END OF TIME SERIES 

 PART SIX

PERFECTION OF CHARACTER  

Perfection of character is an aspect in last-day events. This major section should actually be placed prior to the church-state union and the national Sunday law for that is when it occurs, -but, by locating it here, you will be better able to compare it with five closely related topics: the seal of God, the passing of the judgment to the living, the blotting out of sin, the marriage, and the latter rain. Because all six topics are very closely intertwined and ought to be studied together, they have been placed close together in these last-day event studies.

First comes perfection of character. It is an ongoing process which is occurring now. Then, after the church-state union and the national Sunday law enactment which produces the formation of the image, the judgment passes to the living as men and women make their intelligent decisions to sacredly observe the Bible Sabbath or bow to the child of the papacy. Then, simultaneously for the righteous, comes the seal of God, blotting out of sin, the marriage in the most holy place, and the latter rain. In contrast, at the same time the wicked make their decision and receive the mark of the beast, an even greater outpouring of satanic zeal and hatred than they had earlier possessed.

Perfection of character is a much-maligned concept, which simply means "obedience to the laws of God through the enabling merits of Jesus Christ." Those who do not want to fully obey God's laws, ridicule the idea as "perfectionism." They want to cling to their cherished sins, and stifle the convictions of the Spirit to forsake them, by declaring that perfect obedience is merely a fanatical idea. For them it is too great a sacrifice to forsake sin for their Lord. They would rather live with the self-deception that they can have both salvation and sin.

But there are others who are very content to cling to Jesus and do all that He asks in His holy Word. That group, in happy submission to their Saviour, is putting away their sins by faith in the empowering grace of Jesus Christ.

There are four errors in regard to the overcoming of sin, which should be mentioned here:

(1) The error that we can resist or overcome sin in our own strength.

(2) The error that we cannot resist or overcome sin in this life -prior to the second advent of Christ. There are those who reason that we can happily continue on In our sins and lusts until Jesus returns In the skies and calls His people up Into the air to meet Him! They Imagine that the translation process (by which the bodies of the faithful are glorified) Will, without any effort or self-denial on their part, also Include a magical removal of their evil passions, vicious habits, adulteries, gluttony, and deceptive ways. Unfortunately, at this time, this is the unofficial teaching of many leaders.

Here is the reply to both errors:

Apart from the moment-by-moment help of Jesus Christ our only Saviour, we cannot resist temptation, much less put away cherished sin. Of ourselves we can do nothing. But, in and through Christ, we can do all things that He asks of us in His holy Word. Christ is our victory. Looking in faith to Him, we can do all that He asks. At each step He strengthens us for the immediate duty, as we keep our eyes of faith fixed upon Him.

Jesus died to save us from sin. He does this by the impartation of His grace. But He does not give grace today for tomorrow's need. The grace comes as we accept Him and abide in Him. We must receive Him and live in Him right now -in order to have His grace right now.

There are two sides to the grace of Christ, just as there are two sides on each coin. Jesus gives us forgiving grace and enabling grace.

Forgiving grace justifies. As we plead humbly, sincerely in prayer for it, our past sin is forgiven, and we are made right in the presence of God just now. Because we are looking to God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ His Son, and because we do it with the earnest, sincere intention to forsake that sin and have nothing more to do with it -we are forgiven, and we know it.

Then we arise and live under empowering grace. Enabling grace sanctifies; it empowers us to live right, obey God's Word, resist sin, and live kindly, helpful, unselfish lives -right now.

Will Christ's enabling grace, given now, help us in the future? No, His grace is like the manna; we cannot save it for tomorrow's needs. Tomorrow we must obtain it fresh from Him as we give ourselves anew to Him tomorrow and live in Him tomorrow. Christianity is a Now experience. That is why we are told that none should ever be taught to feel or think they are "saved." We can be in Christ right now, because that is a Now experience. But we cannot be saved right now, because that is a death or end-of-probation experience. The future is not ours; only the present. Live the present right, and you need not concern yourself about the future. That is the message of Matthew 6:34. The act of salvation or redemption does not come until the end -if, in Christ, we have been faithful to the end. There is only one path to heaven, and it is by way of the cross and the sanctuary. Daily we pick up our cross, trust and obey (which is obey by trust), and follow Christ into the sanctuary in heaven where He ministers His grace anew to us.

