Jesus came to give us a clear understanding of the scriptures and we reject the truth as He has revealed it. Why?

Christ the Covenant and the Law

Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds,“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”


Hebrews 8:6 But now [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8:8 For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord.
8:10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.


Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?

3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them.
3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangs on a tree:
3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

3:21 [Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Christ FIRST gives believers His righteousness --
Cleanses our record completely, justifies -- as if we had never sinned.
Now that we are CLEAN, He calls us to walk WITH HIM in faith, with the power of the Holy Spirit, in the path of righteousness.

It is the righteousness of Christ all the way.



That is the difference between every false religion and the true.
All false religions teach that one must first rid oneself of all that is considered unacceptable and then one advances to a high level of existence, but God's way is first God gives His righteousness and then dwells with us, in our hearts changing us from the inside out.
Thus from the moment we accept Christ, and as we continually surrender ourselves to Him, and walk with Him in humble obedience we are saved.
We are not trying to "get saved" but can know that we "are saved".



Consider a measuring cup of righteousness.
Some think they can fill that cup with their own righteousness.
New Christian according to that theory may fill it 20% and Christ must add 80%
But as they mature they should be contributing more and more of the percentage till they contribute 100% and Christ no longer contributes anything.
That is false religion.

Christ fills that cup 100% with HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And we walk in that righteousness to His glory.

This changes the whole focus from "I must clean up my act in order to be acceptable to God"
TO
I am His child, how can I dishonor Him by doing this sin, I want to maintain righteousness which is shown by doing the will of God, I want to be close to Him!

I thought we were doing that already. I thought it was clear to everyone here that the SOP supports, clarifies the Bible testimony. The same Holy Spirit inspired them all - the authors of the Bible and the author of the SOP.

Are you referring to the following quote you posted?


If so, do the insights above contradict what I posted?

I hear what you are saying. However, including inspired insights and testimonies here hardly counts against "real Bible study". If Ellen White were alive and posting here I doubt we would feel like "very little real Bible study" is happening. Many of the SOP quotes posted here include Bible texts.

While in abiding in Jesus our righteousness is of the same origin and quality as the righteousness He experienced while here in "the likeness of sinful flesh" - it is the righteous result of "partaking of the divine nature". They "walk, even as he walked." They are pure "even as he is pure." They are righteous "even as he is righteous."

All this is possible for us only after Jesus implants within us a new and holy nature, a new heart, a new mind, which comes complete with new tastes, new motives, new tendencies, new traits of character. He empowers us to use our faculties of mind and body, our sanctified higher powers, to develop, nurture, mature in the fruits of the Spirit "more and more unto the perfect day". The truth is - "the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

The problem is - some people believe the fruit of abiding in Jesus yields sin-stained, imperfect obedience. Whereas in reality the only thing it lacks is merit - and only Jesus can supply the merit.

Jesus does not have the power to save to the uttermost? YES HE DOES! Hebrews 7:25 Why he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

By His sacrifice, Christ has given every one of us the freedom to resist and reject what He has given us. And sadly, many do. The lost want their own final end; at the judgment at the end of the thousand years of Revelation 20, they will ask for destruction. Those who are saved at last are simply those who gladly received the gift. That simple.



God is not partial. If He were, then there would be grounds for separation of Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, saved and lost.



Do you define the "work" we do actually "choosing"? All of our righteousness is like filthy menstrual rags. We cannot obey. Only by the righteousness of Christ can be obey.

You are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. You can choose to serve Him. {SC 471.}

The children of Israel failed at Sinai. They said, Exodus 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do. They promises were ropes of sand. This is old covenant. This is Hagar, bondage (Galatians 4:24-25). This is what the brethern chose after 1888 instead of accepting the truth. The nature of Christ was also clearly proclaimed by Jones and Waggoner to counteract Romanism (Babylon) and its immaculate conception of Mary and thus the unfallen nature of Christ. We need to come out of Babylon!

Subjection to God is restoration to one's self,--to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is "the law of liberty." James 2:12. {DA 466.5}

We are to do all that we can do on our part to fight the good fight of faith. We are to wrestle, to labor, to strive, to agonize to enter in at the strait gate. We are to set the Lord ever before us. With clean hands, with pure hearts, we are to seek to honor God in all our ways. Help has been provided for us in Him who is mighty to save. The spirit of truth and light will quicken and renew us by its mysterious workings; for all our spiritual improvement comes from God, not from ourselves. The true worker will have divine power to aid him, but the idler will not be sustained by the Spirit of God. {FW 48.1}

In one way we are thrown upon our own energies; we are to strive earnestly to be zealous and to repent, to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts from every defilement; we are to reach the highest standard, believing that God will help us in our efforts. We must seek if we would find, and seek in faith; we must knock, that the door may be opened unto us. The Bible teaches that everything regarding our salvation depends upon our own course of action. If we perish, the responsibility will rest wholly upon ourselves. If provision has been made, and if we accept God's terms, we may lay hold on eternal life. We must come to Christ in faith, we must be diligent to make our calling and election sure. {FW 48.2}

Some people believe - "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" - includes the fruit of abiding in Jesus, the fruit of partaking of the divine nature.