I Want to Give My Heart to Jesus #10: The Mystery of 1888

If you have never heard of the historic meeting held by the then leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Minneapolis Minnesota in the year 1888, then what we are going to discuss this morning may be new to you. We are not here to sort out what a given group says, like the "1888 Study group." Let's be clear; we are just going to examine what happened in 1888 from a historical and Bible and Spirit of Prophecy perspective and try to get a grip on it.

Really, at the bottom line, what we are talking about is what is the final program of God to produce a people living and loving like Jesus? It is already in the Bible, but we are going to see how, for His end-time people, He sought to steer His people in the way that would open to them all its fullness. Regretably, at the time of this momentous development, many of our people and leaders didn't lay hold of heaven's plan. This had its impact on the giving of the gospel. I will even say that the second coming of Jesus to this earth was delayed because of the failure to live and give the kind of Christianity embraced by this message.

Something We Must Understand to Understand 1888: The Delayed Parousia

Our first text today is found in 2 Peter 3:11-14:

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

The Bible tells us that the day of the Lord will come and the heavens shall pass away. In light of those facts, Peter asks us a pointed question in the eleventh verse: "what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." That is, how we live -- what we are -- matters to the completion of the gospel. Because the next verse says of how you and I live, that it will include "looking for and hasting unto the coming of God." Your margin will read "hasting the coming" or "hastening."

We all "get" readily the idea of "looking for" the second coming. We are anxious for and desire that day when sin and suffering will be ended and we will see Jesus' joyous face and meet Him at last in the flesh! But the Bible says also that we are not merely to look for that day, but to "haste" that day, to speed its arrival. In light of this, we hear the exhortation of Peter found in the 14-15th verses: since we look for a world in which righteousness dwells, we are to "be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." The description is an echo of the last generation of Jesus-followers found in Revelation 14:4-5:

"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

In Ephesians 5:27 we find Jesus' goal for His church is the same: "That he might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." So verse 15 that says, "the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation," reminds us that His patient pursuit of humanity with His loving and life-changing gospel means closure for the entire created order, the whole universe; it means the end of the sin problem and then eternity following. He has worked-out a plan that has been going forward for 6000 years. But now it's time to wrap it all up. That's where the prophetic clock has ticked to.

I don't think we can understand 1888 unless we are clear about this concept: that God has designed prophecy to be conditional in fulfillment. He has not let sin continue for 6000 years without a purpose. It was never our idea, but it is His idea, that the lives of His people would provide evidence at last of how humans were meant to live for God instead of how Satan provoked us to live for self. Consider this incredible quotation from Mrs. White:

Had Adventists after the great disappointment of 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.

But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the Adventist believers yielded up their faith. . . . had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!

It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. (Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 67-69).

Remember, our initial history divides into two distinct phases: Adventist (pre-1844 disappointment) and Seventh-day Adventist (post-1844 disappointment). After Jesus didn't come to the earth (which they thought was the sanctuary), there was a tremendous division among those who had so believed. They did not unite upon the biblical understanding that we did. God could have taken that same group that had faced the 1844 experience, and finished the work with them. But they refused to unite on His plan and God let His desire to end sin wait a bit longer, for He would not set aside the role that He meant His people to play.

Those who have explored 1888 have, for whatever reason, often failed to link this idea of God's people delaying the second coming, although many have understood and believed it to be true. (We'll better understand after next week why so many unsound explanations have been offered about what happened in 1888.)

But now, let's clarify something. The work could have been finished shortly after 1844. It was not. Many at that time had the kind of experience they needed, but many did not. It was enough to be very close though. We can share quotes also that will demonstrate that another window -- another very close to triggering-the-second-coming series of developments occurred at the close of the 1880s and the beginning of the 1890s. But now nearly 40 years had passed. For many, it was an altogether different generation with a very different experience from the 1844 group. I believe that in order to accelerate their experience and make it possible for them to successfully make His appointed demonstration to the world, our Father sent them the special emphasis that broke upon our people in 1888. It was meant to ready and mature a people to finish the work so that Jesus could come sometime in the 1890s.

