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The Great Controversy 1888
“I do always those things that please him.” [
John 15:10
;
8:29
.] The
followers of Christ are to become like him,—by the grace of God, to
form characters in harmony with the principles of his holy law. This is
Bible sanctification.
This work can be accomplished only through faith in Christ, by
the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Paul admonishes believers,
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
[
Philippians 2:12, 13
.] The Christian will feel the promptings of sin,
but he will maintain a constant warfare against it. Here is where
Christ’s help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine
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strength, and faith exclaims, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [
1 Corinthians 15:57
.]
The Scriptures plainly show that the work of sanctification is pro-
gressive. When in conversion the sinner finds peace with God through
the blood of the atonement, the Christian life has but just begun. Now
he is to “go on unto perfection;” to grow up “unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ.” Says the apostle Paul: “This one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” [
Philippians 3:13,
14
.] And Peter sets before us the steps by which Bible sanctification
is to be attained: “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temper-
ance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.... If ye do these things, ye
shall never fall.” [
2 Peter 1:5-10
.]
Those who experience the sanctification of the Bible will manifest
a spirit of humility. Like Moses, they have had a view of the awful
majesty of holiness, and they see their own unworthiness, in contrast
with the purity and exalted perfection of the Infinite One.
The prophet Daniel was an example of true sanctification. His
long life was filled up with noble service for his Master. He was
a man “greatly beloved” [
Daniel 10:11
.] of Heaven. Yet instead of
claiming to be pure and holy, this honored prophet identified himself
with the really sinful of Israel, as he pleaded before God in behalf
of his people: “We do not present our supplications before thee for
our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.” “We have sinned, we