merit

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part I

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Ellen White stated that preachers should talk about the subject matter given in this article more than any other subject. It is something so simple that a little child can understand it, but the adults have difficulty understanding it. Jesus said one time that unless you receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, you will not enter in. (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17.) This is a subject with which adults, especially people like ministers, theologians, and those who have studied religion for a long time, have lots of trouble. The subject is the answer to this question: What must I do to be saved?

Regarding this question, Ellen White wrote: “In every congregation in the land there are souls unsatisfied, hungering and thirsting for salvation. By day and by night, the burden of their hearts is, What shall I do to be saved? They listen eagerly to popular discourses, hoping to learn how they may be justified before God. But too often they hear only a pleasing speech, an eloquent declamation. There are sad and disappointed hearts in every religious gathering.” Review and Herald, March 8, 1881. These disappointed individuals want to know whether or not they can be saved, and if so, how. Some of them think they cannot be saved because they are too wicked.

Zechariah 13:1 reads, “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” There is going to be opened, according to the prophet Zechariah, a fountain to Israel and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

We are living in the time when that fountain has been opened and anybody, even the worst sinner, can be cleansed at it. However, that fountain is only for certain people. Now, that sounds like a contradiction. I just stated that it is for everybody, and yet it will only work for certain people. Well, who are the only people for whom it will work? We will start right at the beginning so you will see why so many people miss it, even when it is for everybody.

The Poor in Spirit

“One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the poor in spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 300. This is the fountain which is spoken of in Zechariah 13:1.

Who are the poor in spirit? The poor in spirit are the people who know they are lost, and they know that they are utterly helpless. Maybe they have tried a thousand times to overcome some bad habit, but they cannot do it. They recognize they are utterly helpless, and they know that they cannot do anything to save themselves. How, then, are they going to be saved?

The irony of it is, those are the only people who can be saved! The only people who can be saved are the ones who come to the realization that they are utterly helpless and cannot save themselves. Sometimes the reason it seems as though God is not answering your prayers is so you can get to that position. If you ever get to the position where you recognize that you are utterly helpless and that you cannot do anything to be saved, then you can be saved.

Simple as ABC

Regarding the answer to the question of how to be saved, Ellen White said, “We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don’t understand it.” Faith and Works, 64. How interesting! It is as simple as ABC, but we do not understand it. In fact, at another time, speaking of Seventh-day Adventists, she said, “We need also much more knowledge; we need to be enlightened in regard to the plan of salvation. There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 360. That is pretty bad! How can something be as simple as ABC, yet there is not one in a hundred who understands it?

The question we are contemplating actually comes right out of the New Testament, in the Book of Acts, when the Philippian jailer sought an answer from Paul and Silas: “And coming to them outside, he said, ‘Lords, what is necessary for me to do so that I might be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your house.’ ” Acts 16:30, 31.

That is it! Easy, is it not? A child can understand it, but adults cannot, because we want something that is more complicated.

Message Rejected

In 1888, God sent this message to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but almost all the people in the Church rejected it. So Ellen White began to write, and most of what is quoted in this article from her pen was written shortly after 1888 in regard to the fact of what God was trying to teach the people that they had rejected.

She wrote: “There is salvation for you, but only through the merits of Jesus Christ.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 97. That is the only way. Period!

In Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, Ellen White, on pages 91-93, goes over what it was that God tried to bring to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Minneapolis in 1888. Several years ago, I studied those pages and listed all the things that God was trying to teach His people at that time. I identified seven things that Ellen White listed on page 92, but we are only going to study one of those seven things. One of the things that the Lord was trying to teach through Ellen White and through Jones and Waggoner to the Adventist Church in 1888 was about Christ’s merits.

Christ’s Merits

“There is salvation for you, but only through the merits of Jesus Christ.” That is all.

Now, this is the way people were saved in Old Testament times: “Through the sacrifices and offerings brought to the earthly Sanctuary, the children of Israel were to lay hold of the merits of a Saviour to come.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, 160. What was the purpose of all those ceremonies? To help the people exercise faith in “the merits of a Saviour to come.” But we have a problem.

Creature Merit

“Discussions may be entered into by mortals strenuously advocating creature merit, and each man striving for the supremacy, but they simply do not know that all the time, in principle and character, they are misrepresenting the truth as it is in Jesus. They are in a fog of bewilderment. They need the divine love of God which is represented by gold tried in the fire; they need the white raiment of Christ’s pure character; and they need the heavenly eyesalve . . .” Why do they need the heavenly eyesalve? What is going to happen to Laodicea when they get the heavenly eyesalve? “. . . that they might discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life.” Faith and Works, 23.

Of how much worth is creature merit? Anything that you or I can do, past, present, or future, is absolutely worthless.

One of the reasons this message was rejected in 1888 is that people said, “You are going to do away with the law. We have been teaching people they have to keep the commandments, and you are telling people that all they have to do is trust in Jesus.” See, that is what happens when people study theology. They get all mixed up. A child can understand it. Why can the children understand it better than the adults? As soon as the adults hear, “Just put your trust in Jesus; He has merits; He will save you,” they think, “Oh, that could not be all there is to it.” Yes, it is! Everything else that you need will happen, but all you need to do is trust in Jesus.

Some people may think that I am going to destroy the Adventist Church, that I am going to destroy the revival and reformation movement within the Adventist Church, that I am preaching heresy or the new theology. No, I am not preaching the new theology. I am preaching the gospel.

Ellen White said, “They need the heavenly eyesalve that they might discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life.”

All Power Imparted

“I [Ellen White] ask, How can I present this matter as it is? The Lord Jesus imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination, all the pardon of sins, in presenting His righteousness for man to grasp by living faith¾which is also the gift of God. If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason.” Ibid.

If you told the angels everything wonderful and good that a human being had ever done and asked if these things would add any merit to this person’s salvation, the angels would reject it all, saying, “That is treason against the government of God.” The angels know the plan of salvation. They understand what is involved. They understand the utter worthlessness of anything you and I can do to earn salvation.

Mrs. White continued, “Any works that man can render to God will be far less than nothingness.” Ibid., 24. The idea of humans doing anything to merit the grace of pardon is fallacy from beginning to end.

Through Faith Alone

“There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” Ibid., 18.

Do you get it? Children can understand it. Theologians usually cannot understand it. People who have studied the Bible for years and years do not get it figured out. The Philippian jailer was baptized early the next morning, and he had been a heathen.

“Many are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking that they must climb to heaven, that they must do something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by their own unaided efforts. This they can never accomplish.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 368.

Can you ever do anything to merit the favor of God? No, never. Nothing. So, what must you do to be saved? All you have to do is trust yourself to the merits of Jesus Christ. Everything else will happen if you do this. And if you do not do this, the other things will not happen. You can struggle with sanctification, keeping the law, health reform and dress reform, and anything else, but you will never be saved doing all those things. There is only one way to salvation, and that is to trust yourself, to yield yourself to Jesus Christ, to trust His merits, not your own.

You Can Be Complete

Colossians 2:10 reads, “And you are complete in Him who is the head of all authority and rulers.” Who is this “you”? Are these the people who are ready for translation?

“We stand in favor before God, not because of any merit in ourselves, but because of our faith in ‘the Lord our righteousness.’

“Jesus stands in the holy of holies, now to appear in the presence of God for us. There He ceases not to present His people moment by moment, complete in Himself.” Faith and Works, 107. You can be complete in Christ right now, today, if you yield yourself to Him.

