“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10
“Says John, in speaking of the deceiver that doeth great wonders: He shall make an image to the beast, and shall cause all to receive his mark. Will you please consider this matter? Search the Scriptures, and see. There is a wonder-working power to appear: and it will be when men are claiming sanctification, and holiness, lifting themselves up higher and higher and boasting of themselves.
“Look at Moses and the prophets; look at Daniel and Joseph and Elijah. Look at these men, and find me one sentence where they ever claimed to be sinless. The very soul that is in close relation to Christ, beholding His purity and excellency, will fall before Him with shamefacedness.
“Daniel was a man to whom God had given great skill and learning, and when he fasted the angel came to him and said, ‘Thou art greatly beloved.’ And he fell prostrate before the angel. He did not say, ‘Lord, I have been very faithful to You and I have done everything to honor You and defend Your word and name. Lord, You know how faithful I was at the king’s table, and how I maintained my integrity when they cast me into the den of lions.’ Was that the way Daniel prayed to God?
“No; he prayed and confessed his sins, and said, Hear O Lord, and deliver; we have departed from Thy Word and have sinned. And when he saw the angel, he said, My comeliness was turned into corruption. He could not look upon the angel’s face, and he had no strength; it was all gone. So the angel came to him and set him upon his knees. He could not behold him then. And then the angel came to him with the appearance of a man. Then he could bear the sight.
“Why is it that so many claim to be holy and sinless? It is because they are so far from Christ. I have never dared to claim any such a thing. From the time that I was 14 years old, if I knew what the will of God was, I was willing to do it. You never have heard me say I am sinless. Those that get sight of the loveliness and exalted character of Jesus Christ, who was holy and lifted up and His train fills the temple, will never say it. Yet we are to meet with those that will say such things more and more. –Manuscript 5, 1885.” –Selected Messages, vol.3, p. 353–354 (emphasis mine)
Well then, if it is because they are so far from Christ, that they can claim sinlessness, the question to be asked is: what must one who is claiming sinlessness do to find true righteousness?
- See the far reaching claims of the law of God.
- See their sin as God sees it.
“He who would confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate that which he has not received. The disciples might speak fluently on doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless they possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behaviour, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them. And ‘whosoever shall deny Me before men,’ He says, ‘him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.’ ” –The Desire of Ages, p. 357 (emphasis mine)
Who can read these words and say that they are without sin? Who can read and try to practice the Sermon on the Mount and say that they are without sin? What can we almost always say when we hear men claiming to be without sin?
From the context of these Spirit of Prophecy statements, we understand that they most probably have a great problem with sin. And they are perhaps fooling others, but they cannot yet fool themselves, and they certainly are not fooling God. The way that they are fighting so hard against their own consciences to constantly dwell upon the idea that they are sinless, just confirms the fact that they are sinners.
What is more important: that we declare our own righteousness, or that God declares our righteousness?
“I want to say to whomsoever the glory of God has been revealed, ‘You will never have the least inclination to say, “I am holy, I am sanctified.” –Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 354
“After my first vision of glory, I could not discern the brightest light. It was thought that my eyesight was gone, but when I again became accustomed to the things of this world I could see again. This is why I tell you never to boast, saying, ‘I am holy, I am sanctified,’ for it is the surest evidence that you know not the Scripture or the power of God. Let God write it in His books if He will, but you should never utter it.
“I have never dared to say, ‘I am holy, I am sinless,’ but whatever I have thought was the will of God I have tried to do it with all my heart, and I have the sweet peace of God in my soul. I can commit the keeping of my soul to God as unto a faithful Creator, and know that He will keep that which is committed to His trust. It is my meat and drink to do my Master’s will. –Manuscript 6a, 1886.” –Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 354
So, what should our attitude be towards our sinful, ugly selves and God’s mercy in contrast?
“There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, ‘These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ 1 John 2:1. And do not forget the words of Christ, ‘The Father Himself loveth you.’ John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of our countenance.” –Steps to Christ, p. 64
How frequently will we have to bow down at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes? Often.
“The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.
“No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ.
