Gospel Truth #9
The Bible so clearly teaches that righteousness is by faith. Therefore the only element that God's people need in order to prepare for the second coming of Christ is genuine faith. The message the world needs to hear is the truth of righteousness by faith in the light of the cleansing of the sanctuary—"the third angel's message in verity." Faith is understood in its true biblical sense—a heart appreciation of the agape of Christ.
A.T. Jones Believed and Taught that . . .
"Faith is 'the gift of God' (Ephesians 2:8); and that it is given to everybody is plainly stated in the Scriptures: 'God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith' (Romans 12:3). This measure of faith which 'God hath dealt to every man' is the capital with which God endows and starts 'every man that cometh into the world;' and every man is expected to trade upon this capital—cultivate it—to the salvation of his soul.
"There is no danger of ever lessening this capital when it is used: as certainly as it is used at all, it will increase, it will grow exceedingly. And as certainly as it grows, the righteousness, the peace, the joy, of the Lord, are assured to the full salvation of the soul" (Lessons on Faith, pp. 21, 22). ( Waggoner is in full harmony. )
Unbelief Frustrates the Grace of God
"Can every believer have grace enough to keep him free from sinning?—Yes. Indeed, everybody in the world can have enough to keep him from sinning. Enough is given; and it is given for this purpose. If any one does not have it, it is not because enough has not been given. . . .
"It is given also ‘for the perfecting of the saints.' The object of it is to bring each one to perfection in Christ Jesus—to the perfection too, that is fully up to God's standard; for it is given for the building up of the body of Christ, 'till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.' . . .
"If sin yet has dominion over any one, where lies the fault?—Clearly it lies only in this, that he will not allow the grace to do for him and in him that which it is given to do. By unbelief he frustrates the grace of God. . . .
"But the power of God is "unto salvation to every one that believeth. Unbelief frustrates the grace of God. Many believe and receive the grace of God for the salvation from sins that are past, but are content with that, and do not give it the same place in the soul, to reign against the power of sin, that they did to save from sins of the past. This, too, is but another phase of unbelief. So as to the one great final object of grace—the perfection of the life in the likeness of Christ, they do practically receive the grace of God in vain" (ibid., pp. 86-88).
"We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. . . . It is the mind of Christ by which we may comprehend, investigate, and revel in, the deep things of God which He reached down and brings forth to our understanding and sets them before us in their plainness. That is what we must have, in order to have the presence of Christ, in order to have the righteousness of Christ, in order that we may have the latter rain, in order that we may give the loud cry" (General Conference Bulletin, 1893, p. 256).
"Let us thank the Lord that He is dealing with us still, to save us from our errors, to save us from our dangers, to keep us back from wrong courses, and to pour upon us the latter rain, that we may be translated. That is what the [1888] message means—translation—to you and me. Brethren, let us receive it with all the heart, and thank God for it" (General Conference Bulletin, 1893, p. 185).
"The Lord cannot keep us from sinning when we do not believe Him" (ibid., p. 207).
"The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him. That is what real faith is. That is faith that will bring to you the outpouring of the latter rain, . . . to prepare us for the loud cry and the carrying of the third angel's message in the only way in which it can be carried from this Conference" (ibid., p. 302). (Ellen White's View)