If so -- if this is true -- then the same message could do the same work for us, and prepare us for those things that stand just before us, and open the door for Jesus to come in just a very short time, perhaps just a very few years. So you will now see the importance of today's message. If it is true, then we are in the right place today!

The 1888 message should have been the 1848 message! But it can still be the 2001 message for us.

The themes we'll look at in a moment are the ones that put human flesh onto the implications of the three angel's messages we discussed last week. It is how amazingly close Jesus actually came to us in taking a humanity completely identical to our own; it is the example He lived out and the divine co-operation that we live out; it is the life so entrenched in God that His law, even the character of Christ, is incorporate in our own. It is the final and supreme vindication of God through His people and according to His plan of redemption, never our own.

Some have a derogatory name for all this. Disparagingly they call it, "last generation theology." And I will admit it without equivocation; that in fact is exactly what this is: the word about God for the last generation. You can be ashamed of that; I will not be. I don't understand how any Christian truly can be.

Is it not evident that in the end there will be a last generation? Is it not true that there is a word about God for the world in His revelations? Are not His people to be His witnesses? What is the offence in this? I know of none -- none for those committed to following Jesus whithersoever He would go.

In 1888 as in many other years, the church held a general meeting of its leaders, a General Conference. The church was much smaller then, and the delegates numbered less than even a hundred. At this meeting various subjects were dealt with and various administrative tasks and decisions accomplished. But as a major point of study, two young and zealous workers had been asked to share their conceptions of righteousness by faith. They had been editing the churches missionary magazine, Signs, out here on the west coast.

Regretably, some of the ideas they shared had already put them into conflict with some o our older brethren over on the east coast, including Uriah Smith, George Ira Butler, and others. There was dispute over the interpretation of certain prophetic interpretations. There was also dispute over whether the law in Galatians three was just the ceremonial law or the ceremonial law and the moral law. Many rejected the fresh emphasis of 1888 at that time. Over the years there have been various assertions that the message was actually accepted. It is clear however, that those assertions are mistaken. Instead, many of those present at that meeting rejected the message and since then many more have as well.

Since, a host of misconceptions have been injected into the mixture. There are so many distortions of what has happened that we suggest you bypass the analytical works and read the original sources yourself and try to determine what it is.

Is 1888 Really a Mystery?

These themes are scary for some. They refuse to leave unaddressed our secret sins and deficiencies. If we truly grasp the 1888 emphasis, a lot of things are going to have to go by the board. For this reason, many and sundry theories have been proposed to explain what happened in 1888. The waters have been quite thoroughly muddied, sometimes by the deceptive, often by the sincere and well meaning, sometimes just by mistake.

One form of argument taken against these ideas says that the whole thing is an unsolvable mystery. But I must report to you that the proposed mystery is not one. It is canvassed that because we don't have the exact notes from the exact meetings of 1888, we cannot know what the 1888 message was. Imagine that -- God has a special message from heaven, He sends it to us in some meetings in 1888; they fail to stenographically record them, the preachers never write or preach on it again, and the message is thus lost to the world -- while God waits for the people to arrive at a matured state of Christianity to which they can never come for they are ignorant of it. Now that makes sense!

Fortunately, preachers whose minds are led by God are working on a cumulative basis. What they preached Sabbath morning is not lost when they go to bed at night. We do not power-down and then loose everything irrecoverably out of RAM. Instead, as the people and the preachers think on these things. The Holy Spirit illumines the mind of the servant of God, and as He grows He shares His growing. As His understanding increases, as His faith experience actively works, His grasp should grow firmer, rounder. As he shares from the pulpit week by week, all who hear should be getting more and more.

