ministry, God was pleased with His Son. So, how was He able to please God?
“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” John 8:29
Jesus always did what pleased His Father and as His children, this should also be our goal, our spiritual condition in this life. Only then can our guardian angels, our recording angels, write on our pages in the book of life, that we always sought to do and did do those things that please Jesus.
In the Flesh
The Father was well pleased with His Son. Jesus knew it. Jesus came to this world in human flesh, but not in the flesh Paul refers to in Romans 8:8.
In this context, Paul means that being in the flesh is having a carnal mind.
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7, 8
“Flesh” and “carnal mind” are used interchangeably in the Bible, meaning our natural, sinful nature. Those who have a carnal mind—those who are governed by their natural, sinful nature—cannot keep God’s law and therefore, cannot please Him.
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Verse 9
Did Jesus keep God’s law? Yes, He did. And by keeping the law, Jesus pleased God. Man, however, because of his sinful nature and inherent selfishness, cannot by himself keep the law, and so he cannot please God.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10
Two Meanings: Carnal Mind or Mortal Body
The expression in the flesh can mean two different things. Romans 8 says that if you have a carnal mind, you are at enmity against God; you cannot keep the law of God, and therefore, do not please God. But the expression in the flesh can be used in a different way and Paul uses it in this way, too.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.” Philippians 1:21, 22
“For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” Verses 23, 24
In this context, Paul’s living in the flesh is his human body, not a carnal mind; he is living in a physical, mortal body.
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14
In order for Christ to die as our Saviour, He had to have a mortal body, but what He did not have—what He never had—was a carnal mind. He came in a mortal body of flesh, but He did not have the mind of flesh (sinfulness) which is ours by heredity.
A Problem in the Church
A heresy arose in apostolic times, becoming a major problem in the early Christian church—Docetism and Gnosticism.
Docetism’s basic idea is that Christ only appeared to have a body. He was an illusion, a phantom, not a man at all. He was a purely spiritual being and therefore, could not have experienced human suffering nor could He die.
Gnosticism held that Jesus was only the literal son of Joseph, but that He was selected by God at His baptism to be the Messiah because of His piety and obedience to the law. Some gnostics believed He was just a mystical, spiritual figure, neither human nor divine, downplaying or outright denying His death and resurrection.
During his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul cautioned the believers in Colossi against docetic doctrine in Colossians 2:4, 8, 9, and 18.
Peter voiced an even stronger warning about it.
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 2 Peter 2:1–3
Jude 4 refers to the docetic heresy and the Nicolaitans of Revelation 2 were gnostics.
“When Jesus took human nature, and became in fashion as a man, He possessed all the human organism. His necessities were the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily weariness to be relieved. By prayer to the Father He was braced for duty and for trial.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 1130
“In contemplating the incarnation of Christ in humanity, we stand baffled before an unfathomable mystery that the human mind cannot comprehend. The more we reflect upon it, the more amazing does it appear. How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem’s manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one. It is in this union that we find the hope of our fallen race.” Ibid., Vol. 7A, 443, 444
Clearly, Mrs. White confesses that Jesus did come in the flesh, is a true prophet, and not a deceiver (see 2 John 1).
“There is no one who can explain the mystery of the incarnation of Christ. Yet we know that He came to this earth and lived as a man among men. The man Christ Jesus was not the Lord God Almighty, yet Christ and the Father are one. The Deity did not sink under the agonizing torture of Calvary, yet it is nonetheless true that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ” Ibid., Vol. 5, 1129, 1130
Be Warned
We have been warned not to set Christ before the people as a person who had the propensities of sin.
“Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience [we are born with inherent propensities of disobedience]. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity.” Ibid., Vol. 7A, 447
Never at any moment was there in Jesus Christ an evil propensity. “He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden.” Ibid.
Two Directions
There are two directions that theologians go and both end up in extremes.
Conservative Adventists tend to contradict what Mrs. White said. They say that Christ was born with sinful flesh, the propensity to sin, but He overcame anyway. That position is directly contrary to the previous Spirit of Prophecy quotations. These people however do believe that it’s necessary to overcome sin.
