9.) Perfect Oneness with Jesus in His Sanctuary

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In all our previous studies of the Sanctuary, I have emphasized that God's goal for us is holiness, or perfection of character, and character is "the thoughts and feelings combined." 5T 310. Now I want to focus upon the process by which this goal is attained. In order to do this, we must remember that "holiness is agreement with God." 5T 743. Putting these two things together, I believe we can simplify the concept of perfection until even a child can understand.

"The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden -- perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity to the principles of His Law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace...

"God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love.... He tells us to be perfect as He is, in the same manner. We are to be centers of light and blessing to our little circle, even as He is to the universe. We have nothing of ourselves, but the light of His love shines upon us, and we are to reflect its brightness. In His borrowed goodness good, we may be perfect in our sphere, even as God is perfect in His.

"Jesus said, be perfect as your Father is perfect. If you are the children of God you are partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. Every child lives by the life of his father. If you are God's children, begotten by His Spirit, you live by the life of God. In Christ dwells 'all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' (Col. 2:9); and the life of Jesus is made manifest 'in our mortal flesh' (2 Cor. 4:11). That life in you will produce the same character and manifest the same works as it did in Him. Thus, you will be in harmony with every precept of His Law; for 'the Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.' Ps. 19:7, margin. Through love 'the righteousness of the Law will be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.' Rom. 8:4."  MB 77

What a glorious privilege we have of knowing the God of Heaven so intimately through our walk with Jesus, that our characters will be restored to the perfection that was given to our first parents before they sinned!

As we have seen in previous studies, this walk is outlined for us in the Bible through an understanding of the Sanctuary. Without this understanding we will not know how to cooperate with Jesus in the work that He is doing right now to reproduce His perfect life in our characters.

Unfortunately, many people have thought that Jesus will do this work in Heaven without our knowledge. But, "the Lord does nothing without our cooperation." 2SM 236. This means that we must be in a conscious, loving relationship with Jesus at all times in order to benefit by His cleansing, finishing work.

"It is those who by faith follow Jesus in the great work of the atonement, who receive the benefits of His mediation in their behalf; while those who reject the light which brings to view this work of ministration are not benefited thereby." EW xxix.

"Jesus told the angels that all who found Him would understand the cleansing work which He was to perform." EW 251.

"There must be a purifying of the soul here upon the earth in harmony with Christ's cleansing of the Sanctuary in Heaven." Mar 249.

"As fire purifies gold, so Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial." Ms 115, 1902.

"The wise heart will know the proper time and procedure." Eccl. 8:5.

Doesn't this tell us something about the identity of the wise virgins who are ready when the cry goes forth, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh!"? The following passage from Dan. 12:9, 10, emphasizes that in the end of time, the wise virgins will be those who understand how to cooperate with the purifying process which Jesus is doing in the heavenly Sanctuary which prepares them for the coming of the Bridegroom:

"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." 

In this cleansing process, it is imperative that we have a close, intimate walk with Jesus, by which we can hear His voice counseling us and revealing to us the deepest roots of our sins. Then His sweet voice calls us to give them up and receive His perfect purity of thinking and behavior, thus coming into complete agreement with Him in every aspect of our lives. It is impossible for us to stop sinning through our own efforts, because we have sin engraved upon the tablets of our hearts. Jer. 17:1, 2. But by close association with Jesus and a constant walk with Him such as Enoch had, we will be changed in heart and life until the Ten Commandments will be written perfectly upon our hearts by the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Those who fully experience this cleansing process will be ready to be translated at the coming of Jesus.

Are you longing to be among that number? Do you wish to be free from all the characteristics of sin that have brought suffering and sorrow to your life and perhaps the lives of others as well? Come to Jesus and ask Him to show you the things throughout your life, both hereditary and cultivated, that need to be confessed, cleansed, and blotted out from your mind and from the books of Heaven. Jesus loves to do this work for us, for it is the very work that He gave His life to accomplish in the eradication of sin from the universe. Never allow the devil or anyone else to tell you that it is impossible to stop sinning, or that we will sin until Jesus comes. Those who believe and practice this will find themselves to be among the foolish virgins when it will be forever too late for them to change.

"The class represented by the foolish virgins... have not... permitted their old nature to be broken up.... They have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character. They have not held communion with Him; therefore, they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form." COL 411.

"If they cherish hereditary and cultivated traits of character, while professing to be His disciples, they are represented by the foolish virgins." 4BC 1179.

"Inherited and cultivated tendencies to wrong must be crucified." MYP 68.

Yes, Jesus died for all sin all the way back to Adam and Eve. His shed blood is efficacious in cleansing us of every sin that we have. Otherwise He would not be a perfect and complete Savior, and Satan would win the great controversy between good and evil that has raged for all these thousands of years. Come into His temple while there is yet time, and experience the saving relationship with Jesus that will prepare you for eternity.

An impressive dream by Ellen White:

"I dreamed of seeing a temple, to which many persons were flocking. Only those who took refuge in that temple would be saved when time should close. All who remained outside would be forever lost. The multitudes without who were going about their various ways, derided and ridiculed those who were entering the temple, and told them that this kind of safety was a cunning deception, that in fact there was no danger whatever to avoid. They even laid hold of some to prevent them from hastening within the walls.

"Fearing to be ridiculed, I thought best to wait until the multitude dispersed, or until I could enter unobserved by them. But the numbers increased instead of diminishing, and fearful of being too late, I hastily left my home and pressed through the crowd.... On entering the building, I saw that the vast temple was supported by one immense pillar, and to this was tied a Lamb all mangled and bleeding. We who were present seem to know that the Lamb had been torn and bruised on our account. All who entered the temple must come before it and confess their sins.

"Just before the Lamb were elevated seats, upon which sat a company looking very happy. The light of Heaven seemed to shine upon their faces, and they praised God and sang songs of glad thanksgiving that seemed like the music of the angels. These were they who had come before the Lamb, confessed their sins, received pardon, and were now waiting in glad expectation of some joyful event....

"I seem compelled to move forward, and was slowly making my way around the pillar in order to face the Lamb, when a trumpet sounded, the temple shook, shouts of triumph arose from the assembled saints, an awful brightness illuminated the building, and then all was intense darkness. The happy people had all disappeared with the brightness, and I was left alone." 1T 27, 28.

This early dream of Ellen White is predictive of the people of God who are/will be alive when Jesus comes. We, too, must go to this temple, confess our sins, and be in a Sanctuary relationship with Jesus in order to be ready when the trumpet sounds and our precious Lord and Savior comes to take His people home. May we all be among that number!

Article by Carol Zarska, MAR, author