“Because we are thus represented before the Father, we are not to imagine that we are to presume upon His mercy and become careless, indifferent, and self-indulgent. Christ is not the minister of sin. We are complete in Him, accepted in the Beloved, only as we abide in Him by faith.

“Perfection through our own good works we can never attain. The soul who sees Jesus by faith, repudiates his own righteousness. He sees himself as incomplete, his repentance insufficient, his strongest faith but feebleness, his most costly sacrifice as meager, and he sinks in humility at the foot of the cross. But a voice speaks to him from the oracles of God’s Word. In amazement he hears the message, ‘Ye are complete in Him.’ [Colossians 2:10.]” Ibid., 107, 108.

Who is this? This is the person who has decided that he is hopeless. He sinks “at the foot of the cross,” but then he hears the voice, “Ye are complete in Him.”

“Now all is at rest in his soul. No longer must he strive to find some worthiness in himself, some meritorious deed by which to gain the favor of God.” Ibid., 108.

Basis of Protestant Reformation

What we are noting was the basis of the Protestant Reformation. It was what the Waldenses taught during the Dark Ages. Read the experience of the Vaudois missionary during the Dark Ages:

“With quivering lip and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, open to his brethren the precious promises that reveal the sinner’s only hope. Thus the light of truth penetrated many a darkened mind, rolling back the cloud of gloom, until the Sun of Righteousness shone into the heart with healing in His beams. It was often the case that some portion of Scripture was read again and again, the hearer desiring it to be repeated, as if he would assure himself that he had heard aright. Especially was the repetition of these words eagerly desired: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ 1 John 1:7. ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.’ John 3:14, 15.

“Many were undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome. They saw how vain is the mediation of men or angels in behalf of the sinner. As the true light dawned upon their minds they exclaimed with rejoicing: ‘Christ is my priest; His blood is my sacrifice; His altar is my confessional.’ They cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus . . . .” The Great Controversy, 73, 74.

When they cast themselves completely on the merits of Jesus, not trusting in themselves at all, what happened?

“They cast themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus, repeating the words, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him.’ Hebrews 11:6. ‘There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12.

“The assurance of a Saviour’s love seemed too much for some of these poor tempest-tossed souls to realize. So great was the relief which it brought, such a flood of light was shed upon them, that they seemed transported to heaven. Their hands were laid confidingly in the hand of Christ; their feet were planted upon the Rock of Ages. All fear of death was banished. They could now covet the prison and the fagot if they might thereby honor the name of their Redeemer.” Ibid., 74.

That is what the reformers found. That is the very thing that caused the Protestant Reformation.

Ellen White recorded the following experience of John Calvin: “In the Bible he found Christ. ‘O Father,’ he cried, ‘His sacrifice has appeased Thy wrath; His blood has washed away my impurities; His cross has borne my curse; His death has atoned for me. We had devised for ourselves many useless follies, but Thou hast placed Thy word before me like a torch, and Thou hast touched my heart, in order that I may hold in abomination all other merits save those of Jesus.’¾Martyn, vol. 3, ch. 13.” Ibid., 221.

Calvin became a Protestant Reformer because he cast aside his confidence and trust in everything else. He said that everything else is an abomination except the merits of Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther found out the same thing: “Luther was the one chosen to breast the storm, stand up against the ire of a fallen church, and strengthen the few who were faithful to their holy profession. He was ever fearful of offending God. He tried through works to obtain His favor, but was not satisfied until a gleam of light from heaven drove the darkness from his mind and led him to trust, not in works, but in the merits of the blood of Christ. He could then come to God for himself, not through popes or confessors, but through Jesus Christ alone.” Early Writings, 222, 223.

More Than Anything Else

Is it complicated? No, it is simple. Children can understand it, but theologians cannot understand it. Ellen White said that it is as simple as ABC, but we do not understand it, because we have so much trouble believing it; we always want to add something to it. But, you see, if we get this point, we are going to get everything else we need. Because it is so simple and, yet, because we do not understand it, it needs to be repeated, Ellen White said, more than anything else is. Then, how does it all come together? Let us consider some questions and answers.

  1. How can we be received by our heavenly Father and adopted into His family?

How? Just one way. God would like to accept us into His family, but He will only do it on one condition, that we will accept the merits of His Son. That is all. There is no other way. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 333.)

  1. Whom will God accept?

“God will accept every one that comes to Him trusting wholly [that is, completely] in the merits of a crucified Saviour.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 354.

God will accept every person who comes to Him, claiming the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour.

This is the gospel according to the Old Testament; this is the gospel Paul preached; this is the gospel the Waldenses preached; this is the gospel the Reformers preached; and this is the gospel that God tried to bring to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1888. But the Church would not take it, because the people thought, “You are going to destroy the law.” It does not destroy anything.

Oh, the people think that surely there has to be something else for us to do. Here is what we are supposed to do: Ellen White wrote, “Man’s part is to lay hold by faith of the merits of Christ.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 430. Come to God and ask that the merits of Christ be applied to our accounts, because you and I do not have any merits.

  1. How much does the righteousness of Christ accomplish in our salvation?

Many people think that we are saved by faith and by our works. That was a major battlefield in the Protestant Reformation between the Catholics and the Protestants. The Catholics believe we are saved by faith and works. In fact, I heard a program recently on a Catholic radio station, and the topic of discussion was about why the Protestant doctrine of faith alone is false and how you must have good works to be saved. That is what the Pharisees thought; that is what the Catholics thought, and that is what the Adventists thought in 1888.

  1. How much does the righteousness of Christ accomplish in our salvation?

This can be answered in just four words: “Christ’s righteousness accomplishes everything.” Faith and Works, 26.

  1. So, what do we need to do to be saved?

Ellen White answers this question in this way: “The sinner must ever look toward Calvary; and with the simple faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting His righteousness and believing in His mercy.” Evangelism, 185.

We can only be saved like a little child. She said, “Just rest; just rest in Christ’s merits.” Trust Him. That is it.

“Oh, no,” the theologian declares, “There has to be something more than that.” No, there is nothing more than that. That results in everything else you need.

“Oh,” somebody may say, “but I am an Adventist, and I believe that we are living in the Day of Atonement, and my sins have to be blotted out.” Well, let us just ask that question.

  1. How are our sins going to be blotted out and we be clothed in Christ’s righteousness?

“The merits of Jesus blot out transgressions, and clothe us with the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven.” Ibid., 186.

  1. What is the only plea we need to make to be saved?

“Present your case before Him, pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary’s cross. Satan will accuse you of being a great sinner, and you must admit this, but you can say: ‘I know I am a sinner, and that is the reason I need a Saviour. Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (verse 9). I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only plea.” Faith and Works, 106.

What is the only plea of the true Christian? “I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God.” That is it. That is our only plea.

“The name of Jesus gives me access to the Father. His ear, His heart, is open to my faintest pleading, and He supplies my deepest necessities.” Ibid.

Human Pride

Read the first sentence again: “Present your case before Him, pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary’s cross.” Can you do that? A six-year-old child can do that. Why is it so hard for adults to do?

The reason it is so hard is because of our human pride. We want to have some part in it so we can be elevated, so we can feel that we have done something. Ellen White wrote: “See how God wrought to abase the pride of men, and lay human glory in the dust.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 335. No place is left for self-esteem or anything that we can do.

  1. How should you plead your case to the Father?

Do you want to be saved? How should you plead your case? Here it is again: “Present your case before Him, pleading the merits of the blood that was shed for you upon Calvary’s cross.”

