6.) The Blotting Out of Sin I

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In our Sanctuary studies up to now we have examined the importance and function of the Sanctuary in giving us victory over sin on a daily, ongoing basis. Now I want to introduce the importance of the Sanctuary in the permanent removal of sin from our lives.

In the yearly cycle of the Old Testament Sanctuary, sin was recorded daily in type by the sprinkled blood of the sacrificial animals on the curtain, or veil, which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This ceremony pointed forward to the sacrifice of Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Jn 1:29.

Because Jesus lived His perfect life in human flesh and shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for every son and daughter of Adam, we can now, through a personal relationship with Him, approach the throne of grace without a veil between.

"When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Matt. 27:50, 51.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner Sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered in our behalf. He has become a High Priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." Heb. 6:19, 20.

"Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly Sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room was the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold covered Ark of the Covenant.... Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover....

"The priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest enter the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper....

"When Christ came as High Priest, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made.... He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place [Holy Place-KJV] once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance -- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." Heb. 9:1-15.

"Christ is the minister of the true tabernacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Savior; and His office no other can take. He is the High Priest of the church, and He has a work to do which no other can perform. By His grace He is able to keep every man from transgression." ST 2/14/1900.

The theme of the whole Bible is God's effort to save mankind from the presence and power of sin. From the beginning He had formulated the plan of salvation, and when man sinned, this plan was put into operation. First was the Sanctuary on earth where God met with His people. After the coming of Jesus and His ascension back into Heaven, He began the next phase of this plan. 

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming -- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.... 

"Therefore, when Christ came into the world he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, "Here I am -- it is written about me in the scroll -- I have come to do your will, O God."'...

"Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

"The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,' says the Lord. 'I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.' Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'" Heb. 10:1-7; 11-17.

From these scriptures we can see clearly that although the Old Testament Sanctuary services could make no one perfect, they held out salvation to the people who by faith were looking forward to the coming redeemer.

Notice how Paul inserts the reason why the ministry of Christ produces salvation in contrast with the Old Testament Sanctuary services: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds" (Hebrews 8:10).

This is a quote from Jer. 31:31-34:

"'The time is coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.... This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the Lord. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.'"

This new covenant promise that God gave to His ancient people and again in the New Testament, is especially applicable to God's people at the end of time. It is the result of Christ's work in the Most Holy Place where the sins of His people are finally cleansed, and the law of God written perfectly on their hearts, and their sins blotted out forever.

"The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. But the apostle Peter distinctly states that the sins of believers will be blotted out 'when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ.' When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be." GC 485.

"In the typical system, which was a shadow of the sacrifice and priesthood of Christ, the cleansing of the Sanctuary was the last service performed by the high priest in the yearly round of ministration. It was the closing work of the atonement, -- a removal or putting away of sin from Israel. It prefigured the closing work in the ministration of our High Priest in Heaven, in the removal or blotting out of the sins of His people, which are registered in the heavenly records. This service involves a work of investigation, a work of judgment; and it immediately precedes the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; for when He comes, every case has been decided. Says Jesus, 'My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.' It is this work of judgment, immediately preceding the Second Advent that is announced in the first angel's message of Revelation 14:7, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.'" GC 352.

It is clear that the crowning work of Jesus in the heavenly Sanctuary is the cleansing and blotting out of the sins of His people, thus fulfilling the completed work of restoration under the principles of the new covenant, which promises to write God's law on the fleshly tables of the heart. In one of Peter's early sermons just after Pentecost, he points forward to this final work of cleansing which will be accomplished for God's people just before Jesus' second coming:

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:19-21 - KJV.

"The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the Sanctuary until the final atonement.... Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of Heaven.... no more to be remembered or come into mind." PP 357, 8.

"The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of man is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the Sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended." GC 421.

"Though the sin was forgiven, the record of the sin remained until the Day of Atonement, when it was blotted out. And when this had taken place there was an end of reconciling." 1BC 777 (not EGW).

This same concept is reflected in an earlier sermon by Peter when he answered the heart cry of the people, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness [remission - KJV] of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2: 37, 38.

Peter's use of the word remission was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Here are some meanings of this word:

Freedom; pardon: - deliverance, forgiveness, liberty. Strong's Conc.

The cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty.

A diminution of the seriousness or intensity of a disease or pain; a temporary recovery.

Forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness, pardoning, absolution, exoneration.

Medical remission: disappearance of the signs and symptoms of the disease. A remission can be temporary or permanent.

In other words, remission means that when a person has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and is truly repentant, and has been forgiven of their sins, the symptoms are no longer in control of their lives. Hopefully, a drastic change takes place, and as the person walks with Jesus and continues to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be continual growth in righteousness and holiness of character. But if they turn from their walk with Jesus, and go back to their old sins, all the righteous acts will be forgotten and they are worse off than they were before.

"If a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offences he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. ... But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die." Eze. 18: 21-24.

This principle is also illustrated in the parable Jesus told about the unmerciful servant, which is recorded in Matt. 18:23-35:

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed." Matt. 18:32-34.

Thus, we can see that in both Old and New Testaments, the principle is taught that our sins are not erased from the books of Heaven until the final work of Christ in the blotting out of the sins of His repentant people at the end of His work in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary. For those who die in Christ, their sins are blotted out while they are sleeping. But those who are alive at the end of time must go through a special cleansing which will prepare them to live through the time of trouble without a mediator after Jesus ends his mediatorial work in the heavenly Sanctuary and goes out to pour out the seven last plagues upon the wicked. 

"Those who would share the benefits of the Savior's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God.... The subject of the Sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time, or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened.... 

"We are now living in the great Day of Atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart.... Everyone must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing....

"When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of Heaven. Christ in the Revelation, looking forward to that time, declares: 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be....

"Watch ye therefore.... lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments, -- it may be in that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, 'Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.'" GC 488-91.

Unfortunately, most Christians believe that this heavenly judgment will be done in secret, and that the results will not be known until the coming of Jesus, or at the time when probation closes and the seven last plagues are poured out. But this is not God's plan. While it is true that this will be the experience of the wicked, Jesus wants His own people to have such a close relationship with Him, that He can reveal to us when He comes to our name in judgment. Then the Holy Spirit will show us the things in our characters that need to be brought into harmony with the character of Jesus.

"Says the prophet: 'Who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.' Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the Sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in Heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the Sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14. When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing." GC 425.

When Jesus moved from the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place in 1844, He began the work of judgment for all who have claimed His name throughout history, beginning with the dead, and ending with the judgment of the living. Of course, the judgment of the dead takes place while they are sleeping in the grave, and they are judged on the basis of living up to all the light they knew. But a different experience is required of those who go through the judgment alive, for they have the opportunity of being cleansed from all sin, and to cooperate with Jesus in bringing their characters to a perfected condition.  This requires our full attention and cooperation, for Jesus "does nothing without our cooperation." 2SM 236. Just as the Israelites were required to fast and pray and afflict their souls and search their hearts on the Day of Atonement in cooperation with the work of the high priest, so God's people today must have their full attention upon what Jesus is doing in the heavenly Sanctuary, and intelligently cooperate with His work of cleansing our lives from every vestige of sin. 

What is the difference between those who fall asleep in Jesus before He comes, and those who live through the time of trouble and are alive when Jesus comes?  When the dead went to sleep in Jesus, He was still interceding for them in the heavenly Sanctuary. But when probation closes and Jesus' ministry in the Most Holy Place is finished, there will be no intercessor between God and man, and no blood to cover any confession of sin. This is why God's people must be cleansed of all sin and prepared to go through the time of trouble with no sin left in their lives. This requires a conscious, living experience with Jesus moment by moment, and unbroken communion with Him. This process is described in Early Writings, pp. 269-273, in the chapter called, "The Shaking." Here is described the agonizing struggle that God's people go through in order to be completely purified of sin, receive the latter rain, and be ready to preach the loud cry. Those who refuse to go through this cleansing process with Jesus, or simply ignore the necessity of it, will be left behind in darkness. Then when the cry goes forth, "Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet Him!" they will find themselves to be among the foolish virgins.

 Daniel refers to this in chapter 12:8-10:

"I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, 'My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?' He replied, 'Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."

What do the wise understand in the time of the end that the wicked do not understand? It is how to cooperate with Jesus in His closing work in the Most Holy Place, when He sets His hand to purify His people of all the sins of the flesh and spirit, so the work of salvation will be completed. 

Would you like to be a part of those who enter into this special work of Jesus for the final generation in preparation for His coming? If so, we must be ready to see our sins and depart from them forever. God invites us to have communion with Him, and listen to His still small voice so He can reveal even hidden sins to us; and if we cooperate, He will cleanse us of every unclean thing. He says to us today:

"'Come now, let us reason together’, says the Lord. ‘Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isa. 1:18-20.

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Review the past for Me, let us argue the matter together." Isa. 43:25, 26.

"It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.... Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend on our union with Christ and the degree of faith we exercise in Him." SD 290.

"The union with Christ must be maintained.... This is no casual touch, no on and off connection.... The life... received... can be preserved only by continual communication. Without [Jesus] you cannot overcome one sin or resist one temptation.... The channel of communication must be open continually between man and his God." DA 676.

"Everything that cannot enter the city of God will be reproved; if we submit to the Lord's refining, all the dross and tin will be consumed." 4BC 1181.

Brothers and sisters, this work of cleansing with Jesus from the Most Holy Place is going on right now. Many people around the world are experiencing this walk with Jesus. Do not delay to enter the ark of safety until it is too late. The things of this world are reaching out to us and to our children to prevent us from cooperating with the finishing work of Jesus in our characters. But we must turn from the things of this world and the siren sounds all about us, and listen to the sweet voice of Jesus calling us to repentance in preparation for the infilling of His Holy Spirit. Just as Noah entered the ark and the door was shut, so will Jesus soon finish His work in the Most Holy Place, and the door will be shut for salvation. Now is the time to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit and press your way into the presence of Jesus. He will turn no one away who comes to Him for help. No matter what your condition may be, He is sufficient to cleanse you and fill you with His perfect righteousness. Jesus is calling you just now:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30.

There is no joy on earth like the joy of knowing Jesus, and also associating with others who are also going through the cleansing. Helping each other, praying for one another, and sharing our experiences far surpasses anything this world has to offer. Will you join us as we travel the narrow road that leads to life eternal?