Analysis LGT14
Analysis LGT14
Analysis LGT14
Larry Kirkpatrick's
Cleanse and
Close
by Daniel McFeeters
2015
www.fiforms.net
For much of my life, I have heard the concepts of last generation
theology (or LGT) preached from pulpits, integrated into Bible studies,
and heralded at conservative campmeetings and conventions around the
country. I have at times studied into various issues touched upon by LGT,
but only recently did I become aware of the terminology and make a
determined study into the history and teachings of LGT itself. In doing
so, I have closely examined many of my own beliefs in light of the
Scripture, the writings of Ellen G. White, and the history of the Seventh-
day Adventist Church. I have come to realize just how much more I have
to learn about the great issues surrounding the nature of Christ, the
atonement, and the final events of Bible prophecy.
“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of
Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the
sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be
spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood
of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent
effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the
investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins
of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there
is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin,
among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly
presented in the messages of Revelation 14.” (Great
Controversy, page 425)
Page 2 of 50
One of the main tenants of last generation theology is the teaching of the
necessity of overcoming all sin in the last days. LGT teaches that the last
generation must reach an absolute standard of maturity or perfection,
unlike any other generation in history. God then uses this “character
maturity” of His last-generation followers as an example to the universe
that His law can be kept. This ultimately defeats Satan in the great
controversy and allows events on earth to come to a close. In support of
this belief, LGT emphasizes teachings such as the fallen nature of Christ,
the unfinished atonement, and the nature of sin. The strong emphasis on
character perfection leads to an emphasis on sanctification as necessary
and prerequisite to salvation, and a corresponding deemphasis of the
teaching of justification by faith.
In some cases, I have taken the liberty to interpret “code words” based on
the context. These interpretations are based on the published teachings of
key supporters of LGT: Larry Kirkpatrick, Dennis Priebe, Kevin Paulson,
Herbert Douglass, and M. L. Andreasen.
Page 3 of 50
This document should not be interpreted as a personal attack on
Kirkpatrick or any of the individuals mentioned. Rather, it is questioning
a system of belief that has affected a great number of Seventh-day
Adventists. Although last generation theology has received much
discussion, it has perhaps not been critically analyzed enough by recent
followers. I do not present this as a final “refutation” or “rebuttal” to
Kirkpatrick's LGT 14, but as a way of asking for further clarification and
study into the issues raised. I think the discussion should continue, in a
Christian manner, to the end that we may “come to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Ephesians 4:13
1 Downloaded from
http://web.archive.org/web/20140303230550/http://lastgenerationtheology.o
rg/lgt/ori/ori-lgt14.php
Page 4 of 50
for the plan of redemption takes us all the way to the joyous call
to spiritual battle enfolded in the Bible’s last chapter: “The
Spirit and the bride say ‘Come!’”
Anthropology
1. Born With Weaknesses and Tendencies to Evil
Man was designed to live, not to die; wired to succeed, not to
fail. But at the Fall, his nature was dramatically disordered, so
that he is born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil. There is
now in the fallen human organism little inclination to cause him
to seek God or His righteousness.
Page 5 of 50
These statements seem to be given as points of belief, although
Kirkpatrick is clear that they should not stand as an addition to the 28
fundamental beliefs. This statement parallels Seventh-day Adventist
belief #7 on the nature of man, 4 but with an interesting approach. While
admitting to the fallen nature of man, this statement paints a glowing
picture of the unfallen nature of Adam and Eve. Reading Genesis, I find
that even in Eden, Adam and Eve were entirely dependent on God.
Rather than being inherently “designed to live” and “wired to succeed,”
they depended on a source outside of themselves for life: specifically the
tree of life. When cut off from this source of life, they reaped the results
of their own choice: “dying you shall die.” (Genesis 2:17, 3:22-24)
Although it is true to say that all are lost because of personal choices, is
this perhaps an oversimplification of the definition of sin? Does the
teaching of LGT, perhaps, under-emphasize the impossibility of right-
doing in the disordered nature? What did Jesus mean when He said, “You
must be born again”? (John 3) This statement implicitly defines sin as a
series of actions (choices).
Page 6 of 50
In my understanding, sin (bad choices) and law keeping (good choices)
are seen in one's actions, but are inherently matters of the heart: the fruit
of one's relationship to God. While one may be lost because of making
wrong choices, the inverse is not necessarily true. One cannot be saved
simply by ceasing to make wrong choices, and instead making right
choices. The past must be forgiven, and the “disordered nature” must be
transformed by the renewing grace of Christ, before it is even possible
for man to make right choices out of right motives. 5
Merit
3. God Takes the Initiative
Repentance is a gift from God, who has taken the initiative to
bring it within man’s reach. His grace is sent out in search of us
even before we realize our need.
