Righteousness By Faith and the 1888 General Conference
Ellen White
The righteousness by faith message comes completely from the Bible, however before we get into the message, it is interesting to note Ellen White's comments on it.
In response to this message:
I have had the question asked, What do you think of this light that these men are presenting? Why, I have been presenting it to you for the last forty-five years--the matchless charms of Christ. This is what I have been trying to present before your minds. When Brother Waggoner brought out these ideas in Minneapolis, it was the first clear teaching on this subject from any human lips I had heard, excepting the conversations between myself and my husband. I have said to myself, It is because God has presented it to me in vision that I see it so clearly, and they cannot see it because they have never had it presented to them as I have. And when another presented it, every fiber of my heart said, Amen.5MR 219.1
Ellen White says this message is the beginning of the loud cry:
The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.1SM 362.4
These quotes and others show that Ellen White was a strong supporter of the message of righteousness by faith.
Brief History of the 1888 General Conference
So what exactly happened in 1888? In a sentence, a message was presented about true righteousness by faith and how it relates to God's work for us who are living in the end times. In order to understand it, and why not all of our church accepted it, a brief history is needed.
Prior to the 1888 Conference, our church was still relatively new and many of our leaders had different views on various topics. Unlike today, where for the most part we have a set standard of beliefs that we all agree to, back then can be described as more of a forum atmosphere, where each person was free to publish ideas(and sometimes these views conflicted with each other) and the church as a body would not necessarily denounce or accept any of these views. As a result, there were several honest men who had erroneous standpoints, but because of the open atmosphere many people accepted them.
One of these various views was that Jesus Christ was a created being. Several prominent leaders held the belief that God in some way or fashion created Christ, and in doing so they denounced that Jesus was fully equal in nature and existence as God the Father. It turns out, however, that one of the key components of the 1888 message was that Jesus is NOT a created being and He is fully God in every sense of the word. The conflict between these two views reached new heights even before the 1888 conference. Because many Adventists had cultivated a debateful spirit from defending their beliefs with other denominations, many loved to debate and argue over theological points.
When the 1888 message was presented, some Adventists rejected this message simply because it was not in accordance with their own already accepted views, and thus they were ready to attack the messengers without first studying to see if the message was true. A few were even prepared to attack the positions of Waggoner and Jones before the conference even started. During the preliminary session, which occurred a few days before the General Conference session, a bitter conflict erupted over a smaller technical detail that caused a strong division among the participants. This conflict carried over into the main session and provided much of the fuel for the contempt some had against Waggoner and Jones. It is a sad truth that Satan was even able to ignite opposition and ridicule upon the messengers of the message themselves, apart from the message they were teaching.
In the midst of all of this opposition and controversy, Waggoner and Jones presented the message of righteousness by faith without wavering. Surprised at the animosity and personal antagonism against them that they received, they still taught the message faithfully. In the end, Ellen White described the different groups formed in the conference saying some accepted the message, some rejected it, and some were so confused over the sharp conflict between the two other groups that they did not decide either way. It is a bitter truth that one of the main reasons not everyone accepted the message was because they allowed prideful arrogance, ridicule and argumentative spirits to overtake them instead of the humble and meek spirit of Christ. As we look at the message today, if we do not learn the lessons from our church's past history, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
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As we get into the topic, I would like to note that what follows is not exactly the message that was presented in 1888. The message itself was not recorded, but we can know its main teachings from the books and ideas that Waggoner and Jones wrote before and after the conference. Also, what is written below is not so much of a focus only on the teachings of 1888, but on the truth of righteousness by faith in general. I have tried to provide a brief summary of my own personal study of the Bible and books dealing with righteousness by faith. Not everything I mention may have been a part exactly of the 1888 message, but all of it is based on the Bible and scripture. My goal here is not to write everything there is to say about this message, because that would take books. Rather, I hope that enough information is presented that you will catch a glimpse of its critical importance and will take it upon yourself to study further.
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