  1. How often do we need to have the merits of Christ applied to our cases?

“If we are conscious of the weakness of self, we shall not be self-confident and reckless of danger, but we shall feel the necessity of seeking to the Source of our strength, Jesus our Righteousness. We shall come in repentance and contrition, with a despairing sense of our own finite weakness, and learn that we must daily apply to the merits of the blood of Christ, that we may become vessels fit for the Master’s use.” Faith and Works, 86.

Not only do we need the merits of Christ applied to our cases every day, but we need the merits of Christ applied to our cases every hour, every minute. You and I do not have any righteousness. No one who goes to the kingdom of heaven will talk about any righteousness and good deeds that he or she has done. There will not be one. Read the Book of Revelation. All glory will be given to the One who is righteous, to the only One who is holy. God only is holy and righteous.

Our Work

What is our work? There has to be some kind of work. That was asked of Jesus too. The conversation is recorded in John 6:28, 29: “Therefore they said to Him: ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the One that He sent.’ ”

That is the work! As Ellen White expressed it, “Our work is to hang our helpless souls on His merits.” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 247.)

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part II

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The subject matter of this article—the answer to the question, What must I do to be saved?—is one upon which Ellen White told ministers they should dwell more than any other subject. Since she said to dwell on this subject more than any other subject, how much do you think it would be profitable for you and me to think about this subject? Ellen White told us something interesting about that: “Habitually dwelling upon Christ and His all-sufficient merits, increases faith, quickens the power of spiritual discernment, strengthens the desire to be like Him, and brings an earnestness into prayer that makes it efficacious.” Gospel Workers, 166.

Efficacious means that it works—“having the power to produce a desired effect.” Your prayers work! Would you like to have that experience? Would you like to become like Christ? Would you like your prayer life to become so earnest that your prayers will actually accomplish something? Well, she says that the way that will happen is if you are “habitually dwelling upon Christ and His all-sufficient merits.”

Do not forget that adjective, “all-sufficient.” It is everything that you need to be saved; it is the only thing you need to be saved. It is the thing that will save you, when you start to dwell on it. People become alarmed when preachers start talking about this. They say, “Oh, you are doing away with sanctification!” No, we are not doing away with sanctification. This is the way it happens.

God’s Blessings

Do we not all desire to have God’s blessings in our lives? How can we have God’s blessings in our lives? Here is the way:

“Looking unto Jesus and trusting in His merits we appropriate the blessings of light, of peace, of joy in the Holy Ghost. And in view of the great things which Christ has done for us, we are ready to exclaim: ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.’ [1 John 3:1.]

“Brethren and sisters, it is by beholding that we become changed. By dwelling upon the love of God and our Saviour, by contemplating the perfection of the divine character and claiming the righteousness of Christ as ours by faith, we are to be transformed into the same image.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 744.

How are you ever going to come into the image of Christ? You will never come into the image of Christ by trying in your own strength, but if you contemplate the Divine character, if you spend your time thinking about the merits of Christ and the love of God, something is going to happen inside that is going to change you. It is something that you cannot do, but something that He will do.

In Part I of this article (October 2007), we began to consider some questions as to how this comes together. In summary:

  1. How can we be received by our heavenly Father and adopted into His family? (See The Acts of the Apostles, 333.)
  2. Whom will God accept? (See Selected Messages, Book 1, 354.)
  3. How much does the righteousness of Christ accomplish in our salvation? (See Faith and Works, 26.)
  4. So, what do we need to do to be saved? (See Evangelism, 185.)
  5. How are our sins going to be blotted out and we be clothed in Christ’s righteousness? (See Ibid., 186.)
  6. What is the only plea we need to make to be saved? (See Faith and Works, 106.)
  7. How should you plead your case to the Father? (See Ibid.)
  8. How often do we need to have the merits of Christ applied to our cases? (See Ibid., 86.)

Our Work

  1. What is our work? There has to be some kind of work. That was asked of Jesus too. The conversation is recorded in John 6:28, 29: “Therefore they said to Him: ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the One that He sent.’

That is the work! As Ellen White expressed it, “Our work is to hang our helpless souls on His merits.” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 247.)

The Faith That Benefits

  1. What is the only faith that will benefit us?

Ellen White answers this question: “The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him [Christ] as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves.” The Desire of Ages, 347.

What an interesting statement! You see, you must choose to believe in Jesus as your personal Saviour and choose to appropriate—that is, claim—His merits, because you do not have any merits of your own. I am not getting after you; I do not have any merits either. None of us have any, and we never will have any of our own.

In Part I we read, “There is salvation for you, but only through the merits of Jesus Christ.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 97. We also learned the worth of human, or creature merit: “Discussions may be entered into by mortals strenuously advocating creature merit, and each man striving for the supremacy, but they simply do not know that all the time, in principle and character, they are misrepresenting the truth as it is in Jesus. They are in a fog of bewilderment. They need the divine love of God which is represented by gold tried in the fire; they need the white raiment of Christ’s pure character; and they need the heavenly eyesalve that they might discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life.” Faith and Works, 23.

Sanctification

Our merit, she says, is “utter worthlessness.” But Christ has merits. It is through His merits that our sins are blotted out. It is through His merits that we are adopted into the family of God. It is through His merits, when we put our trust in Him, that changes take place in our minds through the Holy Spirit. That is what sanctification is. In sanctification, your mind is changed through the Holy Spirit.

Some people have a very shallow view of sanctification. They think that sanctification is when you change what you do on the outside. That is rubbish. Sanctification is when the Holy Spirit changes the inside of your mind. If you make all the external changes that you can make, you can only say like Paul could say when he was a Pharisee, “according to the righteousness which is of the Law, I was blameless.” He said, “I found out that was all absolutely worthless, and I considered it less than dung that I might win Christ.” (Philippians 3:6, 8.)

All the external is worthless unless the Holy Spirit changes the mind. This is what we need to work with our children too. Some people think that the way to raise children is that you train them to do the right things. No, friend, the way children need to be trained is so that they are transformed in mind by the Holy Spirit, and when the mind is changed, then they will start saying and doing the right things.

It is the same with adults. A story is related about Ellen White in the Spalding and Magan Collection, 92. Some people wrote to her one time, and they thought that Ellen White ought to do something to get the women in the Adventist church to change their dress. She wrote back to them and said, “Changing the dress will not change the heart.” I wish we could get that figured out—that changing the external will not change the heart. You have to get the heart changed, and then the outside can change.

Living Faith

  1. What is living faith?

“That living faith is essential for our salvation that we should lay hold upon the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour, on Christ, our righteousness.” Faith and Works, 64.

What is living faith? Living faith is when you lay hold of the merits of Christ. The merits of Christ, friend, are the only thing that can forgive your sins; it is the only thing that can blot out your sin; it is the only thing that can change your life. He wants to minister His merits to you through the Holy Spirit.

One of the great purposes that God through His Son gave to us the Holy Spirit is so the Holy Spirit could work in the human mind and administer the merits of Christ. Please do not say that this is not talking about sanctification or that we do not believe in it. This is it!

  1. Where is your dependence if you have living faith?

“You cannot explain this faith that lays hold upon the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour to bring Christ’s righteousness into your life. Clothed with the righteousness of Christ and not your own righteousness, you will not depend upon what you can do or what you will do.” Faith and Works, 65, 66.

You will not depend on anything that you can do or anything that you will do in the future. Do you not know that you cannot do anything without Christ?

The Latter Rain

  1. What will be the one subject that will swallow up every other subject during the time of the Latter Rain?

We pray about the Latter Rain; we long for the Latter Rain to come. We know that when the Latter Rain comes the work is going to be finished very, very quickly, and the Lord is going to come. That is why we want the Latter Rain.