God does not just place repentance and salvation “within man's reach.”
His Spirit is drawing everyone to Himself, and only a choice to resist His
drawing will prevent man from being led to the cross. How else could
anyone be saved, for how would the carnal mind desire the things of
God?
“The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love
is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led
to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the
Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the
soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of
Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who
works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is
written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, 'I delight to do
Thy will, O my God.' Psalm 40:8”6
Page 7 of 50
4. No Merit for Our Deeds
Nothing we do in the Christian walk earns us even the slightest
merit toward our salvation.
In his book Cleanse and Close, Kirkpatrick here speaks of the necessity
of perfect obedience, even though obedience does not earn “merit”
toward salvation.
How does one establish, from the Bible, this distinction between
“perfectionism” and “character maturity”? Since this is such a
fundamental key to LGT, does one Bible text (Revelation 14:12) give
enough foundation on which to build such an important doctrine? Jesus
and the apostles emphasized the importance of perfection for all
Christians throughout all time. Where does the Bible teach that a matured
character is necessary to vindicate God in the last generation, even
though it's not necessary for salvation?
Page 8 of 50
Cooperation
5. Christ’s Character Reproduced in Us
Justification is God’s way of simultaneously counting men right
and making them so. In declaring a man just, God writes no
fiction. The disciple’s walk continues, and through the process of
sanctification, the character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in
us. Both justification and sanctification are the work of God, and
are necessary and causative for salvation.
Page 9 of 50
My question is: Is this doctrine thoroughly grounded in the Bible and in
the writings of Ellen White? While the Bible speaks much of perfection,
hasn't perfection always been a requirement of those who are saved, from
Enoch and Job all the way down to our day? Of course, by this we
understand that Christ's grace covers areas of ignorance. For example,
neither Martin Luther or William Miller every accepted the Sabbath, but
Mrs. White makes clear that, prior to 1844, the Sabbath truth was not the
test that it has been since then. 11
Doesn't this teaching tend toward dispensationalism? Does the belief that
Christians must go through the close of probation, hold end-time
Christians to a different standard than ever before? Doesn't this imply
that God saved past generations in their sins? Do we suppose that God
only enables full victory in the final generation, and saves others even
though they were “imperfect?”
Page 10 of 50
Mrs. White speaks this way of character perfection: “None need fail of
attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the
sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive
all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach
the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s
character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of
evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human
beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s
assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory.”12
Again, in commenting on 1 John 3:3 and 1 John 2:6, she makes the
statement: “As God is holy in His sphere, so fallen man, through faith in
Christ, is to be holy in his sphere.”13
Notice how, in each case, she prefaces the statement with the qualifier,
“in his sphere,” that is to say, within the ability and understanding of the
human being, aided by Divine grace. Is it true, then, that the final
generation must attain to an absolute, unqualified perfection? Or is it
possible that the “perfection” of the final generation is merely an
extension or continuation of the perfection that is required of every
believer?
Page 11 of 50
6. Obedience a Condition of Salvation
Obedience is both a condition for salvation and an ongoing
requirement of salvation.
No one will enter the heavenly kingdom without demonstrating in his life
the fruit of obedience. However, the Bible plainly teaches that we are not
saved by our works. In my reading of inspiration, our works (i.e.
obedience) are the fruit of the salvation that is wrought by Christ in our
lives.14
Page 12 of 50
must do to earn salvation? If obedience is not merely the fruit of
salvation; if it is a necessary prerequisite or condition of salvation, yet it
is impossible without salvation, then how can salvation be a gift?
Incarnation
7. Jesus Emptied Himself and Took Our Fallen Flesh
During His earthly sojourn, Jesus, God from eternity and still
God, laid aside out of His possession certain of His powers of
deity and lived as a man in fallen flesh among men in fallen
flesh. He came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser
God to a greater, but as a man to obey God’s Holy Law. He could
have recovered those powers at any time, but for our sakes chose
to live as we do.
The term “fallen flesh” makes a strong statement about that nature of
Christ. Is this, perhaps, a more direct and specific definition of Christ's
nature than what is warranted by the Scripture and the writings of Mrs.
White?17 Consider the following quotation, from a letter written to elder
W. L. H. Baker in 1895:
“Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell upon the human
nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the
propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a
pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image
of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of
sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But
Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself
human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted.
