1SM 344
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.
Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
6T 60
…the life of Christ reveals an infinitely perfect character.
UL 260
Who by searching can find out God to perfection? The Gospels set forth the character of Christ as infinitely perfect.
TMK 70
The character of Christ is an infinitely perfect character.
COL 305
God’s law is the transcript of his character. It embodies the principles of His kingdom.
SD 40
Since the law of God is “holy, and just, and good,” a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is the perfect example of such a character.
5T 739
In His nobility of character, in His mercy and tender pity, in His love and goodness, He stands before us as the embodiment of divine perfection, the image of the invisible God.
Heb 1:3
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…
SC 62
It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.
1 Cor 15:51–53
51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed–
52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
2SM 33
When human beings receive holy flesh, they will not remain on the earth, but will be taken to heaven. While sin is forgiven in this life, its results are not now wholly removed. It is at His coming that Christ is to “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Phil. 3:21)….
ST March 23, 1888
We cannot say, “I am sinless,” till this vile body is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body.
AA 561
None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ.
So will it be with all who behold Christ. The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle’s confession our own: “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14.
4BC 1161 (MS 173, 1902)
Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming.
RH Nov 29, 1887
From the cross to the crown there is earnest work to be done. There is wrestling with inbred sin; there is warfare against outward wrong.
HS 138, 139
Selfishness is inwrought in our very being. It has come to us as an inheritance…
RH Nov 29, 1887
From the cross to the crown there is earnest work to be done. There is wrestling with inbred sin; there is warfare against outward wrong. The Christian life is a battle and a march. Let us go forward, for we are striving for an immortal crown. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure. We shall triumph at last, if we do not become weary in well-doing.
MH 173
Many have to battle against strong hereditary tendencies to evil. Unnatural cravings, sensual impulses were their inheritance by birth.
ML 52
If you will battle against selfish human nature, you will go forward steadily in the work of overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong.
CT 20
There are hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil that must be overcome. Appetite and passion must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. There is no end to the warfare this side of eternity.
Note a similar statement to that found in RH Nov 29, 1887:
ST Dec 17, 1885
Let us go forward; for we are striving for an immortal crown. Let us be diligent to make our calling and election sure. A slothful, languid professor will never secure an entrance into the kingdom of God. From the cross to the crown there is earnest work to be done. There is wrestling against inbred sin; there is warfare against outward wrong. But we shall triumph at last, if we do not become weary in well-doing. Heaven’s portals will be opened for every one who does his best for God and his fellow-men.
ST March 23, 1888
We cannot say, “I am sinless,” till this vile body is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body.
Rev 22:11
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.
legal standing moral state
– “he who is righteous, – “he who is holy, let him be holy still”
let him be righteous still”
– imputed righteousness of Christ – imparted righteousness of Christ
– unto justification – unto sanctification
– our title to heaven – our fitness for heaven
Jer 23:6
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
4T 520
The efforts for perfection of Christian character will continue throughout eternity.
6T 60
…the life of Christ reveals an infinitely perfect character.
MB 49
The divine beauty of the character of Christ, of whom the noblest and most gentle among men are but a FAINT reflection; of whom Solomon by the Spirit of inspiration wrote, He is “the chiefest among ten thousand, … yea, He is altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:10-16); of whom David, seeing Him in prophetic vision, said, “Thou art fairer than the children of men” (Psalm 45:2); Jesus, the express image of the Father’s person, the effulgence of His glory; the self-denying Redeemer, throughout His pilgrimage of love on earth, was a living representation of the character of the law of God. In His life it is made manifest that heaven-born love, Christ-like principles, underlie the laws of eternal rectitude.
RH Dec 20, 1881 (also TMK 175)
True holiness and humility are inseparable. The nearer the soul comes to God, the more completely is it humbled and subdued. When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). It was when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord and heard the cherubim crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts,” that he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am undone” (Isa. 6:3, 5). Daniel, when visited by the holy messenger, says, “My comeliness was turned in me into corruption” (Dan. 10:8). Paul, after he was caught up into the third heaven and heard things that it was not lawful for a man to utter, speaks of himself as “less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). It was the beloved John, who leaned on Jesus’ breast and beheld His glory, who fell as one dead before the angel. The more closely and continuously we behold our Saviour, the less shall we see to approve in ourselves.
Rev 3:17 (KJV)
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
COL 316
The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin.
YI May 31, 1900
“Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” At that day Christ will be the Judge. Every secret thing will be set in the light of God’s countenance. What a contrast there will then be between those who have refused Christ and those who have received him as a personal Saviour. Sinners will then see their sins without a shadow to veil or soften their hideousness. So woeful will be the sight that they will desire to be hidden under the mountains or in the depths of the ocean, if only they may escape the wrath of the Lamb. But those whose life is hid with Christ in God can say: “I believe in him who was condemned at Pilate’s bar, and given up to the priests and rulers to be crucified. Look not upon me, a sinner, but look upon my Advocate. There is nothing in me worthy of the love he manifested for me: but he gave his life for me. Behold me in Jesus. He became sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
GC 621
Jacob’s history is also an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been deceived and tempted and betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. While Satan seeks to destroy this class, God will send His angels to comfort and protect them in the time of peril. The assaults of Satan are fierce and determined, his delusions are terrible; but the Lord’s eye is upon His people, and His ear listens to their cries. Their affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem about to consume them; but the Refiner will bring them forth as gold tried in the fire. God’s love for His children during the period of their severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity; but it is needful for them to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected.
2MCP 463
God’s purposes are often veiled in mystery; they are incomprehensible to finite minds; but He who sees the end from beginning knows better than we. What we need is to cleanse us from earthliness, to perfect our Christian character, that the robe of Christ’s righteousness shall be put upon us. —Lt 1, 1883.
ST May 20, 1889
Christ had laid aside his crown and his royal robe; he had stepped down from his throne, and had clothed his divinity with humanity. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. He came into a world all marred and scarred by the curse. He took upon him humanity that he might know the infirmities and temptations of humanity that he might know how to help and save men. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. Was he not perfect before? —Yes. But he was made a perfect Saviour, learning obedience by the things, which he suffered, that humanity might have a perfect character and be fitted for the society of the angels of Heaven. Man was not able, in his own behalf, to meet and overcome the prince of darkness; but Christ overcame him in man’s behalf and broke his power over the human race, so that through his merits they might be overcomers in their own behalf.