It should be noted here that those who want to remain in their sins use a fallacious argument in condemning those who are seeking, in Christ, to put theirs away. The false argument (found today in certain denominational books) is that no one can resist or put away sin prior to the Second Advent (when Christ will instantly, totally eradicate them), because Jesus helps no one do it before then, and those who try to do it are doing so in their own strength -and are therefore legalists, reprobate, and condemned of God for attempting to do so.

That is a vicious, evil theory. Because some professed Christians love sin, they devise theories to explain away their bondage in sin -in a futile attempt to make it appear a godly pursuit to indulge wickedness. In order to excuse their own chains as "spiritual links to Christ," they would try to bind everyone else hopelessly in sin. Yet the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy teach the importance of putting away sin now, and the means through Christ by which it can be done now.

(3) The error that we can continue in our sins until the latter rain magically removes them. But it is NOW that we are to put away our sins, not some magical later time. Over the years, many have erred in supposing that their sins would mysteriously be removed when the latter rain fell. This false hope is clearly rejected in the Early Writings, 71 statement. Carefully read the entire page.

(4) The error our sins cannot be put away until the judgment passes to the cases of living, at which time -If we are continuing In repentance -our sins will be removed. A group in the early 1960s believed that their sins would be removed when the judgment passed to the living, and, prior to then, they need only "pray for repentance" and await the forthcoming removal of their sins in the twinkling of an eye. That concept is a serious error.

Now it is true that the record of the sins of the faithful will be cancelled when the investigative judgment passes to their names. But that occurs only because those individuals had, in the strength of Christ, earlier put away the sin. It is now that we are to put away sin, in preparation for that time when our cases will come up in the judgment.

God's Word is very clear on when sin must be removed from our lives. Spirit of Prophecy statements, as given in two of our earlier tracts, clearly disprove the errors. You Can Overcome [IC-1] clearly reveal that our sins CAN be eliminated and that it is NOW that we must put them away. The Center of the Crisis [IC-2] show that they must be put away prior to the sealing, latter rain, close of probation, and second advent of Christ.

In contrast to these errors, in this present study, below, it is quite clear that, in the strength of Christ, our sins must be put away NOW -before the Sunday law crisis begins. This is a daily work, and, frankly, it is a sweet work. Our happiest hours are when we live in conscious approval by our kind heavenly Father. He is so good to us, and we are so happy to please the One we love so much. The wicked can denounce us as "legalists," but we are quite content to live close to Jesus, and dwell in the cleft of such a mighty Rock of protection and enabling.

(5) In contrast with the above four errors, which postpone separation from sin to some later time, there is a fifth error: There are those who claim they have perfection of character and have not sinned for so many months or years. Some in this group travel from place to place, and teach that all present and future sin can instantly be put away -never to return. All that is necessary to have temptation removed forever from your life is to believe the speaker standing before you -and therefore it is so immediately, that night!

But BEWARE OF SUCH PEOPLE! The Spirit of Prophecy statements are clear that the closer we come Christ, the more we will sense our inadequacies, frailness, and great need of His enabling grace. We are told that those who live the closest to God are the last to parade their virtues or tell men they are sinless.

God's people can draw very close to God as His trusting children, and then be deluded into accepting this false teaching that they are now perfect. Instantly, Satan enters their mind. We know of instances in which Christian wives accept this teaching and, within a week, leave their husbands and have sexual relations with the itinerant "perfect man" who took over their minds. They were deluded into forsaking Scripture and trust in Christ, and instead placing their faith in the words of a "holy man" they had never met before.

Friend, apart from Christ you are nothing! Apart from Him you are lost and a captive of Satan. In Christ, you are His obedient child. Only through His strength can you depart from a single sin; only by His continual help can you resist a single temptation. Do not forsake Christ and humble, ongoing obedience to His Word-because someone comes along and supposedly offers you a quicker, easier way. In turning to follow him, you have forsaken the cross and the sanctuary. You have lain down the cross of ongoing resistance of sin, and you have left the heavenly sanctuary where your High Priest strengthens you moment-by-moment for the battle to cling to Him.

What is genuine Christian experience like? It is like the three-year-old child which clings close to its mother's side, holding tightly to her hand, as together they cross a busy street in heavy traffic.

No one, NO ONE who is a genuine disciple of Christ will ever speak of his sinlessness or tell others they can instantly put away their sins forever. Would you know the true road to heaven? Then spend time each day reading in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and you will not be misled.