He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was
there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the
wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden. …
17 See SDA Bible Commentary Volume 7A, Appendix 2, pp. 443 – 456
Page 13 of 50
“Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds
that a taint of, or inclination to corruption rested upon Christ, or that He
in any way yielded to corruption. He was tempted in all points like as
man is tempted, yet He is called that holy thing. It is a mystery that is left
unexplained to mortals that Christ could be tempted in all points like as
we are, and yet be without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been,
and will ever remain a mystery. That which is revealed, is for us and for
our children, but let every human being be warned from the ground of
making Christ altogether human, such an one as ourselves: for it cannot
be. The exact time when humanity blended with divinity, it is not
necessary for us to know. We are to keep our feet on the rock, Christ
Jesus, as God revealed in humanity.18
Page 14 of 50
It is clear from the Scripture that Jesus was tempted by Satan. Doesn't the
claim that Jesus was tempted “from within” imply that He had tendencies
to evil within himself? Can we fully comprehend the mystery of Christ's
incarnation? To say that Christ was tempted from within would imply that
Christ Himself was sinful and also in need of a Savior.
Christ took Adam's fallen nature, but He did not have tendencies to sin.
Christ overcame the power of appetite by resisting the temptation in the
wilderness. Even though Christ didn't go through the experience of a
recovering drug addict, can we not agree that the magnitude and nature
of His temptation was such that He can empathize with every fallen child
of Adam?20
Atonement
9. Jesus is Currently Making the Final Atonement
Jesus’ atonement was promised in Eden. With His incarnation
and then death as our Substitute on the cross, His atoning work
was begun. He rose from the dead and went to heaven in A.D. 31
to represent us before the Father, who received His sacrifice for
us. Through that sacrifice we can be right with God as soon as
we accept His gift of forgiveness and heart cleansing. In A.D.
1844 He entered the second apartment of the heavenly
sanctuary, commencing the closing phase of His atonement.
Today, Jesus is making the final atonement.
20 See http://www.andrews.edu/~fortind/EGWNatureofChrist.htm
http://sdanet.org/atissue/books/wwhc/hoc02.htm
http://sdanet.org/atissue/books/wwhc/hoc-aa.htm
SDA Bible Commentary Volume 7A, Appendix 2, pp. 443 - 456
Page 15 of 50
word “atonement” only to Christ's ministry in heaven. 21 Mrs. White, by
contrast, used the word “atonement” more broadly, referencing both
Christ's sacrificial death and His heavenly ministry.
The Bible and Ellen White teach that Christ's provision for the
forgiveness of sin and His ultimate defeat of Satan, occurred at the Cross.
During the investigative judgment, does Christ's ministry add to or
“complete” a work that He left unfinished on the cross? Was His death
insufficient? Or is His present work simply another phase of His work, in
which He applies the merits of His sacrifice? Jesus is now applying the
merits of His shed blood, forever blotting sin from the book of
remembrance in Heaven, for all who have truly repented and accepted
Christ.23
Page 16 of 50
man, would not the “final atonement” remain incomplete until the
destruction of sin and Satan at the close of the millennium? Even
following this reasoning, how is the “final atonement” completed by the
“final generation”?
Ellen White teaches that while Christ is ministering in the Most Holy
Place, His followers are to purify their lives. She also says that, after the
close of probation, the remnant will stand in the sight of God without a
mediator.26 However, is not the sanctuary that is cleansed in heaven? Is
judgment primarily about judging or vindicating God by the cleansing of
those on earth? Or is judgment about God's public review of the books
kept in heaven; a granting of disclosure to the universe in His judgment
of the lives of those on earth? Is it perhaps stretching the evidence to say
that the cleansing of God's people on earth is integrally connected to
Christ's cleansing of the sanctuary?
24 Dennis Priebe, Will the Great Controversy End Soon, quoted in Appendix G
25 See Great Controversy, pp. 422, 485, quoted in Appendix E.
26 The Great Controversy, p. 425 (quoted at the beginning of this article)
Page 17 of 50
In his book, Kirkpatrick states:
Has God's last-day church really been this blind to the truth all along?
Does the author imply that it will take a remnant of the remnant to finish
the work? Is the “light” of this gospel, this “reformation” of the final
generation, consistent with our understanding of the gospel that was
passed down from the apostles and prophets? Is this “the purpose of the
gospel,” that humans will end evil once and for all?
Page 18 of 50
Is this statement perhaps a subtle attack on the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, by implying that the church is teaching a “half-gospel”? Perhaps
this is a reference to the theology taught by Ford and Brinsmead during
the 1960's and 1970's. Though there has been much discussion of the
topic of Righteousness by Faith in the Adventist church ever since 1888,
has the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a whole been guilty of teaching
a “half gospel” all these years? If the teachings of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church are so fundamentally flawed, how can this even be
God's last-day people?
