I preached this sermon a few months ago. I was hoping on breaking it down some more and then making a few new studies for my RBF series with it. Unfortunately I have had difficulty finding both the time and the head-space to be able to do so. But the amazing reality I have presented in this sermon is just too precious for me to keep to myself. It shows so clearly that what Christ accomplished for us upon the cross is so much more than we generally think. For me personally, this has become the central line of truth through the whole message of Christ Our Righteousness. When I am able to do so, I will enlarge every step and add it to my RBF series, and then continue to build on this amazing foundation of truth; but until then, I pray that this sermon will be a blessing to you and will help you in your own personal studies.
A New Life in Christ
Preached in Mexico, 28 October, 2017
(You can download the audio here, but bear in mind that it has Spanish translation and you will need to follow the transcript below to understand the quotations.)
Blessed Sabbath, my brothers and sisters.
This is the last time you are going to hear me speak. And like last week there is a lot that we need to cover. And so we are going to be moving very, very quickly. And so I hope that you are awake, and that you are not feeling sleepy.
Our study today is a very important study. There are some things in the Gospel that we need clarified. I think that many of us here could testify that something is missing from our life. Many of us try so hard to be ready for Jesus’ second coming, but if we are honest, we do not know how we are ever going to be ready. And so it is my prayer that our contemplation this morning will help you. It is actually the answer that we all need. And like I said, we are going to have to move quickly through it, and always remember, even if the sermon goes for one hour, I myself have only spoken for half an hour. My wife talks for the other half (translating into Spanish). And so please have mercy upon me.
What we want to look at this week is “A New Life in Christ”. Now this sounds really good doesn’t it? A new life! If you are happy with the life that you have today, this sermon will go right over your head, and you will think that the sermon went too long. But if you are not satisfied in your life and you are tired of going around and around in circles, then this message today is for you.
There is a strange story in Genesis 15. The last week we have been talking about the promises that God made to Abraham. And God promised Him so much, and there in Genesis 15, God repeats His promises and in verse 8, Abraham asks God:
Genesis 15:8
8| And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
Good question! How do I know that you are going to fulfil your promises to me? And so in the following verses, God instructed him to perform a very strange ritual. And we are not going to read it, I am just going to describe it to you.
God instructed Abraham to take some animals and some birds, and the animals he was to cut in half, and put one half here and another half there, and a bird on each side so that there was a path in between. In Jeremiah 34:18-20, we get a clue as to what this ritual means. And please read this in your own time. But from these scriptures and archaeological discoveries, we have learned what this ritual means. When two persons come together to make an agreement with each other, they walk down between the pieces of the animals. And they are saying that, “If I do not keep my part of the promise, then you can do to me what is done to these animals.” This ceremony is still performed in the Middle East today. When the son of a man is going to marry the daughter of another man, the two fathers perform this ritual. And they are promising that their child will be faithful to the other person’s child. IF one of those children commits adultery, the father will be killed, because he was the one that performed this covenant.
And so in Genesis 15 we see Abraham assembling all the pieces of the animals and then he lays down to sleep in terror. He does not know what his part of the covenant with God is. And he does not know if he can fulfil it. And so he is afraid, because if he does not fulfil his part, he will be cut in half. See what happens. As the sun goes down, see what happens.
Genesis 15:17,18
17| And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18| In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram…
And so this is God actually acting out His covenant with Abraham. And the covenant that God made with Abraham is also known as “The Everlasting Covenant”. The same covenant that He makes with you and me today. But did you see what happened? As the sun is going down, a smoking furnace moves between the pieces – God Himself walks between the animals as His part of the promise and then even before Abraham has his opportunity, a burning lamp passed between the pieces. Abraham had no part in the covenant. God promised to His own part, and then God promised to do Abraham’s part as well. This is so important that we realize what this covenant is. God promises here, He Himself will do the things that are necessary for Abraham’s salvation.
Ellen White makes things very clear for us.
Faith & Works 94
He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure… All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to God.
This summarizes what we studied last Sabbath. We learned that we must have perfect obedience in our lives, or we cannot be saved. But NOT MY obedience. The righteousness, the right-doing that I need in my life, the commandment keeping that I need, is not my own, I need God’s perfect works in my life. And the law will not accept anything else. It wants God’s right-doing from us, not ours. And this is so important that we get this clear in our minds, because many Seventh-day Adventists, many Catholics, many Christians, are trying so hard to make themselves holy and it is not working. And this is why – because what we need is God’s perfect works and not ours. Which is why it is the message of “righteousness by faith” because faith will bring into our life God’s perfect works – “that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to God”.
