EGW On I Am Saved

TABLE OF CONTESTS:

NEVER SAY I AM SAVED.

I AM SAVED STATEMENTS.

CONTRARY STATEMENTS.

THE DEFINING STATEMENT.

NEVER SAY I AM SAVED

“Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of Heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading.” COL:155.1.

“We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make advancement, saying, ‘I am saved.’ When this idea is entertained, the motives for watchfulness, for prayer, for earnest endeavor to press onward to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God. Then, with the utmost propriety, we may give glory to God and to the Lamb for eternal deliverance. As long as man is full of weakness, -- for of himself he cannot save his soul, -- he should never dare to say, ‘I am saved.’ It is not he that putteth on the armor that can boast of the victory; for he has the battle to fight and the victory to win. It is he that endureth unto the end that shall be saved. The Lord says, ‘If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.’ If we do not go forward from victory to victory, the soul will draw back to perdition. We should raise no human standard whereby to measure character. We have seen enough of what men call perfection here below. God’s holy Law is the only thing by which we can determine whether we are keeping His way or not. If we are disobedient, our characters are out of harmony with God’s Moral Rule of government, and it is stating a falsehood to say, ‘I am saved.’ No one is saved who is a transgressor of the Law of God, which is the foundation of His government in Heaven and in earth.” RH, June 17, 1890, paragraph 8.

I AM SAVED STATEMENTS

“If we are disobedient, our characters are out of harmony with God’s moral rule of government, and it is stating a falsehood to say, ‘I am saved.’ No one is saved who is a transgressor of the Law of God, which is the foundation of His government in Heaven and in earth.” 1SM 315.1.

“Every art and device of Satan will be used to accomplish our ruin. If you sit down with the ease-loving ones, with the words on your lips, ‘I am saved,’ and disregard the Commandments of God, you will be eternally lost.” 1SM:318.1.

“It is essential to have faith in Jesus, and to believe you are saved through Him; but there is danger in taking the position that many do take in saying, ‘I am saved.’ ” 1SM:373.1.

“As we come to feel our utter reliance upon Christ for salvation, are we to fold our hands, and say, ‘I have nothing to do; I am saved; Jesus has done it all?’ -- No, we are to put forth every energy that we may become partakers of the Divine nature. We are to be continually watching, waiting, praying, and working.” (1892) 3SM:198.2; BEcho, May 15, 1892, paragraph 10.

“An exultant feeling is no evidence of sanctification. The assertion, ‘I am saved, I am saved,’ does not prove that the soul is saved or sanctified.” 3SM:203.3.

“Many will say, I am saved, I am saved, I am saved. Well, have they been cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit? and can they cleanse themselves by the righteousness of the Law? Jesus Christ came to this world, and there is His righteousness to impart to the children of men who are obeying the Law of God. The whole world can say, I am saved, as well as any transgressor today. They can say, I believe on Christ that He is my Saviour, but why do they disregard His Law which is the transcript of His character? When they disregard the Law of Jehovah they disregard the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1888M:128.2.

“I feel the burden on my soul to present not only the Law but the Gospel. One is not complete without the other. We hear so many who are deceived by the enemy constantly claiming, ‘I am saved; I am saved;’ but you present God’s great Moral Standard of righteousness before them, and they show such contempt of God’s rule of righteousness that we know that they do not know what it means to be saved.” 1888M:779.4.

“Those who are teaching this doctrine today have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but they pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare that we have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is all-sufficient: that the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner’s credentials; that this imputed righteousness fulfills the Law for us, and that we are under no obligation to obey the Law of God. This class claim that Christ came to save sinners, and that He has saved them. ‘I am saved,’ they will repeat over and over again. But are they saved while transgressing the Law of Jehovah? -- No; for the garments of Christ’s righteousness are not a cloak for iniquity. Such teaching is a gross deception, and Christ becomes to these persons a stumbling block as He did to the Jews, -- to the Jews, because they would not receive Him as their personal Saviour, to these professed believers in Christ, because they separate Christ and the Law, and regard faith as a substitute for obedience. They separate the Father and the Son, the Saviour of the world. Virtually they teach, both by precept and example, that Christ, by His death, saves men in their transgressions.” BEcho, February 8, 1897, paragraph 7; ST, February 25, 1897, paragraph 7.

“Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. They lose sight of their own weakness and their constant need of divine strength. They are unprepared for Satan’s devices, and under temptation many, like Peter, fall into the very depths of sin. We are admonished, ‘Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.’ 1 Corinthians 10:12. Our only safety is in constant distrust of self, and dependence on Christ.” COL:155.2; FLB:336.2; Mar. 236.3; NL:42.2.

“But those who after being prayed with say, I am saved, have no real understanding of what it means to receive Christ. No man can say, I am saved, until he has endured test and trial, until he has shown that he can overcome temptation. Those who fail to do the work which God has said should be done soon lose the right perception of spiritual things, and become blinded as to the character of the truth. They are unfitted to do the work which would make them complete in Christ.” KC:120.2.

“We hear so many who are deceived by the enemy constantly claiming, ‘I am saved;’ but. . . they show such contempt of God’s rule of righteousness that we know that they. . . know nothing of saving grace. The heart is not in harmony with the Law of God, but is at enmity with that Law. Thus was the great rebel in Heaven. Will the Lord take men and women to Heaven who have no respect for the Law of His universe?” OHC:141.2.

In an address to the National Baptist Church, Mrs. White speaking, heard, “One man, in response as to what constitutes genuine faith, uttered his sentiments, and when asked, ‘What do you think of that which we have heard today,’ answered, ‘Oh, it does not matter to me; I am saved, I am saved.’ ” RH, April 5, 1887, paragraph 3.