Page 19 of 50
This is a direct reference to Ellen White's statement: “'When the fruit is
brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is
come.' Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of
Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly
reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His
own.”28
Mrs. White clarifies in the very next paragraph: “It is the privilege of
every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name
bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown
with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be
ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”
The idea that Christ waits for the harvest until the harvest is ripe, is a
biblical idea. In the parable of Matthew 13, Jesus says, “the field is the
world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the
sons of the wicked one.” Would it not seem that the harvest involves
more than the maturing of the church, but that of the whole world?
Therefore, would not the timing of the harvest depend upon the world
and the church, having become decidedly settled either for or against
Christ?
Page 20 of 50
The outpouring of the “latter rain” and going forth of the “loud cry” are
coincident with this full maturing. Would not these events also coincide
with the “sealing,” at the conclusion of which comes the close of
probation? Would not the righteous who are sealed, be those who have
finally and fully committed themselves to Christ?
God knows which ones have finally made their last decision in the great
controversy—those who will not turn back. On these, does He not pour
out the latter rain? Hence, would not probation close on an individual
basis for those who receive the seal, even while others are joining the
ranks of the Lord during the outpouring of the latter rain? At the
conclusion of this, would not Christ simply be recognizing the final
decision of every individual by standing up and giving the proclamation
of Revelation 22:11?
Kirkpatrick claims that the gospel is about God's character and our
healing, and downplays the legal or justification aspect of the gospel.
Why do the Bible writers use so many legal terms in reference to the
Page 21 of 50
gospel, such as law, condemnation, pardon, redemption, etc? The book of
Romans pictures man as condemned to death, and the gospel as the only
means of salvation.
Why did Jesus have to die? Could not God have been our friend, and
healed our pain, without requiring such sacrifice? Did Jesus die merely to
prove a point, or did He die because that was the only way He could
provide salvation? Do not the demands of the law require the penalty to
be paid for sin, so that God can be both “just, and the justifier of the one
who has faith in Jesus”? (Romans 3:26)
Kirkpatrick here coins the term “character witnesses.” What is the role of
the “character witnesses” in the great controversy? In his book,
Kirkpatrick states:
Page 22 of 50
“Being part of that answer is the most practical thing a human
being can do. We are sought for by God's kingdom as witnesses
for His character. Nothing is more meaningful than this aspect of
LGT.”29
This is the most meaningful aspect of LGT. And very humbling indeed,
to think that God needs us to witness to His character! However, is this
the gospel of the Bible? What if God can't find enough “character
witnesses”? Is Satan not a defeated foe? Does he still have a chance of
gaining the upper hand in the great controversy?
Didn't Christ, by His sinless life on this earth, vindicate the character of
God and the holiness of His law once and for all? Didn't Christ fully
refute Satan's claims as to the unreasonableness of God's requirements? 30
Christ's followers in every age, by overcoming sin, attest to this in their
own lives. But does God stand in need of man's help, to finally overthrow
Satan and vindicate His law? The “character witnesses” (Revelation
14:12) are another testimony to God's power, but are man's works the
final vindication of God's righteousness?
29 Larry Kirkpatrick, Cleanse and Close, pp 130-132. See also Appendix F for
further quotations.
30 Desire of Ages, pages 761-762
Page 23 of 50
Again, doesn't this statement implicate the organized Seventh-day
Adventist Church of “insubordination” and failing to “embrace the
truths”? More importantly, does last generation theology lie dormant in
the fundamental teachings and history of Adventism, as an obscure
teaching that must be re-discovered and proclaimed in order to transform
the church? Or is this perhaps a “new gospel,” built upon subtle re-
interpretations of history, and the writings of some of the pioneers of the
the 1888 message?
Conclusion
While last generation theology lies very close to the truth, the principles
of LGT open up major questions in the areas of christiology, soteriology,
and eschatology. LGT insists that Christ's fallen nature included
tendencies to evil; that He was tempted from within. I have not found
biblical support for this position.
Page 24 of 50
LGT emphasizes that the investigative judgment (“final atonement”) is
paralleled by a cleansing of the lives of those living on earth. It teaches
that the perfecting of the final generation is integrally connected with
Christ's ministration of the “final atonement.” I cannot see how this
position is supported in the Bible.
Finally, the idea that the last generation must attain “complete
sanctification” or “character maturity” in order to vindicate God and
defeat Satan in the great controversy, seems to place man in the position
of being the savior of God. It denies the power of God and the ultimate
victory of Christ's perfect life and vicarious death on the cross.
