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Commentary on "In the Loom of Heaven"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 7: Friday, April 1, 2011 - Further Study

 

Overview

Our focus for today centers on the lesson introduction:

“The law requires righteousness,—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can ‘be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Rom. 3:26.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 762.

 

Observations

Nowhere in scripture does God say that he requires of sinners a righteous life, a perfect character’ before they can be saved. Romans chapter four testifies that God promised Abraham that he would have a son at a time in his life when he was totally unable to do anything to help God keep his promise. In another illustration of this point, God personally testifies of King David that he was “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22; 1 Sam. 13:13-14). Yet, at no time in his life did King David display a perfect character.

Jesus Christ did not ‘developed a perfect character’ while on earth because he always had a perfect character. Jesus was never anything less than the Son of God with the entire same holy attributes of the Father. The righteousness he covers repentant sinners with is literally of his own character that always existed. To suggest otherwise is heresy. When Jesus stated that “the Father and I are one”, he is clearly saying that everything that describes the Father is also true of him:

“I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish —ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10:25-30 HCSB)

For the words of the Psalmist to have any real meaning God does far more than give remission of sins that are past’ in the following psalm:

BLESS THE Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with loving-kindness and mercy, who satisfies you throughout life with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalms 103:1-5 MLB)

Ellen White says that the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ” and quotes Rom. 3:26 yet when you turn to this verse but begin your reading at verse 21 you learn that the righteousness of Christ that God imparts upon Christians is ‘apart from the law’.

But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed —attested by the Law and the Prophets —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. (Romans 3:21-22 HCSB)

 

Summary

  1. This lesson quote taken from The Desire of Ages, page 762 has at least four errors where Ellen White contradicts scripture.
  2. Your faith, your very salvation and your eternal destiny are at risk when you place your trust on the words of someone who claims inspiration from God yet contradicts the bible, God’s holy word.
  3. The righteousness of Christ that we are covered with is not the ‘righteousness of the law’ Ellen White claims. Our ‘breastplate of righteousness’ is apart from the Law or the keeping of the Law.

 

 

Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 22, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

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