In Defense of the Faith

Chapter 11 — Doing or Believing

Throughout this book Mr. Canright gives the impression to his readers that Seventh-day Adventists endeavor to secure salvation by the works of the law instead of through faith in Jesus Christ. He quotes one Milton F. Gowell, whom he represents as a former Seventh-day Adventist, as giving a true picture of advent experience, in the following words: DOF 212.1

All the doing was indelibly impressed on my mind as a boy, but the believing on Christ for salvation, and resting in His finished work, I have no remembrance of whatever.—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 61. DOF 212.2

Now, a statement could hardly be made about Seventh day Adventists that would be more completely misrepresentative than this one. Trusting in the law for salvation is exactly what Seventh-day Adventists do not do. They realize that the law has no power to pardon a sinner or give life to the soul. And, further, they understand clearly that even after conversion the human flesh, unaided by the Holy Spirit, is entirely too weak to keep a law so high and holy as is the law of our God. Their dependence is ever and always only in Christ. DOF 212.3

The law, however, is the very instrument that the Holy Spirit uses to lead men and woman to Jesus their Savior, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20. It is the law that condemns the sinner, and thus makes him feel his need of a Savior. The patient must first realize that he is sick before he will call a physician just so, sinners will not be constrained to flee to Christ for pardon, justification, and eternal life until by some means they have been made painfully conscious of sin and of its blighting, soul-destroying effect upon the life. DOF 212.4

It is by the commandment that sin is. made to appear in its true light. On this point Paul explains: DOF 213.1

“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 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.” Romans 7:12, 13. DOF 213.2

Thus it is by contact with the holy law of God that men learn that sin is exceedingly sinful and is working death in them. James compares it to a looking-glass: DOF 213.3

“Be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. But who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25. DOF 213.4

The law, then, is a great mirror which reveals our true character and our actual worth in God’s sight. It shows up every spot, every stain that sin has made, every evil propensity of the flesh, in fact, everything that makes us unfit for heaven. But the law cannot remove a single stain from our lives or grant us pardon for a single transgression. Neither can it impart power whereby we can bring our lives into harmony with its high standard. For this it must refer us to Jesus. Thus it “brings us to Christ.” DOF 213.5

Just as a mirror can reveal a spot on the face and convince us of the f act that something must be done to remove it, so the law points out our sins, the spots on our characters, and reveals to us the absolute need of cleansing. But the mirror cannot remove the spot from the face’. Soap and water must do that. And just so with the law. It can reveal the plague spots of sin, but it cannot remove them. The blood of Jesus must do that. There is no other remedy. This is the fountain that has been opened in the house of David for sin and uncleanness, and there is no other cleansing agency for sin. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. DOF 214.1

Said Mr. Canright before he left the Seventh-day Adventists : DOF 214.2

“Paul argues that no one can be justified by the works of the law; and this is true of any law, moral or ceremonial. It is true of the moral law as well as of the ceremonial law. ‘Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin;’ ‘for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ Romans 3:20, 23. DOF 214.3

“Why can no one be justified by the observance of the moral law? Because of the simple fact that when you have once broken that law, it must always condemn you. What kind of a law would that be that would justify the man who broke it? Now, all have broken the moral law, and hence it must condemn everybody. There is no pardon in it. Neither could the observance of the typical law take away sins, as we have before shown that Paul repeatedly affirms. ‘For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.’ (See also Hebrews 7:18, 19; 10:14; 9:1-4.) DOF 214.4

“Consider a moment; what is there in the shedding of the blood of an animal that could take away a man’s sins? Absolutely nothing. So, then, there was no law given, the observance of which could pardon sin or justify the sinner; and hence Paul says to the Galatians: ‘For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.’ ‘For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.’ Galatians 2:21; 3:21. So the great apostle truthfully argues that pardon and justification cannot be obtained by law of any kind. It must come through faith in Christ, through the unmerited mercy of God.”—The Two Laws, pp. 68, 69. DOF 215.1

It was for the purpose of accomplishing what the law could not do that God sent His Son into the world. Thus Paul declares: DOF 215.2

“What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3, 4. DOF 215.3

There was no weakness in the law, but “the flesh” was too weak to keep it. Man had been weakened by sin, and had no power within himself to do right. The righteousness of the law could not be fulfilled in him until the guilt of past sin was removed, and he was strengthened by the indwelling Spirit. And to accomplish this, God sent His own Son into the world, and He proved Himself to be abundantly able to do for man all that the law could not do. Therefore with the law to reveal sin and with Christ to save from sin, there is provided for man full and complete salvation. DOF 215.4

When Jesus was on the earth He lived a life in perfect harmony with the law of God. He declared, “I have kept My Father’s commandments.” John 15:10. His life was one of perfect obedience. “In Him was no sin.” He declared that He had come “to fulfill” (fully keep) the law (Matthew 5:17); and therefore the righteousness of the law was fully revealed in His life. DOF 215.5

Now with us it is just the opposite. We have all “Sinned, and come short of the glory of God ..... as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.” Romans 3:23, 10-12. When a sinner, therefore, comes to that point in his life where, by contact with the law of God, he is made to realize his lost condition and to desire a life of holiness, he must first deal with the guilt of past sins. These he is powerless to remove, and to this end he finds no help in the law. It only condemns and reveals the existing need of help. It is powerless to render aid. DOF 216.1

“How then can man be justified with God?” Job 25:4. The answer is at hand: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. This, then, is the way of salvation. It comes through confession and repentance of sin, and through faith that Jesus can and does save. And when Jesus cleanses a sinner from his past sins, He does a thorough work; He cleanses “from all unrighteousness.” “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36. DOF 216.2