When you find yourself in a group where error is being taught, get out of there as quickly as you can! But utter a warning before you leave; plead with your friends and loved ones to leave also. LOR is one of the groups teaching the error of instant removal of sin (see our tracts on LOR). Those accepting that teaching have their minds captured by Satan that very night. Ellen White confronted such teachers early in her ministry. She found that such people were deeply involved in secret adulteries with those they were not married to. Recently a LOR group (which said they were not from LOR) came to a small East Coast town. They captured several faithful Advent believers, and, shortly after, one of them (a man who had left his own wife and child in Georgia several years before) had sexual relations with one of the captured wives. We know of other experiences elsewhere. When a man tries to become his own god, he becomes a hopeless captive of Satan.

The following material has been excerpted from two tracts compiled by the present author in the spring of 1980: You Can Overcome llC-1] and Center of the Crisis llC-2].

The central issue in the coming crisis is not Sunday-keeping, nor is it the Sabbath. It is obedience to the Word of God. You will find the following study to be intensely interesting.

-1

CHRIST IS WAITING FOR US TO COOPERATE WITH HIM IN DOING A SPECIAL WORK IN PREPARATION FOR HIS SECOND COMING

" 'When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.' Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced In His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

"It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 3:12, margin. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain."-Christ's Object Lesson, 69:1-2.

It is clear that the truth is that Christ is waiting for us to put away our sins. In strong contrast, the error being taught by many today is that Christ is waiting for us to accept the fact that sin cannot be put away in this life. By doing so, we will become "righteous in Christ" and prepared for the Second Advent.

The truth is that the righteousness of Christ does not cover known, unforsaken sins! Yes, only Christ can take away our sins, but He will not do it without our cooperation. We must strive against temptation -and put our will to the task. But, without a total dedication to Jesus, that striving and willing is useless. It is the cooperative venture that succeeds; Jesus will not do it for us without our willingness and effort, and we can never, never do it without His mighty power. The part that Jesus does is infinitely great, and the part we do is infinitely small; yet without that our small part, victory and purity will not be obtained. 

- 2

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS IN GREAT CONTROVERSY 423-424

2 - A most powerful passage -one of the most important in Great Controversy -is found on pages 423-425 of that book. It explains our special work, and the reason for the delay. You will want to read it carefully:

"The subject of the Sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God's hand had directed the great advent movement and revealing present duty as it brought to light the position and work of His people. . Light from the Sanctuary illumined the past, the present, and the future. .

"But the people were not yet ready to meet their Lord. There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished for them. Light was to be given, directing their minds to the temple of God in heaven; and as they should by faith follow their High Priest in His ministration there, new duties would be revealed. Another message of warning and instruction was to be given to the church.

"Says the prophet: 'Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.' Malachi 3:2, 3. Those who are living upon the earth when the Intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

"When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing. 'Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.' Malachi 3:4. Then the church which our Lord at His coming is to receive to Himself will be a 'glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.' Ephesians 5:27. Then she will look 'forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.' Song of Solomon 6:10." -Great Controversy, 423:1, 424:4, 425:2.

Note: The above three pages contains the heart of the message of the book, Great Controversy. It is clear from the above passage that the "special duty" of the Advent people is to OBEY THE LAW OF GOD. That is what "character perfection" is all about. But that is understandable, -for that is the basic issue in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. There is nothing complicated here, nothing confusing. It is simply a matter of obeying the words of God, as given in His Inspired Writings. We would do well to read the above passage over and over again. 

- 3

PERFECTION OF CHARACTER IS THE AIM SET BEFORE US

"None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ's character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may In this life attain to perfection of character. This is God's assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory." -Acts of the Apostles, 531:2

"We are not yet perfect; but it is our privilege to cut away from the entanglements of self and sin, and advance to perfection. Great possibilities, high and holy attainments, are placed within the reach of all." -Acts of Apostles, 565:01.

Christ came that He might recreate the image of God in man."-Desire of Ages, 478:2.

"God will accept only those who are determined to aim high. He places every human agent under obligation to do his best. Moral perfection is required of all. Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrongdoing. We need to understand that imperfection of character is sin. All righteous attributes of character dwell in God as a perfect, harmonious whole, and every one who receives Christ as a personal Saviour is privileged to possess these attributes."- Christ Object Lessons, 330:2. 

- 4

ALL PREPARED FOR THE SECOND ADVENT WILL HAVE PERFECTION OF CHARACTER

"As was Enoch's must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord's second coming,"-8 Testimonies, 331:3.

"We can never see our Lord in peace, unless our souls are spotless. We must bear the perfect Image of Christ. . We shall never attain to this condition without earnest effort. We must strive daily against outward evil and inward sin, if we would reach the perfection of Christian character."- Review, May 30, 1882, para. 1.

