Christ Our Righteousness
Living Faith Accompanied by Action
Entering through the door of faith into the fullness of imputed and imparted righteousness, involves more than a mere mental assent to the provisions laid down. It is the archway of “living faith, that works by love and purifies the soul.” In order to pass this portal, there must be compliance with certain requirements: COR 109.1
1. There must cease to be practice of all known sin, and no longer neglect of known duty. COR 109.2
“But while God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ’s righteousness while practicing known sins or neglecting known duties. God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, living faith that works by love and purifies the soul.”-The Review and Herald, November 4, 1890. COR 109.3
2. Willingness to pay the price-give up all. COR 110.1
“The righteousness of Christ, as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no stain, no guilt. This righteousness may be ours. Salvation, with its blood-bought, inestimable treasures, is the pearl of great price. It may be searched for and found.... In the parable the merchantman is represented as selling all that he had to gain possession of one pearl of great price. This is a beautiful representation of those who appreciate the truth so highly that they give up all they have to come into possession of it.”-The Review and Herald, August 8, 1899. COR 110.2
3. Entire surrender of wrong habits. COR 110.3
“There are some who are seeking, always seeking, for the goodly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl.”-The Review and Herald, August 8, 1899. COR 110.4
4. The will power placed in co-operation with God. COR 110.5
“The Lord does not design that human power should be paralyzed; but by co-operating with God, the power of man may be efficient for good. God does not design that our will should be destroyed; for it is through this very attribute that we are to accomplish the work He would have us to do both at home and abroad.”-The Review and Herald, November 1, 1892. COR 110.6
How sincerely and earnestly we should follow this clear distinction, and enter fully into the experience of being accounted and made righteous, justified, and sanctified through faith in Christ! How deeply and keenly we should realize our hopeless condition, so far as we can do anything of ourselves! It is only through the grace of God that we can be delivered. How we should cherish the great truth that through divine grace, supernatural power may be imparted to us! We should accept at full value the assurance that sin in all its hatefulness can be driven from the soul temple. We should realize that our part in this great transaction is to choose and accept it by faith, when we have fully complied with the conditions. And every day that comes and goes we should humbly plead before the throne of grace the merits, the perfect obedience, of Christ in the place of our transgressions and sins. And in doing this, we should believe and realize that our justification comes through Christ as our substitute and surety, that He has died for us, and that He is our atonement and righteousness. COR 110.7
If, on our part, this instruction is followed sincerely and wholeheartedly, God will make the results real in our lives; and “therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” Romans 5:1. We shall experience the joy of salvation, and day by day we shall know the reality of victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. COR 111.1
Let us not rest until we have fully entered through the door of faith into that blessed experience of pardon, justification, righteousness, and peace in Christ. COR 111.2