Christ, the Center of Our Message

By Danilo Lopez Monterroso, Guatemala

The current condition of the world is hopeless and gloomy. Every day, every month, and every year that passes into the history of humanity carries a flood of records of violence, evil, pain, sin, misery, and death that make people seek for a refuge where they can find security and peace. Rulers come and go with their illusory promises without filling the great void that is in the heart of the human being, but it is of the utmost importance to consider the present condition of God’s people. There are many walking on the narrow path; but in their pilgrimage, they complain, murmuring about the road where He has guided them, thus offending God. They stop to think about what they lost and left behind in deciding to give their lives to Jesus. Unfortunately they have lost sight of the goal and are wandering aimlessly. Your experience may be like that of the faithful servants who left everything to walk by faith on the narrow path, because they kept their eyes on the Invisible One, as did Moses. We read in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11:24-27: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.”

What is the Christ-centered message?

There are many who preach sermons without a message. We may be able to understand and decipher prophecy, know the church’s history, understand doctrine and the principles very well, and know that we are living at the end of the time of grace; but the big question that we ask ourselves is: What is the most important part of our message? Why does the message that we preach not carry more weight, even when it conforms to the holy Scriptures? It is because messages are presented without Christ. Prophetic inspiration says the following: “But whatever phase of the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, ‘the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star.’ Revelation 22:16.” –Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 118.

When God called the Adventist people to walk the narrow path after the year 1844, He gave them a complete message with essential truths that the church had to understand and preach. They had everything, but they became very legalistic. God in His mercy sent them a wonderful message in 1888, at the Minneapolis Conference. As we read in Psalm 118:22, Christ was and is the foundation, the most important part of the message: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” Sadly, there were many who rejected the fundamental, central part of this message–”Christ Our Righteousness”–and began to question and criticize both the message and the messengers, causing disunity and separation. We read the following statement: “Some of our brethren have expressed fears that we shall dwell too much upon the subject of justification by faith, but I hope and pray that none will be needlessly alarmed; for there is no danger in presenting this doctrine as it is set forth in the Scriptures…. The Lord has proclaimed Himself to be ‘merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’

“Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message, in verity.’ ” –(Review and Herald, April 1, 1890) Selected Messages, book 1, p. 372.

Christ Our Righteousness

“The third angel’s message calls for the presentation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and this truth must be brought before the world; but the great center of attraction, Jesus Christ, must not be left out of the third angel’s message. By many who have been engaged in the work for this time, Christ has been made secondary, and theories and arguments have had first place. The glory of God that was revealed to Moses in regard to the divine character has not been made prominent. The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee.’ ‘And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.’ Exodus 33:19; 34:6, 7.

“A veil has seemed to be before the eyes of many who have labored in the cause, so that when they presented the law, they have not had views of Jesus, and have not proclaimed the fact that, where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound. It is at the cross of Calvary that mercy and truth meet together, where righteousness and peace kiss each other. The sinner must ever look toward Calvary; and with the simple faith of a little child, he must rest in the merits of Christ, accepting His righteousness and believing in His mercy. Laborers in the cause of truth should present the righteousness of Christ, not as new light but as precious light that has for a time been lost sight of by the people. We are to accept Christ as our personal Saviour, and He imputes unto us the righteousness of God in Christ. Let us repeat and make prominent the truth that John has portrayed: ‘Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ 1 John 4:10.

“In the love of God has been opened the most marvelous vein of precious truth, and the treasures of the grace of Christ are laid open before the church and the world. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.’ John 3:16. What love this is–what marvelous, unfathomable love–that would lead Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners! What a loss it is to the soul who understands the strong claims of the law, and who yet fails to understand the grace of Christ which doth much more abound! It is true that the law of God reveals the love of God when it is preached as the truth in Jesus; for the gift of Christ to this guilty world must be largely dwelt upon in every discourse. It is no wonder that hearts have not been melted by the truth, when it has been presented in a cold and lifeless manner. No wonder faith has staggered at the promises of God, when ministers and workers have failed to present Jesus in His relation to the law of God. How often should they have assured the people that ‘He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ Romans 8:32….

Look at the cross

“Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy, of the heavenly Father. O that all might repent and do their first works. When the churches do this, they will love God supremely and their neighbors as themselves…. Divisions will then be healed, the harsh sounds of strife will no more be heard in the borders of Israel. Through the grace freely given them of God, all will

seek to answer the prayer of Christ, that His disciples should be one, even as He and the Father are one. Peace, love, mercy, and benevolence will be the abiding principles of the soul. The love of Christ will be the theme of every tongue, and it will no more be said by the True Witness, ‘I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.’ Revelation 2:4…. In the oneness of Christ’s church it will be proved that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world.

