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(The Gift of Christ, Part 2)
I want to begin by addressing the meaning of the subtitle of these two latest studies right at the beginning. “The Gift of Christ” is, yes, something that He gives us; for example, if I give you $10 I am giving you a gift. But it is also “The Gift of Christ” in that Christ Himself IS the gift. He has given us Himself, and is therefore both the Gifter and the Gift.
It may be asked, “How has Christ given us Himself, this gift of His life?” He has done so in two distinct ways. First, He has given up His life for us. He allowed Himself to be offered up for our sakes, so that our sins are forgiven through His death. There are, of course, many Bible verses that spell this out quite clearly, and the Book of Hebrews in particular dives deeply into the theology and symbolism of it, saying in one place, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Heb 9:28)
That is the first way that Yahshua has given us Himself as a gift. The second way may only be properly understood if one’s view of the Godhead is Biblically correct. The second way is through Himself as the Holy Spirit, as He promised, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me. Because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:18-20)
Following the example of our Adventist Pioneers, we do not, in the CSDA Church, make the “Trinity Question” a test of one’s character in Christ. It is clear, however, that a proper view of the Father and Son is really important for understanding the relationship that They desire to have with us. Here, Christ is saying that in the day that He comes to us as His Spirit, not only is something invisible and spiritual happening, but something happens to us in a noticeable way as well. He says, “At that day ye shall know,” and what shall we know? We know the unity of the Father and Son, and the unity that we have with Them, all through this gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the life of Christ. Just because something is not directly a test of fellowship, that does not mean it isn’t important, and may be essential for one’s acceptance of the life-saving Gospel.
In our last study, we saw that the gift Christ gives to us is of genuine and total forgiveness, and when He says to us, as He does in the Gospel of John, “Go, and sin no more,” this is not a penalty. It is not an instruction to balance the spiritual scales, or work our way out of condemnation. It is a promise fulfilled; it is an invitation to a life that is made free from sin, so that we get to walk without it. It is a freedom that we are urged to experience for ourselves, discovering to our joy that our chains have been broken. We are no longer the servants of sin, because Christ has made us the servants of righteousness instead. In this context, in this spiritual atmosphere, “Go, and sin no more” takes on a brighter, more glorious meaning.
Once we see this, its power is in us. Once we understand this, we are free to make our choice. There are two options for the rest of your life. Will it be sorrow for sin, or will it be freedom from sin? That is the choice that everyone must make, not someday, not at the close of probation, not when Yahshua returns. That is the choice right at the moment that these words are read. What will the rest of your life look like? Which of these two options does the Life of Christ, the Holy Spirit, provide for you? One of them leads to the reception of the Latter Rain, and power to complete the commission to which we are called. The other is the way things have always been, which results in nothing but disappointment, regret, and ultimately it literally results in nothing – nothingness.
The death of Yahshua offered us forgiveness from sin. That was the result of the first sense of His gift. His second gift of Himself, the Holy Spirit in us, keeps us from transgression. But this does not come before the decision, before the commitment to righteousness by faith. One does not discover that he has been somehow set free from sin, and then decide to keep being free. One does not study, and learn, until some threshold of divine wisdom is met so that sin may be overcome. No, the decision comes first; the commitment, the testimony, “I now rest myself in Christ, and by His power will sin no more,” that is your vow, that is the term of the covenant, and when that confession is made, then the transformation takes place. Remember that Christ could not heal those who did not believe in Him. (Mark 6:1-6) First we hear, then believe, and then we see it unfold. It requires an actual step of faith, to claim it, to believe it, and then to live in it even before we have “proof” that we have been set free. What would proof look like anyway?
Our commitment, our sure testimony that we have repented of sin – not individual, sinful acts, but sin itself as a life-stealing principle, enables the Advocate, which is another name for the Holy Spirit, to do its work in us. Before, when we were being called to Christ, the Advocate worked for us; now, it works in us, and that is an important distinction that we need to understand.
