False Sanctification and Holiness
Beware of Doctrine “Just Believe”—We shall meet with false
doctrines of every kind, and unless we are acquainted with what Christ
has said, and are following His instruction, we shall be led astray. One
of the most dangerous of these doctrines is that of false sanctification.
There are those who claim to be holy, and yet are breaking God’s
commandments. Their assertion that they are sinless is false and
should not be received....
Another doctrine that will be presented is that all that we have to
do is to believe in Christ—to believe that He has forgiven our sins, and
that after we are forgiven, it is impossible for us to sin. This is a snare
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of Satan. It is true that we must believe in Christ. He is our only hope
of salvation. But it is also true that we must work out our individual
salvation daily in faith, not boastingly but with fear and trembling.
We are to use every power of our being in His service, and after we
have done our utmost, we are still to regard ourselves as unprofitable
servants. Divine power will unite with our efforts, and as we cling to
God with the hand of faith, Christ will impart to us His wisdom and
His righteousness. Thus, by His grace, we shall be enabled to build
upon the sure foundation.—
Manuscript 27, 1886
.
A Shallow Profession of Holiness—Those who would follow
Christ must be grounded upon the principles of truth. They need to
understand what the Bible teaches in regard to faith, and sanctification
through the truth. They must be so established in this knowledge that
they cannot be moved to take false positions on the doctrine of holiness,
but will be able to illustrate in their lives the practical workings of this
heaven-given principle. The people of God must be able to distinguish
between the genuine and the spurious.
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are
wholly the Lord’s, who claim a right to the promises of God, while
they do not render obedience to His commandments....
It is true that there are many who have never had the light of present
truth, who, through the grace given them of Christ, are keeping the
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