“If you sit down with the ease-loving ones, with the words on your lips, ‘I am saved,’ and disregard the Commandments of God, you will be eternally lost.” RH, June 17, 1890, paragraph 14.

“It is essential to have faith in Jesus, and to believe you are saved through Him; but there is danger in taking the position that many do take in saying, ‘I am saved.’ Many have said: ‘You must do good works, and you will live;’ but apart from Christ no one can do good works. Many at the present day say, ‘Believe, only believe, and live.’ Faith and works go together, believing and doing are blended. The Lord requires no less of the soul now, than he required of Adam in paradise before he fell, -- perfect obedience, unblemished righteousness. The requirement of God under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement He made in paradise, -- harmony with His Law, which is holy, and just, and good. The gospel does not weaken the claims of the Law; it exalts the Law and makes It honorable. Under the New Testament, no less is required than was required under the Old Testament. Let no one take up with the delusion so pleasant to the natural heart, that God will accept of sincerity, no matter what may be the faith, no matter how imperfect may be the life. God requires of his child perfect obedience.” RH, November 1, 1892, paragraph 1.

“There are many who claim that they have been sanctified to God, and yet when the great Standard of righteousness is presented to them, they become greatly excited, and manifest a spirit which proves that they know nothing of what it means to be sanctified. They have not the mind of Christ; for those who are truly sanctified will reverence and obey the Word of God as fast as it is opened to them, and they will express a strong desire to know what is truth on every point of doctrine. An exultant feeling is no evidence of sanctification. The assertion, ‘I am saved, I am saved,’ does not prove that the soul is saved or sanctified. Many who are greatly excited are told that they are sanctified, when they have no intelligent idea of what the term means; for they know not the Scriptures nor the power of God. They flatter themselves that they are in conformity to the Will of God, because they feel happy; but when they are tested, when the Word of God is brought to bear upon their experience, they stop their ears from hearing the truth, saying, ‘I am sanctified,’ and that puts an end to the controversy. They will have nothing to do with searching the Scriptures to know what is truth, and prove that they are fearfully self-deceived. Sanctification means very much more than a flight of feeling. Excitement is not sanctification. Entire conformity to the Will of our Father which is in Heaven is alone sanctification, and the Will of God is expressed in His holy Law. The keeping of all the Commandments of God is sanctification. Proving yourselves obedient children to God’s Word is sanctification. The Word of God is to be our guide, not the opinions or ideas of men. Let those who would be truly sanctified search the Word of God with patience, with prayer, and with humble contrition of soul. Let them remember that Jesus prayed. ‘Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy Word is truth.’ ” RH, March 25, 1902, paragraph 8.

“All those who say, ‘I am saved! I am saved!’ but do not obey God’s Commandments, are resting their salvation on a false hope, a false foundation. No one who has an intelligent knowledge of the requirements of God, can be saved in disobedience. Just so far as men have a knowledge of the Words of Christ, so plainly laid down in the Bible, they will be held responsible.” ST, December 28, 1891, paragraph 14.

“They are deluded by the adversary of God and man. They have illusions, and a bewitching power is upon them as they cry out: ‘I am saved, I am saved. I cannot sin.’ We only can distinguish the true from the false by the manifestation of the graces of the Spirit, which Christ has promised to implant in the heart.” ST, February 28, 1895, paragraph 6.

“The promises contained in the seven beatitudes are not to be fulfilled to the one who feels self-sufficient, who turns from the Scriptures of revealed truth to a false theory, crying: ‘I am saved, I am saved. I cannot sin.’ ” ST, February 28, 1895, paragraph 9.

“I am weeping and praying and working, trying my motives and feelings in the light of eternity, and if I am saved at last, it will be through the matchless love of my Redeemer.” UL:120.2.

“There are many who say, “I am saved; I am sanctified; I have nothing to do, Jesus has done it all,” and they care not to search the Scriptures or to hear the voice of God in his word, or to be doers of the word. This belief is like a building erected on sliding sand. It is a refuge of lies, and the storm and tempest sweep it away,” YI, August 31, 1897, Paragraph 8.

“There are those who exclaim, ‘I am saved! I am saved!’ who yet walk contrary to the doctrine of Christ. The Word of God declares, ‘He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ Obedience must be rendered to all God’s Commandments in this world before a soul will be chosen as a safe member of the kingdom of Heaven, one of the royal children of God.” YI, February 10, 1898, paragraph 6.

CONTRARY STATEMENTS

“You need not stand where you say, ‘I do not know whether I am saved.’ Do you believe in Christ as your personal Saviour? If you do, then rejoice.” GCB, Aprial 10, 1901, paragraph 14.

“I demolished my idols, and worshiped God, and now I see him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love. I then saw Him only with the eye of faith, but now I see Him as He is. I can now express my gratitude for His redeeming mercy to Him who loved me, and washed me from my sin in His Own blood.” RH, January 5, 1905, paragraph 13.

“I read the Word of God for myself, and found that what you had told me was the truth. I am saved, and I will praise my Redeemer for His matchless mercy and pardoning love.” ST, January 28, 1886, paragraph 1.

THE DEFINING STATEMENT

By contrast, we have this statement that confirms that even during “The Time Of Trouble,” the “Saved and Sealed 144,000” will be unsure of their salvation.

“Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some fault in themselves they shall fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise, ‘I will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world.’ If they could have the assurance of pardon, they would not shrink from torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects of character, then God’s holy Name would be reproached.” 4SP:436.2; GC:619.1.