Quoting from Andrew Murray: “As we learn to believe this, we shall feel that here is something which we not only need to think and know about, but a living power, a divine life which we need to receive within us.”[1]

II Pet 1  (v. 3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…. (v. 4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that….you may be partakers of the divine nature….

And if you put no confidence in your performance, then you deny yourself of your own self righteousness.  And if you rest totally in the lord of the Sabbath, He will vindicate you in the judgment.

Phil 3  (v. 7) But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (v. 8) .…and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (v. 9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

This is the only platform that we can stand on, in order to be vindicated by Christ.

 Instead of trusting to good works, the soul who would be saved must trust in the righteousness of Christ; for only in   Christ can he work the works of God.…Christ is the sinner's only hope.  There is no comfort for the soul in looking at   the good works he has done; for they are all mixed with pride and sin, and by the works of the law shall no flesh be   justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.  In the righteousness of Christ, the sinner may find   refuge;  for the repenting soul may lay hold of the merits of Christ, and find a remedy for sin, a healing for the   wounds of the soul.^[3]

So, we need to stop comparing ourselves to the Law, and to start abiding in Christ.  Start asking the Lord to take charge of our mind, and to direct us as to what we should do to honor Him.

If you are depending on anything that you are doing to contribute to your salvation, then you are standing on your own platform, and will hear the words:  “I never knew you.”

The Reason why all Persons Die!! 

Another source of anxiety towards our assurance of salvation stems from the issue around “what” we believe about the reason of why we are sinning!   We will start this second part of our discussion with the subject below in the table chart:

This is the central theme, where it all starts from the core issue!!

Gospel #1 says that “If we believe that we all die because we all sinned like Adam,” then we are making Adam an example of our sin problem.^[4]                  

Since Adam is a type of Christ, to be honest with this analogy we would also have to say that we all live, and are all justified, and are all saved, because we have obeyed like Jesus.^[4]                 

If we really believe, that we have obeyed like Jesus, then we can stand up in church and declare that, “we haven’t sinned in the past two years!!”  

Luke 18  (v. 9) Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. (v. 11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (v. 14) ….for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.   

Gospel #2 says that: If we use “in Adam” and say that we all sinned “in Adam” then we can teach that we all live because we obeyed “in Christ.”^[4]             

To understand what the Apostle Paul is saying here, let us go back and look at the bible passage again.

Rom 5  (v. 12) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Here in this verse, Paul says the reason all men die is because all sinned.  But there are two ways we can complete the sentence; which are written in the above table box.

That phrase all sinned (in verse 12) is what we call the aorist tense.  It is something that took place once and for all.  The Greek says, inasmuch all sinned.^[4]                  

Apostle Paul uses the same statement in Romans 3:23 except there he adds something else.  He says, “All sinned plus all are coming short of the glory of God.”^[4]                 

Rom 3  (v. 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

One is in the aorist tense, and one in the present, continuous tense.  One is referring to an historical event that took place in the past and the other is one that is taking place continuously in our lives.^[4]               

If Paul meant we all die because of our personal sins, that is “like Adam,” he would not use the aorist tense; he would use the present continuous tense.  He would say “all died because all are sinning,” but he doesn’t do that.  He uses an aorist tense, so the grammar points to “in Christ.”^[4]                      

For more information about the “in Christ” motif, there is a whole study on this topic called: “How–You Are Saved” (click on the link).

Otherwise, to continue with our conclusion, to help you decide which view to accept, we need to apply the litmus test of “the yoke.”  See the next webpage for the details.

References:

1. Andrew Murray, (1898). The Mystery of the True Vine, p.143, London: Nisbet.

2. Dan Augsburger, (2009). The Branch and the Vine (sermons by Frank B. Phillips), p.60, Booklet.

3. E.G. White, The Review and Herald (14 Jun 1892) par.1

4. Vineyard Ministries. “The Two Adams” Tape 3. The Gospel in a Nutshell, Audiocassette.