HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2009 / MARCH/APRIL / RATZLAFF

MARCH/APRIL 2009
VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2

---

A R T I C L E S

 

Dale Ratzlaff

 

Paul and the other apostles would be false teachers if the resurrection were not real, and their preaching would have been in vain. He states that of all people, Christians without a living Christ would be the most pitied.1 There simply is no room for anyone who claims to be a Bible-believing Christian who does not believe in the literal, bodily resurrection of Christ. The following verses are loaded with meaning.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1–4).

The preceding verses warrant our careful study. In some churches there are several "gospels" among which members can choose, but Paul does not allow such "diversity." There is one gospel. It is simple, clear and powerful.

• It can be proclaimed.
• It can be received.
• We can stand in the gospel.
• We are saved by the gospel.
• We are to hold fast the word of the gospel.
• We can believe in vain—belief without trust.
• It is of first importance.
• Paul received this gospel—from Christ Himself.2
• Paul delivered this same gospel to his followers.
• Christ died for our sins.
• The gospel has its roots in the Scriptures.
• Christ was buried—proving his bodily death.
• Christ was raised on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Note what is not mentioned in this clear gospel statement. There is no mention of law or obedience. The only thing for us to do is to believe—express belief and trust—in the gospel of Christ. We can participate in its proclamation which should be based upon Scripture. This is the simple new covenant gospel. Obedience will be manifest in the lives of Christians, but any obedience is to be "worked out" and not "worked in".

We can picture the resurrection of Christ as a large flat slab of white granite engraved with the words: "The Resurrection of Christ." Upon this secure foundation we turn our attention to the next building block of Christian faith: the very righteousness of God.

 

God's Own Righteousness

As some churches today promote multiple gospels, they also are unclear on the full, eternal deity of Christ. In fact, often the false gospels that some promote today are founded on their understanding of who Christ is. If a church believes—or allows its members in good and regular standing to believe—that Christ is the first created being, Michael the Archangel, or the incarnate Christ with the nature of Adam after the fall, then of necessity its gospel is flawed and its definition of righteousness is warped.

Scripture makes it clear that Christ is fully God. And this fact is vital to a correct understanding of righteousness.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (Jn. 1:1, 2).

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Tit. 2:13). (The Greek construction makes it clear that "our Great God and Savior" is the same person as Christ.)

If we believe that Christ took on the post-fall nature of Adam, then our "gospel" will lean toward "example theology." Example theology teaches that with the power of the indwelling Spirit we can reach the same level of obedience to the law that Christ manifested. Thus, our character development becomes a factor in our salvation and in our readiness for the coming of Christ. The most deceptive error is that which mixes valid truth with a little error. The quotation below serves as an illustration.

"Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own."3

The above quotation includes some truth. However, to state that Christ will not claim His church as His own until His character is perfectly reproduced in His people opens up the false gospel of "example/remnant theology". This theology teaches not only that Christ did not settle all the issues in "the great controversy" but also that the claims of Satan will only be fully unmasked when "the remnant" prove to the on-looking universe that God's law can be perfectly kept. This theology robs one of Christian assurance and puts its adherents under the bondage of the law.

However, if we believe in the full, eternal deity of Christ, recognizing that Christ took the pre-fall nature of Adam, then our assurance of salvation and readiness for the coming of Christ is not based on our obedience to the law or our attempt to perfectly reproduce the character of Christ. Rather, we will see that our only hope of salvation is to accept by faith the free gift of "God's righteousness"—a righteousness that is far above "the righteousness of the law" or any righteousness that we can produce.

There is yet another subtle error in the above quotation from Ellen White. She says that Christ will not claim us as His own until we perfectly reproduce His character in our lives. This statement is at best a misunderstanding of the gospel, or at worst, rank heresy. The fact that she made this statement late in her life (1900) and it was reproduced several times in her other books (until as late as 1913) indicates that this concept was never abandoned. This statement of Ellen White is in direct contradiction to the good news of the gospel: "This man receives sinners" (Lk. 15:2).

