T:Given our characters do not change at death
A:That's the point of my investigation. Is that a given? Where are we given that? I want to dig deeper than my previous understanding.
If we accept Ellen White's statement quoted above, it's a given. For convenience, I'll requote it:
If you have become estranged and have failed to be Bible Christians, be converted; for the character you bear in probationary time will be the character you will have at the coming of Christ. If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of character you cherish in life will not be changed by death or by the resurrection. You will come up from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny.
T:Why would we need Christ's character to stand in the place of ours at death?
A:If our characters do not measure up to the standard of Christ's righteousness, we would need a substitute.
This can't be the reason we need Christ's character to sand in the place of ours at the moment of our death, because the character doesn't change at death. This means if after death we don't needs Christ's covering, then we didn't need it at the moment of death, and, presumably, we didn't need it a moment before death, since at the moment our character would mostly likely be no different than a moment later. Similarly we could argue, going back in time, that we didn't need the covering until we arrive at some point where our character was not Christ-like.
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. {SC 65.1}
The heart that loves Jesus can still have sinfulness. The transformed soul still has moral deformity.
I understand "sinfulness" here to mean "having sinned." That is, I think SC 65.1 would apply for any Christian. That is, I don't think any truly converted person would not feel their own sinfulness. Or, to put it another way, no converted person would feel like they had arrived and no longer needed Christ. I think this is the point of SC 65.1. It's the same as Paul's saying, "It is a faithful saying that Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Our recognizing ourselves as the chief of sinners never goes away.
T:Given we do, that would seem to imply we would continue to need His character standing in the place of ours after death, since the character does not change. Is this what you're thinking? If not, what are you thinking?
A:It is at the last trump where our corruption is turned into incorruption. So we may need the Mercy Seat/hilasterion until then to cover our corruption.
This sounds like you're saying we need the hilasterion because of our bodies.
