By John Thiel, mp3

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this [is the name] wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. 

We in this company are very familiar with the 1888 message, a message that was brought to the Adventist people after about 40 years from their beginning.

The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. {TM 91.2}

Mark what this message was about.

This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given 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. {TM 91.2}

As you contemplate the impact of these words, you are made aware that righteousness by faith in the surety, justification and righteousness of Christ, is the message that is to do with the loud cry. It is the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit that leads to the loud cry. 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.

The subject that we want to contemplate this hour is righteousness by faith, that very thing that was proclaimed back there which was to swell into a loud cry. The problem is that we are so conscious of the fact that this message was not received by the Adventist church, it was rejected. Yet ever since that time, people have been preaching justification, sanctification and righteousness by faith in the Adventist church. They claim that they are preaching it. It is a big puzzle why it is that with such a powerful message as came to the people and that is still thought to be uplifted, that that righteousness is diminished in the churches and in the world.

Righteousness by faith, to receive that righteousness of Christ as a gift, that it is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments.

…this I do know, that our churches are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in Christ, and on kindred truths. {GW 301.1}

She wrote that very close before her death. What is she saying? She is saying this I do know that our churches are dying for want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith. How is that possible if ever since 1888 this message was made prominent? Sr White followed around Waggoner and Jones after 1888 through to 1895 and the turn of the century to present this message with power but there she say after all that, that it is what the churches are dying for. Have we over the years that have fellowshipped together, been occupied with the subject of righteousness by faith? This has been the central theme of everything that we have been contemplating over the years.

It is not enough for ministers to present theoretical subjects; they should also present those subjects which are practical. {3T 257.3} 

Practical righteousness by faith. How to portray righteousness by faith practically, this is what we are dying to have because we can read statements from the Spirit of Prophecy which convey the beautiful sense of what righteousness by faith is able to impart to us. It is the gift of Christ’s righteousness. We say that is wonderful! It is a gift! I hear constantly that there is a shortfall of understanding practically how to actually get hold of that gift for my personal self. There are a lot of clichés in the ranks of Seventh Day Adventism. They are beautiful words but they are not operative. They don’t seem to make a change in many people’s lives; not because they are not lovely words or not important, but because they are held in a theory and not in practical reception transferred from the words to the practical benefit, to the practical doing of. It is easy to say righteousness is a gift, just receive it, take it and we say, well, what do I do to take it? Righteousness is a very practical word. What is righteousness? Is that a practical thing?

1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame.

Awake to righteousness. What is righteousness? It says, sinning not. Is sin a practical activity? Is to sin not a practical engagement?

Righteousness is right doing. {COL 312.2}

Is that practical? Of course it is. For me to be righteous I need to be practically engaged.

Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and “God is love.” 1 John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for “all Thy commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172), and “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. {MB 18.1}

Everything that I have revealed here from these words of inspiration are unequivocal. It is a practical reality, practical love, practical godliness; holiness. If we want to understand the practical demonstration of that, study Jesus and there it is embodied in Him. For you and me to be practically impacted by this righteousness it says I must receive Jesus. How do I receive Him, to be practical? This is what I want you to follow through very carefully to convey the practicality of this.

Have a good look at your own life. Righteousness is holiness, God’s love. How do we stand in that practice? As we look at the embodiment of that practice in Christ how do you, how do I, (we are looking at it for our personal self here), compare in practical reality?

How Do We Demonstrate the Righteousness of Christ?

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Righteousness in comparison with the righteousness of Jesus. What can we say about ourselves? Our righteousness, our right doing, does it compare perfectly with the right doing that comes from God?

We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. {SC 62.2}

Do we really feel that in all reality, honestly about myself in practical reality? Do I feel that I am failing?

The Pharisees who were covering up. When you are found out about something that you have done wrong, what do you do? Cover up. Yes, that is our nature. We cover ourselves with our own righteousness and it is filthy rags because we do not acknowledge generally speaking, that human nature will not comfortingly acknowledge that it is what it is. That is what the words of Jesus are to the Laodiceans which we are. He says, you say that you are rich and increased with goods you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

How do I come to such a situation where I am practically aware and conscious to the fullest extent that my righteousness is really, really nothing for me to feel good about? To make a statement that we have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God is still a theoretical statement. We can moralise very capably and say, yes my righteousness is as filthy rags, yes, but when it comes to really owning up to what is going on within me, I don’t want to do that. It hurts too much. It really is contrary to my natural responses in practical reality to say I really am undone. As I have often quoted from the Spirit of Prophecy the heart says yes I am a terrible sinner but it prides itself in its superior humility. How only can I in all practical reality appreciate that my righteousness is as filthy rags? There is no other way than to bend every effort to keep God’s law. There is no other way than to put every effort into doing God’s will to be like Jesus int the activity, there is no other way than doing that. Making every effort to be righteous to do what God is saying. There is no other way to discover my weakness than to do that. This is what God came to the children of Israel with when He gave them the Ten Commandments. He said, now promise and they said yes, everything that the Lord has said we will do. Is this a necessary exercise to be practically aware of the theory that my righteousness is as filthy rags?