It is preposterous to imagine that Jones and Waggoner and Ellen White forgot the 1888 message and never wrote or spoke on it again afterward. Rather, we can look for them to continually unfold and deepen that message from after that time. By reading their articles and books from then onward, we can watch and make close examination and search the Scriptures whether these things in particular are so. And may I say, the rewards of this are rich indeed!

Several books came from their pens after that time. Of course, you know of Mrs. White's books. In the 20 years immediately following 1888, her pen produced tomes in particular including Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5 and following, Patriarchs and Prophets, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, Desire of Ages, Christ's Object Lessons, Ministry of Healing, Steps to Christ, and others.

Key works from A. T. Jones included his extraordinary The Consecrated Way, a powerful look at Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and the book of Hebrews. That is MUST reading for every Adventist worldwide. E. J. Waggoner gave us Christ Our Righteousness, another work on the same order, looking at what righteousness by faith and justification by faith mean. Waggoner's Glad Tidings, a commentary on Galatians, and Studies in Romans, are not to be missed. Then there is Lessons on Faith, a book made up of several sermons and articles by both Jones and Waggoner. Fantastic material. These volumes are worth their weight in gold -- several times over. You must have them.

You probably expect that we've now come to the section in the sermon where you'll get several pages of juicy and powerful quotations from Waggoner and Jones. Actually, we are going to look at some of the Scriptures they preached on instead. What you need to do is go and study. Go get your own Waggoner and Jones quotations! For that matter, we mustn't forget that surely Mrs. White's writings present the "1888 message" equally well. Some of her words will enlighten us if we but let them. After all, she was there. And God showed her many things.

Sister White Comments on 1888

Sister White, when asked by some concerned whether what Jones and Waggoner were presenting were truth or no, responded,

Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message, and I have answered, 'It is the third angel's message in verity.' (Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 372).

Again, she said,

The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders [E.J.] Waggoner and [A.T.] Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. (Last Day Events, p. 200).

The message of Christ's righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel. (Last Day Events, p. 200).

She even said it was the beginning of the latter rain!:

The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth. For it is the work of every one to whom the message of warning has come, to lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world as revealed in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelations of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples and in the wonderful miracles wrought for the sons of men. Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Him. (Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 362).

Her words are astonishing. The giving of the fourth angel's message had already begun by the time she wrote the above in 1892.

Chief Points in the 1888 Message

Insights on Our Savior Jesus, the Lord Our Righteousness

Jesus is (of course) the very center of the 1888 message, the very center of the third angel's message. All the variants away from the true gospel have subtle means of elevating man or his carnalized desires and creating miscarrying variations in competition with the true heavenly scheme. The counterfeits will either make man a miserable, passive, finally unsanctified object lesson of humankind unchanged by the gospel; or they will find some means of injecting in some degree man's works into the salvation plan and thereby emptying it of divine virtue (for God refuses to share His glory with anyone). The true gospel ever exalts God and humbles man who is but flesh and whose breath is in his nostrils.

In 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 the 1888 messengers found their focus:

That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

After first describing the Jews insistence on signs of God's power, and the Greeks insistence on measuring God according to their conceptions of wisdom, Paul states that actually Jesus is what they are seeking for. He is the ultimate sign of God's power, the ultimate manifestation of His wisdom. Jesus is whom and what they seek. But will they see beyond their own measures of the divine?

That no flesh should glory in His presence, He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (Romans 8:3). That no flesh should glory in His presence, the Son emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7). That no flesh should glory in His presence, He came to destroy the works of the devil from the inside, from within the flesh of fallen humanity (1 John 3:8). Laying aside His divine power and prerogative, He became subject to infirmity, to temptation, to death, and to the cross -- even the death of the cross.

He became as human as we are so that we might become as obedient as He is. The Father made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He knew what was in man by personal experience. Hebrews 2:11-18 plainly tells the story:

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given Me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but he took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.