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:16, 17).

There are some who want to move away from substitution theology to example theology. I believe this movement is a subtle deception of the devil. Only substitution theology provides the full "righteousness of God". I want to make this point clear beyond a shadow of doubt.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:21–26).

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works (Rom. 4:5, 6).

For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Rom. 4:14–16).

For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 5:19–21).

For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4).

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly (Gal. 2:21).

…and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Phil. 3:9).

The simple new covenant gospel leaves no room for us to depend on any character development of our own for our assurance of salvation or our readiness for the second coming of Christ. It is 100% by God's grace through faith in Christ our Substitute. Christ takes our sin and accounts us righteous with the very "righteousness of God."

Building on the large flat slab of white granite engraved with the words: "The resurrection of Christ", we place the next stone in our gospel theology. Picture a large block of pure red jasper covering one third of the white granite underneath. On the red jasper stone inscribed in gold letters we read, "The Righteousness of God".

Once we understand that Christ rose bodily from the grave and accounts believers with the very righteousness of God, we are then free to understand and accept eternal life.

 

Eternal Life Now

After I discovered justification by faith, I was happy to live in that blessed assurance for many years without fully understanding eternal life. O, I knew the texts on eternal life, but I saw them only as an assurance that after the second coming of Christ I would live forever in heaven. It seems I am often so slow to understand what the Bible makes plain. Sometimes passages become so familiar we skip over them. Look with me again as if for the first time at some key texts on eternal life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Jn. 5:24).

Many of us were taught that only the names of those who professed to believe in God would come into judgment. Actually, this verse teaches the exact opposite! Believers don't come into judgment. They have already been judged in Christ when they believed. Christ took their judgment for them. That is what the cross is all about! The instant we truly believe in Christ and are born-again, at that instant we are given eternal life.

And the testimony is this, that God has given [a past event] us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has [a present reality] the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:11–13).

God not only wants us to have eternal life, He wants us to know we have it! He wants us to have that assurance. Look very carefully at the next few verses.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world" (Jn. 11:23–27).

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt. 10:28).

I will not here do an in-depth study of 2 Corinthians 5:1–9, a key text on life after death, as I did this in the May/June, 2001 issue of Proclamation!.4 Nevertheless, as I read the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew and John quoted above and study the theology of Paul below, I must conclude that the very next moment after death our soul or spirit will be with the Lord.

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him (2 Cor. 5:6–9).

While our understanding of the intermediate state between death and the resurrection is not a salvation issue, to internalize the truth that the very next moment after our body dies our soul or spirit will be with the Lord gives us a great deal of comfort as we face death.

We know little about the intermediate state, but here is what we do know. We will be out of the body and with Christ. This state is to be preferred to our lives here on earth, and we can be pleasing to God. This means that we will have intellect, emotion and will. I believe this is the fulfillment of the prayer of Christ in John 17.

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word…Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (Jn. 17:20, 24).

Moreover, at the second coming we have this promise.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

If we really believe what Christ said, what John wrote, and what Paul taught, then we know that our eternal life starts the very moment we trust Christ for salvation. That truth, when incorporated into our spiritual armament, will help us face whatever comes to us in this life with deeper assurance, dynamic motivation, and undying joy.

Now we are ready to place the next stone in our gospel theology. It is a translucent green emerald placed next to the red jasper, and it covers the central third of the white granite underneath. In shining letters of golden light we read, "Eternal Life Now."

 

Heaven Is Real

There is yet one more foundation stone we must place before we can fully understand what it means to live the eternal kind of life. This sky blue stone says in shimmering letters, "Heaven is Real" and covers the last one third on top of the white granite stone representing the resurrection of Christ.

In Philippians 3:21 Paul says that at the second coming, our bodies will be transformed into conformity to Christ's heavenly body. What kind of bodies will we receive at the resurrection? The Gospels give us some clues.