The children of Israel demonstrated what every one of us must discover. The moment that we make the effort to keep those laws, to be loving and kind to my fellow brothers and sisters, to be long-suffering, never failing, always kind and courteous in the home, no argument of harsh words and deeds and expressions upon each other, none at all, to be absolutely perfect. Have you tried? How many times have we miserably failed? This is God’s way of practically showing us our practical undone condition. Trying to be successful in our efforts to be like Jesus is a discouraging exercise.

As a consequence modern Christianity covers up. They want to be covered in Christ’s righteousness while they are still like the Pharisee exhibiting human nature. We cannot cover ourselves up in the garments of Christ’s righteousness while we are sinning and failing. This is a practical reality. As we discover our true condition by the efforts of becoming like Jesus and failing miserably, we are in the experience of practical recovery in righteousness. Here is the description that was given in the life of Apostle Paul as the guideline to understand practical righteousness by faith. According to Philippians chapter 3 he was according to the law perfect. According to the flesh he was a Benjaminite, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a very faithful Pharisee, but when he really saw what the law was in all spiritual reality, look what he says:

Romans 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Do you like dying? Do you like the terrible sense of the life ebbing out of your chest when you discover that you are a total sinner? Nobody likes that. That is why Sr White wrote in one quote in Testimony volume 5 where she says many people take a look at Jesus and then quickly look away because it kills them. But those who will take this practical exercise and take it through to the bitter end, will discover like Apostle Paul; oh dear this is death unto me.

Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

Me with my sinful condition comes to the commandment and I say yes, I am going to put all my effort into it. I am going to keep those commandments and lo and behold, sin by my effort to keep those commandments kills me. The more I try to reach for that high calling of the true spiritual nature of those Ten Commandments the more I fail and it is death unto me. It slays me.

Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

As I was sharing a subject like this with the New Guinea highlanders, there was a lady there who was a very devout Christian who said, oh dear I was buried alive. I am not ready for baptism I need to be rebaptised, I don’t know what sin really is. I need to take time to get it clear. That is what it says here. I must see that sin becomes exceedingly sinful in my experience practically. I must see it; I must experience that in practical reality.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

That is what he discovered. Have you discovered that so deeply that it makes you feel like the life is ebbing out of your being? I am a slave, I cannot change and I cannot do.

Romans 7: 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

I am trying so hard to stop being unChristlike and I am the very opposite. It is killing me. When this work of practical discovery has fully done its job, here is the expression:

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

The Psalmist expands on this sense of wretchedness. When we are fully there, this is the language of our heart.

Psalm 38:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Don’t chasten me in your wrath. I know I am worthy of your wrath.

Psalm 38:2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. 3 [There is] no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither [is there any] rest in my bones because of my sin.

There is absolute internal turmoil.

Psalm 38:4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink [and] are corrupt because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome [disease]: and [there is] no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire [is] before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

This is when a man is really there where he should be. When he truly knows after all his efforts of reaching the perfection of Christian character he realises he is a totally diseased being. God’s wrath is felt and he feels totally depraved according to those words.

Psalm 38:21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

This is a person who has made the effort to be like Jesus but discovers his total hopelessness but does not turn against God and does not cover up. He acknowledges his true condition in absolute detail within himself. In that detail this practical reality is that which completely humbles this person.

Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. {COL 159.3}

The language of the soul is different to the language of the lips. When a condition is fully brought to one’s own internal appreciation you know full well that you can’t even give Him your heart. Therefore, Lord, take over. I cannot even give you my heart.

 It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. {COL 159.3} 

This is the language of the soul. You can’t recite these words and say that they are yours until we feel that reality in practical terms. You can’t feel that unless you try to keep God’s law, unless you try to be God’s child. It is impossible. You will not feel like that unless you really try and discover your failure. Then you can say these things from the heart.

Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul. {COL 159.3}

When you read that and you think, okay Lord, this is it. Now I have prayed that and everything will be different. Or will this language continue throughout your life until Jesus comes?