Now let’s finish this quotation. Now she says here, “Man cannot be saved without obedience”. Remember this.
Faith & Works 94
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” we may go on from strength to strength, from victory to victory; for through Christ the grace of God has worked out our complete salvation.
What do we need for salvation? Obedience. Here Ellen White is saying that in His Son Jesus Christ, God has ALREADY produced the obedience that we need in our lives. In other words, He has already lived a perfect life in His Son for you and me. Now. ALREADY. Many of us might say, “But, but, but… What is my part? I have to do something…” Well in the ritual that God performed with Abraham, we see that there is nothing that we can do. But we need to understand HOW we can have this obedience that God has already made for us, in our PRACTICAL reality. Because we are not talking about an umbrella, we are not talking about just some legal declaration. We are talking about practical reality. And so let’s see what we can learn.
The first thing we must learn, is that one of the things that many Christians believe today about the sacrifice of Christ, is wrong. Many people think that Christ died over there, so that I can keep living over here. They think He died so I am set free from the penalty of sin. This is wrong.
Ezekiel 18:4
4| Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
This is the word of God. Have you sinned? Have you sinned? Well, according to the word of God you must die. But people want to think, “No. Jesus died so I don’t have to die.” Ah, I’m sorry, but you have to die.
Romans 5:12
12| Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
If you have sinned, you must die. I am sorry, but this is the word of God. You must die an eternal death.
2 Corinthians 5:14
14| For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
“All were dead”. Because all have sinned! And therefore, all are dead.
My friends, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ does not set us free from the penalty of sin. You will understand this very clearly as we proceed.
Isaiah 53:6
6| All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Praise the Lord!
But HOW did He do this? Let’s see how He did this.
The name of Jesus:
Matthew 1:22-23
22| Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23| Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
“God with us”. We spent some time looking at this name yesterday. And for those of you who were not here, let’s read a quotation from Alonzo Jones.
Alonzo T. Jones 1895 GCB 299
He could not be God with us without becoming ourselves, because it is not Himself that is manifest in the world. We do not see Jesus in this world, as He was in heaven; He did not come into this world as He was in heaven, nor was that personality manifested in the world which was in heaven before He came. He emptied Himself and became ourselves. Then putting His trust in God, God dwelt with Him. And He being ourselves and God being with Him, He is “God with us.“
When Jesus Christ came to this earth, He left Himself out. And He said, “I do not do my own works. My Father does the works. If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Christ completely emptied Himself of Himself. So that the Father could reveal Himself through Him. He did not come to this earth with His own divine attributes. The glory and the power in His life was the glory and the power of the Father. Because He came into our situation – and what did we need? We need a power outside of ourselves to come into us and work in us the things that we cannot do. And so Jesus Christ became a man and He reached out and He brought the very life of the Father into His life. In the name, “God with us”, it is the Father that is the “God” component, and the “us” component is Jesus Christ. Because when He became man, He did not become just any man, He became one with EVERY man, so that when He was bringing the life of the Father into His life, He was bringing it into our life. He connected His life so perfectly with our lives, that He became “us”.
So let’s read another verse in Isaiah 53:
Isaiah 53:12
12| Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
We read previously that God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. And so we think, well, He was made to be the transgressor and we were set free, but what does this verse say? “He was numbered WITH the transgressors”.
The cross of Christ. What was at the sides of His cross? Other sinners. This tells us that Jesus Christ was not crucified alone. This tells us that humanity – sinful humanity – was involved in His crucifixion. And this is a truth that we overlook today. And without this reality we are now contemplating, we have NO hope of salvation whatsoever. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ – what did God do? What did Jesus Himself do? He connected Himself with humanity – all of humanity was put into Jesus Christ. All sinful humanity, was united with Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:6
6| Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
“Our old man is crucified WITH Him”. Can you see that we PARTICIPATE in His death? Humanity does not get away scot-free. Christ was not over there, separate from us. When He died, WE DIED. When Christ died, we died.
Galatians 2:20
20| I am crucified with Christ…
Can you see something very important? We are involved in the death of Jesus Christ. We participate in His death. Many Christians think that His death was separate from them, but this is wrong. Jesus Christ was hung upon the cross, and as He hung upon the cross and then died, we ourselves hung upon the cross and died. We died WITH Him. When He went down, we went down with Him. And this is the secret of our salvation. It is actually the very core truth of the Gospel.
