Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Understanding Ellen G. White’s Quote About the Righteousness of Christ and the Sinner’s Account

Understanding Ellen G. White’s Quote About the Righteousness of Christ and the Sinner’s Account

Recently, a listener sent in the following request:

Please help me understand this Ellen White quote through design law:

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of his Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as he loves his Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Review and Herald, November 4, 1890, par. 7).

Thank you for your inquiry. When I read passages like this one, which is describing God’s solution to the sin problem, I find it helpful to first identify the problem that sin caused, the problem that the plan of salvation fixes. Before we seek to understand the meaning of the passage above, let’s ask: “What biases, assumptions, and beliefs do we hold regarding the nature of the sin problem?” Our understanding of the sin problem slants how we interpret God’s actions in solving it.

When Adam sinned, did God get changed? Did God’s law get changed? Obviously, the answer to both is no! So, whatever the solution is to the sin problem, it does not involve doing something to God or His law—they are perfect!

Next question: When Adam and Eve sinned, did they get changed? I think it is obvious that they did.

Now, perhaps the most important question: Was the nature of that change a penal/legal change, a change in their legal status within the celestial government—or was it a change in the operation of their being, a change in heart, mind, and character? After they sinned, were they still righteous, holy, loving, trusting friends of God who now simply had a legal problem with a legal penalty they could not pay? Or were they changed into individuals who were actually out of harmony with God and His protocols for life? Why did they become afraid and run and hide? Was it because God changed and got angry and wrathful and was out to get them? Or was it something inside of them that changed such that they distrusted God and now operated upon the motive of fear and selfishness instead of love and trust?

The questions lead us to understand reality—that God is the Creator, and as Creator, His laws are the laws that all the universe is built upon and life itself operates upon, what I term design laws, like the laws of physics, gravity, health, and the moral laws. Life, health, and happiness are possible only when in harmony with the laws the Creator built into the operations of reality. Created beings—you, me, angels—cannot create from nothing; we cannot establish laws that govern the operations of reality, so we make up rules we call laws, but our laws are imposed and require the use of external punishments to enforce compliance and punish wrongdoing.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they did not get into legal trouble in a court system that functions like human law courts; they got into lethal trouble. They were no longer operating upon the laws that God built them to thrive and live upon. They were now dead in trespass and sin (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13)—their condition, without intervention and remedy from our Creator, was terminal. (If you would like to read more about how God, through Jesus, heals His creation from sin, see our blogs Salvation and the Cleansing of Our Spirit, Part 1 and Part 2.)

All of the word pictures in Scripture teach that the plan of salvation is not the plan of legal adjustment in a courtroom but is the plan of healing the heart and mind of the individual:

  • “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 ESV).
  • “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26, 27 NIV84).
  • “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).
  • Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3 NIV84).
  • Circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code (Romans 2:29 NIV84).
  • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV84).

All the examples and descriptions in Scripture of the plan of salvation teach the healing, recreation, and restoration of God’s living law within the believer, the removal of hard hearts and restoration of tender hearts, the restoration of genuine love and trust in God, and the eradication of fear and selfishness from the heart, mind, and character. This is not a legal adjustment in some heavenly books but is the work of our Creator within the believer. And it is possible only through the victory of Jesus; it is through the sinless, substitutionary, victorious life of Jesus that God heals and saves sinners. As Jesus described with metaphorical language, His sacrifice, His flesh and blood, alone provides salvation when it is taken into the heart and mind of the believer:

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:53–58 NIV84).

Notice that Jesus states directly that we have eternal life only as His flesh and blood are internalized within the sinner. Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14). In the passage above, Jesus is using metaphor to describe the truth—the Word becoming flesh that we ingest. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). When we internalize into our hearts the truth about God that Jesus is, that truth destroys the lies of Satan and wins us back to trust. In that trust, we open our hearts and invite Him in and then we receive, through that trust, a new life via the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is the life of Christ—as Paul wrote, “It is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). We become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), which is symbolic of internalizing the blood of Jesus, for the life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11).

