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Righteousness by Faith
and the
Final Conflict.
By LOUIS F. WERE
Reprinted 1975
Third Printing 1980
by
First Impressions
776 Bluff View
Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Copyright ® 1980
by Hans K. LaRondelle
Berrien Springs, MI 49103
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this
book or parts thereof in any form.
CONTENTS:
Chapter Page
Foreword............................................................................ 5
(1) The Power Available.............................................. 9
(2) The All-Seeing Eye of the Creator-Priest............. 18
(3) Our Only Hope of Salvation............................... 27
(4) How Power Comes.................................................. 35
(5) How to Increase the Power................................... 3g
(6) Christ’s Ceaseless Ministry....................................... 42
(7) Satan’s Powerful Attack Upon Christ’s Continual
Ministry.................................................................... 46
(8) What is Righteousness by Faith? “Saving Faith is
a Transaction” ......................................................... 52
(9) “Fight the Good Fight of Faith”—Faith and the
Christian Warfare......................................... 58
(10) With Jesus Within the Veil—A Special Last-Day
Necessity................................................................... 65
(11) With Jesus When Probation’s Hours Are Closing
—The Lord’s Special Message................................. 23
(12) Palestine and Righteousness by Faith—A Vital
Last-Day Truth........................................................ g4
(13) The Lord’s Throne in Jerusalem and Its Relation
To Righteousness by Faith.................................... ^5
(14) God’s Government is Still in Jerusalem—in Scrip
tural Imagery...........................................................
(15) Palestine the Strategic Centre for Teaching
Christ’s Righteousness............................................. ^ ^
(16) Christ’s Last Call to His Church Concerning
Righteousness by Faith............................................ jj 5
(17) The War that Commences before Probation Closes \2\
(18) The Beast and the False Prophet Lead in the War
Against Righteousness............................................. 126
(19) The Gathering of the Nations to Armageddon
and Its Relation to Righteousness by Faith 130
(20) “And I Saw Three Unclean Spirits” ................... I44
(21) Last-Day Palestinian Prophecies are Vital Mes
sages Concerning Righteousness by Faith. How
Satan Has Deflected These Christ-Exalting Mes
sages for the Remnant Church.............................. 152
(22) “The Shining Light that Shineth More and More
Unto the Perfect Day.” Why Will Some Seventh-
Day Adventists Reject it?........................................ igg
(23) The Interpretation of Prophecy Which Sustains
the Remnant in the Final Conflict. Clear Light
from the Spirit of Prophecy................................ 174
(24) The Kings that come from the Sun-rising—A Vital
Prophecy for Seventh-Day Adventists!.................. 182
(25) Celestial Glory Now Flooding the Earth............. 192
(26) The Present, Personal Application of Revelation
16: 12 in Connection with Righteousness by Faith 200
(27) Walking “In the Light Proceeding from the
Throne of God” (9T. 16)..................................... 234
THE FACT THAT NEEDS TO BE OFTEN REPEATED
“The idea that certain portions of the Bible cannot be under
stood has led to neglect some of its most important truths. The
fact needs to be emphasised, and often repeated, that the
mysteries of the Bible are not such because' God has sought to
conceal truth, but because our own weakness or ignorance makes
us incapable of comprehending or appropriating truth. The
limitation is not its purpose, but in our capacity. Of those very
portions of Scripture so often passed by as impossible to be under
stood, God desires us to understand as much as our minds are
capable of receiving” (“Signs”, April 25, 1906, Mrs. E. G. White).
“The theme of greatest importance is the third angel’s
message, embracing the messages of the first and second angels.
All should understand the truths contained in these messages and
demonstrate them in daily life, for this is essential to salvation.
We shall have to study earnestly, prayerfully, in order to under
stand these grand truths; and our power to learn and comprehend
will be taxed to the utmost” (Evangelism, 196).
“The human interpretation of the Scriptures hid from them
the truth as it is Jesus . . . God does not conceal His truth from
men. By their own course of action they make it obscure to
themselves” (C.O.L. 105).
He who conceals a useful truth is equally guilty with the
propagator of an injurious falsehood.—Augstine.
4
FOREWORD
God’s people are soon to be precipitated into unprecedented
perils, and extraordinary preparations have to be made to meet
the extremely hazardous times. The leisurely mode of life will
change; the tempo will rise, and unique circumstances, chaos and
confusion will occur. God’s people will be beset with dangers
on all sides. “We are standing on the threshold of great and
solemn events. Many of the prophecies are about to be fulfilled
in quick succession . . . Intensity is taking hold of the human
family” (TM. 116).
“The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming
of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn
and important . . . The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled
state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast
approaching events of the greatest magnitude. The agencies of
evil are combining their forces, and consolidating. They are
strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to
take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid
ones” (9T. 11).
“The great controversy between good and evil will increase
in intensity to the very close of time . . . But as the church
approaches her final deliverance, Satan is at work with greater
power . . . All the depths of satanic skill and subtlety acquired,
all the cruelty developed, during these struggles of the ages, will
be brought to bear against God’s people in the final conflict . . .
The coming struggle will be marked with a terrible intensity
such as the world has never witnessed. Satan’s deceptions will be
more subtle, his assaults more determined” (GC. 11-13).
“Soon the battle will be waged fiercely between those who
serve God and those who serve Him not. Soon everything that
can Jbe shaken will be shaken, that those things that cannot be
shaken may remain ... It is impossible to give any idea of the
experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the
earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions
of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding
from the throne of God” (9T. 15, 16).
Unfortunately, many of God’s people will be shaken out.
