This is the fourth post in a series on the Great Controversy.  For the previous post please click HERE.

A critical component of the Great Controversy is that the contest is ultimately a dispute as to whether or not the Law of God can actually be kept and obeyed.  In order to vindicate the Character of God, ultimately, you and I need to follow God’s law and prove that Satan was wrong in his accusations on our inability to do so.

Below I am going to quote from the teachings of Ellen White and other SDA sources to prove my claims on their teaching.

“He [Jesus] came to this world to live the law in humanity, that Satan’s charge that man cannot keep the law might be demonstrated as false.” EGW, Signs of the Times, April 7, 1898.

“Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s commandments  will  reach  the  condition  of sinlessness  in  which  Adam  lived  before  his transgression.”  Seventh-day  Adventist  Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1118.

“In order to let Jesus into our hearts, we must stop sinning.” EGW, Signs of the Times, March 3, 1898.

“To be redeemed means to cease from sin.” Review & Herald, September 25, 1900.

The problem with the above teachings is that the Bible is clear that the law cannot be kept by man at all.  You will never reach a state of sinnlessness no matter how hard you try.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Rom 3:23 KJV

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Rom 3:10-12 KJV

Above it is clear that all have sinned and none are righteous.  This would include those who are saved.  Romans 3:10 specifically doesn’t even allow provision for those who are sanctified to be righteous as it says “no, not one“.  Furthermore even the Apostle Paul admitted to being a sinner, I guess that means even he wasn’t able to vindicate the character of God either. (Rom 7:15) (1 Tim 1:15)

I praise the Lord that it is by his righteousness that I am saved, and not by my own in any respect.  This is because the standard of salvation is eternal perfection.  Read this next verse closely:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matt 5:48 KJV

Some try to water the above verse down, and say that it is a present state of sanctification.  The problem is that Jesus defines the word “perfect” as the perfection of the Father.  The Father is eternally perfect in word thought and deed.  We can never be eternally perfect, even if you were to clean up your act and stop sinning from this point forward you would still have the sins of your past weighing you down to the lake of fire.

The doors of heaven cannot be opened by man, only by God.  The good news is that Jesus meets the standard of eternal perfection.  The righteousness of God, not our own, is given to us in the death burial and resurrection of Christ.

“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 KJV

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Cor 15:1-4 KJV

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 KJV

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” Gal 3:13 KJV

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. ” Eph 2:8-9 KJV

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Rom 3:28 KJV

This doesn’t mean that we should go out and live like devils.  Rather the Gospel has ENTIRELY removed the curse of the law from you.  The law is a good thing and should be kept, not out of fear of hell but rather motivated out of joy and peace in the Gospel.  When we fail, and fail we shall, there is always repentance and forgiveness at the cross.

“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.” 1 John 1:8-9

This Gospel truth undermines the whole premise of the Great Controversy.  According to that piece of heresy you are supposed to be vindicating the character of God right now by keeping the law with eternal perfection.  The only conclusion I can draw from this is that the character of the false god of the Great Controversy is forever tainted and shall never be vindicated (Rom 3:23).