We read, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahshua the Messiah, the Righteous.” (1John 2:1) We have spoken at length of how this verse has been used, ripped from its context, to justify salvation in sin. The purpose of John’s writing, as explicitly stated, is that we “sin not.” That is the instruction. Again, “Go and sin no more.” But John is not writing to mature, educated and spiritually secure Christians in this particular letter; he refers to them as his “little children,” and expresses pity for them even while explaining their misunderstanding. He writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (1John 1:6)
This is the lie they have accepted. This is what allowed them to justify sin, the belief that they could have fellowship with Christ while walking in the occasional darkness. He writes to them so that they will give up this fatal misconception of salvation, which so many Christians today actually find comforting. The lie, not the truth, has become their Comforter. John writes to them so that they will turn away from this doctrine of devils, and if any man finds that he has sinned, that he has been walking in darkness, then he has a solution. We are not left to reap the full consequences of our error. Every sin, even in ignorance, has a consequence that must be borne, but we have an Advocate with the Father, who restores us, who heals us. And it is interesting indeed that those who will use 1 John 2:1 to justify the occasional willful sin while claiming to be saved inevitably stop reading before verses 3 and 4 that continue the very same thought, and tell us the result of accepting John’s correction: “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, ‘I know Him,’ and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1John 2:3, 4)
When we know Him, we keep His commandments; that is the proper order – first faith that arises from the knowledge of Yahweh, and then righteousness by that faith.
John calls those who don’t understand this “liars,” and without truth. Those are very direct words, but they are proportional to the error. They are appropriate to the level of deceit that John is combating. Christians then, just like many professed Christians today, believed that sin in the life of the believer is an inevitable reality. John wrote them to specifically say, “Not so.” And note that John does not threaten them with damnation. Too many would-be reformers think that their ferocity is an indication of their love’s fullness; it may be, toward a specific individual, but note how the Spirit-filled apostle deals with this to a general audience. He says, “These things I write unto you, that ye sin not.” He tells them what his purpose is in writing them. Then he tells them how to get there. He explains what their error has been, and warns them against the spreading corruption and “them that seduce you,” (1John 2:26) that would lure them into a false understanding of what the Gospel does in the soul. He appeals to knowledge they already have, and reminds them about the difference between love and sin.
Let us make sure that we understand the entirety of John’s message, and then we can speak with authority against those who would pluck out a phrase or two and use them to their own destruction, and to the very seduction of others that John is disputing. Those who deny the victory over sin are desperate that others also disbelieve, because that is the only way they can justify their failed experience of Christianity; they therefore become agents of the Enemy himself.
It is significant that John refers in that controverted verse to the “Advocate.” It is the same word translated elsewhere as “Comforter,” and it comforts us by advocating for us, by acting on our behalf. This is done in several ways, for example, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom 8:26) The Spirit purifies our prayers so that they may be acceptable before the Holy Throne. We read, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” (Rev 8:4) Those are our prayers, and the incense is the work of the Spirit, the Advocate, that makes them a sweet savor unto our Father. This is why nobody should ever be shy to pray when asked; the Holy Spirit makes even the clumsiest of offerings into a thing of great beauty.
What about here on earth? What is the work of the Advocate? What does it look like? It is not to justify non-believers. It is not to bring people into the faith, at least, not openly. Yes, it works on the heart, but its work is imperceptible. As I said earlier, before conversion the Spirit of Yahshua works for an individual, drawing them, awakening them to tokens of the Father’s love. Afterwards, though, and only afterwards, does the Spirit enter into us as the in-dwelling presence of Christ, and then we begin to work in the Spirit’s power; it does its work through us on behalf of others. That is the end of selfishness, and the beginning of everlasting life.
We do not expect the presence of the Holy Spirit in those who are not yet converted. And it may be that there are some who have followed Yahshua for many years, and genuinely believe themselves to be converts; nevertheless, while the Spirit works with them, and draws them, they neither claim nor experience the victory over sin that its presence always provides. Some believers, and we know they are believers because there was no evidence of fraud or deception, did not even know what the Holy Spirit was. As such, their journey to everlasting life was not yet complete. We read, “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, ‘Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?’ And they said unto him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.’
“And he said unto them, ‘Unto what then were ye baptized?’ And they said, ‘Unto John’s baptism.’ Then said Paul, ‘John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Yahshua.’
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Yahshua.” (Acts 19:1-5)
One word there I find of some significance. Paul asked them, “Unto what, then, were ye baptized?” That word “then” is noteworthy. I looked that verse up in a number of Bibles to see if it was a peculiarity of the King James’ Version, and they all include it. In Greek, it has a meaning like “therefore.” Paul’s tone is not casual here, it is investigatory. “Since you have been baptized,” he is asking, “How have you not heard of this very important thing?” And we do not wish to speculate about the nature of these men; they had followed all the light that was available to them. Nevertheless, upon hearing a major missing element of their education, they felt the need to be baptized. They felt the need to complete the process of conversion, which has as its outward elements repentance, and then faith, and finally baptism.
