Table of Contents
The RBF Debate Settled
Homework Reading Assignments: Steps To Christ, Christ’s Object Lessons, First Chapter of The Desire Of Ages.
RBF stands for “Righteousness By Faith.” And this debate has raged on ever since 1888 for SDAs, and has also been one of the most critical issues in the whole controversy between Christ and Satan! This is evident in the fact that RBF is identified as the primary issue in most of the book “The Great Controversy” by Ellen G. White. This is not done “by name” but “by principle” in the reading of each chapter.
The content of this article will not contain all of the Homework Reading Assignments content, but will include some key statements from those assignments.
In The Beginning
We should start at the very beginning! So let’s see how EGW describes Satan’s position at the time when the world was first created!
Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first parents, with all the woe that has resulted, he charges
upon the Creator, leading men to look upon God as the author of sin, and suffering, and death. Jesus was to unveil this deception. As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. “In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren.” Hebrews 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was “in all points tempted like as we are.” Hebrews 4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him from God. He says, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. As He went about doing good, and healing all who were afflicted by Satan, He made plain to men the character of God’s law and the nature of His service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God.
The Desire Of Ages page 24, By Ellen G. White
Satan’s Operating Method
Wasn’t this Satan’s method of tempting Eve into her first sin? Has Satan changed his tactics at all? No, not much at all!
You would not believe how many times I’ve heard this paragraph from ‘Desire of Ages’ completely denied, both from SDA pulpits and in Youth and Adult Sabbath School classes! Even though an SDA pastor raised me, I never fully understood this battle until God gave me a personal Bible study on RBF that lasted 3.5 hours. I continued to learn more about this battle since that Bible study in 1983. But this personal Bible study from God shook me to the core! About half an hour into the study, I was shaking like a leaf in the wind! I told God, “Nobody is teaching this! What can I do? You don’t want me to preach, do you?”
Why Do SDAs Fail?
So then, why do so many SDAs fail to overcome their daily temptations? If you want a Biblical answer, read John chapters 13, 14, and 15. These chapters were all written concerning the period of the Last Supper and their subsequent walk to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested! (See also: Through Jesus I Overcome)
OK, now that you know the answer from John 15, read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and ask yourself this question: Does God lie in His Word? No? Are you sure? Either 1 Corinthians 10:13 is wholly true or it is entirely false; there is no halfway point!
Why do we so often fail? The key is found in what Jesus said to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.
39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:39-44 KJV
This is the key phrase! “Not my will, but thine, be done.” This is precisely where we fail! And we fail because the love in our hearts for Christ is weak! And it is weak because we have neglected our relationship with Him! Yes, I know you’re hopping mad at me! Go ahead and hit your pillow! But you know that I’m telling you the truth!
What you need to keep in mind daily is that Christ has purchased you at an infinite cost to Himself! Your body is NOT yours to do with as you please! Your mind is NOT yours to fill with garbage! Your character is NOT yours to pollute! You belong to Christ fully and completely! (See also: Now I Belong To Jesus!)