Daniel McFeeters
Email: fiforms@gmail.com
Blog: www.fiforms.net
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:13-14
Page 25 of 50
Appendix A – Further Reading
The following references may shed light on the teachings of Scripture
that are dealt with in this article.
• Matthew 5:43-48
• Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20
• John 3:1-21
• Romans 6-8
• 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
• James 1:12-15
• 2 Peter 3:11-12
• Revelation 14:1-12
• Revelation 22
Page 26 of 50
Additional References:
Page 27 of 50
Eugene Prewitt, Does Last Generation Theology Amount to Change in
the Everlasting Gospel, GYC 2014
http://gycweb.org/media/does-last-generation-theology-amount-to-
change-in-the-everlasting-gospel/
Dennis Priebe, Face to Face With the Real Gospel, 1985 Pacific Press
Publishing Association
See also numerous articles on www.dennispriebe.com
Page 28 of 50
Appendix B –
Perfection and Victory over Sin
Is the overcoming of sin possible? Is it necessary? Is human perfection at
the center of the last battle of the Great Controversy? The following
quotations from the pages of inspiration may shed light on this question:
Page 29 of 50
By the facts unfolded in the progress of the great controversy,
God will demonstrate the principles of His rules of government,
which have been falsified by Satan and by all whom he has
deceived. His justice will finally be acknowledged by the whole
world, though the acknowledgment will be made too late to save
the rebellious. God carries with Him the sympathy and approval
of the whole universe as step by step His great plan advances to
its complete fulfillment. He will carry it with Him in the final
eradication of rebellion. It will be seen that all who have
forsaken the divine precepts have placed themselves on the side
of Satan, in warfare against Christ. When the prince of this
world shall be judged, and all who have united with him shall
share his fate, the whole universe as witnesses to the sentence
will declare, “Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.”
Revelation 15:3.{PP 79.1}
The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own
good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it
was also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven
and of other worlds. The field of the controversy between Christ
and Satan—the field on which the plan of redemption is wrought
out—is the lesson book of the universe. Because Abraham had
shown a lack of faith in God’s promises, Satan had accused him
before the angels and before God of having failed to comply with
the conditions of the covenant, and as unworthy of its blessings.
God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant before all
heaven, to demonstrate that nothing less than perfect obedience
can be accepted, and to open more fully before them the plan of
salvation. {PP 154.3}
After the fall God saw that man had no power within himself to
keep from sin, and provision was made whereby he could have
help. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” One wonderful in counsel was our Helper. The
Son of God left the heavenly courts and gave His life as the
propitiation for sin. He came to declare that altho the agencies
of evil had created rebellion in heaven, and sin had entered the
universe of God, yet Christ and the Father would redeem the
fallen race. Laying aside His kingly crown and royal robe, He
Page 30 of 50
gave Himself to the human family, to pass through test and trial
and thus demonstrate to every son and daughter of Adam that it
is possible through faith in Him to resist the devices of Satan.
Tempted in all points as man is tempted, Christ overcame
through the power of divinity. He seeks to teach men and women
that they may overcome through the same power.{ST February
17, 1909, par. 9}
Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between
the Prince of Light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness.
After tempting man to sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and
styled himself the prince of this world. Having conformed to his
own nature the father and mother of our race, he thought to
establish here his empire. He declared that men had chosen him
as their sovereign. Through his control of men, he held dominion
over the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan’s claim. As
the Son of Man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would
be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the
human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who
desired deliverance from his power would be set free.{ST
February 17, 1909, par. 10}
Ever since the time that man aspired to be as God, and fell
through Satan’s deceiving power, there has been a controversy
between man and his Maker—a determination on the part of
man to gain an independence wholly opposed to the life and
lessons of Christ. Christians are to lay this struggle for
independence on God’s altar. Until we do this, God can not
imbue us with His Spirit. All self-sufficiency is to be given up.
