Written by Slawomir Gromadzki
In order for a sinful person to properly appreciate and accept what Christ has done for them, they must first realize the hopeless situation they are in and the role that the law plays in the plan of salvation.
Only when we become aware of our sinfulness and realize that we are unable to free ourselves from the bondage of sin and death by our own strength can we properly appreciate the gospel and accept it with an open heart.
The gospel is otherwise known as “the truth that is in Jesus”.
This phrase contains two extremely important elements that constitute the core of the Christian religion, namely the word “truth” and the phrase “in Christ”.
When it comes to the definition of the word “truth,” there are many in the Holy Scriptures, but the most important one, found in the Letter to the Ephesians 1:13, explains that the truth is the gospel: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…”. Letter to the Ephesians 1:13
In addition to the word “truth,” which means the gospel, the phrase “in Christ” is of no less importance for our salvation, which occurs particularly often in the letters of the Apostle Paul and is inseparably connected with the gospel and justification by faith.
Using a concordance, I noticed that in the Bible, this crucial phrase for understanding the gospel is used almost exclusively by the Apostle Paul, and more than 80 times (and over 200 times in various forms).
Apart from him, this statement was used only three times by the Apostle Peter in the 5th chapter of the first of his letters.
The immense importance of the phrase “in Christ” for our salvation can best be evidenced by the truth expressed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:1, writing that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”. Romans 8:1
Freedom from condemnation is what has invaluable worth for all of us, for the entire fallen human race, and according to this passage, we can obtain this saving freedom from sin, condemnation, and death only when we are “in Christ”.
Therefore, as Christians, we must strive at all costs for a proper understanding and acceptance of this wonderful “truth” that is “in Christ”.
According to what the Gospel of John reports, Pilate asked Christ the most important question, namely “What is truth?”: “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, went out again unto the Jews…”. John 18:38
Unfortunately, freedom from sin and death did not become Pilate’s portion because he did not want to wait for the answer.
In our case as well, whether we will be freed from sin, condemnation, and death depends on whether we allow the Savior to answer the question “what is truth” and whether we understand and accept this truth.
Ellen White was right when she wrote: “Our churches are dying for want of having the message of righteousness by faith preached to them”. Ellen G. White
In another place, she adds: “The better we understand the truth as it is in Jesus, the more spiritual will be our religious life”. Ellen G. White, The Watchman, August 14, 1906, par. 8
During the General Conference in Minneapolis in 1888, Sister White also spoke often, and during one of her presentations, she stood in defense of the truth that is in Christ preached by Waggoner: “Words have been spoken here that Brother Waggoner has taken the lead at our meetings. But has he not presented this message to you from the Bible? Why is it that I lost one of my manuscripts and for two years could not find it? God has a purpose in this. He wants us to go to the Scriptures and use biblical arguments! Brethren! We need the truth as it is in Jesus!”. Ellen G. White
What constitutes our greatest need? The truth that is in Christ!
We must therefore know this truth and be able to justify it with the help of biblical arguments.
However, the truth we are to preach must be exactly the same message that the Apostle Paul presented in his letters and heralded.
In the letter to Galatians 1:8-9, he directs a very serious warning to all those who preach a different gospel: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed! As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed!”. Galatians 1:8-9
A proper understanding and acceptance of this truth heralded by Paul was repeatedly the cause of great religious revival in the past.
Martin Luther’s discovery of this message caused him to be freed from legalism and to become the leader of the Great Reformation.
It was Martin Luther who said about the Letter to the Romans that it is “the most important book in the entire Holy Scriptures, and that every Christian should know this letter by heart”. Martin Luther
John Wesley, in turn, was deeply moved while listening to Luther’s commentary on the Letter to the Romans, which initiated a great religious revival in the 18th century in England.
The same letter caused the conversion of John Bunyan, who later in prison wrote “The Pilgrim’s Progress” – a wonderful and consistently extremely popular book among Christians.
And in our church, the heralding of this truth based on the Letter to the Romans and Galatians, more than a hundred years ago, could have ended even with the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the second coming of Jesus Christ.
However, in striving to understand the message that Paul included in his letters, it should be remembered that there are passages that can be improperly interpreted by us.