Would you like to get out of this world? Would you like to get to a place where you do not have any of the problems, trials, troubles, struggles, and awful things that happen to you and everyone else on a regular basis? We cannot get out of this world until Jesus comes, and Jesus is not going to come until the gospel goes to all the world. The Latter Rain will actually take the gospel to every single person in the world. How is that going to happen, and what is going to happen?

“One interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other,—Christ our righteousness.” Review and Herald, December 23, 1890.

Simple as Possible

I am just a sinful human being, and I have no ability to touch your heart or explain the gospel so you can understand it. I have tried to make it as simple as I know how. Do you understand that it is only the merits of Christ that can save your soul and that every sinful person can be saved if he or she is willing to claim those merits and surrender himself or herself to Him?

It is not complicated. Do not let anybody tell you that it is complicated. We make the plan of salvation too complicated until people think that there must be a list a mile long of what they have to do to be saved. That is Phariseeism; that is also Roman Catholicism.

You cannot do it on your own merit, but Jesus can save you. Just put your trust in Him. If you only accept Him, no matter how bad you are, you will be saved. “Jesus came into the world,” Paul says, “to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part III

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In this continuation of “The Worthlessness of Creature Merit,” the writer will attempt to deal with the problems that arise in the minds of many Seventh-day Adventists, as they arose in the minds of the church pioneers, when the gospel as presented in Parts I and II was the major part of the presentations in 1888. It was the way Ellen White understood the gospel and what she presented.

Many of the pioneer Adventists objected to this; “You are throwing out the law,” they accused. “This means that you do not believe in good works, and you do not believe in sanctification.” They almost accused Jones and Waggoner of trying to destroy the church. These very same objections still come up among Seventh-day Adventists today. Through this series it is hoped that we will see some connections.

The gospel does not do away with sanctification. It makes it possible. The problem was, and still is for many people, that, like the common saying, we get the cart before the horse. We cannot get the results before we have the cause, and that is one of the reasons many Seventh-day Adventists are utterly discouraged.

Often, I have people contacting me who are afraid they cannot be saved. Now, when a person thinks they cannot be saved, do you know what that means? They do not know the gospel. They do not understand that Christ can save the chief of sinners through His merits, if they will call upon Him and believe in Him. How do they get this misunderstanding?

Hebrews 7:25 tells us: “Whence also He is able to save perfectly those that come through Him to God, always living to make intercession on their behalf.” What a wonderful promise!

The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word panteles as “uttermost”; it actually more correctly means, “completely or perfectly,” as translated above. Quite often when the word uttermost is used, people think that God can reach clear to the bottom of the pit of sin to rescue an individual. That is true, but it is also true that He can save you perfectly. In other words, He can get you clear to the top of the pit.

As further introduction to this study, contemplate the following passage from the writings of Ellen White:

“Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the oblation offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner…

“The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor, who is at God’s right hand, presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ’s propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned.

“Oh, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving, must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 343, 344.

Everything we do, even our prayers, comes from the corrupt channels of humanity. One of the reasons people are confused about this is that they do not understand their sinful condition; they think that they are no longer sinful, but that they are now saints.

To help in our understanding, we will continue to ask questions and answer the questions from inspired writings.

Merits of Christ

  1. What is our only hope of salvation?

We should know the answer to this question. What is our only hope of salvation? Ellen White declared: “My only hope is in a crucified and risen Saviour. I claim the merits of the blood of Christ. Jesus will save to the uttermost all who put their trust in Him.” Review and Herald, November 1, 1881.

  1. Will anybody perish who trusts in Christ’s merits?

“Nothing but the righteousness of Christ can entitle us to one of the blessings of the covenant of grace. There are many who have long desired and tried to obtain these blessings, but have not received them, because they have cherished the idea that they could do something to make themselves worthy of them. They have not looked away from self, believing that Jesus is an all-sufficient Saviour. We must not think that our own merits will save us; Christ is our only hope of salvation. ‘For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 431.

As a human being, I do not understand how all this works. All I know is, according to this statement, God cannot give you what you want, the blessings of the new covenant, as long as you are cherishing the idea that you can do something. You have to reach the point where you realize you are absolutely helpless, and you must have Someone outside yourself save you completely; then God can help you.

“When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire. Let none look to self, as though they had power to save themselves. Jesus died for us because we were helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. When we see our sinfulness we should not despond and fear that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy toward us.” Ibid.

This is a problem that many Seventh-day Adventists are having. The Holy Spirit is speaking to people and revealing to them their sins, their sinful condition. This is good, but because they do not understand the gospel, when they see their sinful condition, they are ready to give up. But Mrs. White says, “When we see our sinfulness we should not despond and fear that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy toward us. At this very time He is inviting us to come to Him in our helplessness and be saved. …

“If we are conscious of our needs, we should not devote all our powers to mourning over them. While we realize our helpless condition without Christ, we are not to yield to discouragement, but rely upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Look and live. Jesus has pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him. Though millions who need to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish.” Ibid., 431, 432.

This is an astonishing promise. Did you get it? How many people who choose to trust in the merits of Christ will perish? Not one! That is wonderful! This is a promise for everybody—even the chief of sinners. It does not matter what your problem may be. It matters not what kind of bad habits you have or what your background is. None of this matters, if you choose to put your trust in Christ’s merits.

Did you notice in this passage that Mrs. White used words such as helpless and helplessness? So, when we realize our sinfulness, we need to pray, “Lord, I know I am bad. I know I am helpless.” We need to come to Christ and say, “Lord, I know I cannot save myself. I know I am helpless. I know there is nothing I can do, but I am choosing to trust in Your merits.” And the promise is that if we trust His merits, we will not be lost.

Jacob’s Experience

“God thus taught His servant [the night when Jacob had the fight with the Lord at the river Jabbok] that divine power and grace alone could give him the blessing he craved. Thus it will be with those who live in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon the soul …” Friends, that is happening right now. We are approaching the end of time. There are dangers all around us, and when we begin to realize how helpless we are, we become scared. Have you ever seen a Seventh-day Adventist who was scared? Have you ever been scared yourself?

She continues, “As dangers surround them, and despair begins to seize the soul, they must depend solely [that is, entirely] upon the merits of the atonement.” Ibid., 202, 203. When we realize how sinful we are and that we cannot overcome on our own, what are we supposed to do? We are supposed to depend completely, “solely upon the merits of the atonement.”

Then she says, “We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this.” Ibid., 203. How wonderful!

If we realize we are helpless, well, thank the Lord we have got that figured out! That is one of the biggest problems with a number of Christians; they do not know that yet. But if we realize we are helpless, then, she says that we should put our trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour and we will not perish. That is an absolute promise.

Stand in Favor

  1. How can we stand in favor with God?

“We stand in favor before God, not because of any merit in ourselves.” Faith and Works, 107.

“… not because of any merit in ourselves.” In other words, not because of anything we have done or are doing. That is not what brings us into favor with God. Well, what is it, then?

“We stand in favor before God, not because of any merit in ourselves, but because of our faith in ‘the Lord our righteousness.’” Ibid.

  1. How may we stand unscathed amid the fires of temptation and trouble?

“If we are conscious of the weakness of self, we shall not be self-confident and reckless of danger, but we shall feel the necessity of seeking to the Source of our strength, Jesus our Righteousness. We shall come in repentance and contrition, with a despairing sense of our own finite weakness, and learn that we must daily apply to the merits of the blood of Christ, that we may become vessels fit for the Master’s use.

