QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS
 Question: "What does it mean that God is able to keep us
from falling… and present you without fault ( Jude 24)?” Can
we become sinless?

Unity of Scripture- does not contradict one from
another. “There is none righteous, no not one.” Rom 3:10
 Blameless- amomos- absence of anything amiss in
reference to sacrifice which can render it unworthy of
being offered.
 Jude tells his readers to “keep yourselves in God’s love” (
Jude 1:21),
 It is God who keeps us.
 Our righteousness does not come from ourselves, but from
God. We are to contend for the faith and persevere. But,
ultimately, our security does not rest on us. We need not fear
that we will fall away from God, for it is He who keeps us
upright. We rely on His power, not our own.
 God is both willing and able to purify His children. True
Christians will struggle with sin (1 John 1:8–9). We will
fail. But we can trust that our God is faithful and able to
keep us in His grip and to present us blameless before
Himself (John 10:28–30; Romans 7–8; Philippians 1:6).
 Character Development Until Heaven?
 When glorified we will be restored into perfection like in the state of Adam before the fall.

 Presupposition that after we have been restored in the state of

Adam before the fall there is no more character development.
 Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not
placed beyond the possibility of wrong-doing. God might have
created them without the power to transgress His requirements,
but in that case, there could have been no development of
character; their service would not have been voluntary, but
forced. Ed, 23.
 He [Satan] urged that it was because of its (fruit)wonderful
properties for imparting wisdom and power that God had
forbidden them to taste it, that He was thus seeking to
prevent them from reaching a nobler development and
finding greater happiness. Ed, 24.
 “To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden,
“to dress it and to keep it.” Their occupation was not wearisome,
but pleasant and invigorating. God appointed labor as a blessing
to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to
develop his faculties. … So long as they remained loyal to the
divine law, their capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would
continually increase. They would be constantly gaining new
treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness,
and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the
immeasurable, unfailing love of God.” PP. 50-51
 
 While the investigative judgment is going forward in
heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being
removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work
of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s
people upon earth. (GC 425.1, emphases mine)
 What does she mean by “their characters must be
purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling” and “there
is to be a special work of purification, of putting away
of sin”?
 
 Is she suggesting that the last generation needs to achieve
sinlessness “while the investigative judgment is going
forward”?
 
 If yes, then Christ’s death is no longer needed for them,
for their own sinlessness could acquit them before God.
But she clearly states that the purification takes place
through Jesus’ blood (by the blood of sprinkling), which
is in line with the overall Biblical teaching that no person
can be saved but through Christ’s merits and His perfect,
substitutionary sacrifice.
 Moreover, this interpretation does not make sense, since,
once again, salvation cannot be the purpose of purification
and of standing before God without a mediator after the
destinies have been irreversibly sealed (see GC 613-615; 2T 191).
  No mediator does not mean no Savior… All destinies have

been sealed
 Jesus came in the likeness of a sinful flesh Rom. 8:3
 Implication:
 If Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh and was sinless
therefore we can be sinless as well.
 Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. This is another discussion on the human nature of
Christ. Rom 8: 3…
 “In the likeness of sinful flesh” does not mean he had sinful flesh, otherwise the word
“likeness” would be inappropriate. The Greek word homoiomati refers to “likeness” not
“sameness.” Jesus is “similar to sinful men but not absolutely like them.”
 anyo ng makasalanang laman.
 If Paul intends to say sinful flesh why does he need to say “likeness” he could have said “in
sinful flesh”
 Be careful, exceedingly careful, as to how you dwell
upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before
the people as a man with the propensities of sin. . . .
Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon
human minds that a taint of, or inclination to, corruption
rested upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to
corruption. (E. G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 5:1128
 Practical question who has a sinless perfect sinless
character that we can mention? I don’t know if we can
mention anyone even those who insists on sinless
perfectionism.
 “There is none righteous, no not one.” Rom 3:10
 “For all have sinned.” Rom 3:23
 Only in Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus Christ.
 Leeway to sin?
 We are not teaching people to sin.
 Paul says in Rom 6: 1, Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? God forbid.
 But if you continue in Rom 7: 14, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold
under sin (sinful nature). For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but
what I hate that I do.
 Paul’s new nature was at war with his old nature… v. 25 Christ is the answer.
 Can we have a Sinless Perfect our character here on earth?