“The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.” –Steps to Christ, p. 64 –65
“But when their sin comes home to their conscience, they see themselves condemned in the light of the holy precepts of God’s law; but they do not war against the law which condemns them; they repent of their sin, and seek pardon through the merit of Christ, who died for their sins in order that they might be justified by faith in his blood. They do not avoid confession and repentance when the neglected law of God is brought to their attention, by exclaiming, as do the self-righteous pretenders to holiness, ‘I am sanctified, I am holy, and I can not sin.’ This is the class whom the apostle rebukes; for he says, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” –Signs of the Times, April 30, 1896
“It is evident that where a claim to sinlessness is made, there the law of God has not been written in the heart; for the commandments of God are exceeding broad, and are discerners of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The apostle speaks words of encouragement to those who realize that they are sinners, and says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ ‘If we say we have no sin,’ when our thoughts, words, and actions, reflected from the law of God, the great moral mirror, reveal us as transgressors, we make God a liar, and prove that his word is not in us.” –Signs of the Times, April 30, 1896
“Paul waged no war against the commandments of God because of the sharp work they had done in detecting his sin; but, although he was condemned to death by the sentence of the law, he exclaims, ‘The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.’
“Those who wage war against the commandments of God make it manifest that their minds are carnal; for ‘the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God.’ But even when we stand in defense of the law of God, and in opposition to the world, who are making void that law, and who are coming under the temptation of the enemy of God, yet we are not to say that we have no sin, but in meekness repent of sin, and make confession of our shortcoming before the Lord. ” –Signs of the Times, April 30, 1896 (emphasis mine)
“It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.’
“More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. So you may say, ‘The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20. So Jesus said to His disciples, ‘It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.’ Matthew 10:20. Then with Christ working in you, you will manifest the same spirit and do the same good works—works of righteousness, obedience.” –Steps to Christ, p. 62 (emphasis mine)
So, what is the purpose of God’s grace in our lives? We started out with 1 John in this study, now let’ us turn there again. 1 John 1:8-10. He forgives us and then He does what? He cleanses us. He has made a way of escape for us.
When all of the world comes to be deceived by the mark of the beast, who will be at the forefront of the battle against God’s people? Those who once knew this faith, but have gone into apostasy–unfaithfulness. But do you think they will admit that, or will they instead say that they are righteous, perhaps even sinless? I think that there is a very good chance that they will be saying that they are sinless—but obviously far from righteous.
“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.” —Evangelism, p. 595 (emphasis mine)
“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 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.” –Evangelism, p. 595–596
The law points out our defects of character, but when we see that we have come short, we shall not feel like berating the law which has condemned our sin, we shall not be disposed to call the commandments of God a yoke of bondage, but, like Paul, we shall acknowledge our sin, and self will die. For “if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
In conclusion: why can’t we claim to be sinless?
Even if we are not outwardly a sinner, how about our thoughts? How about out attitudes of justifying ourselves—or even worse, accusing others, dwelling upon darkness, or foolish speaking? Remember: who is the accuser of the brethren? Certainly not God.
Many of these things are deeply ingrained in our personalities and characters and it takes much time and effort to change the current of our thoughts and attitudes. So we must be patient with one another and God, for sure, but in claiming to be sinless, we give a false impression to others that are struggling against sin.
Let us remember that, while we read in the Bible, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9. And in the Spirit of Prophecy we read, “The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. No matter how severe the pressure brought to bear upon you, sin is your own act. The seat of the difficulty is the unrenewed heart.” The Adventist Home, p. 331. “The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 316. Also, “If one sin is cherished in the soul, or one wrong practice retained in the life, the whole being is contaminated. The man becomes an instrument of unrighteousness.” Desire of Ages, p. 313.1. However, as we read earlier, “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in distinct contrast with his perfect character. Be not discouraged; this is an evidence that Satan’s delusions are losing their power, that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you, and that your indifference and ignorance are passing away. –The Bible Echo, December 1, 1892
What does it show if we claim to be sinless? It shows how far we actually are away from God. Yes, by all means, let’s uplift the righteousness of Christ, and His ability to lead sinners us to repentance, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But on the other hand, let us be far from claiming to be without sin. God is the one who will defend us against the accusations of the enemy (Zechariah 3:2–5), and He is the one who will declare His people righteous—not we ourselves.
Jerry Eaton