Therefore, we must study these issues with prayer and the humility of a disciple, remembering Peter’s warning, who wrote about Paul’s letters that “in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction”. 2 Peter 3:16
It was precisely this lack of a disciple’s humility and proper understanding of some of Paul’s statements that caused many Protestant churches to accept the false teaching that the Law of God was abolished, and the Catholic Church even allowed itself to make changes to God’s unchangeable Decalogue.
All this confusion and the situation that is currently taking place among Christian churches was long ago foretold by the prophet Isaiah 4:1: “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name…”. Isaiah 4:1
Since this prophecy was written using symbols, we must explain to ourselves what they mean.
According to biblical symbolism, the phrases used here have the following meanings: The phrase “in that day” refers to the end times; the number “seven” symbolizes a full, large number; “woman” is, of whom we speak, the church; “man” means Christ; “bread” represents the Word of God; and “apparel” is the righteousness of Christ.
According to this undoubtedly correct interpretation of this symbolism, we can read this prophecy in the following way: “In the end times, many different churches will take hold of Christ, saying: We will interpret the Bible as we please and we will rely on our own righteousness, it only matters that by name we are Christian communities and we acknowledge Christ”.
What the prophet Isaiah foretold in this passage found a perfect fulfillment in our times.
The vast majority of many different Christian communities adjust the content of the Word of God to their own teachings and instead of accepting God’s way of justifying man, which does not abolish but is consistent with the requirements of God’s law, devises its own way, teaching that this law was nailed to the cross.
Someone once said that we should not read books that merely speak about power, but those that contain power.
Such a book is undoubtedly the Word of God, because hidden within it is the gospel, which is the power of God: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…”. Romans 1:16
One time, while driving in a car together with a certain preacher who taught theology at an American university, I asked him what he thought about the message that a certain well-known preacher was proclaiming.
Then I received the answer that, according to him, in what this man presents, everything is consistent with the truth.
The only inappropriate thing is that he speaks too much about the gospel and salvation by grace through faith, and he should speak more about a righteous life.
Can one, however, speak too much about this true gospel, which is the power of God?
If we want a tree to bring forth more fruit, do we concentrate on the fruit or on the tree?
We could even be considered mentally unbalanced if we tried to wash those fruits or sprinkle them with sugar so that they would be larger and sweeter.
I remember how once, together with my parents, we were wondering what to do with a sweet cherry tree that grew next to the house and did not give much fruit.
My father and I then decided to cut down a large coniferous tree growing next to this cherry tree, we placed some fertilizer in the ground, but we did not even try to concentrate on the fruits themselves, especially since they were not even visible yet.
And thanks to these treatments, shortly thereafter this cherry tree produced so many beautiful juicy fruits that we could not eat them ourselves and had to share them with neighbors and acquaintances.
This spiritual tree in our life is the gospel, and the fruits are our sanctified life.
If, therefore, we desire true righteousness and sanctification in our daily lives, the only way to achieve this goal is to focus our attention on Christ and His righteousness, and therefore let us never think that someone can speak too much on this subject.
On September 3, 1889, just a year after the Minneapolis conference, Ellen White wrote in the Review and Herald: “The present message—the justification by faith—is a message from God; it has the divine credentials, for its fruit is unto holiness”. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Sept. 3, 1889
“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Pastors Waggoner and Jones… It invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. God has commanded that this truth should be presented to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure”. Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 91-92 / Revelation 18:1
According to this extraordinary statement, the teaching about the righteousness of Christ, which through faith can become our portion, is a truth that: must be heralded to the world; is the loud cry of the third angel from Revelation 18:1, the angel “by whose splendor the whole earth was illuminated”; is to bring fruit in the form of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; is the most precious message; and manifests itself in obedience to all of God’s commandments.
Therefore, let us remember that the gospel – the truth that is in Christ, is not merely a theory, but “the power of God” that not only justifies, but also sanctifies and transforms the entire life of a sinful human being.
In the Gospel of John 8:31-32, the Savior Himself says that the Truth is something that is meant to set us free: “… If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. John 8:31-32
From what is the truth that is in Christ meant to set us free?
A slave to what is each of us?
