"The work of redemption involves consequences of which it is difficult for man to have any conception. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Cor. 2:9. As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. God Himself is "the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. 3:26. And "whom He justified, them He also glorified." Rom. 8:30. Great as is the shame and degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven's treasure, an excellency of power, that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen. {COL 162.4}

R: This obviously includes the fact that Christ's character stands in place of the sinner's character.

M: "I have no sin" is referring to past sins. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (v. 10) John is not talking about an innate, inherent state of unpardonable sin that corrupts and stains the righteous results of humanity and divinity combined.

R: Sure, past sins - those of five minutes ago.

M: I’m glad we agree it refers to past sins and not to an innate, inherent state of unpardonable sin that corrupts and stains the righteous results of humanity and divinity combined.

R: Mike, my character isn't yet perfect; I'm still seeking for perfection of character.

M: Converted Christians (i.e. believers who are living in harmony with everything Jesus commanded) are perfectly sinless while they are between sins (i.e. not currently committing a sin), while they are abiding in Jesus and partaking of the divine nature, while they are walking in the Spirit and mind of the new man, while they are growing in grace and maturing in the fruits of the Spirit, while they are perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. "Those whom heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness. (FLB 111)

R: So they are part of the time perfectly sinless, and part of the time completely sinful?

No one can maintain a neutral ground. Those who endeavor to do this will fulfill Christ's words, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (chap. 6:24). {TDG 240.2}

No one occupies a neutral position, doing nothing to encourage others and doing nothing to hinder them. Says Christ: They that gather not with Me scatter abroad. Take heed, old and young; you are either doing the work of Christ, to save souls, or the work of Satan, to lead them to perdition. {1T 484.2}

None of us can occupy a neutral position; our influence will tell for or against. We are active agents for Christ or for the enemy. We either gather with Jesus or scatter abroad. {4T 16.4} No one can occupy a neutral position; there is no middle class, who neither love God nor serve the enemy of righteousness. {MB 94.1}

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1, 2) “For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.” (Romans 14:18)

“If any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.” (1 Timothy 5:4) “When ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” (1 Peter 2:20) “We may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” (1 Timothy 2:2, 3)

“[We] may be all that He desires us to be--representatives of Him, expressing the fragrance of His character, His own pure thoughts, His divine attributes . . . to be like Christ--pure, undefiled, wholly acceptable to God, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. {6BC 1118.4}

“Holiness, which means wholeness to God, is wholly acceptable to God. {UL 273.3} It is the noble principles which are brought into the work that make it wholly acceptable in the Lord's sight. {MYP 72.3} God will make his labors wholly acceptable if he will imitate the Pattern. {4T 609.1}

“Do your best, and God will accept your efforts. Take up the duty lying nearest you, and perform it with fidelity, and your work will be wholly acceptable to the Master. {MYP 96.1} His energies are worn, his mind broken, and at best his services must be weak; yet if given heartily and fully, they are wholly acceptable. {RY 81.3}

She means exactly what she said, namely, Jesus makes the righteous results of "humanity and divinity combined" fragrant and acceptable to God by uniting them with His righteousness. She is not saying Jesus must do this because otherwise "righteousness and true holiness" is corrupt, sin-stained, and unacceptable to God. It stands to reason. Not even Jesus can sugar-coat sin and make it acceptable to God.

In obedience to the Father's law, and through faith in the atoning blood of His Son, paradise may be regained. "Repentance toward God," because His law has been transgressed, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, as man's only Redeemer, will be acceptable with God. Notwithstanding man's sinfulness, the merits of God's dear Son in his behalf will avail with the Father. {Con 15.3}


When we contemplate His purity and excellence, we shall see our own weakness and poverty and defects as they really are. We shall see ourselves lost and hopeless, clad in garments of self-righteousness, like every other sinner. We shall see that if we are ever saved, it will not be through our own goodness, but through God's infinite grace. {COL 159.1}

None of the apostles or prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God had honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So will it be with all who behold Christ. {COL 160.2}

At every advance step in Christian experience our repentance will deepen. It is to those whom the Lord has forgiven, to those whom He acknowledges as His people, that He says, "Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe
yourselves in your own sight." Eze. 36:31. Again He says, "I will establish My covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God." Eze. 16:62, 63.
Then our lips will not be opened in self-glorification. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone. We shall make the apostle's confession our own. "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." Rom. 7:18. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. 6:14. {COL 160.3}

It sounds to me like you too are talking past each other. I think to Mike "corrupt and sin-stained" would imply voluntarily sinning. So Mike hears Rosangela saying that Christ is making up for voluntary sin. However, Rosangela doesn't have this in mind. "Deficiency" means being imperfect (which hasn't been defined, as far as I can tell, other than meaning "not perfect") not voluntary sinning.

So why not define what "deficiency" means (which I think Rosangela is asking Mike to do) and what "perfect" means (my idea).

Moral perfection is not reaching a point where we equal God and merit heaven.