Following the Clues

Now, after settling upon a solid biblical understanding, we can examine other quotes from the author in question that shed light on how she uses words and phrases and that help us come to an accurate understanding of the quote under investigation. The following quote comes from The Desire of Ages:

The law requires righteousness—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26 (p. 762, emphasis mine).

The law of God is the design law of life; thus, the law requires righteousness in the exact same way that the law of respiration requires that we breathe if we want to live. While we have the freedom to tie weights on our legs and jump into the ocean and, thereby, take ourselves out of harmony with the law of respiration, we cannot live by doing that. The law cannot be changed to meet a person in such a situation. Likewise, God’s moral law cannot be changed to meet the sinner in sin. To save the drowning person, they must be put back in harmony with the law that life is built to operate upon. To save a sinner, the sinner must be put back in harmony with the law life is built to operate upon.

A legal declaration in a book in a courtroom that states a drowning person is legally declared to be breathing will not change the reality of their drowning death if they remain out of harmony with the law. Likewise, a legal declaration in a book in heaven has no saving impact. Salvation requires the life of the sinner to be restored to righteousness.

So, with all of this in mind, we can now understand the meaning of the passage quoted. We will go through the quote section by section—the italics portions are from the quote in question with my commentary following:

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Righteousness is obedience to the law.

Simply put, righteousness is living in harmony with the laws of life, the design laws built into the operations of reality, doing what is right—i.e., righteous because it is the right or healthy way to live.

The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law;

The law demands righteousness in the same way the law of respiration demands we breathe. It is the only way for life to exist and operate. To not breathe is to die; to not be righteous is to die.

but he is incapable of rendering it.

We are born in sin conceived in iniquity (Psalm 51:5). When Adam and Eve sinned, they corrupted their lives with fear and selfishness, and this sinful, corrupt, selfish, terminal life is the only life they had to pass along to their descendants. Thus, we are born in sin, in fear, and in selfishness. We are born animated by motives antagonistic to God and life, and in ourselves, we cannot change this. This is a terminal condition. This is why we must be reborn with a new life, a new heart, a cleansed and renewed spirit of love and trust.

The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith.

We can obtain a new heart only through trust (faith), through surrendering our life of fear and selfishness to Jesus, through “dying” to the survival-driven, save-self motives, and being reborn with a love for God and other-centered motives. It is only by this renewal, with a new holy animating energy of love and trust that comes only through trust in Jesus, that we can attain righteousness.

By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ,

The merits of Jesus are His righteous attributes of character, His sinless life that we internalize through trust when we are reborn and Christ lives in us. We bring these by trust because having been reborn with a new animating spirit (pneuma), a new life that comes through trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit animates us with the motives of love and we develop the fruits of the Spirit, the character of Christ, as we choose to live out the new desires and motives from the indwelling Holy Spirit (imbued within us; see quote above). Thus, we bring the merits of Christ because they are reproduced within us (Galatians 2:20).

and the Lord places the obedience of his Son to the sinner’s account.

This is simple reality. Because the sinner is restored in heart and mind to be righteous, through the righteousness and victory of Christ that is internalized through trust, God recognizes what actually exists—Christ’s victory is now theirs in reality. Ellen White wrote elsewhere:

By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 311, emphasis mine).

Jesus, as a human, took up humanity damaged by sin, eradicated the infection of fear and selfishness, and restored righteousness, love, God’s perfect design law, into humanity. Jesus is the second Adam; He is the vine, and every human attached to Jesus by faith has the life of Jesus reproduced within them. “It is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20. Thus, because of Jesus’ obedience and victory, we can partake of His merits (attributes of character), and the Father registers that reality, that we are in fact righteous, into our account.

The account is analogous to medical records—they document disease, but when the patient partakes of a remedy and the disease is eradicated in the patient, then the medical record is updated to indicate that the person is healthy. This is what is being described. The only way to have the account of a person registered as right with God is for the heart of the person, through trust, to be reborn to be right with God, which is righteous.

Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure,

Christ’s righteousness first stands in place of Adam’s failure, and second, Christ’s righteousness stands in place of each individual’s failure when we are recreated in righteousness through our trust in Him.

and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as he loves his Son.

God receives, heals, pardons, sets right, fixes, the trusting soul and loves them just like He loves His Son.

This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light. He can say with rejoicing, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

This is how reality works, how our faith in our Creator God opens our inner selves to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit who brings us the life of Christ and reproduces righteousness within us.

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 16

Your seminars are still inspiring and changing our lives and we continue to share the principles we have learned from you. Your ministry has changed our lives!

E.W.

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA

 

Testimony 70

I have been watching you for many years and have learned to love God with all my heart. I was raised by a loving Christian mother that had been lied to about who God really was, so our religious upbringing was hell fire and damnation. As soon as I was old enough and moved out, I not only left the church, I ran as fast as I could to get away from it. Sad to say, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I learned and understand who my Father really is and how much He loves me. I understand God’s Design Laws (which make sense) and when I’m teaching my church Bible study class, I’m able to really put to use the things I’ve been learning and Holy Spirit is leading. Thank you for introducing me to my Father of true, pure love. Everyday with Him is new and exciting. One thing that breaks my heart is that I didn’t know Him sooner. God Bless you and your ministry!

Judy Phelps, Reno, NV, USA

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

Testimony 38

Since November 2015, when I started studying Gods word from this God Is Love point of view, my life has been transformed. My troubled marriage of 15 years has been healed and my husband and I are truly happy for the first time in 15 years. Now When I read the word of God I understand it so much better and I can’t help but see Gods love radiating through the pages to humanity. Gods word is living and active and I am blessed beyond measure to be having this amazing experience. God has given me a beautiful understanding of Jn 3:16 that amazes me more and more each day. Thank you again for your ministry.

Helen D., London, England

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 5

We listen to your bible studies lessons in our class in Montana. You actually were the main reason I decided to get a laptop, so I can go to your site and listen, read, learn, and print the class notes. I am so grateful to learn the correct view of God and his character. Now, to just have others have an interest in knowing, so I can share it with them. Good thoughts your way.

R. N., MT, USA

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 22

I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.

 

Testimony 19

I truly believe that to know who God really is the first step to understand ourselves in a balanced and kind way, so the healing can take place. Your approach really makes sense – Thank you for your ministry!

A.M., Pittsburg, PA, USA

Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

Testimony 67

I was introduced to Come And Reason by a friend of my mother-in-law, who gave me several CD’s of Dr. Jennings. The clarity of the message and recognition that God’s is a God of love was so clear, advancing beyond Dr. Maxwell’s message. However, grappled with Maxwell saying God used emergency measures for the fallen world. Now after several years of being a regular listener of the Come And Reasoning bible study class and attending Jennings’ meetings in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, things are becoming clearer for me. Design law versus imposed law has added so much to my personal understanding of theology. This message has really impacted my work in counseling so many people miserable because they are searching for and trusting human governments to create order and peace or believing in a God who says love Me or I will kill you. I am grateful that I have an alternative view to offer my clients that makes sense. I teach a bible study class on a semi-regular basis and I value the materials that Come And Reason so freely offers to aid me in presenting this vital message. Thank you for continuing to provide advancement in our very limited understanding of a Infinite God that is rational and believable.

Dr. Roger D, Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 64

I’ve been reading the bible and walking with Jesus since I was around 16. I’m 42 now. I’ve mostly been alone in my walk although I went to several churches in different denominations. For the past 3 years God has been showing me His character of agape. It’s been a blessing and changed how I view God and my walk with Jesus. About a year ago I came across the power of love and the principles of design law. These teachings changed how I read scripture and have been such a beautiful blessing. I’m very excited and grateful for these truths. We share these truths of agape, design law and the reality of the principles of the two trees in the garden of Eden with people on Facebook and YouTube. People all over are learning to trust God and His agape design law which makes life possible. Thank you for everything you shared with me. May God continue to bless your ministry and lives.

Bradley M., Hinsdale, NY, USA