It may seem a paradox, but Jesus became like us, without any shade or shadow of physical difference, in order that He might rob us of our boastings.

He came "for sin," and "to destroy the works of the devil." All this because humankind had volunteered to try the devil's moral program, to disobey our Maker. He humbled Himself to even the death of the cross. He suffered for us, becoming sin for us, taking upon Himself vicariously our guilt and actually our nature. He emptied Himself of all that which He had rights to in His divinity, to come and pitch His tent as a man among men, to pass from heaven to degenerate, rebellious, murderous humanity, and to save us from ourselves. Surely when we obey through His gospel and His sacrifice applied to us, we will have no ground for boasting or glorying in anything in ourselves. All we like sheep have gone astray, and only His goodness has intervened to bridge the chasm.

The Holy Spirit found Mrs. White's pen thus:

As the ladder stretched from earth, reaching to the highest heavens, and the glory of God was seen above the ladder, so Christ in His divine nature reached immensity and was one with the Father. As the ladder, though its top penetrated into heaven, had its base upon the earth, so Christ, though God, clothed His divinity with humanity and was in the world "found in fashion as a man." The ladder would be useless if it rested not on the earth or if it reached not to the heavens. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, p. 353).

Jesus was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. He is what we seek. Apart from Him, all our yearnings are poison, all our righteousnesses are filthiness, all our hopes are nothingness. When we grant Him His place as our Redeemer and let His merits be our salvation, He works in us to His own glory. So that as Steps to Christ, p. 63 says, "Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us."

Insights on Righteousness by Faith and Imparted Righteousness

Let's turn to Luke 18:9-14:

And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

How many times have we heard this tale. And how many times have we missed its chief point? Two worshippers go up to the temple. One, filled with self righteousness recounts to God not God's goodness, but rather his own Pharisiac goodness, even comparing himself with others there present to worship. He tells of his fasting and tithing and so on.

Far in the back, somewhere away in the farthest recesses as if trying to hide, is the publican (tax-collector). His estimation of his own goodness was nothing like that of the Pharisee. Humbling himself before God, he tells no tale of this good deed or that one, but wracked with deep soul sorrow he admits to God his guilt. He strikes his own chest in self-reproach, pleading, "God be merciful to me, a sinner."

Two enter the temple. One leaves, justified. One exalts himself to God, one humbles himself before God. The story reminds us of the essential necessity of humbling oneself', and avoiding the development of any self-righteous attitude. But so often we have overlooked something. We have assumed something.

Someone went down to their house justified. We think of that, automatically it seems, as having been forgiven. And the repentant tax-collector surely went home forgiven. But God's forgiveness is more than a mere judicial act, isn't it? It is more than forgiveness for sin, including actually a recovery from sin. To be pardoned in the way that Christ pardons is not only to be forgiven, but to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. What happened in the temple? What does it mean by saying that the repentant one went down to his home a justified man?

Our Greek here reads dedikaiomenos, "justified," a perfect participle, either a middle or a passive (such must be determined by context). The fact is that this speaks of that which is actual, not merely contemplated. The fact that it is a perfect speaks to us of a completed and continuing result. If it is middle that means the entity receiving the result had a part in the action; if it is passive that indicates that the entity receiving the result had no real part but merely is acted upon.

By context we can tell that this is a middle, not a passive. Consider the end of the verse. "For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." One either exalts himself or humbles himself. These are reflexive, or middle ideas, not passive. What does this mean?

Only this. This man went down to his home actually justified -- not just on paper some where, not merely accounted so. Further, in humbling himself, his action had a part in his being justified!

We know that there are non-meritorious conditions that often must be fulfilled, just as we know that we have no virtue in ourselves, no merit by which we can save ourselves. We cannot be saved by our obedience alone -- it is not sufficient to save us. We must have Christ's righteousness to our account. At the same time, only His merits are sufficient to save us, but we must accept them. We must accept all that He would do. We cannot keep our sin and at the same time accept His righteousness. We must give up our sin in order to receive His righteousness. He will readily make just such an exchange with us. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness even as He forgives us of our sins. This is the gospel in bloom.

