It is Addendum: Doctrine of God

THE ALL IMPORTANT MISSING INGREDIENT FOR VICTORY OVER SIN

"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" - [1 John 5:5]

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Sin, Confess, Sin, Confess, Sin, Confess, Sin, Confess. For many Christians, this vicious cycle typifies their religious experience. Frustration is the result. Hereby, so many Christians become tempted to doubt the power of God and even the validity of the promise of God for victory over sin.

What could be the problem? For many honest believing and trusting Christians the experience of victorious living seems like a pipe dream, something that would probably come with the mysterious and special endowment of God's Spirit at the end of time known as the "latter rain". But...

We must not wait for the latter rain. It is coming upon all who will recognize and appropriate the dew and showers of grace that fall upon us. - [Ellen White, 7BC, PG. 984]

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The Problem

I recently changed my WiFi internet subscription and made the misstep of using the same exact name and password. Because of that, my devices could only recognize my previous subscription and for the better part of half an hour I tried in vain to log into my brand new subscription to my frustration. The problem was simple. If only I had gone to my devices' settings and clicked on "forget" the older WiFi information, it would have allowed the devices to log into the new WiFi and I would have saved myself 30 precious minutes.

How is this related to our topic? Well, I struggled for an unnecessary amount of time because I lacked some crucial and simple information. Once I discovered it, the problem and my frustrating struggle simply vanished. Consider this statement from that famous Christian writer:

The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them - Ellen White, Review and Herald, 26th August 1890.

"He (Satan) has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter". That is "the reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die". That is the reason why worldliness reigns among the members and only gets stronger. The reason why those who desire to serve and do God's will are powerlessly trapped in this sin-confess loop. Why is it so important for Satan to hide from us the view that Jesus is the Comforter? Let us find out.

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The Solution

In Episode 6/7 we discovered that Christ had wrought (developed) righteousness in His humanity. This simply means He had racked up from His experience as a man here on earth something divinity did not have before: the experience of overcoming sin in humanity. That famous writer says:

"Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us." [Ellen White, Christ Object Lessons, pg 311]

He is our righteousness. In His humanity He has gone before us and wrought out for us perfection of character. We are to have the faith in Him that works by love and purifies the soul. [Ellen White, That I May Know Him, Chapter 124]

The principles of the law of God were wrought out in the character of Jesus Christ, and he who cooperates with Christ, becoming a partaker of the divine nature, will develop the divine character, and become an illustration of the divine law. [Ellen White, Review and Herald, March 9, 1897]

Through His sacrifice, human beings may reach the high ideal set before them, and hear at last the words, You are complete in Him, not having your own righteousness, but the righteousness that He wrought out for you, Your imperfection is no longer seen; for you are clothed with the robe of Christ's perfection. [Ellen White, Sermons and Talks vol 1, pg 335]

This righteousness He "offers to impart to us". This is quite simple. As we studied in episode 5/7, one Biblical definition of 'spirit' is heart and disposition. While on earth there is an experience in overcoming sin as a human that Jesus developed. That experience is written into His heart forever, it is indelibly marked in His divine spirit forever. That resistance to sin is what He imparts to us through imparting to us His spirit. Not only that, the Spirit came with gifts "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" [Ephesians 4:8] Guess who developed these gifts? It was Jesus Himself during His time on earth. The gift of preaching? he mastered it. Of teaching? He mastered it. Of healing? all of them He mastered these gifts meant for the furtherance of ministry and, on the day of Pentecost, these gifts were imparted as He imparted His spirit which now was a spirit of a divine-human.

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How wonderful! how beautiful to know that the same spirit that was in Jesus is available to me. My will therefore is to be submitted to His as He fills me with His spirit and He makes his presence known through my words and actions. In essence I become possessed by Christ and He controls my every reply, my every move. How liberating this is to know that I am not left alone to struggle against my weaknesses of character, but Christ Himself is with me all the time and He Himself is in me "At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (John 14:20)

The Trinity doctrine robs Christians of all this! What a travesty!! What a great heist that Satan has carried out. Following this revelation of Jesus as the Comforter, we can have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. As a friend asked, could misunderstanding the identity of the Holy Spirit be the reason why God has not yet sent the latter rain? Could we be mis-praying for the Spirit of God? I'll finish with this passage:

"I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired His lovely person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He had, but I could not behold it...Before the throne I saw the Advent people--the church and the world. I saw two companies, one bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the other stood uninterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then He would look to His Father, and appear to be pleading with Him.

A light would come from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them. Some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light and rejoiced in it, and their countenances shone with its glory.

I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way.

There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, "My Father, give us Thy Spirit." Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.

I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, "Father, give us Thy Spirit." Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan's object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God's children." [Ellen White, Early Writings pg 54-56]