Despite the clarity and fulness of the light given to prepare church
members for this coming terrible crisis hour, numbers of
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Adventists will fail to endure the test. Observe the following
solemn statements from the Lord’s servant:
“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed
faith in the third angel’s message . . . abandon their position, and
join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and
partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly
the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared
to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing
address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to
deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies
of their former brethren” (GC. 608).
“Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials, and the
great proportion of those who now appear genuine and true will
prove to be base metal . . . To stand in defence of truth and
righteousness when the majority forsake us . . . this will be our
test” (5T. 136).
“In 1888 at the General Conference held in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the angel of Revelation 18: 1 came down to do his
work, and was ridiculed, criticised and rejected. And when the
message he brings again, swells into a loud cry, it will again be
ridiculed, spoken against, and be rejected by the majority’’
(Taking up a Reproach—Mrs. E. G. White).
These solemn, thought-provoking statements inform us in
advance that when the difficult days come “the majority” of the
professing people of God are unprepared and “renounce the faith,
and take their stand with its avowed enemies”. Why are they not
ready for this hour of test? They “have not been sanctified
through obedience to the truth” (GC. 608). “It is in a crisis that
character is revealed ... it was seen who made preparation for
the event. Both parties were taken unawares: but one was pre
pared for the emergency, and the other was found without
preparation” (C.O..L 411).
We shall show that these unprepared ones have failed to
obtain righteousness by faith. “Our churches are dying for the
want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in
Christ, and on kindred truths” (GW. 301). “There is not one
in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on
this subject [Justification by faith] that is so necessary to our
present and eternal welfare” (R. 8c H. Sept. 3, 1880).
“Righteousness by faith is the message that God commanded
to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which
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is to be proclaimed with a loud voice and attended with the
outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure” (Unpublished
Testimony, Nov. 18, 1896).
Two subjects inseparably bound together in both the Bible
and the Spirit of Prophecy are righteousness by faith and the final
conflict. As stated in the Spirit of Prophecy:
“Clad in the armour of Christ’s righteousness, the church is
to enter upon her final conflict . . . The darkest hour of the
church’s struggle with the powers of evil, is that which imme
diately precedes the day of her final deliverance” (PK. 725).
These two subjects—righteousness by faith and the final
conflict—are not understood by many church members, and it is
because of this that so many will be unprepared for the final
scenes. There is, therefore, great and urgent need that serious
study be given to these two subjects. Rightly understood, every
prophecy picturing the last-day conflict throws clear, steady, full
light on righteousness by faith and the final conflict. To under
stand the final conflict aright is to understand righteousness by
faith. This may come as a surprise to many, but that surprise is
due to the fact that the enemy of righteousness has brought in a
false understanding of the prophecies depicting the final conflict
and by so doing has hidden the glorious teaching of righteousness
by faith. The reader is therefore urged to prayerfully and care
fully study the following pages, so that he may learn how to be
panoplied with mighty power, to be “clad in the armour of
Christ’s righteousness”, and thus be ready “to enter upon the
final conflict”.
Louis F. Were
7
key to abbreviations
of E.G. White books published by
Pacific Press
Publishing Association
Mountain View
California 94042
The writings by Mrs. E.G. White (1827-1916) are
generally by Seventh-day Adventists believed to be
illumined by the Spirit of prophecy.
IT. 10—Testimonies, Vol., p. 10.
GC. 10—The Great Controversy, p. 10.
EW. 10—Early Writings, p. 10.
TM.—Testimonies to Ministers.
A A.—Acts of the Apostles.
DA.—Desire of Ages.
PP.—Patriarchs and Prophets.
PK.—Prophets and Kings.
COL.—Christ’s Object Lessons.
GW.—Gospel Workers.
MB.—Mount of Blessing.
MH.—Ministry of Elealing.
MM.—Medical Ministry.
RH.—Review and Herald.
SC.—Steps to Christ.
Emphasis to extracts employed has been added to draw
attention to certain salient features.
8
CHAPTER ONE
THE POWER AVAILABLE
Power—unlimited, endless, almighty, infinite, awaits our
demand and reception. All the resources of Omnipotence are
ours on request. “Those who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to
God, will constantly receive a new endowment of physical, mental,
and spiritual power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are
at their command” (GW. 112).
God desires that His church should pulsate with power,
power that His people may overcome sin and be victorious over
all the power of the enemy. Our all-conquering Lord has assured
us: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall
by any means hurt you” (Luke 10: 19).
“I give unto you power . . . over all the power of the enemy”
—not power over some of “the power of the enemy” but “over
all the power of the enemy”. Thus our Lord declares that those
who look to Him for power will be “more than conquerors”
(Rom. 8: 37). “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ”; “Thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ” (1 Cor. 15: 57; 2 Cor. 2:
14). “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and
this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”;
“ye have overcome them”; “Ye have overcome the wicked one”
(1 John 5: 4; 4: 4; 2: 14).
“The gospel of Christ ... is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1: 16). “The Good News. It
is the power by which God brings salvation to every one who
believes it” (20th Cent.). Thus all who are “bom again” by the
operation of the Holy Spirit experience God’s power in the life—
without it no one will be saved. The gospel is not merely an
avenue of power but is God’s power, working for the salvation
of those who believe. But God’s power is not limited in its
operation for individual salvation, but is available to the believer
for the promulgation of the gospel. Our Lord says: “All power
is given unto Me . . . Go ye therefore” (Matt. 28: 18, 19). He
thus declares that He exercises that Almighty power in His
capacity as the Head of the church. He urges His followers on
earth to go into all the world preaching His gospel relying upon
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