Homeward Bound

The Self-Righteous, March 9

There is none righteous, no, not one.—Romans 3:10. HB 86.1

The claim to be without sin is, in itself, evidence that the one who makes this claim is far from holy. It is because people have no true conception of the infinite purity and holiness of God or of what they must become who shall be in harmony with His character; because they have no true conception of the purity and exalted loveliness of Jesus, and the malignity and evil of sin, that human beings can regard themselves as holy. The greater the distance between them and Christ, and the more inadequate their conceptions of the divine character and requirements, the more righteous they appear in their own eyes. HB 86.2

The sanctification set forth in the Scriptures embraces the entire being— spirit, soul, and body. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that their “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23.) Again he writes to believers: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Romans 12:1.) In the time of ancient Israel every offering brought as a sacrifice to God was carefully examined. If any defect was discovered in the animal presented, it was refused; for God had commanded that the offering be “without blemish.” So Christians are bidden to present their bodies, “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” In order to do this, all their powers must be preserved in the best possible condition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental strength unfits us for the service of our Creator. And will God be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer? Said Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” Those who do love God with all the heart will desire to give Him the best service of their life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will. They will not, by the indulgence of appetite or passion, enfeeble or defile the offering which they present to their heavenly Father. . . . HB 86.3

Every sinful gratification tends to benumb the faculties and deaden the mental and spiritual perceptions, and the word or the Spirit of God can make but a feeble impression upon the heart.—The Great Controversy, 473, 474. HB 86.4