“While thus depending upon God we shall not be found warring against the truth, but we shall always be enabled to take our stand for the right. We should cling to the teaching of the Bible and not follow the customs and traditions of the world, the sayings and doings of men.

“When errors arise and are taught as Bible truth, those who have a connection with Christ will not trust to what the minister says, but like the noble Bereans, they will search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so. When they discover what is the word of the Lord, they will take their stand on the side of the truth. They will hear the voice of the True Shepherd saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it.’ [Isaiah 30:21.] Thus you will be educated to make the Bible the man of your counsel, and the voice of a stranger you will neither hear nor follow.

“If the soul is to be purified and ennobled, and made fit for the heavenly courts, there are two lessons to be learned—self-sacrifice and self-control. Some learn these important lessons more easily than do others, for they are exercised by the simple discipline the Lord gives them in gentleness and love. Others require the slow discipline of suffering, that the cleansing fire may purify their hearts of pride and self-reliance, of earthly passion and self-love, that the true gold of character may appear and that they may become victors through the grace of Christ.

“The love of God will strengthen the soul [that is the result of putting your trust in the merits of Christ], and through the virtue of the merits of the blood of Christ we may stand unscathed amid the fire of temptation and trial; but no other help can avail to save but Christ, our righteousness, who is made unto us wisdom and sanctification and redemption.

“True sanctification is nothing more or less than to love God with all the heart, to walk in His commandments and ordinances blameless. Sanctification is not an emotion but a heaven-born principle that brings all the passions and desires under the control of the Spirit of God; and this work is done through our Lord and Saviour.

“Spurious sanctification does not glorify God but leads those who claim it to exalt and glorify themselves. Whatever comes in our experience, whether of joy or sorrow, that does not reflect Christ and point to Him as its author, bringing glory to Him and sinking self out of sight, is not true Christian experience.

“When the grace of Christ is implanted in the soul by the Holy Spirit, its possessor will become humble in spirit and will seek for the society of those whose conversation is upon heavenly things. Then the Spirit will take the things of Christ and show them unto us and will glorify, not the receiver, but the Giver. If, therefore, you have the sacred peace of Christ in your heart, your lips will be filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. Your prayers, the discharge of your duty, your benevolence, your self-denial, will not be the theme of your thought or conversation, but you will magnify Him who gave Himself for you when you were yet a sinner. You will say: ‘I give myself to Jesus. I have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write.’ As you praise Him you will have a precious blessing, and all the praise and glory for that which is done through your instrumentality will be given back to God.” Ibid., 86, 87.

Every Adventist who is studying Bible prophecy knows that we are drawing near the end of time; we cannot help but see it. Just look around at what is happening, and we know, as a result, what is to come. We have prophecy, but so many Adventists are scared to death. “What are we going to do? How are we going to get ready? How are we going to be ready?” The only answer is given: “. . . no other help can avail to save but Christ, our righteousness.” There is no one else. There is nothing else. That is it. That is where we must put our trust.

Atonement

  1. How does this relate to 1844 and the atonement? This is a question that Seventh-day Adventists ask.

In Faith and Works, 100–102, Mrs. White discusses this in detail. We will here only look at several short passages from those pages.

“Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace, supernatural power is imparted to man and works in mind and heart and character. It is through the impartation of the grace of Christ that sin is discerned in its hateful nature and finally driven from the soul temple.” Ibid., 100. Notice that unless we receive Christ’s merits, we will never overcome sin. It will never happen.

There are Seventh-day Adventists who have been struggling for years and have become discouraged to the point that they want a different gospel, because they do not understand how atonement works.

“The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. …

“Again: it is written, ‘But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God’ (John 1:12, 13). Jesus declared, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ (John 3:3). ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God’ (verse 5). …

“Many are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking that they must climb to heaven, that they must do something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by their own unaided efforts. This they can never accomplish. Christ has made the way by dying our Sacrifice, by living our Example, by becoming our great High Priest. He declares, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ [John 14:6.] If by any effort of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good works will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of life, that Christ is our way, and that we are treading the true path that leads to heaven.” Ibid., 101, 102.

We absolutely cannot get the cart before the horse. When we accept Jesus, when we receive His merits, when we receive His grace, when the Holy Spirit works on our minds, good works result. Do not ever get confused. The works are the result of the Holy Spirit working on our minds and our hearts; they are never the cause of our salvation. It is not something we can work out. It is the result of God working in us. This is why we must get the emphasis on receiving the merits of Christ, on receiving the grace of Christ. Good works will result.

“Christ looks at the spirit, and when He sees us carrying our burden with faith, His perfect holiness atones for our shortcomings. When we do our best, He becomes our righteousness.” Ibid., 102.

Hopefully, we will now better understand how this relates to the atonement. It is more important at this time to receive the grace and merits of Christ than at any time before, because only the grace and merits of Christ can result in the good development of character—ultimately in perfect character.

Repentance

  1. Should we wait for repentance before we take hold of Christ’s righteousness?

The answer is no. Do not wait. We cannot repent. Repentance is a gift. Speaking of this, Ellen White wrote: “He who will lay hold of Christ’s righteousness need not wait one moment that he himself may blot out his own sins. He need not wait until he has made a suitable repentance before he may take hold upon Christ’s righteousness. We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don’t understand it.

“Now, how is it that a man will repent? Is it anything of himself? No; because the natural heart is at enmity with God. Then how can the natural heart stir itself up to repentance when it has no power to do so? What is it that brings man to repentance? It is Jesus Christ. How does He bring man to repentance? There are a thousand ways that He may do this.” Ibid., 64.

We can come to the Lord; we can claim His righteousness; we cannot repent. Only the Lord Jesus can bring us to repentance. We should not wait until we experience repentance or feel sorry; do not wait for some kind of a feeling. We must just come to the Lord the way we are. Do not wait for repentance.

Choose Christ

  1. What is the only thing that will obtain salvation for you?

Here is the answer:

“Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church, the manner in which your brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 48, 49. [Author’s italics.]

Nothing else will help. Nothing else will avail, unless we lay hold, by faith, on the merits of Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that will obtain salvation for us.

When you read this, you may be aghast. You may say, “How can this be? How can it be that this is the way to get salvation? Most of the world is going to be lost.” Friends, I cannot explain all that.

When we see how simple salvation is, it does cause us to question, “Why does not everybody accept it?” We cannot stop the majority of the people in the world from going to destruction, just as Noah could not. But we can make a decision for ourselves, and we can encourage people around us and show others how they can be saved. There are people all around us who are attending churches, but who do not know how to be saved.

“In every congregation in the land there are souls unsatisfied, hungering and thirsting for salvation. By day and by night the burden of their hearts is, What shall I do to be saved? They listen eagerly to popular discourses, hoping to learn how they may be justified before God. But too often they hear only a pleasing speech, an eloquent declamation. There are sad and disappointed hearts in every religious gathering.” Faith and Works, 32.

What do we do? We choose to put our trust in the merits of Christ. Like Paul said to the Philippian jailer, “You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31.)

Salvation is too simple, is it not?

To be continued …

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part IV

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As “The Worthlessness of Creature Merit” continues, the writer will attempt to deal with the problems that arise in the minds of many Seventh-day Adventists, as they arose in the minds of the church pioneers, when the gospel as presented in Parts I and II was the major part of the presentations in 1888. It was the way Ellen White understood the gospel and what she presented.