The will is to be wholly yielded to God’s will. He who is truly
seeking for help from on high will welcome the assistance and
counsel that God sends, whatever means He may employ to give
His directions.{ST February 17, 1909, par. 11}
Page 31 of 50
imparted merits of Christ, he who was once a sinful human
being may be refined and purified, and stand before his fellow
men as a laborer together with God. To the earnest seeker after
God the divine nature will surely be imparted. The compassion
of Christ will certainly be vouchsafed.{ST February 17, 1909,
par. 12
In heaven Satan had declared that the sin of Adam revealed that
human beings could not keep the law of God, and he sought to
carry the universe with him in this belief. Satan’s words
appeared to be true, but Christ came to unmask the deceiver. He
came that through trial and dispute of the claims of Satan in the
great conflict, He might demonstrate that a ransom had been
found. The Majesty of heaven would undertake the cause of man,
and with the same facilities that man may obtain, stand the test
and proving of God as man must stand it.{16MR 115.1}
Good and evil are set before us. Which are we choosing? Are we
serving and glorifying self, losing sight of the light of the world,
or are we denying self and following the Redeemer? Christ is the
propitiation for our sins. Laying aside His royal robe and kingly
crown, He stepped from His high command, and clothed His
divinity with humanity. For our sakes He became poor, that we
through His poverty might be made rich. (See 2 Corinthians
8:9).{1SAT 320.3}
Page 32 of 50
they be loyal to the God of heaven? All through the ages, God
has had moral heroes, and He has them now—those who, like
Joseph and Elijah and Daniel, are not ashamed to acknowledge
themselves His peculiar people. His special blessing
accompanies the labors of men of action, men who will not be
swerved from the straight line of duty, but who with divine
energy will inquire, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus
32:26), men who will not stop merely with the inquiry, but who
will demand that those who choose to identify themselves with
the people of God shall step forward and reveal unmistakably
their allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Such men
make their wills and plans subordinate to the law of God. For
love of Him they count not their lives dear unto themselves.
Their work is to catch the light from the Word and let it shine
forth to the world in clear, steady rays. Fidelity to God is their
motto.{PK 148.1}
Page 33 of 50
Appendix C – God's Last Day Church
What role does God's church play in the last days? How does Mrs. White
use the phrase “divine-human cooperation”?
Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until
the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the
light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The
church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned,
and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ
bestows His supreme regard. The world is a workshop in which,
Page 34 of 50
through the cooperation of human and divine agencies, Jesus is
making experiments by His grace and divine mercy upon human
hearts.428{CCh 240.3}
The people of God on earth are the human agents that are to
cooperate with divine agencies for the salvation of men. To the
souls that have joined themselves to Him, Christ says, “You are
one with Me, ‘labourers together with God’” (1 Corinthians
3:9). God is the great and unperceived actor; man is the humble
and seen agent, and it is only in cooperation with the heavenly
agencies that he can do anything good. It is only as the mind is
enlightened by the Holy Spirit that men discern the divine
agency. And hence Satan is constantly seeking to divert minds
from the divine to the human, that man may not cooperate with
Heaven. He directs the attention to human inventions, leading
men to trust in man, to make flesh their arm, so that their faith
does not take hold upon God.{2SM 123.1}
In this text the two agencies in the work of salvation are revealed
—the divine influence, and the strong, living faith of those who
follow Christ. It is through the sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth that we become laborers together with God.
Christ waits for the cooperation of His church.... The blood of
Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the divine Word, are ours. The
object of all this provision of heaven is before us—the salvation
of the souls for whom Christ died; and it depends upon us to lay
hold on the promises God has given, and become laborers
together with Him. Divine and human agencies must cooperate
in the work....{AG 208.2}
While God was working in Daniel and his companions “to will
and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13), they were
working out their own salvation. Herein is revealed the
outworking of the divine principle of cooperation, without which
no true success can be attained. Human effort avails nothing
without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort
is with many of no avail. To make God’s grace our own, we must
act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do,
but never as a substitute for our effort.{LHU 193.4}
Page 35 of 50
As the Lord cooperated with Daniel and his fellows, so He will
cooperate with all who strive to do His will. And by the
impartation of His Spirit He will strengthen every true purpose,
every noble resolution. Those who walk in the path of obedience
will encounter many hindrances. Strong, subtle influences may
bind them to the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every
agency that works for the defeat of His chosen ones; in His
strength they may overcome every temptation, conquer every
difficulty (Prophets and Kings, 486, 487).{LHU 193.5}
Page 36 of 50
Appendix D - What is Sin?
It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful
ways, and give up some of their evil habits, before they are
conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever
they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it
is the power of Christ that is drawing them. An influence of
which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the
conscience is quickened, and the outward life is amended. And
as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him
whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to
the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin
of the soul, is revealed to them. They begin to comprehend
something of the righteousness of Christ, and exclaim, “What is
sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of
its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this
humiliation, demanded, that we might not perish, but have
everlasting life?”{SC 27.1}
Page 37 of 50
Those only who acknowledge the binding claim of the moral law
can explain the nature of the atonement. Christ came to mediate
between God and man, to make man one with God by bringing
him into allegiance to His law. There was no power in the law to
pardon its transgressor. Jesus alone could pay the sinner’s debt.