It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. {COL 159.4}

As I go on my journey toward heaven, this experience is that which will prompt me to renew that kind of soul cry.

All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Only by constant renunciation of self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely. {COL 159.4}

This is practical step one, two and three to discover practical reality.

1. Making the effort
2. Failing
3. Constantly aware, oh dear, I am not righteous. Lord, take my heart I can’t even give it. Lord, continually save me in spite of myself, my weak unChristlike self.

This message is not palatable in modern Christianity. Don’t they say stop putting yourself down? Get yourself cheered up, go and do something to make yourself feel better. This is not God’s way. Only he who sees his own sinfulness can appreciate the preciousness of the Saviour. All people who are in that practical reality are meek. Why? They will not postulate themselves as holy, they will not judge another person, they will not treat any person with a feeling of you are wrong, let me tell you. There will be nothing like that at any time. Why? It is because their own mouth is stopped when they see themselves the way they really are.

Romans 3:19 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.

What happens when your mouth is stopped? Can you open it to level any accusation against anybody else? I see my condition and how dare I even level any condemnation or judgment upon anyone else. My mouth is stopped. Isaiah saw God and his mouth was stopped, but God told him to go and preach because He sent him.

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

We hear the preaching, we hear of God, we have all the theory, but now mine eye seeth thee.

Job 42: 6 Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.

We need practical presentations because when we hear the theory of the presentations we are still not really there. It is when we practically see God’s righteousness we will abhor ourselves. We will be very silent about anything unless the Lord sends us. These are practical steps of discovering righteousness by faith. All such people are meek and lowly not because they are trying to be meek and lowly, they will be meek and lowly.

Appreciating and Receiving the Gift

All sinners must experience this reality to receive righteousness by faith. Now they are in a fit condition to appreciate God’s gift. You know what it is like if you are already supplied with plenty of goods and somebody gives you a gift, do you really appreciate it? They have given me another watch and I already have one, or they have given me some beautiful cutlery and I already have plenty. Do you appreciate it? It is not until we see ourselves depraved and absolutely hopeless that we can begin to appreciate the gift of Christ’s righteousness. The righteousness of Christ is a gift, but it is only receivable when the sinner beholds his condition and sees the sin offering.

Psalm 38:4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink [and] are corrupt because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

The person who cries out to God forsake me not, O Lord my God, be not far from me, make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation; the person who cries like this then comes to the sacrifice of Jesus.

Psalm 40:12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

This is Jesus speaking. Psalms 22 and 69 express the language of Jesus as the gift and a sacrifice to save me.

Psalm 69:5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

Is that not the same language as the sinner feels about himself in Psalm 39?

Psalm 69:1Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

These are the words of Jesus. As we view ourselves in the true appreciation of our absolute undone condition, we now can see Jesus and He becomes part of me in my horror of experience. I see that He is God who has come down and actually meets me where I am. This brings tears to many a soul who first comes to Jesus and realises this, but I have seen people with tears reading these words and then they start to become forgetful of that and they start levelling their attacks on others. They have lost sight of it, they have lost sight of their own undone condition and cry no longer about themselves but start to level things against others. This is the problem in modern Christianity. The person who not only at the beginning of their walk with Jesus but by every advance step heavenward, continues to feel like that. He continues to find immense joy and comfort in His Lord Jesus Christ and he keeps his mind focused on Jesus all the time because what Jesus has done at the Cross is a constant impact upon his own depravity. Save me in spite of myself, my weak unChristlike self, my foolishness. As we look at Jesus there in Psalm 40 He is crying like that and He finally dies as we know with all that sin of mine.

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

The many who are aware of their total undone wretchedness will continually, every step along the way, realise their undone condition. As they look at Jesus they will now in practical terms realise the practical impact of Jesus being one with them. In that practical reality they will practically trust in God. They will keep on having to trust in God like that because every step along the way they keep on realising their condition. Here is a practical experimental exchange which only faith can engage in every day.

As Jesus died with me in my sin, I die with Him. Jesus says, take up your cross daily and follow me. Apostle Paul says, I die daily. Indeed, everyday this experience is refreshed and renewed because in my effort to try to keep God’s law and be like Jesus, I am failing, but with the view of Jesus Christ in which His death and my death are equal, the following takes place,

2 Corinthians 4:10 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.

The life of Jesus, the purity, the righteousness of Jesus can only be manifested as I daily carry with me the dying of Jesus. My sinfulness which I am always aware of, always dying with so that the life and the righteousness of Christ may be brought in practical terms into exercise through me. He who engages like this with Jesus is practical in his connection with Him. Constantly aware of personal depravity, constantly reaching out in dependence upon Christ’s gift.; occupied with His example, not losing sight of Jesus for one moment.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

What are His steps? Always being  conscious of sinful nature.

