Mark, I believe everyone is born again perfect. Jesus implants within us the sinless seed of the mind and heart of the new man - which comes complete with all the fruit and righteous traits and attributes of God's character. Not one is missing.

In the same way Jesus began perfect and became perfect, so, too, every "truly" born again believer begins perfect and becomes perfect. Again, "perfecting holiness" is what we do as we walk in the Spirit and mind of the new man, as we daily abide in Jesus.

In Christ we are perfect. Now. Period. It's not something we ourselves "achieve" after years of trying real hard. It is a gift we receive the instant we complete the process of conversion, the moment we experience the miracle of rebirth, the second Jesus implants within us the mind and heart of the new man.

Washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb is a metaphor that means we are maturing daily in the fruits of the Spirit in exactly the same way Jesus grew and matured from childhood to manhood. I do not believe it means we gradually outgrow our more stubborn defective traits of character.

But there is the matter of the differences between instinctive knowledge and acquired knowledge - what I refer to as moral and mental perfection.

Mark, the law is useful insofar as it points us to Christ, but it would be a gross misunderstanding of her writings to suggest that she is making the law equal in importance to Christ. As John put it, the law came through Moses; grace and truth came to us through Jesus Christ.

The law is a transcript of God's character, but that's all it is -- a transcript. Jesus Christ is God Himself in human flesh; a real live being.

Jesus admonished the Jews, "You search the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, but they are they which testify of Me."

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary.

The law is made clear in Christ. We should study the law as it is in Christ. Apart from Christ, we can't possibly understand it.

To meditate upon the law should not be understand as a separate venture from meditating upon the life of Christ. It's not as if the law is one important thing, and Christ another.

Christ is all in all. *All* that can be know of God was revealed in Christ.

All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son. (8T 286)

Since *all* that we can know about God was revealed in Christ, it would certainly be a big mistake to think that we need to, or should, study God outside of Him.

I was intrigued with your use of the phrase "borrowed righteousness." "Borrow" means "to receive with the implied or expressed intention of returning the same or an equivalent."

I'm not aware of any inspired reference from Scripture or the Spirit of Prophecy which expresses the idea that our righteousness is borrowed.

I think what you really mean is that our rightouesness is not of ourselves.

It works both ways Tom. The law and the prophets testify of Christ, and Christ testifies of the law and the prophets. Christ constantly referred readers to the OT. It's true that of the two, Christ is the more complete revelation. Christ came though to 'magnify the law'. In the life of Christ the law is magnified. So we have the admonition to make a careful study of it. I urge all readers to start at Exodus 20 and read to the end and then read the entire book of Deuteronomy. You can't help but be charmed by the gracious and just character of God who repeatedly makes every provision for the weak and less fortunate, the widow, orphan and stranger, but who will by no means clear the guilty.

Anyone who suggests that God does not attach penalties to transgression and enforce the law personally does the opposite of magnifying the law, diminishing its immutability and importance. Christ's teaching in this regard is plain.

Regarding borrowed righteousness, haven't you read the phrase, "The Lord our Righteousness"? The first EGW quote on the thread that I posted also contains the phrase 'borrowed goodness'.

Hmm. . . I must have quoted that statement from Ellen White on another thread. Here is the one I meant -

Quote:

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He tells us to be perfect as He is, in the same manner. We are to be centers of light and blessing to our little circle, even as He is to the universe. We have nothing of ourselves, but the light of His love shines upon us, and we are to reflect its brightness. "In His borrowed goodness good," we may be perfect in our sphere, even as God is perfect in His.



Jesus said, Be perfect as your Father is perfect. If you are the children of God you are partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. TMB 77 and 78.

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In the phrase you mentioned, "In His borrowed goodness good" EGW is quoting something it seems, since she put it in quotes. I don't know what she is referring to. I don't think she was intending to make a theological comment about it, do you? It looks like a quote of a poem. Certainly there is the idea that we are not good of ourselves, but I was asking about the "borrowed righteousness" idea you expressed. I'm not familiar with this concept.

We read, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" not "God so loved the world that He lent His only Son." The Lord is our righteousness because He was given to us, not lent to us.

Do you mean anything from the phrase "borrowed righteousness" other than simply that we have no inherent or innate righteousness? I did do a search in EGW's writings, and couldn't find her express this idea anywhere.

I agree that God's gracious character comes out despite all the fog in the O.T. However it's difficult to make sense of. Many see God as advocating genocide. It's much clearer to see God's true character by studying the life of Christ, IMO. Incomparably so. *All* that we can know about God was revealed in Christ. You can't get any clearer than that!

Regarding penalties being attached to the law, I think this comes from viewing the law as something arbitrary and the punishments for breaking it as arbitrary. But if instead we view the law as a hedge to protect us from the effects of breaking it, then we do not need to view it in an arbitrary way.

For example, there is a law against committing adultery. Can anything good come from committing adultery? Broken families and hearts; children raised without a happy home, without both parents; how can anything but misery result? Does God really need to attach an artificial penalty on top of this? It's hard to see that He does.

Rather the law was designed to protect against the misery that would surely follow from breaking it. For example, for a young child you might have a law which is, "Do not cross the street without Mommy or Daddy." Why the law? Because the child could be injured or killed, not understanding the danger of cars. There could even be an artificial penalty ascribed to is, such as spanking, until the child comes of age and can see the wisdom in the law. But the law only exists as a means to protect against the results of breaking it, which have nothing to do with the artificial penalty imposed, which is simply an accomodation to the child's immaturity. The real penatly for breaking the law comes from being hit from a car. Similarly the realy penalty for adultery is the misery which comes upon all those who are in the wake of its influence. Adultery is not bad because of some imposed action on God's part.

So far from making arbitrary requirements, God's law is given to men as a hedge, a shield. Whoever accepts its principles is preserved from evil. Fidelity to God involves fidelity to man. Thus the law guards the rights, the individuality, of every human being. It restrains the superior from oppression, and the subordinate from disobedience. It ensures man's well-being, both for this world and for the world to come. To the obedient it is the pledge of eternal life, for it expresses the principles that endure forever. (Ed 76)

Thanks for taking the time to look that up Rosangela.

Tom, you don't understand what she is referring to by 'borrowed goodness'? The sentence before in the quote says that we are to reflect the light of God to others. The light is not ours. In doing good we are reflecting His goodness. Our righteousness is borrowed in a real sense. The moon and planets that have no light of their own, yet next to the sun are the brightest objects in the sky.