Some authors who have taken on this topic, vary to a degree in emphasis but here are the broad contours which can also be described as The Everlasting Gospel:
- It addresses the nature of Jesus' divinity and His humanity.
- It directs you toward the agape of the second covenant.
- It refocuses attention to the cross, the price Jesus paid to satisfy the righteous requirements of the law that set everyone, saint and sinner alike, permanently free from the law of sin and death.
- It describes the power available through His righteousness.
- It harmonizes and reconciles all of scripture to this gospel.
In subsequent pages, we will go into greater depth and detail. We will also consider whether we, as a church, should repent because we thwarted this gospel given to us by the Holy Spirit which was and is to be shared with a dying world. Please share your thoughts now and as we proceed.
When I first encountered the 1888 message, it primarily emphasized corporate repentance, i.e., whether the SDA Church should repent for rejecting the message of righteousness by grace through faith when it was presented at the 1888 General Conference Session in Minneapolis, MN. This emphasis seemed divisive and without salvific relevance. For as EGW writes, "We are not saved in groups." (GC, 490) When I later gained an understanding of the REAL heart of the message, my heart melted!
ReplyDeleteI've read some of the arguments about corporate repentance and still have no conviction about it or how it might manifest itself today. As I read what was happening before Pentacost, however, though not explicit, there must have been a sense of deep humility that had them all on one accord. At this point, I want to be taught so that I can share.
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