Martin Luther, many years ago, made this observation:
Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians – Galatians 2:20
Faith must be therefore purely taught, namely, that thou art so entirely joined unto Christ, that He and thou art made as it were one person: so that thou mayest boldly say, I am now one with Christ, that is to say, Christ’s righteousness, victory and life are mine. And again, Christ may say, I am that sinner, that is, his sins and his death are Mine, because he is united and joined unto Me, and I unto him. For by faith we are so joined together that we are become members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
We are never ever alone. Two weeks ago, we read a quotation from Ellen White where she said that even in this day, when we sin, Christ feels the consequences. And we also read a number of statements about how Christ even takes our sicknesses upon Himself. Do you remember in Revelation 3:20, Jesus is knocking on the door of the heart, and if He comes in, “I will sup with him and he with Me”? This is an exchange of experience. Jesus Christ united Himself with US, so that He can take upon Himself our sicknesses, our weaknesses, and our sinfulness. And in exchange He wants to give us His life. In Galatians 1:4 it says that He gave Himself for our sins. He exchanged Himself for our sins. He took our sins upon Himself, and He gives us His life in its place. So that we may say, “I am one with Christ. His right-doing, His victory, His life, is mine.” And Christ says, “All of the mistakes that you have made, all of the sins that you have committed, they are Mine.” But we are not separated from this experience, because we are UNITED with Christ.
There is something very important in this union. We do not become Christ.
Bible Commentary Vol.5 1148
The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person.
One in everything, except in person. And this is so important. Because many people think today that they will become Jesus Christ through prayer and meditation. We will never become Christ. We are ADOPTED into the family of God. We do not even deserve that. We will exist through all eternity through the GRACE of God. But here in this union of life, we and Christ maintain our individualities. Christ united Himself with all of humanity, so that when He died, all of humanity died with Him. Because sinful humanity must die. And we can either believe that He took my sinful humanity to an eternal grave NOW, and we can die with Him NOW, or we can do it at the end of a thousand years at the great white throne judgement, and we don’t die with Christ then – we die eternally with NO hope.
But Jesus Christ was an individual, and He went down into the grave, but death could not hold Him there.
Acts 2:24
24| Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Why not? Because He NEVER sinned. Our sins were laid upon Him, and He died because we ourselves were laid upon Him – our sinful old man and woman was joined to Him. But He maintains His personal individuality, and so the old man – US, SINFUL HUMANITY – stays in the grave. But Jesus Christ, because He never sinned, He comes back up again.
A little story for you. Purely figurative.
Jesus and sinful humanity went down to the gates of death. And Mr. Death said, “Welcome for eternity!” And he took us and Jesus Christ and he took them and locked them in the dungeon. And the Father saw this happening. Now, this is just an illustration. But the Father went to ten friends of His, and He said to them, “My Son is in trouble. Death will not let Him out. He never sinned. And so you need to come with me. And the Father took His ten friends down to Mr. Death. And who were His ten friends? The ten commandments. And the Father said to Mr. Death, “You need to hear what my friends have to say.” And His ten friends said, “Jesus never sinned. You cannot keep Him here. You must release Him.” And so Mr. Death was very angry and said, “Aaaaaaahhhhhh!” And he let Jesus go.
But because Jesus had united Himself with us, we rise WITH Him.
Ephesians 2:4-6
4| But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5| Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6| And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
When Christ was raised, we were raised. If Jesus and His life is separate from ours, there is no hope. Only through recognizing and accepting a union with Christ can we have hope. And notice that it says that we sit in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus.
And so maybe now we can understand what “in Christ” means. All of humanity went to an eternal grave. But one Man, one human being, never sinned. And so He came back up again. But the reality is that ONLY ONE Man came back up again. And we are IN that Man. Humanity continues to exist only IN Jesus Christ. Remember Adam and all of his children – life continues through procreation. Christ is called the “second Adam”. Humanity continues through Christ but not through procreation – through SPIRITUAL UNION.
Now, because only one Man came back up again, Galatians 2:20:
Galatians 2:20
20| I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet NOT I”. Why not? Because I sinned! And the wages of sin is death! And so I have to die an eternal death. Yes, I have an existence, but it is no longer my life to live. God gave me a life, and I ruined it. And so Jesus took that life that was corrupted and polluted with sin and He personally delivered it to Mr. Death. And I am extremely grateful for that, because what we are learning here is that that old man, that old woman, that creates so many problems for us, is DEAD! But we don’t believe this, and so we are still struggling against it, and it is so hard to be a Christian! WHY??
Messages to Young People 127
Why is it so hard to lead a self-denying, humble life?…
It’s a good question. Yes? Do you find it hard to be a Christian? Let’s raise your hands! You don’t have to, but be honest in your heart. She continues:
Because professed Christians are not dead to the world…
This is the problem. Now see what she says next:
It is easy living after we are dead.