But the fact that Jesus has paid the indebtedness of the repentant
sinner does not give him license to continue in transgression of
the law of God; but he must henceforth live in obedience to that
law. {1SM 229.2}
Page 38 of 50
Appendix E – Christ and the Atonement
Christ on the Cross. Jesus on the cross held both the role of the sacrifice
and of the priest:
By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than
recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s
purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and
man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if
we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound
Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through
the eternal ages He is linked with us. “God so loved the world,
that He gave His only-begotten Son.” John 3:16. He gave Him
not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave
Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of
Page 39 of 50
peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the
human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the
pledge that God will fulfill His word. “Unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His
shoulder.” God has adopted human nature in the person of His
Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the
“Son of man” who shares the throne of the universe. It is the
“Son of man” whose name shall be called, “Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6. The I AM is the Daysman between God
and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who is “holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” is not ashamed to
call us brethren. Hebrews 7:26; 2:11. In Christ the family of
earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ
glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and
humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.
The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of
him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin.
When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the
atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no
danger of another rebellion in the universe of God. That which
alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness,
will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ
will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a
home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of
Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even
they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son
of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of
heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would
Page 40 of 50
be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the
fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human
perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for
security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. The
plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God,
provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen
worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the
blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of
Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by
Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only
hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come.
Page 41 of 50
God saves man through the blood of Christ alone, and man's
belief in, and allegiance to, Christ is salvation. It is no marvel to
angels that the infinite sacrifice made by the Son of God was
ample enough to bring salvation to a fallen race, but that this
atoning sacrifice should have been made is a wonder to the
universe. It is a mystery which angels desire to look into. The
angels are amazed at the indifference and coldness manifested
by those for whom so great a salvation has been provided. They
look with grief and holy indignation upon those who do not seek
to appreciate the unspeakable gift of God. Instead of offering
adoration to God, finite men think themselves capable, without
divine unction, of determining what is worthy of praise or blame
in their fellow-men. But to be glorified by man is no glory. We
should learn to value the praise of man at what it is worth.
As anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed upon the
sin offering and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the
earthly sanctuary, so in the new covenant the sins of the
repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred, in
fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as the typical cleansing of
the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by
which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the
heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out,
of the sins which are there recorded. But before this can be
Page 42 of 50
accomplished, there must be an examination of the books of
record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in
Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The
cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of
investigation—a work of judgment. This work must be performed
prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He
comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to
his works. Revelation 22:12. {GC 421.3}
Thus those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw
that, instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the
2300 days in 1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the
heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of atonement
preparatory to His coming.{GC 422.1}
It was seen, also, that while the sin offering pointed to Christ as
a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator,
the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the
sins of the truly penitent will finally be placed. When the high
priest, by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, removed the sins
from the sanctuary, he placed them upon the scapegoat. When
Christ, by virtue of His own blood, removes the sins of His
people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of His
ministration, He will place them upon Satan, who, in the
execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty. The
scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, never to
come again into the congregation of Israel. So will Satan be
forever banished from the presence of God and His people, and
he will be blotted from existence in the final destruction of sin
and sinners.{GC 422.2}
Page 43 of 50
The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins
is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since
the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is
impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the
judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. But the apostle
Peter distinctly states that the sins of believers will be blotted out
“when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ.” Acts 3:19, 20. When the
investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will
be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be.{GC 485.2}
In the typical service the high priest, having made the atonement for
Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation. So Christ, at the
close of His work as mediator, will appear, “without sin unto
salvation” (Hebrews 9:28), to bless His waiting people with eternal
life. As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary,
confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place
all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The
scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away “unto a land
not inhabited” (Leviticus 16:22); so Satan, bearing the guilt of all
the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a
thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate,
without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in
the fires that shall destroy all the wicked. Thus the great plan of
redemption will reach its accomplishment in the final eradication of
sin and the deliverance of all who have been willing to renounce
evil. {GC 485.3}
At the time appointed for the judgment—the close of the 2300 days,
in 1844—began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins.
All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must
pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be
judged “out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.”{GC 486.1}
Page 44 of 50
Appendix F – Completed Sanctification
That LGT teaches two “levels” of sanctification, is evident from the
writings of M. L. Andreasen and Larry Kirkpatrick.
