Commentary on "Redemption for Jew and Gentile"

DALE RATZLAFF

 

Day 7: Friday, September 3, 2010 - Further Study

 

At this point the lesson author, in seeking to make truth clear, turns to Ellen White. However, a careful reading of the first paragraph taken from Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 453, 454 seems only to muddy the water. Carefully read this whole paragraph before you continue.

“God requires us to bear much fruit. He will not give commands without giving with them power for their performance. He will not do our part of the work, neither does He require that we do His. It is God that worketh in us, but we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Faith must be sustained by works; the doers of the work are justified before God.” 2 T 166.

In another statement using the same verse Ellen White writes:

“I am praying for you, that you may come to Him, [the person in context, then, has NOT come to Christ] the Fountain of living water. This is the experience that every one of us must have if we ever dwell with Christ in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. You have lessons of the highest value to learn in the school of Christ, lessons that will lead you to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” 8T 124

I read a number of statements by Ellen White where she quotes Philippians 2:12. Sometimes it seems that she applies this phrase to the believing Christian, at other times, as in one quote above, she applies it to those who are far away from such assurance. Sometimes it is not clear which is in view. Often the reader—as I used to do when an Adventist—senses that he must be more careful in his obedience SO THAT he WILL BE saved. However, instead of going to the “lesser light” to get the clear meaning of this text, let’s go directly to the “greater light” and see what Scripture means in Philippians 2:12-15.

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.”

Here we see a big difference. As I understand Ellen White, she, at least at times, is saying that “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” means that this is how we get salvation. Then she lists a number of activities necessary—often “required”—for the assurance of salvation. However, a careful reading of the Biblical text, “work out your salvation” means exactly what it says. We work “out” what is ALREADY “in”. Also note that it is “God who is at work in you, both to WILL and to WORK for His good pleasure.” In this text Paul goes on to urge the saved Christians to live like the people they ALREADY WERE in Christ—blameless and innocent children of God! Because they have been saved, Paul urges them to work out that salvation.

Why the “fear and trembling”? We fear to commit sin. It will break our fellowship with Christ and cause untold harm to ourselves and others. But we can rejoice in God because the indwelling Holy Spirit is the active power in our sanctification. We want to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the Christian walk and by so doing; we can be an influence for good like shining lights in a dark world. Like a good athlete we play hard because we are on the winning team!

I end with one of my favorite quotes from Paul found in Philippians 3:8-9.

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

My we each seek God’s grace as we search for truth.

In His joy,

Dale Ratzlaff

 

 

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