We are all slaves to: SIN: “… Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”; DEATH: “For the wages of sin is death”, and since we are all sinful, we are all without exception automatically slaves of death; and THE FEAR OF DEATH. John 8:34 Romans 6:23 Hebrews 2:15
Therefore, according to Christ’s promise, if we diligently and perseveringly study the Word of God, then the “truth,” which is the gospel, is meant to “set us free” from everything we inherit from Adam, which is from sin, death, and fear.
However, in accordance with the fact that the Holy Spirit “is to convict us” first “of sin,” and only then “of righteousness, and of judgment,” the Apostle Paul always precedes the heralding of the gospel by presenting the “bad news” about sin.
In order for a person to appreciate how great an importance the gospel has for them, they must first realize what a sinful and hopeless position they have found themselves in. And according to the saying that “the darker the night, the brighter the stars shine,” the gospel can shine brightly in our lives only when we understand that “there is none righteous, no, not one,” and that in the face of the unchangeable law of God we are all condemned and sentenced to the irrevocable penalty of death.
After demonstrating the guilt and sinfulness of the Gentiles (in the 1st chapter of the Letter to the Romans), Paul further proves that the Jews who rely on their own righteousness are by no means in a better, but even a worse position.
Many Jews fell into self-admiration and deception, as they began to judge that they were better than other nations because it was to them that God gave the Law.
To us too – Seventh-day Adventists – just like the Israelites – the same danger threatens.
God has endowed us with special privileges: He gave us a deeper understanding of what happened at Calvary, revealed to us the truth about the unchangeability of His law, about the Sabbath, about the state of man after death, and we received a wonderful health message.
God also endowed us with the Spirit of Prophecy.
All this was not given to us, however, so that for this reason we should consider ourselves better and more righteous than other Christians.
Paul therefore tries to make the Israelites and us aware that the mere knowledge of the commandments and keeping the Sabbath can in no way make anyone more righteous.
The fact that we know the law in no way improves our situation, but even worsens it if we do not act in accordance with the requirements of this law.
If someone breaks a state law, gets sentenced, and standing before the court says: “Why do you want to punish me, I after all knew the law?!”, how would the judge react to that?
The judge would say: “The fact that you knew the law puts you in an even worse position!”.
If someone wants to be righteous based on the law, then in such a situation, its mere knowledge is not enough, but such a person must perfectly fulfill this law, even in thoughts, and that from the moment of birth until death. Romans 10:5 Galatians 3:10
And this condition cannot be fulfilled by any human being.
For this very reason, no one can be righteous on the basis of the deeds of the law, and even less so by the fact that they know the law.
In the 3rd chapter, the author of the Letter to the Romans puts the dot over the “i,” writing about the fact that all people, regardless of nationality, race, or social class, are simply sinful and condemned: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one… They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one”. Romans 3:10, 12
Is there not even one person on earth who does good?
What did Paul mean here?
He wants to let us understand that there is no person on earth who would do only good throughout their whole life and never sin.
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not”. Ecclesiastes 7:20
There is no person who throughout their whole life would do good with the right motivation, from unselfish motives.
Let’s say that I am an atheist who considers himself a good and righteous person.
And indeed, despite the fact that I do not believe in God, I have the reputation of a good, kind, and helpful person.
And one day, for example, I help an old lady cross the street.
Is this a good deed?
From a human point of view, yes.
But if, while helping this elderly woman, I notice that an acquaintance nearby has spotted it and I think to myself that he will have a good opinion of me, then this good deed becomes contaminated with an egocentric motivation and in the eyes of God is no longer an authentically righteous deed, because God also requires unselfish motives in doing good.
God requires pure, unselfish motivation, and something like this can become a sinful person’s portion only as a result of being born again.
“all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”. Isaiah 64:6
Mahatma Gandhi, from a human point of view, was undoubtedly a good man, but if he was not born of the Spirit, he could only be just as good a man as Nicodemus was before he was converted.
Which, of course, does not mean that Gandhi will not be saved. Only God knows about that, and He is a righteous and loving God.
A proper understanding of issues related to sin and the fact that we are sinful from the very beginning of our earthly existence is a matter of great importance, all the more because currently many theologians prefer the view saying that we become sinners only at the moment when we begin to commit our own sins.
But can infants, who have not yet managed to commit their own sins, thereby deserve to be called holy and sinless human beings?
If that were possible, infants would not die. However, we perfectly well know that they also die.