Now the Holy Spirit, which was Christ to them without the limitations of humanity, could fill them directly, and bring forth supernatural gifts. Verse 6 right afterwards tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon these twelve or so men, and they began to speak in tongues, and to manifest the gift of prophecy. They were able to fulfill a potential they had not yet even realized, which is exactly what righteousness by faith, victory over sin, is for most who claim to be Christ’s. Suppose you had asked these men, five minutes before meeting Paul, “Can you prophesy? Can you perform any miraculous works?” Their answer would have obviously been, “No.” They had no notion that they were capable of such actions. And yet, when they were filled with the Spirit, through no effort of their own they brought forth remarkable works. In just the same way, if you should ask a nominal Christian, “Have you ceased from sin? Do you have the testimony of Christ, and do always those things that please the Father?” they would likely answer in the same manner: “Such a thing is impossible. It’s never even occurred to me to speak and act in such a way.”
What was missing then, and is missing now in such individuals, is the in-dwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The victory is, in fact, the most important of all miracles. It is the ultimate spiritual gift. And for most professed Christians, it is lacking because they do not understand the work of the Advocate. In them, righteousness by faith is potential unrealized, but it is necessary for everlasting life and the time of trouble ahead. We are called, in this generation, to a still more perfect knowledge of the Father and Son.
The internal work of the Advocate is sanctification, not justification. The Holy Spirit cannot enter into a place that is not already clean, or into a soul that has not already made that decision, that commitment to the life free of sin, the very life of Christ.
Erase, completely and forever, the idea that you are earning anything. It is Yahweh who has cleaned you out, and Yahweh who has filled you with the life you now live. I am speaking here to saints, those who testify that they are born again, that they are filled with this Spirit, and that the Seed of Yahweh remains in them, keeping them from falling, declaring in them that they do always those things that please the Father.
We do those things because the Spirit manifests in us a supernatural gift, the gift of union with the divine nature, so that even mighty demons, greater than we are in strength and cunning, cannot overcome even this little being clothed in sinful flesh. The world cannot believe in this miracle, because its reality convicts them, and their refusal of it condemns them. It is not, and never could be, something that we have accomplished. When I say to someone, “I like your shirt,” I am not praising them for designing or making their garment. I am admiring their choice in wearing it. In just the same way, when we rejoice in our brethren’s victorious testimony, we are not praising them for crafting their own righteousness. We are not congratulating them. We are praising Yahweh that they have chosen to wear the Messiah’s pure and spotless robe. Think of this when those who have righteousness by faith are accused of lacking humility.
The work of the Advocate is to enter into everyone who has chosen Christ as their righteousness, and to bring forth from that cleanly-swept vessel a glorious and victorious life. That is how Christ has given us the gift of Himself yet again. First on the cross, and now a second time through our lives free from sin.
I have been speaking here to saints, but if this is a testimony that any desire, that they genuinely want, but do not yet believe they have experienced it, just consider where you are standing. Consider where you are, right now. You are in the presence of the One who grants this desire. In fact, you are in the presence of the One who made you aware that this was even possible. You are hearing the right words. To our flesh, and to our feelings, it seems like a great risk to trust so completely in an invisible Advocate, to trust in a miracle that is so painfully rare in this last generation.
I have described this point, this coming to a decision about victory over sin, as standing on the edge of a cliff and jumping off, knowing that you cannot fly, and that your only hope is in Yahshua catching you. That is what it feels like to the life that you are leaving forever behind, but you must trust that Yah has you held up in His right hand, and will give you wings made out of His own Spirit. You must trust that He knows, better than you do, what will fulfill you, what will satisfy you. Give no thought to what you are leaving behind; it is only a sacrifice of feelings, not in reality. You are losing nothing good, and gaining all that is perfect. You are becoming all that you are meant to be, fulfilling that potential that Paul’s message unlocked in those men in Acts 19 when he told them about the Holy Spirit. And of course, change can be frightening. It goes against the flesh’s tendency to preserve itself at all costs, to keep things stable, convenient, and familiar, but Yahshua said, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Mat 16:25) The natural man, in seeking to preserve his current state, is clinging to the scraps he knows, which will never satisfy his hunger. He is being invited to a feast. You are invited to a feast. More than that, it is a feast that your Father knows you need. Let nothing, no thought or feeling, keep you from making that resolute choice. Anything that makes an alternative to Yahweh seem good is an illusion from the Enemy.