"We cannot say, 'I am sinless' till this vile body is

changed and fashioned like unto His glorious
body. But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus,
the blessed hope is ours of standing before the
throne of God with­out spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing, complete in Christ, robed in His
righteous­ness and perfection."—That I May Know Him, p. 361.
ANOTHER QUESTION
 Man is to cooperate with God, employing every power according to his
God-given ability. He is not to be ignorant as to what are right practices in eating and drinking,
and in all the habits of life. The Lord designs that His human agents shall act as rational,
accountable beings in every respect...
 This cooperation is not an addendum to the “inadequate” salvation.
 Of course God cannot force anyone into heaven.
 The Spirit of God will answer the cry of every penitent heart; for repentance is the gift of God,
and an evidence that Christ is drawing the soul to Himself. We can no more repent of sin
without Christ, than we can be pardoned without Christ, and yet it is a humiliation to man with
his human passion and pride to go to Jesus straightway, believing and trusting Him for
everything which he needs.... 1SM 381.1
 CUT QUOTE
 Let no man present the idea that man (1) has little or (2) nothing to do in the great work of
overcoming; for God does nothing for man without his cooperation. Neither say that after you
have done all you can on your part, Jesus will help you. Christ has said, “Without me ye can
do nothing” (John 15:5). From first to last man is to be a laborer together with God. …. Never
leave the impression on the mind that there is little or nothing to do on the part of man; but
rather teach man to cooperate with God, that he may be successful in overcoming. 1SM 381.3
 Let no man present the idea that man has little or nothing to do in the great work of
overcoming; for God does nothing for man without his cooperation. Neither say that after you
have done all you can on your part, Jesus will help you. Christ has said, “Without me ye can
do nothing” (John 15:5). From first to last man is to be a laborer together with God. Unless the
Holy Spirit works upon the human heart, at every step we shall stumble and fall. Man's efforts
alone are nothing but worthlessness; but cooperation with Christ means a victory. Of ourselves
we have no power to repent of sin. Unless we accept divine aid we cannot take the first step
toward the Saviour. He says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (
Revelation 21:6) in the salvation of every soul. 1SM 381.2
 But though Christ is everything, we are to inspire every man to unwearied diligence. We are to
strive, wrestle, agonize, watch, pray, lest we shall be overcome by the wily foe. For
the
power and grace with which we can do this comes from
God, and all the while we are to trust in Him, who is able
to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. Never
leave the impression on the mind that there is little or
nothing to do on the part of man; but rather teach man to
cooperate with God, that he may be successful in
overcoming. 1SM 381.3
 Let no one say that your works have nothing to do with your rank and position before God. In
the judgment the sentence pronounced is according to what has been done or to what has been
left undone (Matthew 25:34-40). 1SM 381.4
 fruit
 Effort and labor are required on the part of the receiver of God's grace; for it is the

that makes manifest what is the character of the tree . Although

the good works of man are of no more value without faith in Jesus than was the offering of
Cain, yet covered with the merit of Christ, they testify [to] the worthiness of the doer to inherit
eternal life. That which is considered morality in the world does not reach the divine standard
and has no more merit before Heaven than had the offering of Cain.—Manuscript 26a, 1892
. 1SM 381.5
WHY NOT BELIEF IN EGWHITE
NOT A TEST
 If you believe EGWhite is a true prophet, you should not make it a test of fellowship. Take it
from her... Ellen G. White herself was explicit on this point:
 a. Speaking in 1852 of those who did not fully understand the" gift, she wrote:
 (1) Such should not be deprived of the benefits and privileges of the church if their Christian
course is otherwise correct, and they have formed a good Christian character.-1T 328 (for a
fuller statement, see especially pp. 328, 329, and-in 1863-'Wrong Use of the Visions," pp' 382-
84).
 https://www.andrews.edu/~jmoon/Documents/GSEM_534/Class_outline/13.pdf