Insights into the Cooperative Nature of Salvation

I can think of no other Bible text that so well exemplifies the message of 1888 than our Colossians 1:27. Let's turn there. It reads, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." The riches of God's glory are manifest as we permit Christ to dwell in us. But many have thought that somehow this distorts the gospel, that the real emphasis is on Christ outside of us. But keep in mind the statement already shared from Mrs. White's pen in Steps to Christ, p. 63: "Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us."

The comparison is striking. Scripture speaks of the "hope of glory," and White speaks of "our only ground of hope," of both Christ's righteousness imputed AND His righteousness wrought by His Spirit working in and through us. In the plan of salvation, "God works and man works" (Acts of the Apostles, p. 482). But all merit comes from God, all glory returns to God, and man merely cooperates as an unprofitable servant (Luke 17:7-10).

The work of salvation is cooperative in a considerable sense, but this never means that man is earning his own salvation. He is meeting God's conditions -- being willingly saved on God's terms rather than his own. This means accepting both, God's plan for our interaction with Him in our being saved, and our willingness to receive His definition of what being saved means! Some are unwilling to do this, and insist on God using a plan they themselves already have devised and accepted. God grant us willingness to accept His plans and operations and receive His Spirit and His salvation.

Insights on the Operation of Faith

One of the special treasures rising from 1888 is a firm emphasis upon faith. Before that time some Adventist preaching had devolved to debate-like harangues about the validity of the law. Yes, the law was and is still valid. But for some, a hardness had come in, and from them a hardness went out. Waggoner and Jones, with the fresh and beauteous emphasis upon Jesus and faith made real the treasure that lay ready to be revealed in the third angel's message.

Let's turn to Galatians 5:6:

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

Two substantial errors are here combated, and the truth about faith is told. If we are in Christ Jesus, "circumcision" will avail us nothing. But to the Jews of Paul's day, it was understood that circumcision did indeed avail much! Unceremoniously then, he here rips that rug right out from under their feet, toppling utterly their theory. Works standing alone, as some special favor of ours, some special offering of our righteousnesses to God, are nothing. Our obedience is not meritorious. It cannot save us. No saving-virtue resides in it.

But for those ready to shout "hurray" and venture off into a theory that how one lives is indifferent to their salvation, Paul continues by pronouncing that neither does their uncircumcision hold in it any potential to save. No proud avoidance of "works salvation" will ever get us into the kingdom either. There is, for some, a strange sort of pride accompanying their assertions that works do not matter.

In Jesus Christ then works are nothing. In Jesus Christ it is also true that the absence of works is nothing. Proponents of either class gather no merit to themselves by either doing or not doing. But let us hear our verse:

It says "in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

There is something that avails! Not works apart from faith, nor the workless faith of that strange unfaith; but faith that worketh by love avails! It is not even "faith and works" that avail, but faith "that" works that avails. This faith can and will save. It is not enough to believe about Jesus, one must believe in Him. One must embrace a working faith.

Faith is only of God; and, working, it works only the works of God. Thus, he who, in Christ Jesus, has the "faith which worketh," has that which avails to show God manifest in the flesh, working the works of God. Neither our works apart from God, nor our careful lack of works done to avoid some charge of legalism, but a faith that works by love is that which shall animate us if we are in Christ Jesus.

Ellen White Again

Hear her analysis of the rejection of these things:

The third angel's message calls for the presentation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and this truth must be brought before the world; but the great Center of attraction, Jesus Christ, must not be left out of the third angel's message. By many who have been engaged in the work for this time, Christ has been made secondary, and theories and arguments have had the first place. The glory of God that was revealed to Moses in regard to the divine character has not been made prominent. . . .