This is a secret my friends. Life is so hard, because you are still alive to yourself! You are still trying to make your own plans, you are still trying to do your own righteousness. This is why. But if we were dead, and it is Christ living our life, life would be very easy. Yes, we would have battles to fight, self to deny, temptations to overcome, but it is not our work. It is the work of Jesus Christ. And so this is why life is so difficult for us.
Romans 6:2-3
2| God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3| Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Have you been baptized? Yes? Well baptism signifies the death of self, and rising to a new life where you do not live – it is Christ that lives in you. Who is living your life today? Where are you in your Christian experience? Maybe we need to go back under the water again, because when we come back up, we have no right to make our own choices, to make our own plans, or even to tell other people what to do. Because I didn’t do anything right – how dare I tell anybody else what to do! Our lives would be filled with the love and longsuffering that we see in the life of Jesus Christ. But why do we have problems? In the church? In this public campaign? In the family? Because we are not dead; that’s why. Self is still alive. And so don’t point the finger at anyone else. Examine yourself. Are you alive, or are you dead and Christ is living your life? And if Christ is living your life, you will not be stressing about what you see. You will be like Jesus in the boat in the storm on the sea of Galilee – sleeping with perfect peace. Because it is God’s problem, not yours. And Jesus trusted that God would resolve the problem. And He says, “The peace that I have, I want to give to you”.
What has God REALLY done for us?
Ephesians 2:8-10
8| For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9| Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10| For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Verses eight and nine emphasize the point that there is nothing that we can do for our salvation. It is God. He was the One that walked through the parts of the animals on behalf of Abraham. He said, “I will do what I KNOW you cannot do”. But here in verse ten is the most amazing reality. Do you see what God did? He created us AGAIN – in His Son Jesus Christ. And there in Jesus Christ is all of the good works that we need – God has already prepared them – PAST TENSE. Exactly what we read a moment ago from the book Faith and Works! And we also read a verse yesterday that said God has done all of the works in us – Isaiah 26:12. All works, in us, PAST TENSE. How? Because Christ became “us” and in Him God was creating a whole new life for us.
Only one Man came back up again. Jesus Christ took the old man to an eternal grave.
Ephesians 4:22-24
22| That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23| And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24| And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
“Put off the old man” – Let Jesus take him to an eternal grave. Don’t try and hold onto yourself. Let him go. Let her go. And put on – what? A new man that has been created in the image of God.
Again,
Colossians 3:9-10
9| Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10| And have put on the new man,which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
“Put off the old man”. Put on the new man. Which is renewed in the image of God. What is the new man?
Romans 13:14
14| But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
The “new man”.
Galatians 3:27
27| For as many of you as has been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
And so where is the new man? IN Jesus Christ.
What did God really do for us?
Man sinned. Therefore, all men must die. And God said, “No problem. I will make man again.” So God created a new man in His Son, exactly as He planned for us in the beginning of creation.
In the beginning God came to create this earth and He had in His mind a plan for us who we would be. And Satan came along and like with a can of spray paint, he graffitied all over the image of God that was in man. He corrupted us – and if we sin, we must die! There is no escape! And so God said, “Not a problem! I will make man again.” And He sent His Son Jesus Christ and He united Him with this corrupted, sinful humanity, took Him down to an eternal grave, and then ONE MAN came back up again. And IN that Man, God created a new life for every single one of us, according to His original plan.
But, why have we missed this reality? What is the mistake that we have been making? We do not have FAITH. Because if we had faith, we would remember Hebrews 11:3:
Hebrews 11:3
3| Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
This is what faith teaches us. When God does something, He does not take something that is old and work with that. No! He creates something NEW from NOTHING!
Jeremiah 13:23
23| Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
It is impossible! And yet we think that God takes the old man and cleanses and purifies him!
But this is what many people think! They think that if we want to be ready for heaven, God will cleanse and purify our lives! My friends, it is impossible. When God creates something, He does it from nothing.
Romans 6:4
4| Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Aaah. “In NEWNESS of life”. This is what God does for our salvation. He GIVES us a NEW life.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17| Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
How many things are new? “ALL things are become new!” None of the old whatsoever! Have you been baptized? How much of the old life is still in your life today?
Ellen White writes:
Steps to Christ 58
Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit… The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside.
“The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved they hate.” Examine yourself. Have you truly been converted or not? Do you still have in your heart, a love for the things of your past, and do you still have in your heart a hatred of spiritual things? Is a sermon too long for you? These are questions that we need to ask ourselves, because if we are truly converted, we will LOVE to hear the word of God, especially the story of Jesus. And this is what we are looking at today – the very core reality of the life of Jesus Christ.