First, glorified bodies obey different laws of physics than we know now. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus invited Christ to stay with them. After Christ blessed the bread, he suddenly disappeared from their sight. When the disciples were together behind locked doors, the risen Christ suddenly appeared. Can't you just imagine how much fun kids would have playing heavenly hide and seek if they could make themselves suddenly disappear and then reappear?

Second, we will eat in our glorified bodies. To show that Jesus was not just a ghost, He asked for a peace of fish and He ate it in their presence. Moreover, at the last supper, Jesus said He would never eat that meal again until the kingdom had come. Picture a large banquet in heaven where we will eat the communion supper together and share our testimonies of God's grace, love and care! Further, we will eat from the tree of life.

Third, glorified bodies are tangible and material. The disciples could touch Christ and see the scars on his hands. In heaven we will be real people—but different from now! No longer will we have the curse of sin.

From the biblical record it appears that animals were not afraid of people until after the flood. Wouldn't it be fun to be able to get an up-close look at some of God's wonderful creations?

The central attraction in the world made new, however, will be our God. Isaiah received a glimpse of heaven, and it changed his life. Paul speaks about being caught up into Paradise and hearing inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. Near the end of the book of Revelation we have this description.

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:1–6).

Yes, heaven is real. Now with these four foundation stones of the gospel: the Resurrection of Christ, the Righteousness of God, Eternal life now, and Heaven is real, we are now prepared to build on this gospel foundation and begin living the eternal kind of life.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1–2).

How did Christ endure the pain and shame of the cross? He did it by looking past the cross to "the joy set before Him." Paul, too, lived the eternal kind of life.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18).

Living the eternal kind of life allows us to view our existence here through the lens of eternity. Too often we measure our life by years down here. Often our values, our goals, our plans, our toil, our decisions are all predicated on our life here with little thought of eternity. We consider death to be the end when in reality, for the believer, death is just the beginning. It is my conviction that once the four foundation stones of the gospel are firmly placed in our thinking and we discipline our minds to think of eternity first, it transforms the way we view life here and now.

 

Sickness, pain and facing death

Carolyn and I recently talked with a lady who was a regular member of a church we pastored. She told us that she was diagnosed with lung cancer and was given only a month or two to live. In our conversation she told us how the peace of God had flooded her soul. With the four foundation stones of the gospel firmly in place, she was looking forward to being with Christ. Knowing that the same powerful Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in her,5 that she was clothed with the very righteousness of God and now had eternal life, she could look into a certain future with assurance and joy.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Rev. 21:4).

 

Suffering and persecution

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish (Lk. 21:12–18).

Living in the security of the eternal kind of life allows us to change the focus of persecution from what happens to us into an opportunity to witness for Christ. It gives us a passion for others. We have good news to share with those who wish to do us harm.

 

Loss for the gospel

Living the eternal kind of life helps us face loss for the sake of the gospel. By leaving the Adventist church Carolyn and I have been estranged from some of our family members. Some who were our friends now look at us with suspicion or outright hostility. Now, however, we have a larger "gospel family". We have hundreds of brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers in Christ. Now some of our "gospel family" are as close as our own family. God's promises are true.6

 

Financial loss

Living in the assurance of the eternal kind of life helps us face financial loss: Some of us are upside down in our mortgages. Some have seen a large portion of their savings go down the garbage disposal of political corruption and corporate greed. Some have lost their jobs because of recent cutbacks. If you have lost a large part of your savings, I encourage you to check the balance of your heavenly ledger. We are children of God and joint heirs with Christ. If our Lord could feed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish, we have nothing to fear. Even if we are destitute here in this life, we know who holds the future.

…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:11–13).

