righteousness by faith (rxf)

[Gary K]

I guess I'll start in the OT and work towards the NT.

Genesis 15: 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Exodus 31: 13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

Ezekiel 20: 12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

Ezekiel 36: 25 ¶Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.


Deuteronomy 30: 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

I'm putting this verse from the NT here as it seems the natural place to put it.

Colossians 2: 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Psalm 4: 1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

Psalm 8:
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.*n3
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

I think this is enough scripture for the first post.

Here are a couple of quotes from Ellen White on rxf.

The birth of a son to Zacharias, like the birth of the child of
Abraham, and that of Mary, was to teach a great spiritual truth, a
truth that we are slow to learn and ready to forget. In ourselves we
are incapable of doing any good thing; but that which we cannot
do will be wrought by the power of God in every submissive and
believing soul. It was through faith that the child of promise was
given. It is through faith that spiritual life is begotten, and we are
enabled to do the works of righteousness. Desire of Ages p. 98

John was to go forth as Jehovah’s messenger, to bring to men
the light of God. He must give a new direction to their thoughts.
He must impress them with the holiness of God’s requirements, and
their need of His perfect righteousness. Desire of Ages p. 100

God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service,
if they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received
into the soul, will quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God develops
harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the
requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes
changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion
establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His disciple that
the Christian becomes like Him in mind and character. Through a
connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His
discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced.
He who longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened by the life-
giving power of the Sun of Righteousness that he is enabled to bear
much fruit to the glory of God. Desire of Ages p. 251

So those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be
ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share
the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better
for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly
converted. No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in
his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he
has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut
up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ
and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be
able to hold our peace. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is
good we shall have something to tell. Steps to Christ p. 78

 

[fzappa13]

Well, that's a pretty big serving of scripture there. I would have to assume that you offered them in order of importance to a point you are trying to make. Having established the idea of our faith being accounted to us as righteousness as a general subject you moved immediately to the ordinance of the weekly sabbath as a more specific subject. Not surprising in that you are SDA and that is a matter of no small concern in SDA circles.

What would eventually become a close friend introduced himself to me by pulling in front of me and stopping as I was trying to make my way thru Kilgore, Texas in the center lane of a 5 lane highway on a recumbent bicycle. Conversation was pretty much inescapable at that point. As an SDA it didn't take him long to broach the subjects near and dear to his heart and not long after ascertaining that I was a Christian aspirant he braced me concerning the Sabbath. After discovering that I acknowledged that Saturday was indeed the Sabbath I guess the hook was set. He used to show me off to some of his fellow SDA the way a rancher might show off a two headed calf in that I was one of those rare folk that came to my conclusions concerning the Sabbath as a result of my own study.

For me, the Sabbath is like all of the rest of God's ordinances in that it is prophetic. It is a symbol of the greater thing to which it points. I would suggest that it points to the rest spoken of by Paul. It points to the thousand year reign of Christ here on earth. A day being as a thousand years and a thousand years being as a day we find ourselves at the threshold of the seventh day as it concerns the biblical account of man's presence on earth. My one overarching concern about moving the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first is that it robs the Sabbath of its ability to impart this information. That said, I would not like to lose the possible gain of a relationship with someone who didn't understand that simply because we had two different understandings of said subject. Time has a way of working those differences out. I would suggest that the Sabbath is no more and no less important and worthy of our attention than any of God's ordinances and I would not point to it's observance as in anyway more pivotal in our salvation than any other as it concerns the righteousness available to us thru faith.

The rest of your scriptural offerings seem to weave in and out of the subject of righteousness and something else that is not yet clear to me. I'm sure you will bring that forth in good time. As it regards Ms. Whites' offerings I think her choice of the term "Sun of righteousness" when referring to Christ a poor one. As I'm sure you know, during the reign of king Constantine the Sabbath observance was moved to "the venerable day of the sun" as one of many efforts to reconcile his pagan and Christian subjects and I would suggest that we should steer clear of the Sun when casting about for an appropriate object for our veneration.

 

[Gary K]

I just started in the OT for no particular reason not so I could preach at you as that does no good whatsoever for anyone.

I guess you will think the Bible recommends paganism for she is quoting scripture when she says theSun ofr righteousness.

Malachi 4: 2 ¶But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

 

[fzappa13]

I just started in the OT for no particular reason not so I could preach at you as that does no good whatsoever for anyone.

I guess you will think the Bible recommends paganism for she is quoting scripture when she says theSun ofr righteousness.

Malachi 4: 2 ¶But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Well, I stand corrected. Following the definition of "sun" in Malachi we come upon the following:

שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh, sheh'-mesh; from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement:— east side(-ward), sun (rising), west(-ward), window. See also H1053.

This word (8121 in the Strong's) has a much broader application of meaning than the following word in the Strong's which has the same spelling but a singular meaning:
שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh, sheh'-mesh; (Aramaic) corresponding to H8121; the sun:—sun.

As we all know who the light of the world is and His approach upon His return will be from the East it would appear Ms. White's reference was appropriate.

 

[Gary K]

Our of curious

Well, I stand corrected. Following the definition of "sun" in Malachi we come upon the following:

שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh, sheh'-mesh; from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement:— east side(-ward), sun (rising), west(-ward), window. See also H1053.

This word (8121 in the Strong's) has a much broader application of meaning than the following word in the Strong's which has the same spelling but a singular meaning:
שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh, sheh'-mesh; (Aramaic) corresponding to H8121; the sun:—sun.

As we all know who the light of the world is and His approach upon His return will be from the East it would appear Ms. White's reference was appropriate.

Out of curiosity, where do you get the idea Jesus will come back from the east? I don't think I've ever heard that before.

 

[Right Divider]

Our of curious

Out of curiosity, where do you get the idea Jesus will come back from the east? I don't think I've ever heard that before.

Mat 24:27 (KJV) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

[Gary K]

Mat 24:27 (KJV) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

This isn't saying Jesus is coming out of the east. It's talking about how far away lightning is seen as the Bible tells us every eye shall see Him.

Revelation 1: 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

 

[fzappa13]

Our of curious

Out of curiosity, where do you get the idea Jesus will come back from the east? I don't think I've ever heard that before.

Matthew 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Ez 44: 1Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
2Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
3It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

Ez 43 1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

Isa 41: 1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
2Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
4Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

 

[Right Divider]

This isn't saying Jesus is coming out of the east.

Yes, it is.

 

[Gary K]

Matthew 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Ez 44: 1Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
2Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
3It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

Ez 43 1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

Isa 41: 1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
2Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
4Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

Very interesting. You know your Bible well. I had never gotten that before. You're scriptures have convinced me to change my mind.

 

[fzappa13]

Very interesting. You know your Bible well. I had never gotten that before. You're scriptures have convinced me to change my mind.

Well, that's why I'm here. To share what I've found while looking around to see if others came across something I missed. As an exercise in logic, imagine the earth spinning and the direction of it's rotation; anything approaching the earth from the equatorial plane would appear to be going from East to West.