Eliminating pharisaeism and self-righteousness

“When God’s people are one in the unity of the Spirit, all of Pharisaeism, all of self-righteousness, which was the sin of the Jewish nation, will be expelled from all hearts. The mold of Christ will be upon each individual member of His body, and His people will be new bottles into which He can pour His new wine, and the new wine will not break the bottles. God will make known the mystery which hath been hidden for ages. He will make known what are the ‘riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ Colossians 1:27 (verses 28, 29 also quoted).

Destitute of the Holy Spirit

“Jesus came to impart to the human soul the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; but it is impossible to endow men with the Holy Spirit, who are set in their ideas, whose doctrines are all stereotyped and unchangeable, who are walking after the traditions and commandments of men, as were the Jews in the time of Christ. They were very punctilious in the observances of the church, very rigorous in following their forms, but they were destitute of vitality and religious devotion. They were represented by Christ as like the dry skins which were then used as bottles. The gospel of Christ could not be placed in their hearts; for there was no room to contain it. They could not be the new bottles into which He could pour His new wine. Christ was obliged to seek elsewhere than among the scribes and the Pharisees for bottles for His doctrine of truth and life. He must find men who were willing to have regeneration of heart. He came to give to men new hearts. He said, ‘A new heart also will I give you.’ But the self-righteous of that day and of this day feel no need of having a new heart. Jesus passed by the scribes and the Pharisees, for they felt no need of a Saviour. They were wedded to forms and ceremonies. These services had been instituted by Christ; they had been full of vitality and spiritual beauty; but the Jews had lost the spiritual life from their ceremonies, and clung to the dead forms after spiritual life was extinct among them. When they departed from the requirements and commandments of God, they sought to supply the place of that which they had lost, by multiplying their own requirements, and making more rigorous demands than had God; and the more rigid they grew, the less of the love and Spirit of God they manifested.

Christ said to the people: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all theirworks they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.’ ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.’ Matthew 23:2-7, 23).

The Faithful Witness gives the last call

“The remnant church is called to go through an experience similar to that of the Jews; and the True Witness, who walks up and down in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, has a solemn message to bear to His people. He says, ‘I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.’ Revelation 2:4, 5. The love of God has been waning in the church, and as a result, the love of self has sprung up into new activity. With the loss of love for God there has come the loss of love for the brethren. The church may meet all the description that is given of the Ephesian church, and yet fail in vital godliness. Of them Jesus said, ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.’ Revelation 2:2-4.

“A legal religion has been thought quite the correct religion for this time. But it is a mistake. The rebuke of Christ to the Pharisees is applicable to those who have lost from the heart their first love. A cold, legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. When fastings and prayers are practiced in a self-justifying spirit, they are abominable to God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposed sacrifice– all proclaim to the world the testimony that the doer of these things considers himself righteous. These things call attention to the observer of rigorous duties, saying, This man is entitled to heaven. But it is all a deception. Works will not buy for us an entrance into heaven. The one great Offering that has been made is ample for all who will believe. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. He who drinks from the water of the fountain of life, will be filled with the new wine of the kingdom. Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them. ‘This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.’ John 17:3. By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until you will hate your former pride, your former vanity and self-esteem, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God. You will practice love, patience, gentleness, goodness, mercy, and every grace that dwells in the child of God, and will at last find a place among the sanctified and holy.” –Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 383-388.

We are about to end another year, and the questions we ask ourselves are: How is our relationship with God? Are we walking with Jesus? Have we understood from experience what the message of Justification by Faith is? Is Jesus the center of our lives, homes, and churches? We may experience what the two disciples did on the day of the resurrection as they walked toward the village of Emmaus. They were disheartened, sad, discouraged, disconcerted, and hopeless, and that was when a Stranger joined them and began a dialogue regarding the events that had happened over the weekend. They did not recognize Him because their eyes were veiled. It is Jesus who comes to us and gives us consolation in every moment of our lives. He is the center of everything. He is Emmanuel, God with us, who wants to talk to us and stay with us tonight, yes, in the spiritual night that is coming. Do not let Him go. Say, as did the disciples: “Abide with us: for it is toward evening,and the day is far spent.” Luke 24:29. He entered, then, to stay with them. Stay with us, Lord Jesus, with Your church throughout the world. This is our desire and prayer. Amen.