Righteousness By Faith and the 1888 General Conference
True Faith
What are we to do to have this victory? We must believe that it is true. Those who believe that perfection is impossible will never reach it, because it will never be their goal. If it is not their goal, they will make no effort for it, and God cannot force it upon them. God says that the only way to live this life is by faith in Him. The just shall live by faith.
Hab. 2:4. Do not forget that we have no power within ourselves to overcome sin. We must live every daily moment, face every temptation (no matter how small) with a prayer and faith that God will deliver us. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit
Zech 4:6. It is only done if we crucify our flesh and let the Spirit lead us at every moment. By our faith, God is able to work in us to change our lives. He daily convicts us of what we need to do, and we, led by the Spirit, obey His voice and listen to Him.
In ourselves we are incapable of doing any good thing; but that which we cannot do will be wrought by the power of God in every submissive and believing soul...It is through faith that spiritual life is begotten, and we are enabled to do the works of righteousness.Desire of Ages 88
Whenever you face a temptation, say a prayer to God for help, knowing that He will give it to you.
When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life.Desire of Ages 270
This is the only way we can win.
Brothers and sisters, do not be deceived, when we have faith in God there is no sin that has any power over us. There is no sin too strong for us to overcome. In Christ,
there was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the word could He resist temptation.It is written,He said.Desire of Ages 116
There is an important side to this, however. Faith does not come to us automatically. It must be based on something we know to be true, and this knowledge comes from the Bible. Those who neglect to diligently study their Bibles will not be able to automatically force themselves to believe in time of trouble. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17. Faith comes from what we hear from the word of God. If the word is not hidden in your heart, how can you expect to have the faith in God to overcome sin? Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Ps. 119:11.
It is by faith in Christ that we are enabled to overcome, and our faith is increased by spending time reading His word. How can you expect God to bring back to remembrance those things that are not even in your mind? Faith does not consist of only mere mental assent; God expects us to put forth every effort to increase our knowledge of Him. (Phil. 2:12-15) It is because of a lack of knowledge of Christ and His power that people will be lost. (Hos. 4:6). Therefore, by doing all that we can to know Christ more, and letting Him lead our lives by faith, we are enabled to overcome every sin the devil would have us stumble over. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
1 John 5:4. We can be sure that just as Jesus gave us our faith initially, He will see us through to the end. looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith
Heb. 12:2. We can rest assured that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Phil 1:6. What more could we ask for?
