Christ Our Righteousness

The Door of Works

Through this door many pilgrims bound for the heavenly Canaan unconsciously enter upon the path which ends in destruction, and sooner or later find that the beautiful garments of self-righteousness have become “filthy rags,” entirely unfit to appear in the presence of the King. Of this class it is said: COR 105.2

“Many are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking that they must climb to heaven, that they must do something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by their own unaided efforts. This they can never accomplish. Christ has made the way by dying our sacrifice, by living our example, by becoming our great high priest. He declares, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ If by any efforts of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of Christ would not be true.”-The Review and Herald, November 4, 1890. COR 105.3

“There are many who seem to feel that they have a great work to do themselves before they can come to Christ for His salvation. They seem to think that Jesus will come in at the very last of their struggle, and give them help by putting the finishing touch to their lifework. It seems difficult for them to understand that Christ is a complete Saviour, and able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. They lose sight of the fact that Christ Himself is ‘the way, the truth, and the life.’”-The Review and Herald, March 5, 1889. COR 105.4

May the Lord help us all to enter through the right door and be filled with the righteousness of Christ! For each soul there must be performed “the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself.” COR 106.1