It is so because they come into this world already as sinful beings, they come with an innate sinful nature, the possession of which makes them deserve to be called sinful beings.
Of course, these infants are not responsible for such a state of affairs, but their innate sinfulness constitutes a natural consequence of their sin in Adam: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”. Psalm 51:5
If there are no apples on an apple tree yet, does that mean it is not an apple tree? Of course not!
The appearance of fruit can only assure us that it is an apple tree.
Similarly, the fact that fruits in the form of sins have not yet appeared in our life does not mean that we are not sinful.
We are sinful and condemned to death already from birth, and the sinful fruits appearing in the course of our life only confirm our conviction that we are sinful.
In Romans 7:18, 20, the Apostle Paul wrote: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not… Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. Romans 7:18, 20
Let us therefore remember that Christ came to save us not only from what we have done and do, which is from our sins, but also from who we are – from the sin that dwells in us!
Why do we read in the Bible that God created us in Adam “of the dust of the ground”?
God simply foresaw that as sinful beings we would have tendencies to think that we can manage without Him.
And that is why He created us from the dust of the ground, so that we would remember who we are without Him.
When I heard once that the inhabitants of Uganda call the dust of the ground “umfufu,” I thought that without God we are nothing more than just such a resonantly sounding “umfufu,” which means dust.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Romans 3:23
It is interesting that this first statement “all have sinned” was written in the Greek past tense AORIST, which means something that once and for all happened in the distant past and belongs to history.
When did we all sin in the past perfect tense?
Of course, we all sinned in Adam and only this could the author have had in mind here.
However, Paul further explains that besides the fact that we sinned in Adam, we additionally “come short of the glory of God”.
What does it mean that someone “lacks, or comes short of the glory of God”?
The glory of God is otherwise God’s holy, perfect character.
Thus, “coming short of the glory of God” means that we do not measure up to God’s perfect character because we sin.
It is worth remembering also that this second statement was written not in the past tense but in the present continuous tense.
What is the conclusion from this?
This means that all of us, not only sinned in Adam in the past, but besides that now, in the present continuous tense, we add our own sins to the sin in Adam.
Now, when Paul has already demonstrated that everyone is sinful, further in Romans 3:19-20 he tries to explain the role of the law and our deeds in the plan of salvation: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law…”. Romans 3:19
In order for us to properly understand this passage, we must explain to ourselves what it means to be “under the law”?
Being “under the law” means exactly the same as being under state law.
Secular law requires obedience from us, and if we break it, it then condemns us and administers punishment.
And until the end of life, we find ourselves under the dominion of this law.
In the times in which Paul lived, to be “under” someone meant deprivation of liberty and referred to slaves.
Such a person was under his master, which means he was subjected to him, had to be obedient to him, and could be punished by him.
Knowing already the meaning of the phrase “under the law,” let us read the same passage once again: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God”. Romans 3:19
What does the law say to those who are under it, in other words, what does the law say to all of us?
The law says to us: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy,” “thou shalt not covet,” “thou shalt not steal,” “thou shalt not lie,” etc.
The law says to us: “You must perfectly fulfill these commandments throughout your whole life, and if not, then remember that the wages for their transgression is death”.
For what purpose does the law tell us all this?
The law was given in order to “stop our mouths,” so that we would finally stop thinking that we ourselves are able to accomplish something for our salvation.
The gospel is not for good, righteous people, or those who try to be good to deserve heaven.
The gospel can be effective only in the lives of those who realize their helplessness, who understand that without Christ they are unable to elicit from themselves even a bit of authentic righteousness with a pure motivation devoid of selfishness.
Have we allowed the commandments to “stop our mouths” and keep us from speaking and thinking in the categories of the Pharisee who prayed with the words: “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are (sinners)”?
Such a person would never accept the Gospel. The Gospel becomes for him a stone of stumbling, an obstacle, because he thanks God that he is a good man, for he pays tithes, keeps the Sabbath, and goes to church.
And precisely for this reason, in Romans 3:20 Paul wrote: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin”. Romans 3:20
The law was not given to constitute a way to salvation, so that by its keeping a sinner could attain salvation, because that is impossible!