In the Bible both the process and the finished work are spoken of as
sanctification.' For this reason the “brethren” are spoken of as holy
and sanctified, though they have not attained to perfection. (1
Corinthians 1: 2; 2 Corinthians 1: 1; Hebrews 3:1) A glance
through the Epistles to the Corinthians will soon convince one that
the saints there mentioned had their faults. Despite this, they are
said to be “sanctified” and “called to be saints.” The reason is that
complete sanctification is not the work of a day or of a year but of
a lifetime. It begins the moment a person is converted, and
continues through life. Every victory hastens the process. There are
few Christians who have not gained the mastery over some sin that
formerly greatly annoyed them and overcame them. Many a man
who has been a slave to the tobacco habit has gained the victory
over the habit and rejoices in his victory. Tobacco has ceased to be
a temptation. It attracts him no more. He has the victory. On that
point he is sanctified. As he has been victorious over one besetment,
so he is to become victorious over every sin. When the work is
completed, when he has gained the victory over pride, ambition,
love of the world-over all evil-he is ready for translation. He has
been tried in all points. The evil one has come to him and found
nothing. Satan has no more temptations for him. He has over come
them all. He stands without fault before the throne of God. Christ
places His seal upon him. He is safe, and he is sound. God has
finished His work in him. The demonstration of what God can do
with humanity is complete.
Page 45 of 50
Thus it shall be with the last generation of men living on the earth.
Through them God's final demonstration of what He can do with
humanity will be given. He will take the weakest of the weak, those
bearing the sins of their forefathers, and in them show the power of
God. They will be subjected to every temptation, but they will not
yield. They will demonstrate that it is possible to live without sin-the
very demonstration for which the world has been looking and for
which God has been preparing. It will become evident to all that the
gospel really can save to the uttermost. God is found true in His
sayings.
Page 46 of 50
Appendix G – Final Vindication of God
The Central Role of the Last Generation in the Great Controversy, and in
completing the “final atonement.”
Consider this:
Page 47 of 50
When we live in a way that harmonizes morally with God’s
government, it makes a difference to the universe, because it
shows all who are watching that God is telling the truth about
sin and Satan is lying about it.
Why hasn’t Jesus ended sin in this universe and returned? Very
simply, because if God ended the conflict right now, He would
not have conclusively demonstrated that unselfishness is the best
way for the universe to be operated. To us goes the mission–
filled with hope and wonder–to become more fully than any
other generation ever has–His ambassadors of unselfishness.
When the universe sees Jesus in us, then the end will come. This
creation groans in pain, awaiting the manifestation of the sons
and daughters of God. (Romans 8:19). When He comes, “we will
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is“ (1 John 3:2).
https://sdayouthfree.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/why-2-k/
In the last generation God gives the final demonstration that men
can keep the law of God and that they can live without sinning. God
leaves nothing undone to make the demonstration complete. The
only limitation put upon Satan is that he may not kill the saints of
God.. He may tempt them, he may harass and threaten them; and he
does his best. But he fails. He cannot make them sin. They stand the
test, and God puts His seal upon them.
Page 48 of 50
nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Revelation 7:16, 17.
Such a people will be produced that will be the wonder of the whole
universe. Through them Satan will be forever defeated, and every
question that could be raised against the law of God-can humanity
really keep it?-will be forever answered in that special people which
Scripture calls the 144,000.…
But the fit man will be able through the strength of Jesus to hold
Satan fast. He will stand tall. It is in the 144,000 that Jesus finally
wins the great controversy. It is a desperate struggle between Jesus
and Satan. In the Incarnation it was a struggle between Jesus and
Satan personally, and during the time of the plagues it is again a
struggle between Jesus and Satan, but this time between Satan and
Jesus lived out in the experience of the 144,000. By the mere fact
that they do not fall into sin, but keep the law of God perfectly,
Satan is defeated. His cause is lost, and he is held fast.
Page 49 of 50
God has to give the angels in heaven some assurance that the plan
of salvation is completely successful. What assurance do the angels
have that the redeemed who have died down through the ages will
not go back into sin again? Some of them accepted Jesus on their
deathbeds. What assurance do the angels have that they will never
sin again?
When God blots out the sins of the living saints, He allows Satan to
test them to the uttermost. Satan puts them through every trial that
he can devise, under the most discouraging circumstances, but they
prove that the plan of salvation is a success. But if the scapegoat
could escape, all Israel would lose their lives, not just the 144,000.
God is waiting for a people upon whom He is going to stake His
throne. God is going to risk all on the 144,000. If the scapegoat
should escape, Israel would be lost. The plan of salvation would be
proven a failure.
There is only one thing this group will fear during the time of
Jacob's trouble. They realize that everything depends on them. They
realize that they could disgrace God's throne. This is why this
company is going to taste more fully than any other people the
experience of Jesus.
http://www.dennispriebe.com/new/node/45
Page 50 of 50