The gospel does not do away with sanctification. It makes it possible. The problem was, and still is for many people, that, like the common saying, we get the cart before the horse. We cannot get the results before we have the cause, and that is one of the reasons many Seventh-day Adventists are utterly discouraged.

More Questions and Answers

Questions with answers from inspired writings continue.

  1. What will be the result of laying hold of the merits of Christ?

Ellen White wrote: “John, while in vision, saw a company clothed with white robes… They were seen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ, and wash their robes in his blood.” Maranatha, 231.

How wonderful! John saw the saved people in the temple of God, clothed in white robes, and she says that this will be the result for all who trust in the merits of Christ, who wash their robes in His blood.

Salvation! Pray that you will be able to understand it and explain it to people. You cannot explain it to somebody else in a simple way unless you understand the simplicity of it yourself.

There are people all around us, even religious people, who do not understand this. It is the core concept of the Protestant Reformation. It is the core of the 1888 message. This is the gospel that Paul preached which turned the world upside down. This is what the Waldenses preached.

The simplicity of the plan of salvation is so wonderful. We are all included! Some of us, perhaps, are tempted to think that we are advanced—we are theologians or ministers or Bible workers. That is a great temptation.

  1. What is the work of a minister?

I was a minister for many years before I knew what the work of a minister is. It can be described in one sentence: “The work for the ministers of Christ is to hang their helpless souls upon His merit.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 247.

What? That is what it is? That is what God’s messenger wrote! That is the minister’s work.

  1. How can you receive invincible power?

What does the word invincible mean? It means that you cannot be overcome.

“Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour.” Sons and Daughters of God, 35.

What is apparently the most helpless thing around, but actually the most invincible thing around? It is the soul that has two qualifications:

First, it feels its nothingness. This is good news, because many people feel that there is no hope for them, but there is hope for them. If they feel their nothingness, that is actually good. They are starting to recognize their real condition. When they start to realize their real condition, when they know that there is nothing they can do—they are such degraded, wretched sinners that they cannot get out of the pit they are in on their own—then there is hope, if they are willing to put their trust in Somebody who can get them out of the pit. Second, when they recognize their helplessness, but choose to trust in the merits of Jesus, then, “God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such a one, rather than allow him to be overcome.” Ibid. He will give them the power to overcome.

God is watching every trial that each individual has. He is looking at every internal and external struggle through which you are going, the ones that nobody else understands. He knows how much help you need. He may not send every angel out of heaven to help you, because you may not need that much angel-power, but He is willing to send them all before allowing you to be overcome. God is not going to let you down if you put your trust in the merits of Jesus.

Mrs. White says, “Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence, and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will.

“Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging.” Ibid.

We should keep in mind that some people have surroundings that are more discouraging than others. That is just reality, but God knows all about that. He knows all about every trouble that you have—not just your spiritual troubles, but your financial, temporal, health, business, and job troubles. He knows all about that. The troubles in your family—your domestic troubles, trouble with your parents; He knows all about it. And, she says, “In all ages, angels have been near to Christ’s faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day.” The Desire of Ages, 240.

Our Great Lack

  1. What is the result of receiving the virtue of Christ’s merits?

An answer to this question is given by Ellen White: “When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 351. The answer is also given in Romans 5:1–5: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The result of putting our trust in the merits of Christ and receiving the virtue of His merits is that we will have love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. As the love of God is poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Ellen White says, “This promised blessing [the Holy Spirit], claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train.” The Desire of Ages, 672.

Some people think we are destroying their religion when we say that all we have to do is put our trust in the merits of Christ. No, we are not destroying their religion. We are revealing the true religion. When we trust in His merits, we are going to get everything else we need. The Holy Spirit is going to work in our hearts and put love in our hearts, and when we have love, then all the contention will cease. All the fighting, all the effort toward who can be the greatest, is going to stop. It will change our hearts.

All the strife, fighting, trouble, and contention going on among Seventh-day Adventists today proves that we are not experiencing the righteousness of Christ. We are not experiencing putting our trust in His merits and receiving His merits. If we were receiving His merits, the love of God would be pouring out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. When our hearts are changed, then everything will change.

Before the cross, the apostles had the same problems we have; they were all fighting with each other. The cross cured them. They began to understand the gospel plan of salvation. After that, when men saw the apostles, they said, “These people have been with Jesus. They are like Him.” (Acts 4:13.)

What could happen if, when people came into contact with us, they thought, “These people must be like Jesus; I have never before seen people like this”? It is going to happen to somebody, to some group of people. I would like to have this happen to me, but the only way it is going to happen is if I put my trust in the merits of Jesus. That is the only way.

Condition of Acceptance

Perhaps the following statement written by Ellen White will help you to understand how the gospel results in good works. Good works have no merit, but the gospel results in good works. In fact, the only way to get the good works is to receive the gospel. Sometimes we spend so much time looking at the results, trying to get the results, but we do not know the cause or the source of good works. We can never get the results. It will never happen. Until we understand the gospel, we will never have the results of the gospel.

“We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend ourselves to divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves nor to our good works; but when as erring, sinful beings we come to Christ, we may find rest in His love. God will accept every one that comes to Him trusting wholly [that is, completely] in the merits of a crucified Saviour.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 353, 354.

There you have it again. There is a condition if you want to be accepted into God’s family. The condition is very simple. If you are willing to put your trust in the merits of Jesus Christ, then the Father will accept you. That is the only condition by which He has promised to accept you—if you put your trust in the merits of His Son. That is the one condition.

Here is what will happen if you do that: “. . . trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart.” Ibid., 354.

You cannot generate love; I cannot generate love. You cannot make yourself love anybody, and I cannot make myself love anybody. Ellen White says that love is a precious gift we receive from Jesus, and when you put your trust in the merits of Christ, love will come into your heart.

What is going to happen then? “There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there is an abiding, peaceful trust. Every burden is light; for the yoke which Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness. This is walking in the light as Christ is in the light.” Ibid., 354.

Emphasize the Cause

So, works are the result of being in the way of life. The works have no merit, but good works result when we receive the merits of Christ by faith. Never forget what is the cause, and confuse the cause with the result. By emphasizing the result instead of emphasizing the cause of salvation, which is the merits of Christ alone that are applied to the sinner’s account, we actually drive souls from Christ instead of drawing them to Him, because they see that we are teaching them something that is impossible for them to do. This is one of the biggest problems in Adventism, and it is happening all over the world. God sent the message in 1888 to correct this very problem.

We are hopeless and helpless, but if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, in His merits, He has promised that not one of us will be lost. Here is the remedy:

“Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace, supernatural power is imparted to the man and works in mind and heart and character. . . .

“The only way in which he [the sinner] can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to greater light. He can say with rejoicing, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5–7.)” Faith and Works, 100, 101.

“If by any effort of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good works will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of life.” Ibid., 102.

Think as a Child

We seek to make ourselves better by our own efforts, but it is impossible; it can never be done. Somehow this is something that little children can understand, but when we become intelligent and educated adults, it is difficult for us to get a hold of something this simple. We think that we have to do something!

Ellen White worked with many highly educated people, writing them testimony after testimony to try to help them to get a hold of this; it is so simple. One of the persons she wrote letters to about this was a man by the name of John Harvey Kellogg. Following is part of a letter that she wrote to him:

“Dr. Kellogg, will you consider the spotless, pure, holy Son of the Infinite God—He passed through it all and was tempted in all points like as we are but without a single trace of tarnish, not the faintest blur was discernable upon His character. Through His virtue and through His righteousness imputed to us we have as His purchased possession to stand in His merits pure and undefiled before the Father.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 223, 224.