The law was only meant to demonstrate our sinfulness and in this way lead us to Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote about this not only in the Letter to the Romans, but also to the Galatians 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”. Galatians 2:16
In the Letter of James 1:23-25, the law was compared to a “mirror” in which we can look at ourselves and see the “dirt” of our sinfulness.
Let’s say that I look at myself in a mirror and notice that I am very dirty.
I then take this mirror and try at all costs to cleanse myself of this dirt, rubbing my dirty body with the mirror.
How would a person react who was a witness to such strange behavior of mine?
They would probably expressively point a finger at their forehead and say: “With water, not with a mirror!”.
Therefore, everyone who tries to cleanse themselves of sin with the help of the works of the law deserves, according to Paul, to be called an unwise or even a foolish person: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish?…”. Galatians 3:1-3
Why can no human being be saved on the basis of their own deeds, regardless of how many of them they possess?
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them”. Galatians 3:10
Such a person is cursed, not because they try to do good to get to heaven, but because God does not have the right to save them in such a way, but only through faith in Christ.
It is extremely important that we pay attention to the fact that Paul wrote here that everyone who “relies on the works of the law” is “cursed” if they do “not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them”.
If we strive for salvation by keeping the law, then if we have broken this law in just one point and have not “continued” in its fulfillment, we are finished, because the law requires perfect obedience in every detail and throughout life!
The Jews were experts when it came to the letter of the law, to the external, theoretical knowledge of the commandments and their external keeping, but they did not want to acknowledge that the law also demanded obedience in thoughts.
Therefore Christ had to make them aware of this: “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…”. Matthew 5:22
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”. Matthew 5:28
But even if we still consider that we deserve to be called righteous because by some miracle we managed to keep the commandments even in thoughts and that throughout our whole life, we must remember that the law also requires of us purity of motivation.
However, such unselfishness of motives in doing good requires ridding oneself of innate egocentrism, and this we are unable to realize by our own strength.
“We may flatter ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner; but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of the motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness”. Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 32 / Isaiah 64:6
What did the Savior want to convey to Nicodemus and us by saying: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”? John 3:6
In order for us to correctly understand this, we must first explain to ourselves what meaning the word “flesh” has.
Using this word, the Lord Jesus could not have meant the physical body, but our fallen nature: “… but I am carnal, sold under sin”. Romans 7:14
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit…”. Galatians 5:17
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts”. Galatians 5:24
Therefore, since “flesh” refers to our fallen nature, it means that Christ, by saying “that which is born of the flesh is flesh,” wanted to tell Nicodemus and us that everyone who came into this world with a fallen nature remains such and is a slave to sin and cannot by their own strength become holy.
This is possible only when one is born of the Spirit.
Therefore, toward those who try by their own strength and based on their own righteousness to obtain salvation, the Apostle Paul directs a very serious warning: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace”. Galatians 5:4
Acknowledging one’s sinfulness is something very important, but even if we meet this condition, and still do not want to acknowledge our helplessness in obtaining salvation by our own strength, if we do not want to acknowledge the righteousness of Christ as the only possible merit for salvation, then we have “fallen from grace” and are continually only like those dry bones that the prophet Ezekiel saw in a vision.
This prophecy is located in the 37th chapter of the book of Ezekiel and will certainly allow us to understand a bit better who we really are without God and who we can be if we submit to Him.
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army”. Ezekiel 37:1-10
This prophecy very accurately illustrates what the spiritual state of many Christians looks like.
They are spiritually dead, listed only on church registers, but are not written in the Lamb’s book of life.
They joined the church, but did not bind themselves to the Lord.
They may give the impression of people diligently fulfilling certain duties, they may be considered alive, but to many of them Christ could say: “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”. Revelation 3:1
“Until the breath of life from God awakens the soul, until the professors of truth are moved by a principle that comes from heaven… until they begin to place their trust in the righteousness of Christ as their only guarantee of safety, until they reflect His character and work in His Spirit, they are naked—devoid of the garment of Christ’s righteousness. Often those who are dead are considered alive. They work at something they describe as salvation according to their own concept, and do not have God in them, working in them both to will and to do. Those who belong to this group have been aptly represented as the valley of dry bones that Ezekiel saw in a vision”. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Jan. 17, 1893 / Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1166 / Philippians 2:13
Summarizing this part of the Letter to the Romans, in which Paul tries at all costs to convince us of our sinfulness and helplessness in the struggle against sin and death, we must make sure whether we have allowed the commandments to fulfill their task and “stop our mouths,” because only then will we be able to properly understand, accept, and appreciate the truth that is in Christ.