A vail has seemed to be before the eyes of many who have labored in the cause, so that when they presented the law, they have not had views of Jesus, and have not proclaimed the fact that, where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound. It is at the cross of Calvary that mercy and truth meet together, where righteousness and peace kiss each other. The sinner must ever look toward Calvary; and with the simple faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting His righteousness and believing in His mercy. Laborers in the cause of truth should present the righteousness of Christ, not as new light, but as precious light that has for a time been lost sight of by the people. We are to accept Christ as our personal Saviour, and He imputes unto us the righteousness of God in Christ. . . .

Jesus came to impart to the human soul the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; but it is impossible to endow men with the Holy Spirit, who are set in their ideas, whose doctrines are all stereotyped and unchangeable, who are walking after the traditions and commandments of men, as were the Jews in the time of Christ. They were very punctilious in the observances of the church, very rigorous in following their forms, but they were destitute of vitality and religious devotion. They were represented by Christ as like the dry skins which were then used as bottles. The gospel of Christ could not be placed in their hearts; for there was no room to contain it. They could not be the new bottles into which He could pour His new wine. Christ was obliged to seek elsewhere than among the scribes and the Pharisees for bottles for His doctrine of truth and life. He must find men who were willing to have regeneration of heart. He came to give to men new hearts. He said, "A new heart also will I give you." But the self-righteous of that day and of this day feel no need of having a new heart. Jesus passed by the scribes and the Pharisees, for they felt no need of a Saviour. . . .

A legal religion has been thought quite the correct religion for this time. But it is a mistake. The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. . . . Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them (Review and Herald, March 20, 1894).

Let us not repeat these attitudes, but rise above them as a people loving Jesus.

Wrapping Up

By no means has what we've shared been an exhaustive treatment of 1888. It hardly counts as a cursory treatment of it or even a summary. The purpose of heaven's 1888 emphasis is to bring the theoretical implications of the message into the lives of those actually meant to live the message. Hear a few lines from Herbert Douglass' 1979 book, The End, p.145.

Adventism's highest priority is to reveal to the world, dark with misapprehension, the glory of God's character, and thus to vindicate His government. The issue is fundamentally -- law and grace. Whether obedience to God's law -- His way of life -- is possible to be lived and produces what He has said it would. Whether God's grace -- His power to transform sinners is able to make weak, self-oriented followers into reflections of His own character. . . . God chooses to wait for this people that will prove for all time to come that His law is the code of liberty, the source of the universe's security. 'God has waited long, and He is waiting still, to have the beings that are His both by creation and redemption, listen to His voice, and obey Him as loving, submissive children, whose desire is to be near His side, and to have the light of His countenance shining upon them' (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, October 9, 1894). . . . God is jealous for the power of His grace. This provision has always been freely offered to men and women. But along with His law, Satan has also been attacking God's grace. How confused the Christian church has been in interpreting the grace of God! (emphasis supplied.)

I concur with Elder Douglass. It is right at the point of what the grace of God as portrayed in the Bible actually is, that the message of Adventism in the angel messages and the 1888 emphases hits home. We are called to study out these truths afresh for ourselves, that we might become more like Jesus. it is an amazing time. God grant us His help in following Him.

Conclusion

Perhaps what you've heard today wasn't quite what you expected to hear. There is a lot of water under the bridge on our topic today. The latter rain actually began to be poured out then. That makes it VERY important. We never read that even of 1844. Somehow, what was happening in 1888 ground to a rapid halt. Now it rests with us to find the Lord's pathway back, to let Him, finally, do for His people what He would have done then.

Next Sabbath we'll take in another century, covering 1900-2000 in the church. Our 11th installment in this series will be titled "The Troublous Century."

In the meantime may I commend to you a deeper study of the word, a careful working through the themes we noticed today. If you don't have some of the books we mentioned by Jones and Waggoner, make it a point to go out and get them. Take action! Let's pray . . .

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.