1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Did you notice something very important? Here is the transferring of Christ’s righteousness to us when we together with Jesus, our sins in His body on the tree so that He died with them and I die with Him, then He rose again and lived a righteous life that we should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Those beautiful words of the Spirit of Prophecy that we often pick up by the hearing of the ear or by the reading on the page now become a living reality, practical because practically I have discovered my depravity. I can’t discover it unless I am trying to keep the law, unless I am trying to reach the standard. As I discover all this continually in my experience and I see my shortfall, I see Jesus in the shortfall and He is raised by the Father, totally dependent upon the Father.

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. {SC 62.2}

Is that practical? A practical way of escape.

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. {SC 62.2} 

Is that practical? As I see Jesus taking my sins, experiencing my sin and laying it before God and crying Lord, save me, as I see and connect with Jesus and die with Him,  then His righteousness is imparted to me.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

There was Jesus the Father in heaven close beside him. The angels suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Christ for Christ was one with the Father. This was the shock that we discovered a while back. God the Father was actually there crucified with Christ; this is the amazing description of God’s amazing love to us. As we who are overwhelmed with our sins, see this. God the Father and the Son being crucified together for me with my sin what does this do? Practically when I see myself as I really am, I will practically melt before Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

If you are in Christ in the death, you will be with Christ in the resurrection. Everyday I die daily and rise again always bearing in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus always may be made manifest in me. Can you see the transaction, the practical exchange? Every moment of the day I die with Jesus, His life becomes manifest in me because I am not going to throw my weight around because I am totally dumbfounded about my terrible condition. I am totally silenced so that God can actually work through me the resurrection of His pure righteousness. This is the transaction, this is the activity. This is what Sr White is describing as she says 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. {SC 62.3} 

Righteousness by faith; do we believe this?

Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. {SC 62.3}

This is righteousness by faith; as though you had never sinned. Do you believe that? As we believe our personal condition and we continue to walk with Him with the cry of the soul, save me in spite of myself, that ongoing path will lead me to perfect obedience.

More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. {SC 62.3}

We will be practicing righteousness. We will not sin while we remain in that transferring condition. My wretchedness and Christ’s abiding with me in my wretchedness and rising with His righteousness. I will not open my mouth, my mouth is stopped. I will only glory in the amazing love of God in my life, that is all. Every humbly broken Christian always humbly broken ever receiving the vision of Gethsemane, the Cross and the resurrection all the time; keeping his eyes upon the cross of Christ all the time. Thus whatever temptation comes our way just when somebody is really giving you a hard time and you are suffering under your own self, you know that you are going to rebuff that person; dear Lord I am just about ready to do this, have mercy upon me. As my mind is so occupied, I will conquer the temptation. This is practical righteousness in practice. I will conquer the temptation because my mind is so focused on my battle with myself and Jesus right there with me then I cannot rebuff. I cannot fall for the temptation. It doesn’t fit into that exercise of mind. It is impossible. There is a beautiful victory assured.

This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. “All our righteousness are as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God “was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.” Sin is defined to be “the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:5, 4. But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah. {COL 311.4}

Righteousness is right doing, and it is by their deeds that all will be judged. Our characters are revealed by what we do. The works show whether the faith is genuine.{COL 312.2}

This is practical. How did we get to that beautiful practical reality? It is simply letting the truth be planted in the heart.

The truth is to be planted in the heart. It is to control the mind and regulate the affections. The whole character must be stamped with the divine utterances. Every jot and tittle of the word of God is to be brought into the daily practice.  {COL 314.1} He who becomes a partaker of the divine nature will be in harmony with God’s great standard of righteousness, His holy law. This is the rule by which God measures the actions of men. This will be the test of character in the judgment.  {COL 314.2}

But no way can we be practically obedient unless we discover that we are not. It is a gift that is gained as we have described. Therefore Christ’s righteousness is transferred into practical reality by the practical engagement with Him. This is where God’s people will stand in a righteous life.

The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity and lived a sinless life, that men might have no fear that because of the weakness of human nature they could not overcome. Christ came to make us “partakers of the divine nature,” and His life declares that humanity, combined with divinity, does not commit sin. {MH 180.5}

Jesus came to reveal that.

The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. {MH 180.5}

It does require our full attention. It does require our complete concentration, our undivided attention. This is righteousness by faith in practice. God grant this to us all so that we might be found of Him in righteousness.

Amen.