Now, when we have already allowed the law to stop our mouths, Paul presents to us the wonderful content of the gospel in Romans 3:21-22: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…”. Romans 3:21-22
Paul begins the presentation of the Gospel with the phrase: “BUT NOW,” which means that “now,” now when we have already allowed the law to give us a diagnosis, now when we are 100% sinners, helpless beings condemned to eternal destruction, Paul says to us: “But now, now I have wonderful news for you!”.
These two words “but now” can also become a shield for us protecting against the loss of assurance of salvation.
Paul uses the same word, the word “now,” in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”. Romans 8:1
Suppose that Satan manages once again to persuade us to sin.
In this situation, he immediately whispers to us: “See, now you do not deserve salvation, you are not good enough”.
What does our reaction to such accusations look like? What do you do when you read the commandments and notice that you do not keep them as you should?
In such a situation, do you become discouraged and say: “It’s better to give up, I will never be able to meet these requirements”?
Do you give up and admit Satan is right, that you are indeed not worthy to attain salvation?
If it is so, it means that you still base your salvation not on Christ and His righteousness, but on your deeds, and you still have not allowed the law to “stop your mouth”.
In a situation when Satan accuses you that you do not deserve salvation, you should reply to him: “You are absolutely right, Satan! I do not deserve salvation, but Jesus Christ is my righteousness, and because I belong to Him, then precisely NOW there is no condemnation for me!”.
If only we accept this wonderful truth that is in Christ, then despite the fact that we are not yet perfect, despite character flaws, mistakes, and even sins that we commit, because Jesus Christ is our righteousness, God looks at us as if He saw not us, but His Son.
Unfortunately, many sincere Christians, despite the fact that they believe in Christ, still have doubts as to whether God really accepts them.
Let’s say that some man bought himself something very expensive for cash, e.g., a new luxury car, for which he paid a lot, paid with money that he had been saving up for years.
What would we think of this man if we found out that despite the fact that he paid so much for this car, he left the dealership without accepting this car?
We would think that he is out of his mind. Every normal person in this world always accepts what they paid for, and the more they paid, the more willingly they accept what they bought.
And there are even such people who accept what they did not pay for. Since man, therefore, always accepts what they paid for, how can we Christians doubt that God accepts us, since He paid for us with the “precious blood” of His only Son: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”. 1 Peter 1:18-19
A certain regular churchgoer had a dream one night, in which he saw himself standing near the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem.
He stood there and looked with great interest at everything that was happening around.
Suddenly, from afar, a group of saved people approached the gates, whose faces shone with unusual brightness, and when they entered through the gate inside the city, the sounds of wonderful music were heard from a distance.
“Who are they?” – he asked the angel standing next to him.
“This is the group of holy and pious prophets,” replied the angel.
“Woe is me! I am not a prophet and I will never be one, so I cannot enter there together with them!”.
After a moment, another group of saved people appeared, dressed in snow-white shining garments, who with an expression of eternal happiness on their faces approached the pearly gate. When they went inside, again from afar the sounds of wonderful music were heard.
“And who are they?” – anxious, he asked the angel again.
“This is the group of holy and pious apostles,” said the angel.
“Woe is me! I am also not an apostle, so I cannot enter there with them either!”.
He was still waiting in hope that maybe by some miracle he would manage to enter through the gate into the city, but the next group of saved people consisted of an army of holy martyrs who were persecuted and killed because of faith in Christ, so he could not join them either.
And when he had almost lost hope, he noticed how from afar a very numerous army of saints, larger than all the others combined, was approaching the pearly gate, marching with great joy and wonderfully singing praise songs.
At the head of this great army walked a woman who had been a harlot and the thief who died on the cross.
And when he looked at them more closely, he also noticed among them King Manasseh, who “shed innocent blood very much” and desecrated the temple of God, but then converted and was saved.
When those who belonged to this group entered through the gate into the city, it seemed as if the whole sky resonated with an even more beautiful and louder sound of praise songs.
“And who are they?!” – he asked the angel with great hope.