Acts of the Apostles 560
Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience… Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ.
Many of us know the quotation where Ellen White says, “Sanctification is the work of a lifetime” and so many people have this concept that sanctification is where God takes the old man and He puts him through a process and purifies him. Many people think that sanctification is LEARNING obedience. But no, here we see what she means. Sanctification is the result of a LIFETIME of obedience. Not learning to be obedient. We must have obedience in our lives EVERY moment. How? By believing and receiving the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, constantly partaking of this exchange, letting Christ take our sinful selves to an eternal grave, and letting Him live His life in you.
1 Corinthians 15:31
31| I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Every day, exactly as Ellen White says in this quotation, constantly partaking of the death and the life of Christ. But not just daily – moment by moment.
2 Corinthians 4:10
10| Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
CONSTANTLY saying, “Lord I believe that this old man that wants to ruin my peace, I believe that you have taken him to an eternal grave.” When self comes to you and says, “Let’s do this”, you say, “No! You are dead. You do not exist! I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I do live, but not I, Christ lives in me.”
This, my dear friends, is the very truth that we need for our salvation. When Jesus died, our sinful, sin-loving person died with Him. And only one Man came back up again. And our life, a new life, is IN that Man.
Deuteronomy 30:20
20| That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
This is how we become partakers of the promises that God made to the fathers – by recognizing the reality – HE IS YOUR LIFE.
Colossians 3:3,4
3| For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4| When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Christ is OUR LIFE.
Philippians 1:21
21| For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Jesus Himself said:
John 14:6
6|Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…
THE life. Singular.
There is only one life. The life of Christ. And our life is IN Him. Everything else is a LIE.
We all sinned and therefore we all died.
Only one Man came back up again. And our life is IN Him.
If we are not in Christ, we are living a LIE. We have no life. We are lost. We will not receive the gift of salvation.
The truth is, there is no work that we can do for our salvation. All that we can do is ACCEPT the REALITY.
God has a new life for us. In that life, God has already worked all of the good works that we need, for each one of us individually. And if we will open our hearts to this reality, and moment by moment, we will say, “Lord, don’t let me do my own works. Live in me the life that you have prepared for me. Give me the life of your Son Jesus Christ.” God will answer that prayer and He will work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Practical obedience in our lives, but not ours – God’s.
And as we read yesterday morning, when we are reading of the life of Jesus Christ, and we are seeing His perfect victory, His perfect patience, and His love, we are reading of our own selves that God has created for us. And by beholding that, and believing that it is our life, we will become changed.
One more quotation from Alonzo Jones:
Alonzo T. Jones, 1895 GCB,303 / Chapter 15
Christ has allied Himself with every human being, on His own part; and if every human being in the world tonight should drop everything and say, “Yes, that is a fact; He and I are one, and He is the one,” every soul would be saved tonight, and Christ would appear in every soul tomorrow.
AMEN! The answer for our salvation. God has ALREADY wrought out a perfect life for us. God is waiting for us to STOP trying to work things out ourselves, STOP trying to save ourselves, STOP trying to make our own plans, speak our own words, do our own works – He is waiting for us to stop doing all of that. He is waiting for us to be CONQUERED by this reality. Because there is ONLY ONE LIFE. If Christ is not living our life, we are living a lie. And we are dead men walking. Everything that you have in your life is a deception, because you have sinned, and therefore you must die. But if you will open your heart and permit Jesus to bring this reality into your life, you will have the answers – not just for the time of trouble – but the answers that you need today, because He will work out all the problems in your family, He will work out all the problems with your finances, the problems in your church, and do you know what as well? You will find good health through Jesus Christ, because that life in Jesus Christ has no corruption (sickness and disease) in it. And so if you will discover and receive this new life in Christ, you will discover the healing for your diseases, according to your faith, and according to the will of God, you will receive the answers that you need. But He will work in you obedience to the laws of your health. So the advice and the counsel that has been given here regarding the changes that you need to make in your diet and your lifestyle are very important. But don’t forget Jesus Christ. Because He Himself must be the one that makes all of these changes. And some changes will be very hard, but if you know that Jesus Christ had the victory, and that His life is your life, then you know that God can give you the victory.
I thank you so much for your patience. It has been my privilege to share this precious word of God with you all. I pray that you will remember these things, because this is the very central truth of the sacrifice of Christ. And Ellen White says that when we can correctly comprehend that central truth, we will have the correct understanding of all the peripheral truths – prophecy, doctrine, health reform, etc.
I pray that God will give you a very blessed Sabbath day. I pray that you will accept this new life in Christ.
Amen.