The other extreme is to say Christ wasn’t really like us and so we cannot be expected to be really like Him and so you’re saved by justification alone.
People tend to go from one extreme to the other and both extremes are directly contrary to what Mrs. White wrote. We need to have some clarity about this and Mrs. White has tried to give us clarity if we will study what she wrote very carefully.
“Avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His birth was a miracle of God; for, said the angel, ‘Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ Luke 1:31–35.” Ibid., Vol. 5, 1128
That Holy Thing
“These words do not refer to any human being, except to the Son of the infinite God. Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to, corruption rested upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to corruption. He was tempted in all points like as man is tempted, yet He is called ‘that holy thing.’ ” Ibid.
Mary gave birth to that “holy thing.” Jesus was born holy [in nature and character] and in human flesh [a mortal body]. That cannot be said of any other human being.
“It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been, and will ever remain a mystery. That which is revealed, is for us and for our children, but let every human being be warned from the ground of making Christ altogether human, such an one as ourselves; for it cannot be.” Ibid., 1128, 1129
There are conservative Adventist preachers who want to make Christ just like us. This is dangerous rhetoric. Christ cannot be just like us and be that holy thing, too. It was necessary that He be that holy thing and it was necessary that Jesus had holy flesh. If He did not have holy flesh, He could not be our Saviour.
“In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: ‘Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,” says the Lord; “and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,” says the Lord, “and work; for I am with you,” says the Lord of hosts: ‘according to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear.’ ” Haggai 2:1–5
“ ‘For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,” says the Lord of hosts. “The silver is Mine, and the gold in Mine,” says the Lord of hosts. “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts. “And in this place I will give peace,” says the Lord of hosts.’ … Verses 6–9
“ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, ‘If one carries holy meat [holy flesh] in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?’ ” ’ Then the priests answered and said, ‘No.’
“And Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?’ So the priests answered and said, ‘It shall be unclean.’ Then Haggai answered and said, ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.’ ” Verses 11–14
Mrs. White writes concerning these verses, “This is a parable. The sacrifice spoken of as holy flesh, was a representation of Christ, who was the foundation of the Jewish economy, and who is ever to be regarded as the One who makes possible the purification of man from sin.” Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, Vol. 4, 1176
Christ’s life was offered on Calvary as a holy, unblemished sacrifice. Being holy and unblemished is what made it possible for Him to be our Saviour. However, the devil tried to prevent Jesus from developing this perfected holiness that fit Him to be our sufficient sacrifice. Be mindful of the fact that every sacrifice in the typical service had to be perfect and unblemished. Had not Christ been holy and unblemished, His sacrifice could not have been sufficient to pay the debt for our sins.
“In every possible way Satan sought to prevent Jesus from developing a perfect childhood, a faultless manhood, a holy ministry, and an unblemished sacrifice. But he was defeated.” Ibid., Vol. 5, 1130
Christ’s Humiliation
“Think of Christ’s humiliation. He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded, and defiled by sin. He took our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh.” Ibid., Vol. 4, 1147
For the people who believe that Jesus had sinful flesh [sinful nature], the following is the most powerful statement found in the Spirit of Prophecy that they believe absolutely proves their case.
“He took upon Him fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin.”
But the context for this statement is found in the first part of the paragraph. It says, “Think of Christ’s humiliation.” So, let’s look at Christ’s humiliation.
“Throughout His life on earth He had walked in the light of God’s presence. When in conflict with men who were inspired by the very spirit of Satan, He could say, ‘He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.’ John 8:29. But now He seemed to be shut out from the light of God’s sustaining presence. Now He was numbered with transgressors. The guilt of fallen humanity He must bear. Upon Him who knew no sin must be laid the iniquity of us all.” The Desire of Ages, 685
“Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which He had ever stood before.” Ibid., 686
Praying the third time in Gethsemane, “Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of a great darkness. The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come—that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance. Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity.” Ibid., 690
Christ could have wiped the bloody sweat from His brow, stood, and returned to His Father. He had holy flesh. Had He had sinful flesh, He would have been unable to return to heaven. But because He was holy and undefiled, He could have gone back to heaven right then.