 

Identity and Significance

Living the eternal kind of life gives us identity and significance. I well remember one day many years ago I was walking on the beach at Monterey Bay Academy. I was thinking how privileged I was. I was a citizen of the United States—the best country on God's green earth. I was an ordained pastor in the Adventist Church—the one and only true, remnant Church of Bible prophecy. I was a Bible teacher at Monterey Bay Academy—then considered to be the best Adventist academy in the world. Wow! What a privilege, what an identity, what significance!

But as you know that was not a true, lasting identity. Transitioning out of Adventism left us wondering who we were. We felt cut off from family and friends. We weren't sure of our theology. All we knew for sure was that we were trusting Christ alone for salvation and we had a clear conscience as we were trying to follow God's Word. Some of you, our readers, may be going through the same experience in your transition out of Adventism. You may feel that you have lost your identity and your significance. Adventism affects every part of a person's life. It tells us what to eat, what to wear, where and when to worship, how much to give and what to believe. Adventism encompasses the whole of life, and to exit Adventism one must form a totally new identity, build a new theological paradigm, and find a better source of significance. It is not easy, and it does not happen overnight. But when the four foundation stones of the gospel are firmly in place and we know who we are in Christ, we will find a true, everlasting identity and significance.

 

An eternal perspective on everything

Living the eternal kind of life gives an eternal perspective on everything. After describing the events at Sinai the writer of Hebrews says,

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect (Heb. 12:22, 23).

The foundation of the gospel is well laid in the resurrection of Christ. We have the assurance of salvation based on our faith in the grace of God who considers us righteous with the very righteousness of God. We don't have to wait until the second coming to receive eternal life. We have it now, and heaven is real. These gospel facts allow us to live the eternal kind of life with dozens of benefits, some of which are listed below:

• We can face pain, suffering and death with assurance and joy.
• We can transform persecution and hardship into opportunities to witness for Christ.
• We can face the estrangement of family and friends, knowing that our family in Christ is large, loyal and lasting.
• We can endure financial loss knowing our treasure is safe in heaven and we are joint heirs with Christ.
• We have true and lasting identity and significance as children of God.
• Living the eternal kind of life gives us an eternal perspective on every aspect of life.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Col. 3:1–4).

If you are unsure of your salvation, if you are trusting partly to Christ and partly to your own obedience to law, I encourage you to take the step of faith. Faith is more than an intellectual assent, it is trusting your life to the resurrected Christ who paid the full price for your sin and offers you His own, perfect righteousness, eternal life and a home in heaven—all free of charge. At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

As we celebrate the momentous event of the resurrection of Christ, our Lord speaks to us through His word with the same question He asked Martha, "Do you believe this?"

 

Endnotes

1. 1 Cor. 15:1–19.
2. Gal. 1:11, 12.
3. Ellen G. White, Christ Object Lessons, 1900, p. 69. See also Pamphlets on Recreation, 1912, p. 14; Counsels to Teachers, p. 1913, p. 324.
4. http://lifeassuranceministries.org/Proclamation2001_MayJun.pdf
5. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Rom. 8:11).
6. Mt. 12:48–50.

 

---

The resurrection of Christ is the foundation stone upon which the Christian church is based. Paul clearly tells us that without the resurrection our faith would be worthless, and we would still be in our sins.

Dale Ratzlaff is the founder of Life Assurance Ministries, Inc, and owns LAM Publications, LLC. He served as an Adventist pastor for 13 years, seven at Monterey Bay Academy where he taught Bible. He and his wife Carolyn left the Adventist church in 1981 when he realized he could no longer teach the investigative judgment in clear conscience. He has authored Sabbath in Christ, The Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists, The Truth About Adventist "Truth", and Truth Led Me Out. These are available through his website, LifeAssuranceMinistries.com.

Note what is not mentioned in this clear gospel statement. There is no mention of law or obedience. The only thing for us to do is to believe—express belief and trust—in the gospel of Christ.

Living the eternal kind of life helps us face loss for the sake of the gospel…Now, however, we have a larger "gospel family". We have hundreds of brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers in Christ.