“Oh,” replied the angel, “these are all those who did not have any righteousness of their own, but who believed in Christ and whose sins were washed by His precious blood!”.
Then this man wept with joy, joined this last group, and went through the gate inside the Holy City.
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not”. 1 John 3:1
In the book Steps to Christ, there is such a beautiful quote that speaks about the fact that since we have already believed and submitted our life to the Lord Jesus, we can no longer doubt and focus on fears about our salvation, but we are to focus on Christ and His righteousness, which is our portion through faith: “Many who are really sincere, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and by thus separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears… When we rest our eyes upon Him, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand”. Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ
If we base our salvation on our own righteousness and on what level of Christianity we represent, and not on Christ, then it may turn out that in the time of trial, lacking the assurance of salvation or the conviction that Christ is our righteousness, we will deny Him, just as Peter did.
We will deny Him because, focusing on ourselves and not on Christ, it will seem to us that we are not yet good and righteous enough to be able to die with the conviction that we will certainly find ourselves among the saved.
In reference to this, Pastor Jack Sequeira relates a very sad experience that took place in Uganda during the bloody rule of dictator Idi Amin.
At that time, there was a large dynamic group of young Seventh-day Adventists in that country, numbering up to 8,000 people.
Idi Amin hated Christians, and one Friday he ordered his army to surround these 8,000 young Adventists.
The soldiers then presented them with an ultimatum: either the next day, on Sabbath, they would go to work, or they would all be shot.
Additionally, they ordered them to utter blasphemies against God and Christ.
What do you think, how many of those 8,000 young people preferred to lose their lives rather than deny Christ and insult God?
It may be hard to believe, but out of those 8,000 young Adventists, only one young man refused to perform work on the Sabbath and did not utter blasphemy against God and Christ!
Only one person! When after 2 years the communists released all these young people, our pastors tried to find out why, except for one person, everyone broke the fourth commandment and denied Christ?
As a result of many conversations conducted, it turned out that it was so because each of them thought that if they lost their life at that moment, they would not find themselves among the saved.
All these young people did not feel good enough, righteous enough, to have the assurance of salvation.
Feelings told them that if they died then, with such a level of sanctification they could not be saved.
They were afraid to die for Christ because back then everyone – except that one – did not understand the gospel.
Additionally, it seemed to them that by denying Christ they committed the unpardonable sin.
When, however, Pastor Sequeira was later asked to present to them the message of salvation solely through faith in Christ based on the Letter to the Romans, and when they understood how great God’s love is, and that Christ does not reject them despite the fact that they denied Him, then those same young Adventists were completely transformed.
Shortly thereafter, a time of trial came upon them again, and when they were presented with the same ultimatum, then out of those several thousand young people, not even one person denied Christ, and many of them died a martyr’s death with a song on their lips and full assurance of salvation.
Among them was also a young girl, to whom a soldier said: “If you do not go to work tomorrow, I will kill you!”.
To which she replied with a smile on her face: “You can kill my body, but you cannot take away the eternal life that the Lord Jesus gave me”.
Irritated by her stubbornness, the soldier threw her to the ground and jumped on her, breaking her spine.
This brave girl survived this experience, but since then she has been paralyzed.
She still, however, enjoys inner peace, and her paralysis constitutes for many people a testimony of faith and the power of the gospel – the truth and love of God, which brought her freedom not only from sin and death, but also from the fear of death.
As for that young Adventist who previously was the only one among 8,000 who did not deny Christ, God protected him from death, and he currently works in Sweden as a doctor.
This sad experience shows how important a proper understanding and acceptance of the truth that is in Christ is, how essential it is to rely solely on the righteousness of the Savior in striving for salvation.
According to what the Word of God says, we too will one day face persecution, and some of us even death. And when that time comes, feelings will then tell us that we are not yet good enough to die, possessing at the same time the assurance of salvation.
But if we focus on Christ, His love, and His righteousness, which is imputed to us through faith, then even when we face death, the Holy Spirit will remind us that indeed “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” the Holy Spirit will remind us of the words of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
If, therefore, we look not at ourselves but at Christ and believe God’s promises, then we will never deny our Savior, we will not dishonor God, and no decree, not even a death decree, will force us to work on the Sabbath.
Amen!