Give special notice to the next sentence: “Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ.” Ibid., 224. How are the undeserving made perfect? By the merits of Christ. Unfortunately, this physician, evidently, did not take her counsel. He later lost his way.

“Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ, while the Saviour, the Son of God, undeserving, is made sin for us. He bore our sins in His own body on the accursed tree, and you, my brother [Dr. Kellogg], relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ.” Ibid.

This is hard to learn when you are smart, educated, and able. A child does not yet have all those qualifications, so a child can understand. But when you are educated and talented, and you know it, then it is difficult for you to realize that really you are helpless. When it comes to salvation, you cannot help yourself; you cannot save yourself.

Continuing in her letter to this physician, Mrs. White wrote: “You, my brother, relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ. You may claim all this rich endowment because Christ has borne the punishment of your own sins, all undeserving, that you undeserving may go free and receive the rich treasures of his grace. I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ …” This is a solemn appeal. “I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ to lay hold of the assurances of the word of God. But do not waver, do not look to yourself and doubt; trust the keeping of your soul to God as unto a faithful creator and He has promised that He will keep that which you have committed to His trust against that day.” Ibid. She is quoting from 11 Timothy 1:12 where the apostle Paul says, “I am confident that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust, until that day.”

Jesus is the Cause

I hope this series has been a help to you. Do not make the mistake that Seventh-day Adventists have made so many times—showing the results and never showing what the cause is. The cause of all character development, all sanctification, is when we begin to put our trust in Jesus Christ and His merits. Then the Holy Spirit can come into our hearts and minds and start to work. For this to happen, we must realize that we are helpless, that we cannot do anything, and that He must do everything. We just have to put our trust in His merits and then cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We can be saved, if we will do it. “We must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 202.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Merit or Grace

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In the beginning of Acts 16, it says that while Paul and Silas were answering the Macedonian call in Philippi, they were beaten and put in jail without a trial. That night there was an earthquake, and the jailer was also afraid that the prisoners would escape, which would result in him being under the death sentence, so he decided to kill himself. “But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ ” Acts 16:28–30.

That is the most important question that any human being can ask: “What must I do to be saved?” Paul says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household” (verse 31). That night was a successful one night evangelistic series. No sermons were preached; it consisted only of a song service. Paul and Silas, in chains, sang in the prison praising the Lord. Then, suddenly, there was an earthquake. The jailer realized the prisoners had something that he did not have, and he wanted it; he wanted to be saved. They told him to, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

Salvation is not complicated. It is simple enough that a child can understand it. All you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Believe is often translated faith in the Bible. The Greek word translated believe, means to believe something enough to make a commitment to it. It is not merely an intellectual knowledge; it is a commitment. To believe in Jesus is to make a commitment to Him.

United States citizens are proud that they live in the land of the free and the home of the brave and do not live under the servitude of lords. The Roman Empire did understand the meaning of the word lord, because approximately two-thirds of the population was in slavery, with only one-third free. Those who were unfortunate to be slaves had a lord. Their master was called their lord. And that master, or lord, had absolute authority over their lives. In fact, if the slave did something that the lord did not like, he had authority to kill him without a trial because he was a slave. When Paul said, “Believe in the Lord,” the jailer knew exactly what the word Lord meant.

In Western society today, there are many who say they believe in Jesus as their Lord, but He had something to say to them. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. Is Jesus really Lord to those who disobey Him and are they guaranteed salvation? Jesus predicted that in the last generation this very thing would happen.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21–23.

Notice, these are people who call Jesus Lord, but they do not do what He says. They break His law. There is no nation in the world that does not have laws. Judges in the courts of all countries consider a person to be a loyal citizen if he keeps the laws. God also has laws, and He decides the loyalty of the citizen of His government by the keeping of His law. In the final judgment, God will ask the same question that worldly judges ask: “Have you kept the law?”

When countries make laws, they are ever changing them and updating them. It is estimated that there have been over 35 million different human laws made; however, in God’s government, He has made only one law that has ten parts. The whole universe can be governed with one law that a child can read and understand. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

Ellen White wrote, “Let this point be fully settled in every mind: If we accept Christ as a Redeemer, we must accept Him as a Ruler. We cannot have the assurance and perfect confiding trust in Christ as our Saviour until we acknowledge Him as our King and are obedient to His commandments. Thus we evidence our allegiance to God.” Faith and Works, 16.

Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Many people today in the Western world want Jesus to be the Saviour of their life, but they do not want Him to be the Lord of their life. In essence they are saying, “We won’t have this man reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

  • Paraphrasing John 3:16, it is seen to have seven parts after recognizing God:
  • “God” – brings us to acknowledge an Almighty Authority, Himself, He
  • “so loved the world” – the strongest motive, love
  • “that He gave” – at ultimate cost
  • “His only begotten Son” – that resulted in the greatest gift that has ever been given
  • “that whoever” – this is the widest welcome that has ever been given
  • “believes in Him” – that is the easiest escape that has ever been given
  • “should not perish” – assuring divine deliverance
  • “but have everlasting life” – they will receive a priceless possession

Putting it all together, John 3:16 would read, “The One who has Almighty authority, motivated by the strongest motivation, gave the greatest gift, to give us the widest welcome, and the easiest escape, and divine deliverance, so that we might have a priceless possession.”

It is this subject that we are admonished to talk about the most. Ellen White wrote, “There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all, than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. …

“Let the subject be made distinct and plain that it is not possible to effect anything in our standing before God or in the gift of God to us through creature merit.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 420.

If we are going to inherit eternal life, we need to understand that there is nothing we can ever do to provide any part of the merit. It is a gift that comes through grace alone, to the person who believes. One of the greatest deceptions of all time, that has permeated all heathen religions and also the Christian world, is the idea that we are saved by faith and works.

Martin Luther fought this idea during the reformation. The belief that a person is saved by faith and works opens the door for believing that not only your own good works, but also those of others and even the saints give merit to salvation.

The book of James says that, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20, 26). True faith produces works; however, those works have no merit and have no saving power.

“Should faith and works purchase the gift of salvation for anyone, then the Creator is under obligation to the creature. Here is an opportunity for falsehood to be accepted as truth. If any man can merit salvation by anything he may do, then he is in the same position as the Catholic to do penance for his sins. Salvation, then, is partly of debt that may be earned as wages. If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be wholly of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 420.

When you work or have a job, your employer is obligated to give you the appropriate wages. But if a man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, and it is received by him, as a sinner, just because he receives and believes the promise in Jesus, then it is completely by grace—a free gift.

The apostle Paul wrote about this a great deal in the books of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9. “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imparts righteousness apart from works.” Romans 4:2–6 (Literal translation).

Paul emphasized this point because of the error being taught in Christ’s day that a person was saved by grace, but they needed to do something first; they needed to be circumcised first, and then they would receive the grace.

That same teaching is very popular in churches today, including the Protestant churches, but it is not called circumcision. Some say first you need to repent, and that is true, but there are no merits in repentance. Some say that you need to have faith—belief. There is no merit just because you have faith. Salvation is through grace alone; it is a free gift and does not come because of anything that you do.

“It [salvation] is wholly a free gift. Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good works can never procure eternal life for him.” Faith and Works, 20.

But the devil pulls another trick on those who do understand that there is nothing you can do to save yourself. Hundreds of millions of Christians in the world today believe that the church can save you if you are a member or are baptized. If you are a member of the Catholic Church, you need to be an active participant in the seven sacraments, which, if observed, enable you to receive the grace.