“He might say, Let the transgressor receive the penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father. Will the Son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony?” Ibid.
Had Jesus turned His back on the world and returned to heaven, we would have been lost.
The Bitter Cup
Christ had no sin, no guilt of His own, but in order to save this world, it was necessary for Him to bear our sins. The sins of every man, woman, and child were laid upon Him like a dark, heavy coat. This is the bitter cup.
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4–6
“Will the Son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty? The words fall tremblingly from the pale lips of Jesus, ‘O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’
“Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: ‘If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’
“Having made the decision, He fell dying to the ground … .” The Desire of Ages, 693
Christ’s acceptance of my sin, your sin, the sins of the whole world was His humiliation, the bitter cup He must drink to the very dregs.
Power Given
“The worlds unfallen and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the conflict drew to its close. Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of apostasy, watched intently this great crisis in the work of redemption. The powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ’s thrice-repeated prayer. Angels had longed to bring relief to the divine sufferer, but this might not be. No way of escape was found for the Son of God. In this awful crisis, when everything was at stake, when the mysterious cup trembled in the hand of the sufferer, the heavens opened, a light shone forth amid the stormy darkness of the crisis hour, and the mighty angel who stands in God’s presence, occupying the position from which Satan fell, came to the side of Christ. The angel came not to take the cup from Christ’s hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father’s love. He came to give power to the divine-human suppliant. He pointed Him to the open heavens, telling Him of the souls that would be saved as the result of His sufferings. He assured Him that His Father is greater and more powerful than Satan, that His death would result in the utter discomfiture of Satan, and that the kingdom of this world would be given to the saints of the Most High. He told Him that He would see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied, for He would see a multitude of the human race saved, eternally saved. …
“A heavenly peace rested upon His bloodstained face. He had borne that which no human being could ever bear; for He had tasted the sufferings of death for every man.” Ibid., 694
We Are Responsible
Christ accepted the humiliation of mankind’s degraded, sinful nature and it killed Him. Yes, they drove nails into His hands and feet, pressed a crown of thorns deep into His brow, pierced His side with a spear; and as He hung on the cross, it became more difficult to breathe by the hour. All these things would have killed a mortal man, but they did not kill Christ. We did that. Our sin and guilt separated Him, just as it does us, from His Father and He died of a broken heart. He was slain by the sin of the world.
The devil claimed the human race as his own, saying that even God Himself could not take it back. But Jesus Christ came and did what the devil said could not be done. Mrs. White says that Christ’s incarnation in human flesh, a man, but still God, His ability to die and redeem all of mankind back from Satan was, is, and always will remain a mystery. A mystery that even the angels cannot understand or explain. A mystery that the righteous will study throughout eternity, but never fully understand, though its meaning will be opened to us more and more. (See The Signs of the Times, July 30, 1896.)
Jesus Christ came to this world in the flesh, in a human body, to be our Saviour, to live the life of humanity and to pay the price for our sins. Fallen, degraded, hopeless as we are, Jesus has provided the only way out of this world. He is able to save to the uttermost everyone who comes to God through Him.
A true prophet teaches that Christ came in the flesh to be our Saviour. Mrs. White tells us that even Satan will one day know that he is, and has been all along, powerless to destroy those who put their trust in Jesus Christ. Whatever the situation, go to Jesus. Confess that you cannot trust yourself, that you are powerless to overcome your selfishness and sinfulness alone. Place your complete trust in the One who saves “to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.” Choose to obey Him and to always do those things that please Him. Paul said that Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He came to save you and me.
“Our Redeemer made the greatest possible sacrifice for the human race. Thus, He has shown the estimate He places on us. Do you desire to work so as best to please him?” The Review and Herald, July 11, 1899
Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.