Once you have made that choice, you are clean. You are washed out. All that was in you of rebellion, of willful sin, is taken away by fire. From the beginning of your birth in Christ, you are a new creature. You are clean, and now that which is holy can abide within you.
Remember this Scripture: “And the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh unto his place [the Temple], into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh had filled the house of Yahweh.” (1Kings 8:6, 10, 11)
Brethren, this is a picture of you. This is Pentecost; that is what I am talking about. That overwhelming glory of Yahweh is the very Advocate that dwells within the saints.
There are some here that will read these words, to whom I am inspired to say, “You have nothing to be afraid of. Nobody, not family, not friends, not anyone, can take advantage of you. Because you have committed yourself to Christ, and have the sign of His covenant engraved in your heart, you are filled with glory, and nobody can stand before you.” Yahshua has laid it on my heart to pray for certain ones here, and to say to them, “You have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing can by any means harm you. You have nothing to fear ever again.”
This is the relationship we have with our Father. He washes us clean, He places His covenant within us, a commitment to His Law, and then He fills us with glory so that no human being, not even the most virtuous of mortal men, may stand before His brightness through us. He is not trying, as so many Christians believe, to have us “outgrow guilt,” to get better until we gradually put away evil. No, that is not the image provided by 1 Kings 8, or any other Scripture. It is a glorious transformation, a filling-up with majesty, not a limping to the finish line.
It is written of this time of the Harvest, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.” (Mat 13:41) That is not at, or after, the close of probation. That is right now, while strenuous efforts are being put forth to find and gather the saints into one Body, as they were always intended to be. “All things that offend” are forbidden from entry into Yah’s Kingdom. It is true in the world to come, which means it must be true for us, internally, for all those who will ever see the streets of gold. Remember, what we bind and loose here on earth, the same will be banned or permitted in the Kingdom. (Mat 16:19, Mat 18:18) This also, is Sabbath, not a struggle against guilt, because this is what keeps people from grasping the testimony, the idea that “I am not good enough for God.” Whenever someone says that, or their words reflect this thought, you know they are trying to earn it. They haven’t yet been washed out of that selfishness. Nobody can claim to have achieved goodness, or righteousness, but in Christ, we are made so... and after we are IN Christ, only Satan will remind us of our flesh. The Father and Son do not remind Their people how They are different from us. No, they speak of how we are the same as Them. Remember this well: only Satan wants us to live in contemplation of that difference, except where that difference keeps us humble, and in an attitude of worship.
And so, brethren, we have much, and very much, about which to be joyful. We have a Creator and Savior Who cannot fail. We have the gift of Christ’s life, offered up to redeem us from death, and then shed like rays of light into our hearts to keep us always from falling backward into darkness. All we must do is accept it, not in a casual, loose way, but intelligently, rationally. We repent of sin, all sin, and we commit to the Father’s care now and for eternity. We commit ourselves to His care, and in response He fills us with life, and light, and power through the work of His Advocate. We taste, indeed, the powers of the world to come, and from this we will never withdraw our hand.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ.” [The Desire of Ages, 805]
“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.” [The Great Controversy (1888 Edition), p. 622]
“The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means taking away our sins, and filling the vacuum with the graces of the Holy Spirit. It means divine illumination, rejoicing in God. It means a heart emptied of self, and blessed with the abiding presence of Christ. When Christ reigns in the soul, there is purity, freedom from sin. The glory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is fulfilled in the life. The acceptance of the Saviour brings a glow of perfect peace, perfect love, perfect assurance. The beauty and fragrance of the character of Christ revealed in the life testifies that God has indeed sent His Son into the world to be its Saviour.
“Christ does not bid His followers strive to shine. He says, Let your light shine. If you have received the grace of God, the light is in you. Remove the obstructions, and the Lord's glory will be revealed. The light will shine forth to penetrate and dispel the darkness. You cannot help shining within the range of your influence. The revelation of His own glory in the form of humanity will bring heaven so near to men that the beauty adorning the inner temple will be seen in every soul in whom the Saviour dwells.” [Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 419, 420]