"When Christ shall come, our vile bodies are to be changed, and made like His glorious body; but the vile character will not be made holy then. The transformation of character must take place before His coming. Our natures must be pure and holy; we must have the mind of Christ, that He may behold with pleasure His image reflected upon our souls."-Our High Calling, 278:3. 

- 5

IT MUST BE OBTAINED NOW DURING THESE HOURS OF PROBATION

"When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us." -2 Testimonies 355:1. 

- 6

IT MUST BE ATTAINED NOW WHILE THE ATONEMENT CONTINUES THROUGH FAITH IN HIS ATONING BLOOD

"Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of Himself: 'The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.' John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father's commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.

"It is In this life that we are to separate sin from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ. . None can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls."-Great Controversy, 623:1-2.

"Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God would not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life. So, in the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out, and they cannot bring them to remembrance," -Great Controversy, 620:1.

"Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil.' All who endeavour to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforglven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honourable the position which they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it In the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless." -Great Controversy, 620:2.

"The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. . All who receive the seal must be without spot before God." -5 Testimonies, 216:2.

"What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth, these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

"Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God -candidates for heaven." -5 Testimonies, 216:2. [Carefully read the following passages for a clearer understanding of the experience of the people of God at this time: 5 Testimonies 207-216, 467-476, Early Writings 269-271.] 

- 7

THE SEAL WILL BE PLACED ON THOSE WHO OBTAIN IT

"Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us -the perfection of His character? When the Lord's people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare, 'It is finished.' "-Our High Calling, 150:6.

"Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It Is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. "-5 Testimonies, 214:2.

"I saw that none could share the 'refreshing' unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action." Early Writings, 71:2.

"Those who come up to every point, and stand every test and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation." -1 Testimonies, 187:1. 

- 8

IT MUST NOT BE NEGLECTED UNTIL AFTER THE LATTER RAIN AND SEALING

"I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the Image of Jesus fully.

"I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of 'refreshing' and the 'latter rain' to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God." - Early Writings, 71:1-2. 

- 9

WE MUST PREPARE NOW FOR WHAT IS AHEAD

"We believe without a doubt that Christ Is soon coming. This Is not a fable to us; its a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality." -2 Testimonies, 355:1.

"It Is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and deed of our lives will meet us again. What we make of ourselves in probationary time, that we must remain to all eternity. Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character. The coming of Christ does not change our characters; It only fixes them forever beyond all change." -5 Testimonies, 466:2.

"Make your home atmosphere fragrant with tender thoughtfulness. If you have become estranged and have failed to be Bible Christians, be converted; for the character you bear in probationary time will be the character you will have at the coming of Christ. If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of character you cherish in life will not be changed by death or by the resurrection. You will come up from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny." -Adventist Home, 16:2.

"God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life." -Desire of Ages, 311:2, 4.         .

"He who enters heaven must have a character that is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Naught that defileth can ever enter there. In all the redeemed host not one defect will be seen."-Messages to Young People, 144:2.

"God requires perfection of His children. His law Is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to compose His kingdom."-Christ Object Lessons, 315:1.

The very Image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people."-Desire of Ages, 671:3.

"Everyone who by faith obeys God's commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression." -Maranatha, 224:5.

"Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God's commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by obeying all His precepts." -8 Manuscript Releases, 99:2.

"And while we cannot claim perfection of the flesh, we may have Christian perfection of the soul." -2 Selected Messages, 32:3.

- 10

WHEN WE ENTER THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING

"The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. . Every man's work passes in review before God, and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin. . Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God. . 'Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' "-Great Controversy, 482:2, 1,4.

"As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. . When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses: 'Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.' Exodus 32:33." -Great Controversy, 483:1.

"All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be In harmony with the law of God,---their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, . . 'I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions . .' Said Jesus, 'He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.' "-Great Controversy, 483:2.

"The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as Joint heirs with Himself to 'the first dominion.' Micah 4:8. Satan in his efforts to deceive and tempt our race had thought to frustrate the divine plan in man's creation; but Christ now asks that this plan be carried Into effect as if man had never fallen." -Great Controversy, 484:0. 

- 11

JESUS IS PLEADING FOR US

"Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands. . Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment of the new-covenant promise: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.' "-Great Controversy, 484:2-485:1.

"The work of the Investigative judgment and the blotting out of sin is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. . Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God."-Great Controversy, 485:2, 486:2. 

- 12 -

WE MUST NOW PREPARE FOR THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT

"The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ's work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living