"Now we have all sinned and come short--that is what Paul means--we have "missed the mark."
Then the more righteousness of the law a man has the worse he is off--the more ragged is he.
Now turn to Zech. 3:1-8. Mrs. White declares this chapter to be a prophecy of this present time.
Here we have Joshua standing clothed in his own righteousness and Christ takes it off and clothes him with the righteousness of God.
Now Joshua had been doing the best he could, but would he have been saved? No. How often we hear people say "I do the best I can," and believe they will be saved.
Joshua was reclothed and was to stand with the angels.
If then our righteousness is all taken away and Christ clothes us with God's righteousness, then to walk in his law, we will stand with the angels.
Q: Why did the Savior came as an infant instead of a man?
To die on the cross would have met the penalty.
A: Because he lived a child and met all the temptations a child meets and never sinned--so that any child can stand in his place and resist in his strength; and he lived also as a youth, a man full grown, weaving for us a robe of righteousness to cover us (not to cover our filthy garments as that would be a mixture), takes the filthy garment away and puts his own in their place, so that all may have it if they will.
Q: Now if the righteousness is the gift of God, and comes by the gospel, then what is the use of the law?
A: The law entered that the offense might abound, Rom. 3:19--the law speaks to sinners that all may become guilty before God to show people their guilt.
Now verse 20, the law is to reveal sin to us unrighteousness, not righteousness--Christ reveals the latter, the law the former.
The law of God cannot allow a single sin in any degree whatever. If it did and condoned even a single thought that was not perfect it would sink a soul into perdition.
The law is perfect.
If it accepts imperfection the Lord must accept it and admit that he is imperfect, because the law is the representation of his character.
In the fact that the law demands perfection lies the hope of all mankind, because if it could overlook a sin to a single degree, no one could ever be free from sin, as the law would never make that sin known and it could never be forgiven, by which alone man can be saved.
The day is coming when the law will have revealed the last sin and we will stand perfect before him and be saved with an eternal salvation. The perfection of the law of God is that it will show us all our sins, and then a perfect Savior stands ready to take them all away.
When God makes known all our sins it is not to condemn us, but to save us, so it is a token of his love for us, therefore, whenever a sin is made known to you, it is a token of God's love for you because the Savior stands ready to take it away. That is why God has given us a Savior and the gospel.
To keep his commandments, then, means that we shall be as good as God is, so we read in 1 John 3:7: "He that doeth righteousness, is righteous even as he is righteous."
Now see Psalms 119:138, Deuteronomy 6:35, Isaiah 59:7--the people who do the law of God are righteous, even as God is righteous, then to keep them means that man must be like God in character."
A.T.Jones
Then the more righteousness of the law a man has the worse he is off--the more ragged is he.
Now turn to Zech. 3:1-8. Mrs. White declares this chapter to be a prophecy of this present time.
Here we have Joshua standing clothed in his own righteousness and Christ takes it off and clothes him with the righteousness of God.
Now Joshua had been doing the best he could, but would he have been saved? No. How often we hear people say "I do the best I can," and believe they will be saved.
Joshua was reclothed and was to stand with the angels.
If then our righteousness is all taken away and Christ clothes us with God's righteousness, then to walk in his law, we will stand with the angels.
Q: Why did the Savior came as an infant instead of a man?
To die on the cross would have met the penalty.
A: Because he lived a child and met all the temptations a child meets and never sinned--so that any child can stand in his place and resist in his strength; and he lived also as a youth, a man full grown, weaving for us a robe of righteousness to cover us (not to cover our filthy garments as that would be a mixture), takes the filthy garment away and puts his own in their place, so that all may have it if they will.
Q: Now if the righteousness is the gift of God, and comes by the gospel, then what is the use of the law?
A: The law entered that the offense might abound, Rom. 3:19--the law speaks to sinners that all may become guilty before God to show people their guilt.
Now verse 20, the law is to reveal sin to us unrighteousness, not righteousness--Christ reveals the latter, the law the former.
The law of God cannot allow a single sin in any degree whatever. If it did and condoned even a single thought that was not perfect it would sink a soul into perdition.
The law is perfect.
If it accepts imperfection the Lord must accept it and admit that he is imperfect, because the law is the representation of his character.
In the fact that the law demands perfection lies the hope of all mankind, because if it could overlook a sin to a single degree, no one could ever be free from sin, as the law would never make that sin known and it could never be forgiven, by which alone man can be saved.
The day is coming when the law will have revealed the last sin and we will stand perfect before him and be saved with an eternal salvation. The perfection of the law of God is that it will show us all our sins, and then a perfect Savior stands ready to take them all away.
When God makes known all our sins it is not to condemn us, but to save us, so it is a token of his love for us, therefore, whenever a sin is made known to you, it is a token of God's love for you because the Savior stands ready to take it away. That is why God has given us a Savior and the gospel.
To keep his commandments, then, means that we shall be as good as God is, so we read in 1 John 3:7: "He that doeth righteousness, is righteous even as he is righteous."
Now see Psalms 119:138, Deuteronomy 6:35, Isaiah 59:7--the people who do the law of God are righteous, even as God is righteous, then to keep them means that man must be like God in character."
A.T.Jones