About Our Beliefs
We believe in justification by faith, which is explained in the below article from: Bible Readings for the Home Circle. Pacific Press Publishing Company, 1888 — Public domain.
My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O, let me from this day
Be wholly thine!
Justification by Faith.
ACCORDING to God's standard of judgment, how many can be justified?
"And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." Ps. 143:2. Justify. — "To prove or show to be just, or conformable to law, right, justice, propriety, or duty; to defend or maintain; to vindicate as right; to warrant." "2. To pronounce free from guilt or blame ; to absolve ; to clear." — Webster.
2. How may one become justified?
"By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities." Isa. 53 : 11.
3. By whom and by what are men justified?
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:23, 24.
4. What can a righteous law do toward justifying the sinner?
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20.
5. Are there any righteous in the world?
"There is none righteous, no, not one." Verse 10.
6. Can the unrighteous be saved?
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ?"
I Cor. 6 : 9.
7. Through whose righteousness is remission of sins obtained?
" Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Rom. 3:24, 25.
8. For what was Christ made sin?
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5:21.
9. Then what may we call the Saviour?
And this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." Jer. 23 : 6.
10. On what condition may we obtain this righteousness and justification?
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness ; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. 3 : 26.
11. Who may obtain this imputed righteousness?
"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ; for there is no difference." Verse 22.
12. Sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), and by this law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3 : 20. Can one, while persisting in sin, expect justification?
"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin ? God forbid." Gal. 2:17.
13. In order to have one's sins forgiven, and his unrighteousness cleansed away, what is necessary ?
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
14. But suppose one hears a message from the Lord, and does not see any necessity of accepting it ; what does he try to do?
"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things : and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts." Luke 16 : 14, 15.
15. What effect does faith in Christ have upon the law?
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid : yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3:31; 8:3, 4.
16. What is faith?
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. 11:1. In other words, faith is that which believes just what God says (though we may not understand the reason for it), and acts upon it, regardless of the feelings or preferences.
17. When one does this, and is in perfect accord with all of God's commandments, what may he then have ?
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1.
18. In what way may we hold our justification and fellowship with God?
"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
1 John 1:7.
NOTE. — Not only is fellowship with our brethren here implied, but, as
intimated in previous verses, with God and with Christ.
"There is evidently an allusion to verse 3, and as there fellowship with
God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ is expressed, so here it lies in the
background, but need not be supplied. De Wette's remark is most true;
Christian communion is then only real, when it is communion with God."
— Dean Alford.
19. How great will be the peace of mind enjoyed by those who have this experience?
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7.
20. What will be a prominent characteristic of those who wait for the return of their Lord from heaven?
"For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Heb. 10:37, 38.
21. What will accompany the faith of Jesus?
"Here is the patience of the saints : here are they that keep the commandments of God" Rev. 14:12.
LORD, I believe ; thy power I own ;
Thy word I would obey ;
I wander comfortless and lone,
When from thy truth I stray.
Lord, I believe ; but gloomy fears
Sometimes bedim my sight ;
I look to thee with prayers and tears,
And cry for strength and light.
Lord, I believe ; but oft, I know,
My faith is cold and weak :
My weakness strengthen, and bestow
The confidence I seek.
Lord, I believe ; and only thou
Canst give my soul relief ;
Lord, to thy truth my spirit bow ;
"Help thou mine unbelief."