Stated bluntly, the church is unable to save anyone, and there will be billions of people lost who have been baptized. Billions of people who have partaken of the communion supper will not be in the kingdom of heaven. We cannot save ourselves, and the church cannot save us either. This same deception that is popular today was also popular in the days of Christ. The people believed that if they were not connected to Israel, the church, they would not be saved. Even Christ’s disciples believed this.

John records an incident when Jesus gave sight to the man who was born blind. There was a big church trial, and before it was over, because the man confessed Christ, he was disfellowshiped. “The Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered them and said, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.’ ” John 9:18–21.

Everybody in town, including his parents, knew what had happened, because the news had gone all over town, so why did they lie? They must have known it was wrong to lie and that no liars will be in heaven (Revelation 21:8). “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, because the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed He was the Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.” John 9:22 (Literal translation).

They were under one of the most powerful delusions that can happen to a person. They had been taught that if you were disfellowshiped from the synagogue, you would not have eternal life. Ironically, the very thing they did do, lie, would keep them out of the kingdom of God. They thought that as long as they stayed in and had that connection with the church, they would be saved.

If they really wanted to be saved, they would have had to allow themselves to be disfellowshiped and not lie. This story is important, because this has happened millions of times since then. The very thing that people think will assure them of eternal life is the very thing that guarantees their destruction. Jesus’ own disciples believed this.

“ ‘I am the true Vine’ [John 15:1]. The Jews had always regarded the vine as the most noble of plants, and a type of all that was powerful, excellent, and fruitful. Israel had been represented as a vine which God had planted in the Promised Land. The Jews based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel.” The Desire of Ages, 675.

Jesus says, “I am the real vine. Think not that through a connection with Israel you may become partakers of the life of God and inheritors of His promise. Through Me alone is spiritual life received.” Are you connected with the True Vine? Baptism with water is a symbol and important, but if you do not have what it represents, the symbol will not save you.

Peter explains what baptism represents. “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ” Acts 2:37, 38. Baptism by water represents baptism by the Holy Spirit.

Even though church will not save you, it is important to belong to one. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (the church)—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:13. Baptism, water baptism, is the door into the church. But water baptism is a symbol that won’t save you if you don’t have what it represents.

You become a member of the body of Christ when you are baptized by the Holy Spirit. Paul met some people in Acts 19 who had been baptized, and he asked if they had received the Holy Spirit. They said they had been baptized into John’s baptism and were told they needed to be baptized again. This clearly indicates that baptism is not really valid if you have not received the Holy Spirit.

There are many who have attended church all their life and decide to be rebaptized because they did not know before what they were doing or were not prepared. They did not receive the Holy Spirit.

If you have not received the Holy Spirit, the church cannot save you. The big question is, Are you connected with Jesus? Jesus said, “I am the true Vine.” There are two things working to connect the branches to the grape vines. The outer connection, the lignite in the wood, just holds them physically to the vine. The outer connection could be likened to church membership. When a person is baptized with water and makes a profession, they are now a “member” of the church, outwardly. It has an outer connection, but if the life sap does not flow through the inner part of that vine into the branch, it will die. This is described in John 15.

The dead branch is a person who is a member of the church, professing to be a Christian. They profess to be getting ready for Jesus to come, and they look like they are connected, but the only trouble is, there is no life in them.

When working with grape vines, you learn to trim and tie up the vines. Every dead branch is cut off. Jesus said, “That’s what My Father does.” Notice what He says in John 15:2–5: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes [cleanses/purifies], that it may bear more fruit. You are already purified or cleansed, because of the word which I have spoken to you. ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing’ ” (Literal translation).

Is the life of Christ coming into your life and is the Holy Spirit working a transformation in your life, changing the way you think and the way you act? Do others recognize you as a Christian?

There have been many discussions about creature merit. Theologians have been arguing these things for hundreds of years. Ellen White wrote about these discussions. She said,

“Discussions may be entered into by mortals strenuously advocating creature merit, and each man striving for the supremacy, but they simply do not know that all the time, in principle and character, they are misrepresenting the truth as it is in Jesus. They are in a fog of bewilderment. They need the divine love of God which is represented by gold tried in the fire; they need the white raiment of Christ’s pure character; and they need the heavenly eyesalve that they might discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life.” Faith and Works, 23.

How much is creature merit worth? She calls it utter worthlessness.

“The Lord Jesus imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination, all the pardon of sins, in presenting His righteousness for man to grasp by living faith—which is also the gift of God. If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason.” Ibid., 24. Even the angels would say it was treason against the government of God.

Salvation is not complicated. It is a natural human tendency to want to do something to gain merit, so that we can be saved, but we can never be saved that way. Ellen White says, “He need not wait until he has made a suitable repentance before he may take hold upon Christ’s righteousness. We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don’t understand it.” Ibid., 64.

How can you receive the gift of salvation? Just say, “Lord, I’m choosing to believe in Jesus as the Lord of my life and Saviour from sin.” Jesus stated it in that simple language, over and over again. The apostle John, more than any other apostle, quoted Jesus’ words on that subject. For instance, he said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47. That is not complicated. Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you have eternal life.”

There is much to be thankful for. “The people had not been destroyed by the serpents in their long travels through the wilderness. They had been an ungrateful people.

“We are just so. We do not realize the thousand dangers that our heavenly Father has kept us from. We do not realize the great blessing that He has bestowed upon us in giving us food and raiment, in preserving our lives by sending the guardian angels to watch over us. Every day we should be thankful for this. We ought to have gratitude stirring in our hearts and come to God with a gratitude offering every day. We ought to gather around the family altar every day and praise Him for His watchcare over us. The children of Israel had lost sight that God was protecting them from the venomous beasts. But when He withdrew His hand their sting was upon them.” Ibid., 69.

We ought to have such gratitude that we gather around the family altar every day and praise Him for His watchcare over us. The children of Israel had lost sight that God was protecting them from the venomous beasts, but when He withdrew His hand, their sting was upon them. If we could just comprehend how simple the plan of salvation is. All you have to do is choose to believe. Some may say they cannot. Remember the man who came to Jesus and He said, “If you can believe, everything is possible” (Mark 9:23). The man then said, “Lord, I believe,” but he was struggling with doubt, just the way people are today. It is the devil’s intention to try to destroy all who believe by causing doubt. This man was struggling with doubt, and he said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” [verse 24].

Ellen White says that if you pray that prayer you can never perish. The plan of salvation is that simple. If we really believed it, we would be happy; we would be thankful; we would be rejoicing; we would be praising God every day for what He has done for us.

In the wilderness, the children of Israel were told to look at the brass snake and be saved (Numbers 21:8, 9). The Lord says, “Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and none else.” Isaiah 45:22 (Literal translation). This is not complicated. Are you willing to look? A dead snake, a brass snake, cannot save anybody. The Lord says, “If you will look, I will save you.” The problem we have is that we live in a world where the religion of Cain is more popular than the true religion. The religion of Cain says you have to do something for the Lord to save you. That is a deception. Just come to Jesus, just the way you are right now, with all of your sins, with all of your weaknesses. You cannot make yourself better.

Jesus said, “He who comes to Me, I will in no case cast out” (John 6:37). If you will come, He will save you. If you look, He will save you. You don’t have to do something first; just come to Jesus right now, just the way you are, with all of your sins, with all of your guilt, with all of your failings, with all of your past; come with everything that is wrong with you. He just says, “Look to Me. Come to Me, I will save you. You do the coming, I will do the saving.”

We cannot save ourselves; the church cannot save us, and no human being can save us. Only Jesus can save us.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.