1. The Framework of the Gospel

The Ellipse of Truth

Psalm 19:1 (NASB95)

Psalm 19:1 NASB95

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

The planets orbit the sun in an elliptical, not circular motion.

A circle has one central focus. An ellipse has two balanced foci.

Truth is elliptical, not circular.

Truth always has two aspects that must be held in perfect tension.

God’s grace must be held in perfect tension with His law.

God’s mercy must be held in perfect tension with His justice.

God’s sovereignty must be held in perfect tension with human responsibility.

Faith must be held in perfect tension with obedience.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection must be held in perfect tension with His work as High Priest and Heavenly Judge.

John 1:14 (NASB95)

John 1:14 NASB95

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Exodus 34:6–7 (NASB95)

Exodus 34:6–7 NASB95

6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Justified by faith or by works?… Yes!

Romans 2:13–16 (NASB95)

Romans 2:13–16 NASB95

13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified…

16 … on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:24–28 (NASB95)

Romans 3:24–28 NASB95

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 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; 26 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. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…

28 … For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

The word justification can be used in two different senses. To justify can mean to forgive or to vindicate.

FORGIV'ENESS, noun forgiv'ness.

1. The act of forgiving; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. The forgiveness of enemies is a christian duty.

2. The pardon or remission of an offense or crime; as the forgiveness of sin or of injuries.

3. Disposition to pardon; willingness to forgive.

And mild forgiveness intercede to stop the coming blow.

4. Remission of a debt, fine or penalty.

VINDICA'TION, noun [Latin vindico.]

1. The defense of any thing, or a justification against denial or censure, or against objections or accusations; as the vindication of opinions or of a creed; the vindication of the Scriptures against the objections and cavils of infidels.

2. The act of supporting by proof or legal process; the proving of any thing to be just; as the vindication of a title, claim or right.

3. Defense by force or otherwise; as the vindication of the rights of man; the vindication of our liberties or the rights of conscience.

In Jesus, we are justified, that is, forgiven of our sins by faith.

In judgment, we will be justified, that is, vindicated or proven to be righteous before God by works.

These are the two points that must be held in perfect tension in the truth of justification.

“We are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone.”

- Martin Luther

The Judgment Hour Message

Revelation 14:6–12 (NKJV)

6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,

10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The content of the Seventh-day Adventist message is “the everlasting Gospel.”

The context of the Seventh-day Adventist message is “the hour of [God’s] judgment.”

Seventh-day Adventists have been called to preach the unchanging good news about God with the threefold emphasis of worship, wisdom, and warning to prepare a people who will maintain unbroken loyalty to God during the time of the investigative judgment.

Galatians 1:6–9 (NASB95)

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

The First Angel’s Message emphasizes worship: The Effects of the Everlasting Gospel. If you are saved, you will…

Respect God, “Fear God.”

Reflect God, “Give glory to Him.”

Remember God, that is, obey all of God’s commandments of which the Sabbath is the sign, pointing back to God as our Creator.

The Second Angel’s Message emphasizes wisdom, that is, discernment to embrace truth and reject falsehood. Notice that “Babylon is…”

“fallen (once)” Consider Nebuchadnezzar’s pride that led to his fall (Daniel 4). This foreshadowed the pride that Babylon displayed in substituting Sunday for God’s Seventh-day Sabbath.

“is fallen (again)” Consider Belshazzar’s presumption that led to Babylon’s final fall. This foreshadowed how Babylon would introduce the error of the spiritualism into the church through the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul. This false doctrine essentially teaches that a person can live in sin without consequence and become a god to themselves (cf. Genesis 3:4-5).

The Third Angel’s Message emphasizes warning. Simply stated, if your claim to salvation is not validated by obedience to God’s commandments and you embrace the falsehoods of Babylon, you will be deceived by the mark of the beast and will be destroyed by fire and brimstone in the lake of fire.

The effect of this message is that God will have a people who maintain their loyalty to Him and His truth (the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus).

Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1 Chapter 7—My First Vision

Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us: “You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in.”

It’s all About Jesus!

The Earthly Ministry of Jesus: His Life, Death, and Resurrection

Daniel 9:24–27 (NKJV)

24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression (Hebrews 9:26),

To make an end of sins (John 1:29),

To make reconciliation for iniquity (2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Colossians 1:20)

To bring in everlasting righteousness (Romans 3:21-28),

To seal up vision and prophecy (Mark 1:15),

And to anoint the Most Holy (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).

25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

The Heavenly Ministry of Jesus: High Priest and Heavenly Judge

Daniel 7:9–14 (NKJV)

9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;

10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.

14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 8:14 (NKJV)

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

See Also Revelation 1:10-16; 4-5; 8:1-5; 11:19; 15:5-8

What did Jesus Teach about the Judgment?

John 3:18–21 (CSB)

18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.

21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Our standing in the judgment is based on how we respond to the light God sends to us.

Those who are not born again run from the judgment because they are afraid of their evil deed being exposed. Those who are born again embrace judgment because they are confident in the work that God has done in their life.

Our standing in the judgment is not based on what we do, but what we allow God to do in us through His Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

In order to pass God’s judgment, we must be born again. To be born again means to behold the love of God in Jesus Christ and for the heart to be changed from rebellion to loyalty. That is, when God’s love leads you to faith, that is, to say “yes” to God, to His will and to His way, the Holy Spirit writes the Law of God on the heart, the heart is changed from rebellion to loyalty. This happens when we contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the greatest demonstration of God’s unchanging love for each of us personally. You would do well to spend significant time each day meditating on the life of Jesus, tracing His footsteps scene by scene, especially the closing moments leading up to His death. The love of God displayed in Jesus Christ will awaken love in your cold, sinful heart. You will be led to the foot of the cross in full surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior.