Commentary on "In Spirit and in Truth"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 7: Friday, September 9, 2011 - Further Study

 

Overview

We have been given a suggested list of passages from the writings of Ellen White which includes this quote that sets the theme for today on how we are to worship God:

"I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40:8. As He went about doing good, and healing all who were afflicted by Satan, He made plain to men the character of God's law and the nature of His service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God. {DA 24.2}

Ellen is quoting the words of King David who is expressing what true worship is in Psalm 40. Ellen asserts that this psalm is teaching that it is possible to “obey the law of God”, meaning the whole written Mosaic Law.

 

Observations

First, let’s look at the words of the Apostle Paul who is quoting from Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3 & Ecc. 7:20 in this passage from the book of Romans:

What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. (Romans 3:9-12 HCSB)

All of scripture teaches that all sinners fall short of the glory of God. Furthermore, God’s righteousness demands that only a perfect sacrifice can make atonement for our sins. Rather than teach us how we can be perfect in our own works, we are to know that Jesus died in our place for one simple reason. None of us sinners are righteous in our own works and never will be. Our righteousness is totally the imputed righteousness of our Savior Jesus Christ.

So, let’s take some time and study King David’s whole message of worship in Psalm 40.

Verses 1-3: David ‘waited patiently for the Lord’ because he found that he was hoplessly mired in a ‘desolate pit’. It is God who puts ‘a new song’ in his mouth and gives him a reason to praise God. This is totally a work of God. In his own words David is expressing the ‘faith of Abraham’.

Verses 4-5: Happy is the person who puts his/her trust in God and does not turn to the pride of those who offer lies. There is nothing we can add to God’s plans and his works.

Verse 6-8: God does not desire ‘sacrifice and offering’, ‘a whole burnt offering’ or ‘a sin offering’ which were requirements of the Mosaic Law King David was under. Instead, David understood that doing the will of God was much deeper and had different meaning than outward obedience to the written law. David prophetically understood the message recorded in Romans chapter eight concerning the coming indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Verses 9-10: David boldly proclaims God’s righteousness to all who are willing to hear. God is faithful and promised salvation to all who will listen and is founded on his ‘constant love and truth’.

Verses 11-13: David understands that his troubles are centered upon his own sins which are ‘more than the hairs’ of his head. His plea is to his God of ‘constant love and truth’ who is his sole protection and source of deliverance. There is not the slightest hint that David offered God anything other than his complete helplessness.

Verses 14-15: David pleads protection from his enemies upon a foundation of his own guilt. He offers nothing in the way of ‘good works’ in his own defense. When we come before God we bring nothing with us other than our own guilt.

Verses 16-17 (HCSB):

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation continually say, “The Lord is great!” I am afflicted and needy; the Lord thinks of me. You are my helper and my deliverer; my God, do not delay.

 

Summary

1. Much of the words of Ellen White are good statements such as when she points out that worship is not about “seeking a sacred temple” or concerned with “forms and ceremonies”. However, she is totally wrong when she implies that the right kind of worship “will purify the heart”. Our hearts are purified by the atonement of Jesus at Calvary and his imputed indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we simply believe the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Not even our worship adds to what Jesus did at Calvary.
2. If Ellen White were simply another commentator on the word of God we could simply retain the good things she has written and ignore what departs from the biblical record. However, by claiming to be imparting inspired messages from God we are compelled to reject and ignore all that she has said. Doctrine must be founded upon the bible, the whole bible and nothing but the bible.
3. By taking the words of King David out of context when Ellen quotes from Psalm 40 verse 8, she completely reverses the prophetic message of this psalm. Even before Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant law, King David understood that righteousness before God was not about outward conformance to the Mosaic Law.
4. Jesus did not come to earth and live a perfect life to prove sinners could do the same. Righteousness before God is not about our own works because all sinners fail to even keep a small part of the requirements of God. Instead, Jesus paid the price for our sins and offers his total righteousness without including any merit of our own. This is the message to be found in Psalm 40.

 

Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 22, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 11

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SSNET Study Guide Week 11

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